In the meantime, the use of a child seat is specified in the road traffic regulations, this also includes the booster seat…
…which is normally used from the age of 3. But what kind should it be? What should you consider when buying?
I would like to give you here 9 great booster seat recommendations. I have been looking for a long time because as with child seats, there are unfortunately some models with shortcomings in terms of safety. Among my products are booster seats for longer trips, but also inexpensive if your child only occasionally rides in the car. In addition, I have taken care to present you only booster seats with a belt guide, because they offer more safety than a simple booster seat.
Booster seats have some advantages. They also serve great as a second seat and are easy to install. There are even some very affordable models, as you will see.
Following my nine favorites I would like to help you decide which model is right for your needs and those of your child and also give you a lot of helpful information about booster seats and what you should look for when buying.
Have fun reading and shopping.
Table of contents
The Best Sellers Of Booster Seats
In a list of bestsellers we have compiled the most popular child booster seats for you.
Child Booster Seat Checklist
- When choosing a booster seat, height and weight are the most important factors. Your child must weigh at least 15 kg and be 1.25 cm tall to switch to a booster seat.
- Also make sure that the material is free of harmful substances, which you can recognize by a test seal.
- The seat must be installed correctly. Read the enclosed instructions for installing the child seat carefully.
- You should really only replace the correct child seat when your child no longer fits into group 3. Because this offers significantly more protection than the booster seat.
- You can choose between a booster seat with a backrest, one with only handles to guide the belt, and the simple booster seat.
- The safest for your child is the variant with a backrest for the back. Here, the head, shoulders, and pelvis are protected in the event of an impact from the front or the side.
- In the case of booster seats with side handles, only the pelvis is protected in the event of a side crash.
- We advise you not to use the simple booster seat, as it provides very little protection in the event of an accident.
- Sufficient space in the seat, good visibility and comfort ensure optimum well-being. So there should be padding and care should be taken that the seat is adjusted to the body size.
- Great patterns or favorite characters will help you ensure that your child enjoys being in the seat.
Recommended Child Booster Seats
We have compiled the best and most exciting child booster seats.
- Soft padded seat with comfortable armrests
- Headboard 6 height positions
- Light Installation in the car with the 3-point standard seat belt
- Backrest adjustable in 2 positions
- The cover is removable and washable
Tip: You can also find a great selection of child seats in our guide to child seats for the car.
Current Offers Of Child Booster Seats
You can find the best current offers on booster seats in this list.
Tip: The best child seats for the very young are represented in the guide to group 0 child seats.
FAQ About Booster
seatWhen a child is 13 years old or older, he or she may drive without a child seat. However, if the child has already reached a height of at least 150 cm, the child seat can be omitted from this point on.
Children of all ages may sit in the front with the appropriate booster seat. In the event of an accident, however, the rear seats are usually better protected.
For a booster seat, the child must weigh at least 15 kg. However, this should definitely include a backrest to be better protected in side crashes. The booster seat may only be omitted from the age of 13 or from a height of 150 cm.
When buying a booster seat, you should first consider what kind of model will even fit in your car and which one will offer your child enough safety. The installation with Isofix fastening system is particularly simple and above all very safe. In most cars child seats and booster seats can now be attached with Isofix, but not in all. Every seat with Isofix can also be attached with a 3-point belt, but not vice versa. If your car allows you to fasten it with Isofix, you should prefer this variant.
You want a booster seat with Isofix?
You are type A!
Great, if your car offers you the possibility to attach the booster seat with Isofix, then you should use it. The Isofix installation is quick and easy, but offers much more safety than the pure belt installation, because it prevents that the booster seat can move back and forth. For type A, two models from my recommendations come into question: the Peg Perego 2-3 Shuttle Viaggio and the Babyblume BOOST bo
oster seat.The Peg Perego 2-3 Shuttle Viaggio
I have already met many products from Peg Perego and therefore also times the booster seat under the magnifying glass. Quickly it was clear: This is my test winner! The booster seat Shuttle Viaggio has everything you can expect from a booster seat. It is suitable, like most other models from 15 to 36 kg and has the ECE R44/04 approval. The Peg Perego Shuttle Viaggio
can be easily and safely attached with Isofix, but if necessary also by belt installationI was particularly convinced by one small detail. The Shuttle Viaggio
booster seat has a clip for optimal belt guidance. Because a cutting and poorly fitting belt is a high safety risk. In most other booster seats you look in vain for this nice detail. The cup holder is also a nice bonus for children.The booster seat is also comfortably padded and has a removable cover that can be easily cleaned in the washing machine. However, this model also has a few minor drawbacks, but I don’t find them concise compared to the high safety and quality. The Peg Perego booster seat
is relatively expensive in comparison, but in terms of safety you better not save. It is also quite heavy with 3 kilos and now and then it can come to rattling noises when driving without a child is perfect for you if you and your child drive very often and especially for longer distances super suitableBabyblume BOOST child seat
The Babyblume BOOST booster seat is a great and cheaper alternative to the Peg Perego Shuttle Viaggio. It can also be used from about age three to about 12 and features the convenient Isofix attachment system. The padding of the Babyblume BOOST
feels pleasantly soft and provides the necessary comfort even on longer trips.Babyblume’s booster seat is unfortunately only available in one color, but I personally don’t find that too bothersome. Its only drawback compared to the Shuttle Viaggio is the lack of a clip for optimal belt guidance, so parents should pay special attention to the perfect fit of the belt here.
You need a booster seat with belt installation?
You are type B!
Some, like you, prefer a booster seat without Isofix attachment system. This can have various reasons. Most older cars do not yet offer the possibility of attachment with Isofix and so must be resorted to the belt installation. Also, models with Isofix are often more expensive, so that the cheaper model is used, for example, if it is only a second seat. But you don’t have to worry about safety either
Isofix is very easy to attach and you can do little wrong, which is why it is very safe, but even with the belt installation your baby is well protected. However, you should pay special attention to the attachment, so that the seat can not slide too much back and forth and the straps have a good fit.
For type B, all five models are actually suitable. Because all booster seats with Isofix, can also be attached by belt installation. However, models without Isofix are usually cheaper. For you, the Safety 1st Manga, the Hits4Kids Disney Cars from Kaufmann and the Bellelli EOS BOO
booster seat are just right.The Safety 1st Manga booster seat
oster seat is the price winner among the booster seats at under 15 euros. But is that really enough? Yes, it is perfectly adequate, especially for shorter distances and tested according to ECE R44/04. For longer distances, it depends on how comfortable your child finds the booster seat, because it is not quite as well padded as other models. You should also note that the child seat may only be used from 25 kg, so approximately from 7 years. In terms of safety, however, the booster seat is in no way inferior to the other models.Hits4Kids Disney Cars booster seat from Kaufmann Neuheiten
Especially little boys will love this great booster seat. For little princesses Kaufmann novelties but has now also brought out some beautiful other designs, such as a unicorn, or Elsa from “The Ice Queen” or the Minions
.The cute Cars booster
seat can be used from 15 kg and protects children from an uncomfortable rubbing of the belt due to the elevated seating position. The car seat has good padding and is therefore also super suitable for longer distances.Bellelli EOS BOO booster seat
The Bellelli EOS BOO is only available in a double pack and is therefore convenient for siblings or for the second car. The booster seat has a sturdy base and good padding. Handling is easy and above all the Bellelli EOS BOO booster seat
is also pleasantly light, which is very convenient for frequent removal for use in other vehicles.The cover is removable and washable as with all my recommendations. However, the seat is rounded at the back, which, depending on the car, quickly forms a small gap to the backrest, which is not only susceptible to crumbs, but also times quickly disappear favorite toy. My tip here is to make sure that the gap is not too big, so that your child sits comfortably and safely during the ride.
Booster seat info
Why do I need a booster seat?
The simplest answer to this question is because the use of a booster seat for children under the height of 1.50 m and up to the end of their 12th year has been required by law since 1993. This is because before that, the restraint system in the car does not offer children enough protection and the belts could cut in and further increase the risk of injury in the event of an accident. The booster seat brings your child closer to the size of an adult, which means that the existing belts offer more protection.
However, the booster seat should have what are called guide horns that hold the belt in place while preventing the booster seat from slipping out from under the child’s bottom in the event of an accident. The guide horns also serve as armrests and ensure greater seating comfort
Until about the age of three, child car seats can be used that have both a backrest and side guards. After that, most parents switch to a simple booster seat that ensures the harnesses fit properly. Some seats even come with a handy cup holder for added convenience for children. A particularly practical feature of the booster seat is that it can be quickly and easily removed and secured in another vehicle, for example for a trip with the grandparents. Because a child seat is also mandatory for occasional or short trips with family or acquaintances.
What you should consider when buying?
Booster seat with belt guide
Many brands offer a simple booster seat without a belt guide. It is a simple fixed cushion that is only there to make the child sit higher. These models are not recommended, because they offer much less safety than the models with belt guide. Critics of the simple booster seat complain that in the event of a collision or hard braking, the seat can simply slide out from under the child, making the belts less able to absorb the momentum
A booster seat with a harness guide, on the other hand, stays in place. The harness guide horns also serve as comfortable armrests and, in many models, are particularly well padded for the highest possible comfort. Another advantage is that the belt cannot simply be pushed aside by children.
Fastening with Isofix or 3-point harness?
Most cars nowadays have the practical Isofix mounting. But is this really better than the belt installation and where are the advantages and disadvantages?
The advantages and disadvantages of Isofix
The first question many people ask is: what exactly is Isofix? Isofix is a standardized system from car manufacturers, in which anchoring eyes are installed in the car, into which suitable Isofix holding bars can be snapped. Most modern cars now have Isofix, but unfortunately not all do
The advantages are that booster seats, child seats and infant carriers can be easily attached in the car with a click. This prevents incorrect attachment, which could compromise safety. However, the problem of incorrect attachment is more likely to occur with infant carriers and child car seats and not with good booster seats, where belt installation is quite simple. A particular advantage with booster seats is that the Isofix attachment prevents them from sliding back and forth
The disadvantages of Isofix mounting are mainly higher price and more weight. While booster seats without Isofix often weigh less than one kilogram, you can expect two to three kilograms for models with Isofix
The advantages and disadvantages of the belt installation
Some parents opt for belt installation, for example, because the car does not offer the possibility of attachment with Isofix.
With booster seats, you can do little wrong with belt installation, provided they have guide horns. However, caution is advised with car seats for smaller children, because there it happens quickly that the seat is installed incorrectly and is therefore not safe. The great advantage of models with belt installation is that they are not only cheaper on average, but also lighter, which makes them easier to handle.
Belt installation is done quickly in a booster seat and is not difficult. The big disadvantage, however, is that many models that are only fastened with straps slip back and forth easily, which means that the straps no longer fit the child perfectly. Parents should therefore regularly keep an eye on the fact that the belt does not constrict their child at the neck or other places, because this is not only uncomfortable, but also increases the risk of injury in the event of an accident
The cover of the booster seat
As with most baby and children’s products, the cover of the booster seat should be removable and washable. With some models, separate covers can also be purchased so that the booster seat can be used even if the other cover is currently in the wash.
Especially if you plan to use the booster seat often, then you should make sure that the cover, or the seat, is sufficiently padded, so that your child sits comfortably, especially on longer trips
More about
Child seats by age
- The 10 best group 0 child seats – guidebook
- The 10 best group 1 child seats – guidebook
- The 10 best group 2 child seats – guidebook
- The 10 best group 3 child seats – guidebook
- The 9 best booster seats – guidebook
Other child seats
- The 10 best child seats for the car – Guidebook
- The 9 best child seats – guide
- The best child seats up to 36 kg – guidebook
- The 15 best Cybex child seats up to 36 kg – guidebook
- The 20 best Britax Römer child seats up to 36 kg – guidebook
- The 20 best Maxi Cosi child seats up to 36 kg – guidebook
- Recaro child seats
- The 8 best Recaro child seats up to 36 kg – guidebook
- Maxi Cosi child seats