Top 10 Safest Backless Booster Seats in 2024

As a concerned parent, you want to keep your kids safe when they’re in the car with you. When they’re babies, they sit in traditional car seats – front-facing seats that strap into the car and secure your child. However, when they get older, they still need to be safe – and young children are still too small to be safe wearing only a seatbelt.

The solution is a backless booster seat. They’re perfect for kids who are too big for traditional car seats but still too small to be without some extra protection. We know it can be hard to pick out the right seat with so many options to weigh, so we’ve done the legwork for you and picked our 10 favorites. But first, let’s talk about some of the key features and options to consider.

What to Look for in a Backless Booster Seat

  • Your top priority for your kids is safety and it’s ours too, but there are some specific things you should keep in mind when evaluating backless booster seats.
    The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates all booster seats. You should look for a seat with a high safety rating, ideally one that has side-impact protection and energy-absorbing foam. It may also be helpful to choose a seat with a latch that will hold the seat in place when it’s not being used.
  • Each seat on the market includes height and weight limits to help you determine whether it’s a good choice for your child. Since your child will need to grow with the seat, your best bet is to choose a seat where the low limit is close to your child’s current weight and height.
  • Seats with a five-point harness are preferable to seats that have only a belt strap. They hold your child in place securely with straps that go over the shoulders, across the chest, and also pass over the crotch and buckle into the seat below.
  • You want the straps to be adjustable so the seat will still be safe and comfortable for your child as she grows. Ideally, the crotch strap should have at least two slots, and preferably three. None of the slots should be beneath where the child is sitting.
  • Finally, it’s best to look for a seat that comes with a clear and easy-to-read guide that will show you how to secure the seat in your car, and to secure your child into the seat. Sometimes, instructions that come with products that are manufactured overseas may be poorly translated and difficult to understand.

Safest Backless Booster Seats in 2024

Now that you know what to look for in a backless booster seat for your child, it’s time to reveal our picks for the 10 best.

10. Peg Perego Viaggio Shuttle

Peg Perego Viaggio Shuttle, Crystal Black

Peg Perego Viaggio’s backless booster seat is considered a premium product due to its built quality and higher price tag. The seat is made in Italy having a built-in latch to make it easy to snap it into place or to take it out. Compared to other seats, the foam padding is thicker and offers a very comfortable position for the child. The armrests are also padded. Additionally, the seat comes with a detachable cup holder and works with all backseats that have regular Isofix mounting points.

Features:

  • Premium build quality
  • Removable cup holder
  • Supports up to 120 lbs.
  • Built-in latches for easy installation and removal

Reasons to buy:

  • The built quality makes it far superior to most other backless booster seats. If it wasn`t for the high price tag, the seat would have been much easier to recommend.
  • Being more robust and better built, the seat also supports more weight. It can hold up to 120 lbs. which is much more than enough for toddles or up to 7 years old.
  • The Blind Lock System makes it very easy to mount the seat into place. Removing it is just as easy as all it takes is to pull on the small latch found on the front side of the seat.

9. Graco TurboBooster LX Backless Booster Car Seat

Graco TurboBooster LX Backless Booster Car Seat with Latch System

Graco TurboBooster LX is an inexpensive backless booster car seat with some basic features and decent build quality. The seat has soft foam padding with two support handles. On the front, an adjustable latch can be found to help secure the booster seat properly. The model has a small cup holder on the right side and a storage tray on the left. According to the manufacturers, the seat was rigorously tested in simulated crashes to ensure that it complies with all safety standards.

Features:

  • Rigorously tested in simulated crashes
  • Small cup holder built-in
  • Storage tray attached to the seat
  • Soft foam padding on the seat and handles

Reasons to buy:

  • The seat was subject to actual crash tests to ensure that it offers optimal protection. According to Graco, the seat passed all crash tests including frontal, side, and rear collisions as well as rollover crashes.
  • Having the bottle holder and the small storage tray makes it easier to keep the rear seats properly organized when traveling with a toddler.
  • The booster seat is very easy to attach to regular Isofix hooks. It snaps into place with minimal effort. Also because it is so compact, it will be easy to install even in small city cars.

8. Chicco GoFit Plus Backless Booster Car Seat

Chicco GoFit® Plus Backless Booster Car Seat with LATCH Attachment and Quick-Release LATCH Removal, Travel Booster Seat for Car, Portable Car Booster Seat for Children 40-110 lbs. | Stream/Blue

Chicco GoFit Plus offers great value for money. It has a premium feel and was made to be very easy to maintain. The cover of the seat is made from machine-wash safe materials and can be spot cleaned. Installing it is very simple as it just snaps into place. To remove it, all it takes is to pull the string in the front of the seat. The seat comes with a small carry handle and two plastic cup holders placed on the sides of the seat.

Features:

  • Machine-washable fabrics
  • Two cup holders on the side
  • Carry handle built-in
  • Soft padded leather handles

Reasons to buy:

  • Being made from machine-washable fabrics makes it very easy to spot-clean. The cover is not removable but it is easy to clean especially since it is small and easy to handle.
  • The two cup holders and the carry handle make it very practical. It is easy to move around and the two cup holders can help store items and keep the backseat organized.
  • Comfort is important especially for a small child. The seat is made with soft foam padding and padded handles. The handles are covered with leather material, making them more resilient to wear and tear and easier to clean.

7. Diono Solana 2 Backless Booster Seat

Diono Solana 2 XL, Dual Latch Connectors, Lightweight Backless Belt-Positioning Booster Car Seat, 8 Years 1 Booster Seat, Black

Diono Solana 2 booster seat is very practical and inexpensive compared to regular booster seats. It is a backless model with simple construction and very simple installation. The seat works with regular Isofix mounting points and can fit in small city cards. For extra comfort, the seat has raised side handles that also offer better support. On the front side, it has two handles that can be pulled to snap it out. It also has two cup holders on the sides and storage trays.

Features:

  • Two storage trays and cup holders on the sides
  • Soft foam padding for the seat and support handles
  • Lightweight construction
  • Removable cover.

Reasons to buy:

  • The removable cover makes it very easy to clean. Very few backless booster seats have a removable cover. The cover itself is machine-washable.
  • The storage trays and cup holders of the seat are very practical. Instead of having just one cup holder or just a storage tray, it has two on each side. Also, they are retractable.
  • Being a backless booster, the seat is very easy to store and handle. It is lightweight and due to its compact size, it can fit even in smaller cars with not a lot of room in the rear seats.

6. Evenflo AMP Select Car Booster Seat

Evenflo AMP Select Car Booster Seat, Blue Flames

Evenflo AMP Select car booster seat is one of the more affordable models available with a very simple and practical design. It is quite compact with a soft foam padding and plastic handles for support. The seat also has two cup holders, one of each side, with an elastic string to hold bottles secure. Cleaning the seat was made to be stress-free as the padded area is removable and is machine-washable. The seat was subject to crash tests and complies with all safety standards.

Features:

  • Removable and machine-washable cover
  • Bottle holders with secure elastic straps
  • Tested for structural integrity
  • Lightweight construction

Reasons to buy:

  • Having the top cover removable makes it so much easier to clean. Instead of having to spot clean the seat, the cover can be removed and can be machine-washed without damaging the fabric.
  • The entire seat is very lightweight and easy to handle. It snaps into place without much effort and because of its compact dimensions, it fits anywhere.
  • The seat was tested for structural integrity. According to the manufacturers, it overpassed all federal crash test standards.

5. Graco Backless Turbobooster

Graco Backless Turbobooster, Tansy

Graco Backless Turbobooster seat is a good alternative for regular booster seats. It has a compact form factor and quite practical. The model has two cup holders, one on each side and two support handles. The handles have a padded cover that can be removed. Also, the seat cover can be removed to be cleaned easier. The armrests can have their height adjusted while the cup holders are retractable. Graco performed crash tests to ensure that the child in the seat is protected in case of an impact.

Features:

  • Inexpensive and practical
  • Adjustable armrests and retractable cup holders
  • Removable seat cover
  • Compliant with all U.S. safety standards

Reasons to buy:

  • As the seat cover and armrest covers are removable, cleaning the seat is very easy. The materials from which it is made are machine-wash safe and do not need to be spot cleaned.
  • The armrests of the seat can have their height adjusted. Very few seats have this feature. Also, the cup holders are retractable, adding even more practicality to the already compact booster seat.
  • Graco takes safety very seriously which is why they test their seats. The testing involved simulation crashes for the front, rear, and lateral impacts as well as rollovers.

4. KidsEmbrace Backless Booster Car Seat

KidsEmbrace Marvel Avengers Backless Booster Car Seat with Seatbelt Positioning Clip

KidsEmbrace backless booster car seat offers great value for not a lot of money. The seat has a simple design with a padded cover and a playful Spiderman design. It cannot be removed and needs to be spot cleaned. The seat comes with a seat belt positioning clip and a cup holder attached to the left side. It is suitable for children of ages 4 and above and supports a maximum weight of 100 lbs. The seat has been crash-tested and is compliant with motor vehicle safety standards.

Features:

  • Padded seat with a colorful design
  • Small cup holder attached to the seat
  • Includes a belt-positioning clip
  • Compliant with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

Reasons to buy:

  • The colorful design makes it quite appealing for children. The seat is available in several different designs, inspired by popular superheroes from comic books.
  • Because safety is the first thing on every parent’s mind, the seat is compliant with all safety standards. It was tested in car crashes to ensure its effectiveness at protecting a small child in the event of an impact.
  • Even if the cover of the seat is not removable, it is still quite practical. It can be spot cleaned without damaging the fabric or the foam padding.

3. Graco Turbo GO Folding Backless Booster Car Seat

Graco Turbo GO Folding Backless Booster Car Seat

Graco Turbo Go is by far the most practical model available since it is foldable. It becomes extremely small when folded, taking almost no storage space at all. The seat has a soft foam padding and is covered with machine-washable fabric. The cover can be removed to make it easier to clean. The seat comes with two small hooks and a reinforced seat belt guide. The maximum transport capacity is limited to 100 lbs. The booster seat can be found in 4 different colors for a very modest price.

Features:

  • Foldable design for easy storage
  • Removable seat cover
  • Reinforced steel seat belt guides
  • Machine-washable

Reasons to buy:

  • The folding design makes it very practical. It becomes so much more compact when compared with a regular booster seat and it is much more lightweight.
  • Compared to other booster seats, it is extremely lightweight. Regardless, it can withstand the same weight which is no more than 100 lbs.
  • The removable cover is made from a machine-washable fabric. This feature makes it much easier to clean than regular backless booster seats.

2. Graco AFFIX Backless Booster Car Seat

No products found.

Graco AFFIX backless booster car seat is a reliable replacement for a regular booster seat and half the price. It has a compact form factor, making it practical even for small city cars. The seat has two foam-padded armrests and a soft seat cover. For the cover itself, machine-washable fabrics have been used. The cover is removable making it easier to clean. On the sides, the seat has a cup holder and a small storage tray. Additionally, the seat has a small strap in front that can be used to better secure the seat in place.

Features:

  • Machine-washable seat cover
  • Foam padded armrests
  • Bottle holder and storage tray
  • Supplementary strap to help secure the seat

Reasons to buy:

  • The seat offers an improved degree of safety. It has a supplementary strap that can be used to secure the seat in place. Also, the seat was subject to rigorous testing in simulated crashes.
  • Being a backless booster seat makes it take very little storage space. It is also smaller than a regular booster seat while offering the same degree of security.
  • The soft foam padded seat covers are very easy to clean. They can be removed and tossed into the washing machine without risking to damage the fabric.

1. Cosco Topside Booster Car Seat

Cosco Topside Backless Booster Car Seat, Lightweight Booster Seats for Cars 40-100 lbs, Backless Booster Seat for Car, Turquoise

The Cosco booster car seat is a backless model that can be found for a very modest price tag. It has a very basic design, with no bottle holders or storage trays but it does offer a superior degree of comfort. The entire seat and armrests are covered with a plush pad making it extremely lightweight. Because of its compact dimensions, the booster seat will fit even in small city cars as long as they have Isofix mounts. The seat can support a maximum weight of up to 100 lbs.

Features:

  • Comfortable plush padding
  • Lightweight construction
  • Soft foam padded armrests
  • Inexpensive, available in multiple colors

Reasons to buy:

  • Being so inexpensive might be a bit misleading in terms of safety. In reality, the Cosco backless booster seat is just as safe as any other seat.
  • The seat cover cannot be removed but it can be spot cleaned. Being so inexpensive, at some point, it might not be even worth it to clean it but rather get a new one altogether.
  • There are a lot of booster seats that feel a bit too rigid and not very comfortable. The Cosco booster seat is extremely soft and very comfortable.

Buying tips:

Storage. Booster seats have the main purpose of raising the position of the child so that they can be properly secured with a seat belt. Storage pockets, bottle holders, and small trays are bonuses. They are not necessary but nice to have. It is important to note that not all seats have a bottle holder or storage tray.

Maintenance and cleaning. Usually, booster seats cannot have their cover removed and need to be spot cleaned. Some models do have a removable cover that can be machine washed. If you do not plan to use the seat for a very long period, a seat with a non-removable cover might not be all that bad.

Comfort. Some booster seats are a bit too rigid or have the seating area with very little foam padding. This aspect is difficult to check by looking at a product photo. If the seat you got seems a bit uncomfortable for the child, do not waste any minute, return it, and order a different model.

 

Conclusion

The primary consideration when buying a backless booster seat for your child is safe. After that, you can think about comfort, design, and extra features. The 10 seats on our list all adhere to federal safety standards so you’re free to choose the one that appeals to you the most.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button