child car booster seats

Rules will be the same for booster seat use in mh as it is in cars and there is an advisory age/height guidance for a child deemed 'safe' to use a booster seat. See Mothercare for practical guidance on regulations before you buy.

The key difference between the child safety seat and the booster seat of course is that the former has its own full harness for the child which is built into the seat itself and the whole lot then attaches to the vehicle, whilst the booster seat has no harness of its own but simply relies on the vehicle seat belt to hold both the child and the booster seat to the vehicle.

The key thing about safe use of booster seat is that the vehicle's own seat belt must safely 'trap' the child against the booster seat and effectively 'sandwich' the booster seat between the child's body and the vehicle's own seat. In effect the booster seat must raise the child's body into a position such that the vehicle's own seat belt operates effectively around the child. Things like shape and size of booster seat cushions, headrest, side protection structures and seat belt guides are vital in 'fitting' the child to the seat so essential to try them out together first. Base of booster seat also important as not all will sit happily on all vehicle seat cushions so try before you buy again important. Mothercare and Halfords both good at providing this service.

Mothercare (no connections with them!) have got a great offer, in store and on line, on their own brand booster seat at the moment (£40 from £60) which is made by Britax and is exactly the same as the much more expensive Britax seat. Visit to local store highly recommended

Good morning

Many thanks for all the replies!

May be i didn't phrase the question very well - was not considering driving without one at all!! Always have one in the volvo amd they also fit their own to the middle seat anyway so never caught out ! As regards the actual seat I own one of the Britax £100 jobbies!! Have done since his weight changed. So it is not strictly speaking a 'booster' i was merely trying to differentiate between the MHs actual seat/seatbelt and the extra child seat on top. The MH passenger seats (and not the cab seat) look very upright to be able to fit the car seat to as the car seats slope backwards. Also they are not very deep. Plus i think the child's seat would span one and half seats of the MH seats thus going over the seatbelt clasp - not the actual belt as this comes from behind the neck/shoulder.

Does anyone think that if i drive the MH to mothercare they will help/advise how to fit the seat i bought from them 2 years or so ago? Would halfords be better as they are vehicle people?

So am i am up to date on legislation - is it a legal requirement also on the continent? Is there an age limit in UK where they can just use the MH seat alone with the seatbelt fitted?

One last thing - one of you stated searching for previous info on MH facts can you tell me how to do this - as a newbie-ish member. thanks (again!)

Hi again!

Have just checked the previous posts regarding this (thanks for info on how to do this!) and whilst useful ish they are now out of date as most are 2006 and some are 2008 but 2009 has NEW legislation i believe.

Also to clarify to everyone helping me - my MH seats are not the cab seats but rear seats that face forward and they have 3 point seatbelts with the belt pulling from behind the neck over the seat into the anchor point very similar to a car in my laywomans terms.

The cushion base of seat can move ...
It is a two belts two seats job with one seat by window/body of MH and the other next to the aisle so to speak.

Normal practice in the car is to use the seatbelt over the child seat and that is it - it moves slightly in the car and so would expect the same to happen in MH. There is no facility on seat to attach it any other way. The childs weight plus belt keep it still.

Also MH is a swift kon tiki and child is 6 and weighs 4 stone.

Would swift be able to help?

thanks and keep em coming!LOL!