Best High Back Booster for Your Little Ones!

So your child has outgrown the infant car seat, and you are in the market for a high back booster seat: time flies by, doesn’t it? Well, you have come to the right place. Here we will present our list of the ten best high back booster seats. We will review their features and give you our pick for the absolute best high back booster seat.

High Back Booster FAQ

1. What Is a High Back Booster Seat?

A high back booster seat is used when your child outgrows his or her infant car seat. These seats are front-facing and often have a harness to use for children below a certain weight and can then be used with just a seat belt once that weight has been exceeded. The high backs on these seats are often adjustable so they can grow with your child and many have a removable back so they can be used as a belt-positioned backless booster seat.

2. What Should I Look for in a High Back Booster Seat?

Safety is always the top priority when buying a car seat of any kind for your child. You want a seat that meets or exceeds federal and industry safety standards. The comfort of the child is also important, so look carefully at the padding, straps, and headrest positioning. Kids also like to have their favorite things within reach during car rides; seats with cup/snack holders and hideaway compartments keep the kids happy.

3. Where Can I Buy High Back Booster Seats?

These seats can be found at department stores, big box stores, and on online marketplaces such as Amazon.com.

How We Reviewed the Best High Back Booster Seats

In compiling this list we considered safety features, ease of installation, convenience features, and overall customer satisfaction. We also weight the pros and cons of each seat to give you an at-a-glance overview of the strengths and weaknesses each model presented.

Britax Highpoint Belt-Positioning Booster Seat

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Features

First on our list of the best high back boosters is the Highpoint from Britax. The sleek design and five available colors ensure that your little one is riding in style. You won’t spend too much time on installation as the color-coded belt guides make this seat an easy install. The quick-adjust headrest offers ten positions and is covered in a soft knit fabric to keep your child comfy even as they grow.

Removable and dishwasher-safe cup holders add convenience for long trips when your child may need a snack at hand or when you are running behind and need a meal on the go. Most importantly, three layers of side impact protection featuring external impact cushions ensure your child’s safety in the event of a collision.

Pros

• Stylish design available in 5 colors
• Color-coded belt guide for easy installation
• Removable and dishwasher safe cup holders
• 10-position adjustable headrest

Con​​​​​s

• Adjusting the lap belt can be difficult
• Expensive

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Evenflo Big Kid High Back Booster Car Seat

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Features

The second of the best high back boosters on our list is a model from Evenflo, a trusted brand in the parenting world. Made in the USA and rated a Best Bet Booster by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the back on this seat can be removed for a simple transition to a no-back booster seat.

The 6-position height adjustment ensures your child’s comfort and safety as they grow. When used as a high back booster the weight recommendation is 30 to 110 pounds and the height recommendation is 40 to 57 inches. When used as a no back booster, the weight recommendation changes to 40 to 110 pounds. The booster pad is machine washable, and you can choose from seven fun colors and styles.

Pros

• Use as high back or no back booster
• 6-position height adjustment
• Machine washable pad
• Rated Best Bet Booster by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
• Affordable

Cons

• Insubstantial cup holders don’t always work well

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Diono Cambria Booster – 2-in-1 Car Seat – High Back and Backless Booster

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Features

This entry for the best high back booster is kind of like the Cadillac of boosters. A six-position headrest is easily adjusted with one hand and two recline positions keep the kiddos comfy. Total side impact protection and full body side walls lined with energy-absorbing EPS foam give you peace of mind while traveling.

Two retractable snack holders offer convenience for you and your child. This seat can also be converted to a backless booster and comes with a one-year warranty. Choose from color schemes of Graphite, Raspberry, or Sunburst.

Pros

• Spacious
• Total side impact protection and full body side walls with EPE foam
• Retractable snack holders
• One-year warranty

Cons

• Removable cover wears easily

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Graco Affix Youth High Back Booster Car Seat

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Features

Graco is another well-known name by parents. The Affix Youth High Back Booster converts to a backless model, so you get the most out of this seat. This affordable seat is easy to install with only one hand due to its front-adjust latch system. This system also makes it quick and easy to tighten the booster.

What your child will appreciate about this seat is that it is easy for them to self-buckle and they will have access to integrated cup holders and a hideaway storage compartment. The weight and height recommendations are 30 to 100 pounds and 38 to 57 inches for high back mode, and 40 to 100 pounds and 40 to 57 inches for backless mode.

Pros

• Affordable
• Easy to self-buckle
• Two cup holders and hideaway storage compartment

Cons

• Difficulties with proper installation if headrest is not flush with the back seat

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Evenflo Maestro Booster Car Seat Thunder

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Features

Our second model from Evenflo on the list of the best high back boosters, the Maestro converts from a 5-point harness car seat to a belt-position booster, and will accommodate your child from 22 to 110 pounds. Use the harness when your child is 22 to 50 pounds and the belt-positioned booster from 40 to 110 pounds.

The use of easy latch systems provide quick installation and transfer between vehicles, and front harness adjustment allows you to easily secure your child. Four harness positions and two crotch buckle positions keep your child safe and comfortable as they grow. You can travel with ease knowing this seat was tested for side-impact and structural integrity at energy levels about two times what Federal crash test standards require. Choose from seven colors.

Pros

• Exceeds federal safety standards
• Four harness positions and two crotch buckle positions
• Converts from high back to backless

Cons

• Plastic clips used to secure padding fall off

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Graco TurboBooster LX High Back Car Seat

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Features

Your child will find self-buckling quite easy in Graco TurboBooster, making it one of the best high back booster seats for child satisfaction. Your big kid will also love the integrated cup holders and hideaway storage compartment.

The one-hand front-adjusting Latch system keeps the seat securely in place providing safety and stability. The machine washable seat cushion is also a nice touch. Use this seat for your child between 30 and 100 pounds and up to 57 inches tall.

Pros

• Easy self-buckling
• Machine washable seat cushion
• Latching storage drawer below
• One-hand front-adjusting Latch system

Cons

• Limited color options

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Safety 1st Backed Store ‘n Go Booster Car Seat

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Features

It’s no surprise that Safety 1st has an entry on our list of the best high back booster seats, as it is a well-known brand among parents. This seat comes with a removable and adjustable headrest so it can grow with your child and eventually be used as a backless booster.

Use this seat from 40 to 100 pounds and 43 to 57 inches in height. Two cup holders and a latching storage compartment keep your child happy with all of his or her favorite things within reach.

Pros

• Reputable brand
• Washable cover
• Latching storage drawer below

Cons

• Arm rests could be longer

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 Britax Frontier ClickTight Harness-2-Booster Car Seat

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Features

Here we have the second Britax model on our list of the best high back booster seats in the Frontier. This seat has the appealing design Britax is known for and allows you to easily transition from a 5-point harness to a belt-positioned booster seat.

Britax’s patented ClickTight technology means installation is quick and easy. You never have to worry about re-threading with the quick-adjust 9-position harness. The Frontier offers two layers of side impact protection, a steel frame, an impact absorbing base, and a forward-movement-reducing V-shaped tether.

Pros

• Visually appealing
• Easy conversion from 5-point harness to belt-positioned booster
• ClickTight easy installation
• Several layers of protection
• No re-threading necessary

Cons

• Expensive

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 Cosco Finale DX 2-in-1 Combination Booster Car Seat

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Features

The Cosco Finale may be the best high back booster seat when you need to fit multiple car seats in the back of your car. This lightweight seat is designed so that three of them can fit in the back seat of a standard-sized vehicle. Children from 30 to 65 pounds can use this seat forward-facing with the 5-point harness or as a belt-positioned booster at 40 to 100 pounds.

The cup holder and the booster pad are both removable and washable in the dishwasher/washing machine. The safety of this seat is provenby the fact that it meets or exceeds federal, ASTM, and JPMA safety standards. The cherry on top is the one-year limited warranty.

Pros

• Meets or exceeds federal and industry safety standards
• Lightweight and can be fitted with two others in the back of a standard-sized vehicle
• Affordable
• One-year limited warranty

Cons

• Material wears easily

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Graco Atlas 65 2-in-1 Harness Booster Car Sea

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Features

Last on our list of the best high back booster seats is the Graco Atlas. Children of 22 to 65 pounds can use this as a forward-facing 5-point harness seat. From 30 to 100 pounds, it can be used as a high back belt-positioned booster seat.

The open-loop belt guide makes installation a breeze, and the five-position headrest allows the seat to grow with the child. The seat pad, harness, and buckle covers are all washable

Pros

• Easy installation
• 5-position adjustable headrest
• Washable seat pad, harness, and buckle covers

Cons

• Limited color options

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The Verdict

Now it is time to name the best of the best high back booster seats, and that title goes to the Britax Frontier. This seat offers layers of safety for peace of mind and convenience for parents with easy installation and adjustments, all with an appealing design. However, you do pay for all the great features, as this model is at the highest end of our budget range.

If you are on a tighter budget and can do without some bells and whistles, the Evenflo Maestro is a great choice. It still offers a lot of convenience features and doesn’t skimp on safety at all, meeting or exceeding all federal and industry safety standards. You can get the Maestro for a fraction of the cost of the Britax Frontier. In terms of value, the Evenflo Maestro is the best on this list.

We hope we have been able to give you guidance in your search for the best high back booster seat. Each seat on our list earned its spot for a reason, and we’re sure any of them will serve you and your not-so-little one well in your future journeys.