A safe and highly adjustable high back booster seat for children.
A high back booster seat for kids with a slim and compact design.
One of the best-made high back booster seats on the market.
A robust and durable booster seat that won’t break the bank.
An FAA-approved and smartly designed high back booster seat.
In the unfortunate event of a car accident, a high back booster seat can ultimately be what keeps your child safe. That is why it is so crucial to invest in a high-quality booster seat that can guarantee peace of mind while driving.
All of the high back booster seats in this article have been rigorously tested against a number of federal and international safety standards, so parents can be assured their little ones are in good hands while they’re out on the road.
5 Best High Back Booster Seats
- Best Overall: Graco Extend2Fit
- Runner-Up: Graco SlimFit 3-In-1
- Also Consider: Britax Grow With You ClickTight
- Best Value: Graco Tranzitions 3-In-1
- Great for Travel: Diono Radian 3R
#1 Best Overall: Graco Extend2Fit
The Graco Extend2Fit is a convertible car seat that works as a rear-facing harness for children 40.0 to 50.0 pounds and as a forward-facing car seat for children 22.0 to 65.0 lbs. However, this high back booster seat allows parents to keep their children in a rear-facing position for longer – specifically up to 50.0 lbs. That is all thanks to the four-position adjustable extension panel that provides up to 5.0 inches of additional legroom.
Parents can adjust the height of the booster seat’s harness and 10-position headrest in one motion with the No-Rethread Simply Adjust Harness System. The InRight LATCH allows for quick and easy attachment in under a second, while six different recline positions keep your kid comfy and makes installation easier on parents.
Key Features
- Weight limit: 65.0 lbs.
- Forward- or rear-facing?: Both
- Material: Alloy steel
Our Experience
In our experience, the Graco Extend2Fit can provide peace of mind to parents knowing that their child is safe in the car and has a lot of room to grow.
| Overall Rating | 5 out of 5 |
|---|---|
| Safety | 5 |
| Ease of Installation | 5 |
| Build Quality | 5 |
Safety: All Graco car seats meet or exceed the United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 (FMVSS 213), and this high back booster seat is no exception. It is also Graco ProtectPlus Engineered™.
Ease of Installation: Our team members had no issues getting this high back booster seat strapped down and secured. We also found that the recline positioning made installation that much easier.
Build Quality: This high back booster seat is made from reinforced alloy steel, and our team members really felt the quality of materials when testing.
What Customers Are Saying
More than 63,300 customers on Amazon have left reviews for the Graco Extend2Fit. The vast majority of customers leave positive comments, with many praising how safe it keeps their child and the fact that their kids like it too. One reviewer notes she’s had five children and has used eight different booster seats through the years, with this being her favorite one.
#2 Runner-Up: Graco SlimFit 3-In-1
Featuring a space-saving design, the Graco SlimFit 3-In-1 has dual integrated cup holders, which make the seat 10-percent slimmer to take up less room in the backseat of your car. A 10-position headrest and a 4-position recline keep your child safe and comfortable, while the No-Rethread Simply Safe Adjust Harness lets parents adjust the height of the headrest and harness as quickly as their little one is growing.
This car seat acts as a rear-facing harness for children 5.0 to 40.0 lbs., a front-facing harness for children 22.0 to 65.0 lbs., and a high back booster seat for children 40.0 to 100.0 lbs. The high back booster seat’s frame is steel-reinforced, which Graco claims will make the car booster seat last for up to 10 years.
Key Features
- Weight limit: 100.0 lbs.
- Forward- or rear-facing?: Both
- Material: Alloy steel
Our Experience
The Graco SlimFit 3-In-1 is a space-saving high back booster seat that’s second to only its own Extend2Fit in our review team’s eyes.
| Overall Rating | 4.8 out of 5 |
|---|---|
| Safety | 5 |
| Ease of Installation | 4.5 |
| Build Quality | 5 |
Safety: Safety has never been in question with Graco car seats, and this stands true for the Graco SlimFit 3-In-1. It is also Graco ProtectPlus Engineered.
Ease of Installation: Our team had no real issues installing this high back booster seat. The instructions were clear and easy to follow, which made life easier on our review team.
Build Quality: The frame of this high back booster seat is made from reinforced alloy steel. During our time testing this car seat, we had no concerns about the build quality.
What Customers Are Saying
The Graco SlimFit 3-In-1 has upwards of 36,000 customer reviews on Amazon. Many reviewers appreciate the latch and harness system for keeping their children safe and secure. One reviewer claims he crashed his car going 60.0 miles per hour with his two-year-old son in the Graco SlimFit, and his child walked away having only bitten his tongue.
#3 Also Consider: Britax Grow With You ClickTight
The Britax Grow With You ClickTight is a two-in-one high back booster seat that transitions from a forward-facing five-point harness to a belt-positioning booster seat. Britax separates itself from competitors with its exclusive SafeCell Technology and V-shaped tether. SafeCell Technology acts as a crumple zone to absorb crash energy, while the V-shaped tether helps slow and reduce movement during a crash.
The safewash cover featured on this high back booster seat is not only safe to machine wash as the name suggests, but it is also naturally flame retardant. ClickTight installation makes securing this booster car seat quick and easy, as you simply pinch to open, thread the adult seat belt through the seat and buckle, then finally click it to close. Your child’s safety is of utmost importance to Britax, hence the added inclusion of two-layer side impact protection.
Key Features
- Weight limit: 65.0 lbs.
- Forward- or rear-facing?: Forward-facing
- Material: Alloy steel
Our Experience
Our review team found the Britax Grow With You ClickTight to be a well-designed high back booster seat that we think is worthy of parents’ consideration.
| Overall Rating | 4.5 out of 5 |
|---|---|
| Safety | 5 |
| Ease of Installation | 4 |
| Build Quality | 4.5 |
Safety: The most impressive safety feature of this high back booster seat in our review team’s opinion is the inclusion of SafeCell Technology to absorb energy from a car crash. Additionally, a V-shaped tether and a flame retardant cover material provide further safety measures.
Ease of Installation: While our team members didn’t have any real difficulty installing this high back booster seat, it was more complicated to set up than several other options we tested – many of which were from Graco.
Build Quality: This car seat is made from alloy steel, which most of the other best high back booster seats in this article are made from. We found the build quality of this booster seat to be of a high standard.
What Customers Are Saying
Nearly 4,000 customers on Amazon have left reviews for the Britax Grow With You ClickTight. Many customers note how effective this five-point harness booster seat is at securing their kid to the car seat without hurting the child’s shoulders. One claims his older children always fight over who gets to sit in the Britax car seat when carpooling. Several negative reviews complain about the plastic headrest making a squeaking noise.
#4 Best Value: Graco Tranzitions 3-In-1
Incredible value for money, the Graco Tranzitions 3-In-1 has a weight limit of up to 100.0 lbs and is designed to grow with your child. This car seat acts as a forward-facing harness for children 22.0 to 65.0 lbs. and a high back booster seat or a backless booster seat for children 40.0 to 100.0 lbs. The eight-position adjustable headrest is so easy to adjust that you can do it with only one hand.
Integrated dual cup holders keep your child’s toys and snacks nearby. However, if they happen to make a mess, it’s nice to know that the seat cushion, body insert, and harness covers are all machine washable. Lastly, open-loop belt guides help you correctly position your vehicle seat belt to secure your child in place.
Key Features
- Weight limit: 100.0 lbs.
- Forward- or rear-facing?: Forward-facing
- Material: Metal and plastic
Our Experience
The Graco Tranzitions 3-In-1 is budget-friendly, but it doesn’t lack in quality materials or good craftsmanship.
| Overall Rating | 4.5 out of 5 |
|---|---|
| Safety | 5 |
| Ease of Installation | 4 |
| Build Quality | 4.5 |
Safety: This high back booster seat is Graco ProtectPlus Engineered and has been put through a number of rigorous safety inspections and tests.
Ease of Installation: Our review team didn’t struggle to install this high back booster seat, but we did find the latch system was a little finicky.
Build Quality: Although the metal that’s used in construction is not specifically named, all of our team members felt that it was sturdy and durable.
What Customers Are Saying
The Graco Tranzitions 3-In-1 has received over 34,000 customer reviews on Amazon. Customers are quick to note that this car seat has the features and comfort of a much more expensive product. Several reviewers even claim that this high back booster seat has saved their child’s life in a bad car accident. Negative reviews complain about issues with the latch system, though we didn’t have any trouble in our experience.
#5 Great For Travel: Diono Radian 3R
The Diono Radian 3R can support your child in a rear-facing position up to 50.0 lbs. or until they’re approximately 4 years old. However, your child can be safe and secure in this car seat’s high back booster mode up to 120.0 lbs. Safe Stop® shock-absorbing technology absorbs and disperses the force of impact in a car crash to further ensure your child’s safety.
Made from polypropylene, plastic, polystyrene, and a mechanically engineered, reinforced steel core, this high back booster seat provides your child with ultimate protection. Parents also don’t need to worry about messes, as the cover is easy to remove and machine washable. It should be noted that this high back booster seat is Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved and can even be stored overhead thanks to its folding design.
Key Features
- Weight limit: 120.0 lbs.
- Forward- or rear-facing?: Both
- Material: Polypropylene, plastic, polystyrene, and alloy steel
Our Experience
In our experience, the Diono Radian 3R is great for parents who like to travel by car or by plane.
| Overall Rating | 4.2 out of 5 |
|---|---|
| Safety | 4.5 |
| Ease of Installation | 3.5 |
| Build Quality | 4.5 |
Safety: Safe Stop shock absorbing technology is Diono’s main safety feature, and it disperses the force of impact from a car crash.
Ease of Installation: The Diono was the only high back booster seat that we received that needed us to attach and build parts. Additionally, due to its weight, it was more difficult to load into the car and move around.
Build Quality: This high back booster seat is made from high-density plastic and steel, including a mechanically engineered steel core. Build quality will categorically not be an issue for parents or children.
What Customers Are Saying
More than 3,700 customers have left a review on Amazon for the Diono Radian 3R. Customers rave over how heavy-duty and well-built this high back booster seat is. Several customers mention being impressed with the slim design and the fact that you can fit three of these car seats across the backseat of a car or SUV.
Negative reviews complain that no instruction manual is included, but we simply found it’s just tucked into the back of the carseat in an obscure spot.
High Back Booster Seats Buyers Guide
Many of the high back booster seats featured in this article are manufactured by Graco. A distinguishing factor of Graco’s car seats is its ProtectPlus Engineered design.
Graco ProtectPlus Engineered
Below is a list of tests and standards that Graco meets or exceeds with its car seats and high back booster seats:
- Front impact: All Graco car seats meet or exceed the FMVSS 213 standard for frontal crash tests.
- Side impact: Although not required under FMVSS 213, Graco tests all of its five-point harnesses for occupant retention in side impact crashes.
- Rear impact: Not required under FMVSS 213, Graco follows the European Standard Rear-Impact model for rear impact testing.
- Extreme temperature: Required under FMVSS 213, Graco tests all of its car seats for structural integrity in both extremely high and low temperatures.
- Rollover impact: Not required under FMVSS 213, Graco developed its own Rollsafe™ testing standard inspired by European standards.
- Double the standard: Graco duplicates the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program crash test, which is roughly double the impact force tested in the FMVSS 213 standard.
Our Review Standards
The high back booster seats in this article went through two rounds of reviews. We started by searching Amazon for top products, looking at factors like Prime shipping eligibility, customer ratings, Amazon superlatives, and prices.
Our product testing team ordered the five high back booster seats that best met these standards.
High Back Booster Seat Testing Process
Our review team tested five high back booster seats against the following criteria:
- Safety: Undoubtedly the most important characteristic of a high back booster seat is child passenger safety. We tested for safety by observing how securely the seat was fastened down, noting any safety standards the seat met.
- Ease of Installation: Getting a high back booster seat installed and set up isn’t always the easiest task. We tested for ease of installation by noting how difficult it was to fully set up and secure each high back booster seat.
- Build Quality: During testing, we paid attention to each high back booster seat’s material and how durable it felt while in use.
Our Research
In 2022, our reviews team launched a study to gauge what shoppers valued most while searching for car seats. This is what consumers told us they look for before purchasing any size or style of car seat:
- Approximately 89 percent of respondents stated safety as their top priority
- Over 46 percent of respondents said the car seat needed to be the appropriate size for their child
- 42 percent of those surveyed mentioned functionality as a priority
- Over 38 percent of respondents listed easy installation
Our team also found that 73 percent of respondents say they rarely uninstall their car seat once it is in place. Roughly a quarter of those surveyed said the most they removed the car seat was a handful of times each month.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The NHTSA is dedicated to making the roads safer for drivers, workers, pedestrians, and children. They offer various resources to inform parents on car seat safety including an easy way to check for potential car seat safety issues and recalls that can occur at any time.
The NHTSA’s has many resources for parents in the market for a car seat, providing quality information on car and booster seats. This page includes how to correctly install a car seat, the different types of car seats for children, and how to select the right car seat. The NHTSA also has the opportunity for certified technicians to check the safety of your car seat prior to personal use.
Frequently Asked Questions
*Data accurate at time of publication.