KidsEmbrace Backless Booster Seat
KidsEmbrace has recently released their newest backless booster into the Canadian market! They have continued the trend of offering superhero cover options, and our seven year old booster reviewer chose the Batman cover for this review. Other options currently available in Canada include Batgirl, Supergirl, Wonder Woman and Superman. Is this booster as super as its cover? Let’s find out!
CSFTL Quick Stats
- Weight range: 40-100 pounds
- Height range: 40-57 inches
- Age range: At least 4 years old. CSFTL advocates that children be at least 5 years old before riding in a booster seat and closer to 7 or 8 before riding in a backless booster seat.
- Must be replaced after any collision
- Optional cup holder
Measurements
KidsEmbrace Backless Booster Seat without cup holder
KidsEmbrace Backless Booster Seat with cup holder
- Width at widest point (armrests): 17 inches (19.5 inches at front of seat when optional cup holder is used)
- Depth: 14.5 inches
- Width at the child’s hips: 13 inches
- Weight: 4 pounds
- Expiration: 7 years from date of manufacture
Carpooling Essentials
Carpooling Essentials
- Easy to set up without (very much or any) adult assistance
- Easy to carry
- Consistent belt fit
Manual
The KidsEmbrace Backless Booster Seat arrives with the English/French manual attached to the bottom of the booster seat. One quick snip of a pair of scissors and the wonderful manual is yours to read!
KidsEmbrace has clearly put much time and thought into their manual. We love that they have included this guidance:
“How to determine if your child is ready to transition to a Booster Seat? Please consider the following conditions:
- The child is approaching the limit of their current car seat and meet the weight, height, and age requirements of this Booster Seat
- The child is mature enough to ride correctly and does not put the vehicle shoulder belt under their arm or behind their back
- If the child will not keep vehicle shoulder belt properly positioned, do NOT use this Booster Seat.”
“According to accident statistics provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA); children 12 years of age and younger are safer when properly restrained in the rear seating positions rather than in front seating positions.”
While NHTSA is a US-based organization, vehicles are essentially the same throughout North America (and physics doesn’t change as soon as you cross the border’s invisible line into Canada), so we welcome these statistics as part of the manual.
Fit to Child
We encourage younger booster riders to use a high back booster until they’ve outgrown it because the extra support can help serve as a reminder to the child to sit correctly. We tried some younger children in the KidsEmbrace Backless Booster Seat to check the fit and gather their thoughts.
5 years old, 45 inches and 40 pounds in the KidsEmbrace backless booster seat
5 years old
This model is newly 5 years old, 45 inches and 40 pounds. She just meets the weight minimum for a booster seat in Canada, and she has never ridden in a booster seat before this review. We opted to use her as a model because she has nothing to compare this booster to, so we knew she would be honest with her thoughts.
She needed help buckling herself in (which is not surprising since she is unfamiliar with booster seats) but achieved an excellent seat belt fit in this 2011 Chevrolet Malibu, with the lap belt low on her lap touching her hips and the shoulder belt centred and touching her shoulder.
The booster was almost too wide for the seating position, but we were able to buckle it and use it without much fuss (and with a little help from Mom).
7 years old, 49 inches tall and 60 pounds in the KidsEmbrace backless booster seat
7 years old
This model is newly 7 years old. He weighs 60 pounds and is 49 inches tall. He regularly rides in a high back booster, but he was willing to test the KidsEmbrace Backless Booster for our review — especially since he’s the one who selected the Batman style!
His face reflects his thoughts on this booster perfectly. He found it very comfortable and roomy, plus there’s Batman involved. The vehicle seat belt fit him very well here in the captain’s chair of a 2007 Honda Odyssey. The booster was almost too wide for the seating position, but we were able to buckle it with a bit of extra effort.
10 years old, 55 inches tall and 86 pounds and in the KidsEmbrace backless booster seat
10 years old
Our 10 year old model weighs 86 pounds and is 55 inches tall. She is very close to passing the Five Step Test in this 2011 Chevrolet Malibu, but she still needs a booster seat for the time being. She is used to riding in a narrower booster, so she was very comfortable in the wider KidsEmbrace.
She was able to buckle herself easily, and she especially liked that she would be able to choose her favourite superhero– if she is able to convince her mom to buy her this booster seat! Like our other models, we found that the vehicle seat belt fit her well. This kind of consistency in belt fit is something we always like to see.
Cleaning Instructions
Good news! The cover can be machine washed separately in cold water on the delicate cycle, but it can’t be put into the dryer. So allow hang time after it’s been washed. The cleaning instructions also caution to not use bleach or similar abrasive products.
The base and cup holder can be wiped clean with mild soap and water. Like so many car seats on the market, abrasive cleaners or solvents can’t be used to clean this booster seat.
Important Information – Where to Find
KidsEmbrace Backless Booster Seat date of manufacture sticker
Date of Manufacture: The date of manufacture label is located on the underside of the booster seat.
KidsEmbrace Backless Booster Seat manual storage location
Manual Storage: The manual tucks under the side of the booster seat cover.
KidsEmbrace backless booster seat National Safety Mark
National Safety Mark: The NSM is located on the right side of the booster seat.
KidsEmbrace backless booster seat aircraft warning label
Aircraft Warning Label: Booster seats are NOT approved for use on aircraft, and KidsEmbrace has included this warning in red writing on the side of the seat.
Overall Thoughts
The KidsEmbrace Backless Booster seat is not the narrowest booster we’ve ever worked with, but it is lightweight and provided a consistently excellent vehicle seat belt fit for every model and in every vehicle we used for this review. Consistency in fit is our favourite thing when it comes to booster seats, so we’d call this seat a winner for that alone. The fact that it comes in exciting superhero covers makes it an even bigger win!
KidsEmbrace has provided a fun way to get big kids interested in their own safety while in the vehicle by offering a variety of brightly coloured superhero cover options, and the removable cup holder is a feature that most kids and parents will appreciate.
We are very happy to welcome the KidsEmbrace Backless Booster to the Canadian market, and hope that our readers enjoy this booster as much as we do!
