Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 25
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    miami, fl.
    Posts
    1,627

    Default High-Back Booster List (please add & comment!)

    The date on this thread might be 'old' but I do try to keep this list current! You can look at the date of editing
    ~laura

    *July 7, 2013*: Recent thread:http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/sho...osters-for-DSs

    from joolsplus2: http://sites.google.com/site/carseatmeasurements/


    Ok since I love sharing info,
    I've been reading threads about boosters, since
    ds1 is 7 and ds2 is 4 & their
    contemporaries' parents don't seem to know (or care to research) much...
    so, when/if I'm asked, this is what I've compiled (fwiw, ds1 is in regent and ds2 is in MA & Frontier):

    High-Back Booster List (please add & comment!):
    Scroll down for Boosters that 'come' from a carseat and also there is info re: backless boosters, too!

    (Post#19 has a link to latest 2010 IIHS booster article on which have good or poor belt fit)



    Britax Parkway SG (becomes backless later) has 'wings'; Parkway is about the tallest (22")
    The SGL is the one that LATCHes, the SG does not have LATCH. Narrow footprint, not necessarily narrow for the kid...
    Photo Review of SGL: http://carseatblog.com/8193/britax-p...-photo-review/
    Parkway SGL review vs Recaro Vivo post #21
    PW [parkway] is easier to move around (than Monterey)





    Recaro Probooster is close (21") to the Parkway
    Here're pictures comparing the Parkway SG, Sunshine Kids Monterey, and Recaro Probooster
    from joolsplus2: "I've read some complaints about the Probooster being a little tippy, and it doesn't latch...still safe, but it might push it lower on my prospective list"
    (joolsplus2) I think they are quite well liked, maybe a bit tippy on a bench seat (they are curvy on the bottom, work really well with the 'usually hard to fit fancy bucket seats'), but definitely worth trying out







    Clek Oobr
    from joolsplus2: Clek has foam so it's supposed to be more comfy, but my kids find it very uncomfortable, as it's so shallow in the seat depth, and then since it was LATCHed, it couldn't scoot over to fit the shoulderbelt on their shoulder better.


    Safety 1st booster (becomes backless later) (joolsplus2: I hear this is very tall, but I haven't been able to take a tape measure to it... http://www.safety1st.com/usa/eng/Pro...oster-Car-Seat

    Safety 1st Boost Air Complete (highback or backless) (same as above? pretty sure it is) joolsplus2: [fitting it between other seats] I've had pretty good luck with it, I put it in a Highlander next to a Radian and the flip up armrests made it easy to buckle. It's highback or backless.
    [about being narrow]: it's so hard to find a narrow highback. The Safety 1st Boost Air Complete is easy to buckle next to other seats, but requires that the child's head be protected from behind with a vehicle seatback or headrest (the headrest is good for side impacts, but a bit flimsy for rear impacts...a short kid should still be fine for a couple years even in a car without headrests, however).

    Harmony Dreamtime HBB Discussed Here & NAROWNESS and versatility discussed here
    joolsplus2:This is the only review I've seen on it, & it seems like a thumbs up... also know one other mom who uses it and her kid likes it better than her plethora of much more expensive boosters (like even the Clek Oobr )
    It's made of blow molded plastic, so from what I understand, EPS foam isn't necessary and it still does a good job absorbing energy when the head hits it.
    MORE INFO TO COME
    (joolsplus2, april 12 2012) It's a very short seat...and it's nice to have a highback hanging around the house that's easy to move if you need it in another car, especially with another kid who can use it, and the price is so nice...No attachments for the Harmony, you'll need to buckle it in when she's not in it
    Harmony Dreamtime is also super cheap with slightly deeper headwings, but harder to adjust the height. Works fine as a backless booster later, too

    Jan 28 2012: Which Boosters Can be Left Latched in Place?
    joolsplus2: Diono Monterey, Britax Parkway SGL, Compass/First Years Pathway B570, Clek Oobr

    'spares' for some (less expensive), but good choices to recommend to people nonetheless:

    Boost Air Protect from this thread
    Quote Originally Posted by Joolsplus2
    I like it, for a 'cheap' seat... the armrests flip up for easy buckling, the top headrest position rivals the Parkway (22"+ and my 5 ft tall 11 yo still fits in it)...lapbelt is low, shoulderbelt fits nicely on the shoulder, seat is well padded, and ooh lah lah, would you look at those deep deep headwings????
    Graco Turbo Booster (making sure to attach/screw arm rests correctly & to thread the seat belt correctly; Gracos are about 19")
    June 2012: Nifty new Turbo booster--major side impact protection

    Cosco Pronto
    Quote Originally Posted by Joolsplus2 post#7, below:
    One weird rule about the Pronto is that it must have a headrest or tall seatback behind it (in other words, you have to treat it like a backless booster and make sure that the child is always getting whiplash protection with the seatback or headrest at least up to the tops of their ears). It is very tall, though, in highback mode, so for older kids if you need a cheap highback, it's ok to go for after the Turbo (about 3 inches taller, I think).
    Safety-First GO (where does this fit in?)
    Quote Originally Posted by KrisM
    it's FF only and goes harnessed to booster, even if it is backless. I do not think it's a HBB ever though. Only harnessed and LBB.
    Quote Originally Posted by joolsplus2
    it's like a vest on top of a backless booster. The harness makes it have very good inherent side impact protection, so no need for big headwings. We've only used ours harnessed so far, but as a backless it's great for older kids...low, flat, wide.
    I can't seem to find a decent install picture, but I had it in the middle of my Escape with the belt for many months without issue. Definitely read the manual, the belt path is pretty unusual. And don't tighten the shoulderbelt till the end, pull it out very, very gently and let it retract slowly to lock the belt, otherwise the belt can pull the seat up to the side, just like it does an infant seat base. You do HAVE to have a top tether anchor.

    Evenflo Big Kid Booster (joolsplus2) Low shoulderbelt guide... won't last very tall (big seven? Small 8? a tad shorter than the Turbo)... flimsy headwings with no EPS foam. All in all, maybe a little better than a backless for a young kid who might wiggle out of position without the belt in a shoulderbelt guide, and probably not an unsafe choice if you have curtain airbags for head protection.
    work fine as a backless booster later, too


    Also:
    High Back Boosters that 'come' from a Car seat:
    Frontier
    Graco Nautilus
    Recaro ProSport (thanks jjordan post#2)
    Evenflo Maestro (thanks KrisM, post#3!)
    joolsplus2: Light and easy to install, not imposing. Harnesses to 50lbs with 18" tall top slots, then it becomes a nice, good fitting booster after that.
    Quote Originally Posted by emschwar
    from this thread:...we just got a maestro as a carpool seat for our 4 year old, and I love it! I'm actually surprised at how nice it is, because I'm a die-hard britax girl. It's nice and light, and easy to install. DS loves the cupholders too.
    from same thread: larig: I just bought a Maesto for a travel seat (using a frontier at home). It was very light and easy to install, both on the plane and in the car we're traveling in at our destination.
    SecureKid 300
    Quote Originally Posted by legaleagle
    fromthis thread:The main difference in longevity between the maestro and securekid is that the securekid will last longer as a booster because of the adjustable headrest - the harness is the same height.
    This thread has some great pics and comparison to the maestro.
    http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=210696
    carseatblog.com review of secure kid
    Evenflo Symphony
    Quote Originally Posted by joolsplus2 post #16
    Symphony makes a great highback booster... http://carseatblog.com/?p=365 Expires in 8 years. I recommend it a lot at BRU for people who want a 3-in-1, it's so easy to show them how well the belt will fit compared to the very, very poor fit of the Safety 1st/Eddie Bauer 3-in-1's. (check out the comically grouchy girl there in that Eddie Bauer... http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/...s/default.html)
    Carseatblog has done lots of combination seat as a booster fit reviews, search around for them there (Maestro, Chase, Cosco).]
    any more??

    Narrow and LATCH... [from Jools] tough combo to find, unfortunately.
    *Maybe* a Britax Parkway SGL.

    Or, also a weird choice, but one I surprisingly love (in an old narrow Highlander with two Radians) is the Safety 1st Boost Air. http://www.albeebaby.com/safety-1st-...FYXc4AodQ3QAcw
    The base is super narrow with flip up armrests so it's easier to buckle. Also, it weighs practically nothing, so if you forget to re-buckle it when he's not sitting in it, it won't be a dangerous projectile in a crash (in fact, if you're used to solid heavy seats like the radian, it will feel awfully flimsy in comparison, which is hard to get used to, but the headwings are superb for side impacts).

    Evenflo Big Kid Amp might also work (but smaller headwings, shorter back height) and

    Harmony Dreamtime(kind of hard to assemble, but narrow, might work really well, and I think it's about $40 at Target).

    Not Recommended:
    Cosco High Back Booster post#6
    Quote Originally Posted by Joolsplus2 from link above
    ...it typically fits kids very poorly, allowing the lapbelt to ride way too high, like this blog shows... http://carseatblog.com/?p=1331 .

    Joolsplus2 on how booster is attached to car, post#2
    Quote Originally Posted by Joolsplus2
    Long story long, no, boosters really don't need to be attached to the car to perform well. Here's a long tedious Transport Canada research study and they conclude with
    " The Type 3 high-back booster seats with the shoulder belt guide located close to the shoulder provided the best protection overall" (These are Proboosters, Turbos, Parkways, Frontier as a booster, the kind I'm always recommending).
    http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/s...report-924.htm



    Kids do have a learning curve to climb to learn to ride in a booster, they seem to flop around scarily every time you brake! But they learn quickly to ride with the seatbelt, lean with the car, things you do without even thinking most of the time to stay upright.

    Please add, comment, share, etc

    eta: When is it Time to Say Bye to the Booster?
    Article posted from Jools: 4"9/age8/80lbs- Does my Child Still Need a Booster

    FOR BIG KIDS- These are BACKLESS BOOSTERS:
    from joolsplus2:
    The Harmony boosters Photo Comparison of Three Harmony Boosters [when reading this link, please note that the Lite Rider is now Walmart's "Juvenile Youth Booster"] are better for big kids than the Turbo, or the Cosco High Rise (Auto Booster/Ambassador, it's all the same, different names at different stores), or maybe even the Evenflo Amp.

    Looking for narrow backless boosters/to fit backless boosters side by side?
    From Harmony Cruz vs. Harmony LiteRider (Lite Rider is now Walmart's "Juvenile Youth Booster"):
    HighRise/Ambassador by Cosco is another choice for narroweness, and Cosco Pronto has super tall armrests, so does Evenflo Amp, so maybe those, too, but my first choices would still be the Harmonys, they are narrowest)


    TIA,
    ~laura
    Last edited by Joolsplus2; 10-02-2014 at 11:04 AM. Reason: always adding! to add converting seats! & to add about GTHBB screws & to clarify, lol
    ~laura in miami~
    ds1 7/03
    ds2 7/06
    Welcome/Intro to Infantreflux (I'm a Mod)


  2. #2
    jjordan is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    2,245

    Default

    Another combination seat (like frontier and nautilus) is the Recaro ProSport.

    ETA: Other good/recommended hbb's would be the recaro vivo and clek oobr.
    Last edited by jjordan; 07-23-2010 at 09:58 AM.

  3. #3
    KrisM is offline Clean Sweep forum moderator
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    MI, USA.
    Posts
    26,498

    Default

    Evenflo Maestro is a combination seat. Evenflo also has a Big Kid booster.

    Are you just looking for a list? What about looking at babiesrus.com or elitecarseats.com under the booster section?
    Kris

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    miami, fl.
    Posts
    1,627

    Default

    I'm not just 'just' looking for a list per se-
    I'm trying to compile a list of recommendations for HBB...
    ones you all use, have tried, what you like etc

    *sometimes the car seat is great, but when it's in 'booster mode' it's not so great
    *sometimes the HBB is 'safe' but it's flimsy, uncomfortable, etc...
    *another example: something to keep in mind w/ the Graco Turbo Booster is that you need to pay attention to the armrests and the screws and make sure they're attached properly

    Last edited by hellbennt; 07-23-2010 at 10:06 AM. Reason: to add more
    ~laura in miami~
    ds1 7/03
    ds2 7/06
    Welcome/Intro to Infantreflux (I'm a Mod)


  5. #5
    KrisM is offline Clean Sweep forum moderator
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    MI, USA.
    Posts
    26,498

    Default

    Ah, okay. I'd add the Maestro for sure then, as it often gets recommended as a lower cost combination seat. I'm not sure what qualifies as a "spare" in your list, but I have read the Turbo booster fits many kids very well, so if I were recommending something to someone who was otherwise not using anything, I'd go with that - fits well, inexpensive, easy to find at a store.
    Kris

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    miami, fl.
    Posts
    1,627

    Default

    thanks! I clarified 'spares' (I think)
    ~laura in miami~
    ds1 7/03
    ds2 7/06
    Welcome/Intro to Infantreflux (I'm a Mod)


  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Richmond, Virginia, USA.
    Posts
    20,018

    Default

    One weird rule about the Pronto is that it must have a headrest or tall seatback behind it (in other words, you have to treat it like a backless booster and make sure that the child is always getting whiplash protection with the seatback or headrest at least up to the tops of their ears). It is very tall, though, in highback mode, so for older kids if you need a cheap highback, it's ok to go for after the Turbo (about 3 inches taller, I think).
    Your list is coming along great, maybe we'll sticky it after we brainstorm a little more!
    Julie
    Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST)

    DS age 18--Driving--(booster till 11 and almost 5ft tall)
    DD1 age 16--Learner's Permit!(booster till 11 and almost 5 ft tall)
    DD2 age 9-Safety 1st Incognito
    http://picasaweb.google.com/joolstag/LeahInCarseats#

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Eugene, Oregon, USA.
    Posts
    1,281

    Default

    Thanks for the list. I am debating between the first three you listed for my almost 7yo. He has been in a Regent primarily and I am really struggling with the fact of taking him out of a 5 point, but he really wants a booster. He has been in a Graco HBTB in DH car for short infrequent trips since age 6 and does well. I just always thought I would keep him harnessed until he outgrew the Regent. Such a hard decision.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    miami, fl.
    Posts
    1,627

    Default

    Oregonmother, I hear you about what comes after the Regent...

    Ok so next question:

    Where does the Safety 1st Go 'fit in' ?

    Its harnessed, to a point, & then it's a HBB...
    ~laura in miami~
    ds1 7/03
    ds2 7/06
    Welcome/Intro to Infantreflux (I'm a Mod)


  10. #10
    KrisM is offline Clean Sweep forum moderator
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    MI, USA.
    Posts
    26,498

    Default

    They list it as a Hybrid booster. I'd probably stick it in with the combination seats, since it's FF only and goes harnessed to booster, even if it is backless. I do not think it's a HBB ever though. Only harnessed and LBB.
    Kris

Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •