The graco turbobooster is not the most luxuriously padded seat on the market, but it’s soft and padded enough that my daughter seems content in it.Support and SafetyAs I said, I trust the Graco brand and their safety tests. My only complaint is that the seat belt sometimes works its way out of the positioning hook in the seat. It’s easy to thread it back in, so I always check it when buckling my daughter in.Ease of UseThe Graco TurboBooster High Back is easy to use. My daughter can climb in and out herself and it’s easy to buckle her in. The only hassle with the seat is the issue of occasionally needing to re-thread the seat belt through its guide hook.DesignThe design of the Graco TurboBooster is fine. Fortunately, we’ve never been in an accident with them (knock on wood) but for everyday use they’ve been fine.
It expands at the shoulders, which bigger kids may find especially comfy. Unlike our other picks, the Monterey 2XT has shoulder wings that can expand via a knob on the back of the seat, to allow more room widthwise; this graco convertible car seat is unusual among booster seats. As with our other picks, the Monterey 2XT headrest adjusts easily by notching up to grow with the kid; this seat has an 11-position headrest, compared with the KidFit ClearTex Plus’s 10.
The KidFit ClearTex Plus is an updated (and improved) version of the Chicco KidFit, our previous runner-up pick in this guide. The old KidFit received a Best Bet rating from the IIHS for its ability to provide proper seat-belt positioning; the new model has not yet received a rating. Plenty of booster seats offer LATCH—including our top picks. But LATCH is not required for a booster seat to function safely. (And the 40-pound weight limit doesn’t apply, either, since it’s the seat belt that’s restraining a child.) Booster seats work by enabling your vehicle’s seat belts to do their job. So rest assured, a LATCH-less booster seat is fully equipped to do the task at hand.
The results were factored into our final recommendations, which included earlier models of the Chicco, Graco, and Diono high-back seats that we recommend now. The seat includes premium, push-button style lower anchors that are a little different from the lower anchor connectors we know. Instead of the entire button being pressed to release them, there’s an easy-release button that releases with just a finger.
You just place it in the car and thread the seat belt through the guide hook. It’s lightweight and easy to put in and take out.Child’s ComfortMy child seems very comfortable in her special seat. She’s tall and slim and fits perfectly, and she is very happy to sit in her special chair.
The overall fit and finish look sloppy and somewhat incomplete, with stray threads and uneven stitching. However, the price tag makes the quality level feel acceptable, even if it is disappointing. Also, since we think of it as an occasional-use seat, quality is less of a concern. This review includes the details you need to make a well-informed decision on which booster seat is the best choice for your child and your budget. The Cambria isn’t as comfortable as options like the Chicco KidFit Zip Air Plus 2-in-1 with its leg lounger padding or the Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120 with its highly adjustable design.
I tried out each booster seat with two of my children over the course of six months. We also asked three other families and Wirecutter editors to compare some of the booster graco convertible car seat seats with kids ranging in age from 4 to 9 years old. We looked at the pros and cons of every seat, including install, fit, child preference, aesthetics, and ease of use.
The seat is the same width at the base (17 inches) as our Chicco high-back pick, so it’s possible to fit three across in most cars. This seat is narrow enough for most kids to be able to buckle themselves in. The GoFit Plus weighs 6 pounds, which is more than some of the ultra-lightweight boosters we tested (such as the Cosco Rise, at 2.2 pounds), but its weight is similar to that of other backless boosters with LATCH. It has a weight range of 40 to 110 pounds and a height range of 38 to 57 inches (the same as for our top-pick Chicco in backless mode). The shoulder belt must fit diagonally across a kid’s chest. And the lap belt must fit over a kid’s thighs, not their abdomen; otherwise the abdomen could be injured by the seat belt in the event of a crash.