I have Graco TurboBooster High Back seats in my car, my husband’s car, my parents’ car, and my in-laws’ car for my four-and-a-half-year-old daughter. I trust the Graco brand and feel that it is a very good seat at a reasonable price. I also like that it will grow with her because we can remove the back and use it as a backless booster when she gets a little bigger.Ease of InstallationThere really is no installation with the Graco TurboBooster High Back seat.
It still has the Cars characters on it, so he is still able to enjoy them. The only downside of this carseat is that it is a little wide in comparison to other carseats in its same category. We cannot fit this carseat as well as two others similar to it in the back of our minivan, or in the back of our mid-size car.
The seat is well padded (according to Chicco, it has two layers of foam and ergonomic support), and kids found it comfortable to sit in. Like a regular seat.” Our kid testers enjoyed the removable double cupholders, which are dishwasher-safe and made from a flexible material that can be pushed in and out. The headrest adjusts to 10 positions; the side wings are ample and comfortable, but they aren’t so big that they block kids’ sight lines. The backrest can be adjusted between two positions, to better fit the angle of the vehicle seat. And it has Greenguard Gold Certification, which promises low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs); the textiles used to make the seat are manufactured without any added chemicals.
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.
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 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.
There’s a handle built into the side of the seat that lets you carry the GoFit Plus like a briefcase. The seat belt threader on the TurboBooster LX is well designed; the belt slides into the opening smoothly from bottom to top, easily enough for most kids to manage it on their own. The seat-belt threader on the Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus is similar, graco convertible car seat but it has more of a diagonal at the entry point, which we prefer. The KidFit ClearTex Plus has an updated seat-belt threader, which is clearly labeled and functions exceptionally well. On the previous KidFit model, the belt threaded into the loop from top to bottom, but now it threads from bottom to top; this configuration is easier to use.
And I’ve scanned hundreds of reviews and read articles from reputable media outlets, including Car Seats for the Littles and BabyGearLab. After evaluating more than 50 booster seats, we recommend the versatile, easy-to-use Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus high-back booster. We also recommend other high-back and backless boosters that will fit a range of budgets and circumstances. This model has reached an age where she requires an incentive for modelling car seats. She received 5 M&Ms and an episode of Doc McStuffins in exchange for spending some time with the TurboBooster LX. The lower anchor connectors aren’t required for use — they hold the unoccupied booster seat in place in the event of a crash the same way a vehicle seat belt does.
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 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.