Touted as the seat that kids “pick as often as parents,” the Graco Highback TurboBooster car seat is an excellent sit-up-straight car seat for the youngster between 2 and 8. Its back is removable, so it creates a backless booster support seat for later in the child’s life.
While the 2-year-old is still in it, it has a comfortable (and adjustable) head support, padded armrests (adjustable for height) and the standard Graco features, including EPS safety foam, an energy absorbing “memory” foam that insulates and molds to the child’s head and arms. This seat is good for several years’ use.
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Graco Highback TurboBooster – Negative reviews
Out of 332 Graco Highback TurboBooster seat reviews, only 8 two-star negatives were found; the ones that did make mention of complaints included the lack of padded side pillows (contradicting the product description). Also, the boy’s model that comes in red and gray (the look from the photo) is actually tinged with shocking pink, so a more color-appropriate one should be ordered for the male child.
There were also complaints that the seat was simply not comfortable for a child, as some children, particularly females, complained about a sore rear end. The seat, says the reviewer, is suitable for short trips but would probably be excruciating for a longer journey.
The arm rests also are not flip-up, so seatbelt adjusting is problematic for some. The seat base apparently falls off easily; customers experienced damage in moving it from car to car. Finally, one reviewer said it “just feels flimsy.”
Graco Highback TurboBooster – Positive reviews
Many excellent reports hugely favored the Graco Highback TurboBooster car seat, including the news that the product was rated an “82” in Consumer Reports, the highest rating for a child safety seat. Consumers lavishly lauded the product as “perfect,” “highest praise” and “Graco does it again,” recognizing the numerous fine safety features (the omnipresent foam) and superior construction of the seat, which, when it becomes a booster, fits perfectly in airline seats, among other places.
It also has been praised for its ease of installation, the secure “feel” of the unit once in place, the high back support and even the cup holders, which came in for some happy attention (as one parent reported that it “made [my child] feel grown up”).
The cute girl’s design (the boy’s, as mentioned, came under a more critical eye) remains a matter of taste. Overall, customer satisfaction far outweighed any nagging doubts about the unit’s safety, versatility and durability.
Graco Highback TurboBooster – Conclusion
The Graco Highback TurboBooster seems like a 4.4 star winner, with positive reviews and features easily outweighing the bad, and these, combined with the amazingly low price of $44.00 for a two-in-one car seat, confirm the fact that the Graco model is a superior and well-received product that should last a family several years both as a highback and booster.
Its safety features identify it as a Graco, and its name recognition and status seem indisputable; satisfaction is sky high for the product, with even dissenting voices admitting its value and fine construction.
