Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsThis is the one!
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2019
My kid is big enough to need only a booster seat when we are in the car. Last time we traveled, I tried that fold-up flat "car seat" and it was a headache. I hadn't done a dry run before we got where we were going, and it took me nearly half an hour to find a setting that was safe for my kiddo. I HATED the strap that "dangles" upward from the back to try to hold the shoulder belt in the proper place (because the seat was flat rather than raised, the way it works is to hold the shoulder belt lower, which is NOT something reflected in the photos). Anyway, I left it in the rental car and told the guy he could have it or throw it away because it was garbage.
This trip, I was dreading taking our full-sized booster and thought about getting the OTHER inflatable booster, which is the one that comes up first if you do a search. But the stuff I read about it didn't please me, and it seemed to have the back strap, too. That just seems like a death trap to me, if you have a kid who moves around, bends over, falls asleep in the car, etc. I also looked at the folding one but read that people said it had slid into the floor, out from under their kid.
So, I decided just to try this, to buy it and inflate it and if I hated it, we'd just take the every day booster... which I did not want to do.
THIS WAS GREAT. It comes in a drawstring weather-somewhat-resistant bag, and is deflated and rolled up inside. The valve is just one piece that you have to adjust before you blow it up, but then it's a one-way valve that works great. It has a textured "nubby" bottom to prevent sliding across the seat. It was easy to put in place, and the side hooks really hold the seat belt in place. The result of this is that my kid needed help getting out, whereas he can exit his normal booster alone. But, frankly, I'd rather it hold tight and have to assist than to have it move around or eject my kid when it's needed most.
I did a "top-off" supplemental blow midway through our five-day trip, but that was because it was very cold. The seat held its air and stayed inflated well. It didn't move when my kid was in it, and my kid is not a statue traveler.
The only reason I gave this 4 stars for comfort instead of 5 is that we did miss his cup-holder, but I did not miss lugging that seat through the airports and all of the associated transportation between car, plane, and destination.
Do recommend!
