What is the most comfortable booster seat in Canada?

JaRylan · Feb 12, 2007

If this question has been asked and answered already could somebody link me to the thread, thanks.

My friend is looking at a backless Magna Clek booster from Canadian Tire. I would like to recommend a highback booster. They are on a budget, but I think comfort is the main concern. Child is a skinny, average height boy, age 5, 43lbs. He is harnessed right now (not sure of which seat but it goes to 47lbs and his shoulders are almost even with the top slots). He complains about his current seat being uncomfortable.

The ones that I am thinking of are: Graco Turbobooster $100, Evenflo Big Kid le Booster $80.

Is the Compass B510 available in Canada?

Thanks!

scatterbunny · Feb 12, 2007

Britax Parkway
Graco TurboBooster/Safeseat 3 with Gracopedic foam (there are different models that have almost no padding, some with a mid-level, some VERY padded)

Those are the two that I'd look at. The Parkway will last the longest because it adjusts taller but the Turbo is more versatile (can become a backless) and less "huggy" feeling (some kids find it tight, my dd likes that feeling).

Jewels · Feb 12, 2007

Yes, I ditto Scatterbunny's response!

I was going to add though, I think that you could find a Turbo booster for the same price as the magna clek booster. So if they are on a budget this would be the closest to that price range.

canadianmom2three · Feb 12, 2007

Hmmm I will be interested to hear the answer to this one, my DD has been complaining that her high back turbo is not comfortable anymore - the armrests are really low for her, and makes the belt hard to buckle. There is not a heck of a lot of padding on it, but this is the first she has ever complained. I have looked around and have tried parkway, which she declared too squishy, compass 505, which looks super comfy, but doesn't go high enough for her, and the evenflo big kid, which is not really much more padded, and has no eps foam. I looked at the clek too, but thought it was kind of poor value for the $$ - having no back and all. Didn't really look at any other backless, or some of the newer harnessed that convert to boosters either. Looking forward to hearing more options, especially for dedicated high back boosters!!

Wow, I really need to type quicker, I thought I was going to be the first poster, but Scatterbunny and Jewels have both responded in the time it took me to type this (while watching CSI I admit), and now I have learned that there are different padding levels in the turbo's - will have to let DD look at the pretty princess one she has been admiring to see if it is more padded

scatterbunny · Feb 12, 2007

Is the Compass B510 in Canada? If so, I'd look at that one. It adjusts taller than the B500 and B505, has deeper headwings and slightly different shoulderbelt guides. The flip-up armrests make it easy to buckle. Hayley likes it better than her Parkway, and it has better leg support/seat depth.

The B510 is still about 2 inches shorter (from seating area to shoulderbelt guide in top position) than the Parkway, but it is comparable to the Turbo, so if it's the comfort factor of the Turbo, and the armrests, that bother your dd, she might like the B510.

Jewels · Feb 12, 2007

Ok, I found this Turbo Booster for $89.99 at Sears, you could likely find it on sale. So it is a bit more then the Clek.

and the evenflo big kid, which is not really much more padded, and has no eps foam

Here is a new Big Kid Confidence it has EPS and EPP foam, but who knows when or if it will come to Canada!?

I came across this and wanted to know what others think of this Combi 'Kobuk' booster?

canadianmom2three · Feb 12, 2007

I've been looking but so far only have seen the 505 here (and in pistachio at that - not my fav). I do have serious envy of your 510 camo my oldest would LOVE that, and the giraffe is cute too...will have to keep looking because I think it looks like the armrests are a lot higher, and the padding is supposed to be much better too right?

Jewels beat me to it again ;-P

I had asked a while back about the combi but got the word that it wasn't comfy or tall enough iirc - looks cute though

Jewels · Feb 12, 2007

canadianmom2three said:
compass 505, which looks super comfy, but doesn't go high enough for her

Where do you find the compass? I have never seen one, does anyone have a link for it?

canadianmom2three · Feb 12, 2007

At Zellers of all places, I'll tell you my jaw about dropped when I saw it there (Nothing against Zellers, just have never ever seen any neat car seats there

)
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000F8S6C6 - this links you to Target, but it was the same one I saw at Zellers, they just didn't have it on their website.

scatterbunny · Feb 12, 2007

Jewels said:
Ok, I found this Turbo Booster for $89.99 at Sears, you could likely find it on sale. So it is a bit more then the Clek.

That Turbo isn't very well-padded at all. It's the only one my local store carries.

Jewels said:
Here is a new Big Kid Confidence it has EPS and EPP foam, but who knows when or if it will come to Canada!?

The Confidence is not as padded as a Parkway, Compass or even some Turbos. It doesn't have as much side impact protection as I'd like, but really, nothing does when compared to the Parkway.

I like the Confidence so much more than the Big Kid, though! I love the belt guides on the Confidence. No way the shoulderbelt will slip out of the guide, even when a kid throws the belt off themselves like my dd does. The lapbelt guides are not under the armrests, and are easy for a kid to buckle themselves, I'd guess (never actually tried dd in this seat, just played with it at the store). The armrests are low, but since the belt does not need to be routed under them, it shouldn't be a problem. I have no idea how tall it adjusts, I didn't get to that. I love the depth adjustment. Unique feature. Hopefully it comes to Canada soon, it's a solid choice, IMO.

Jewels said:
I came across this and wanted to know what others think of this Combi 'Kobuk' booster?

Hmmm, I know I've heard mostly unfavorable comments on the Kobuk, but can't remember specifically what they are.

canadianmom2three · Feb 12, 2007

How can you tell which turbos are the padded ones? Is it by price? There seems to be a lot more selection in the us than here - have only seen a few choices here...
http://www.sears.ca/gp/product/B000...244?ie=UTF8&searsBrand=core&mqnodeid=16340361
This is the one DD had her eye on

doesn't look any cushier than her current one http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/p...4443254675&assortment=primary&fromSearch=true

scatterbunny · Feb 12, 2007

Jewels said:
Where do you find the compass? I have never seen one, does anyone have a link for it?

Here's my comparison pics of the Compass B510 and Parkway: http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=10852&highlight=parkway+b510+comparison

I did some shifting around in my photo album, so if the pics don't show up in that thread anymore, you can see them here: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/0... Comparisons/Britax Parkway and Compass B510/

I also have some comparison pics of the Compass B500 and TurboBooster, but none of dd actually in the seat, so while they look the same height overall, the B500 is shorter from seating area to shoulderbelt guide in top position (they made the B510 taller than the B500, but only by enough that it makes it comparable to the Turbo, not Parkway): http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/0...parisons/Graco TurboBooster and Compass B500/

canadianmom2three · Feb 12, 2007

double post

scatterbunny · Feb 12, 2007

canadianmom2three said:
How can you tell which turbos are the padded ones? Is it by price? There seems to be a lot more selection in the us than here - have only seen a few choices here...
http://www.sears.ca/gp/product/B000...244?ie=UTF8&searsBrand=core&mqnodeid=16340361
This is the one DD had her eye on - doesn't look any cushier than her current one http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/p...4443254675&assortment=primary&fromSearch=true

That one is cuuute!

The best way to find the ones with the most padding is to to to Graco's website and narrow it down with the menu on the left (you can select an option to only see the models with Gracopedic foam). Then you can look specifically for those models in your local stores, or on Canadian websites.

Okay, I just looked it up, and apparently there are only 3 models that have Gracopedic foam:

Fairfax
Model #8673FIR

Fairy Tales
Model #8673FTA

Firecracker
Model #8673FIC

Jewels · Feb 12, 2007

scatterbunny said:
That Turbo isn't very well-padded at all. It's the only one my local store carries.

The Confidence is not as padded as a Parkway, Compass or even some Turbos. It doesn't have as much side impact protection as I'd like, but really, nothing does when compared to the Parkway. I like the Confidence so much more than the Big Kid, though! I love the belt guides on the Confidence. No way the shoulderbelt will slip out of the guide, even when a kid throws the belt off themselves like my dd does. The lapbelt guides are not under the armrests, and are easy for a kid to buckle themselves, I'd guess (never actually tried dd in this seat, just played with it at the store). The armrests are low, but since the belt does not need to be routed under them, it shouldn't be a problem. I have no idea how tall it adjusts, I didn't get to that. I love the depth adjustment. Unique feature. Hopefully it comes to Canada soon, it's a solid choice, IMO.

Hmmm, I know I've heard mostly unfavorable comments on the Kobuk, but can't remember specifically what they are.

Oh, I agree with you that nothing compares to the Parkway, I was just looking at seats that would be comparable in price (only in price) to the magna clek. The Parkway is $120 at our Toys R Us so if price is a issue the turbo booster is cheaper, especially the one linked above to Canadian Tire at $69. It would be nice if we got some more options here in Canada!

How much is the Compass at Zellers? Anyone know?

canadianmom2three · Feb 12, 2007

oooooh aaaaah over the super cute and very padded turbo's - but have not seen any of them in Canada. May have to hop the border for that one

IIRC the Compass was very reasonable at Zellers, I want to say $89, but maybe $119...I guess I can't remember really.

I was so sure DD would love the parkway, I was all set to buy it on the spot, but she was adamant that she was too squished

The one I linked to at CT has been fine for us, and she's been using it for almost 3 years with no complaints until now (and really I'm not sure that its comfort that has her complaining - she recently went on a trip with a friend of hers who is younger by a year, and rides in the backless turbo. I made her keep the back on hers even though she wanted it off, and since then she says she hates it. I think she knows that her complaints of it is too babyish with the back will get her nowhere with me, so she is trying out a different complaint)

BudgieStew · Feb 13, 2007

http://www.babyproofingplus.com/item6635.htm

I noticed this place has the Compass B505 in blue or gold. It looks comfy and padded but I have no idea what it is like as a booster we are so not at the stage yet.

JaRylan · Feb 13, 2007

Thanks for so many great responses! I am going to send her a link to this thrread.

JaRylan · Feb 13, 2007

scatterbunny said:
I like the Confidence so much more than the Big Kid, though! I love the belt guides on the Confidence. No way the shoulderbelt will slip out of the guide, even when a kid throws the belt off themselves like my dd does. The lapbelt guides are not under the armrests, and are easy for a kid to buckle themselves, I'd guess (never actually tried dd in this seat, just played with it at the store). The armrests are low, but since the belt does not need to be routed under them, it shouldn't be a problem. I have no idea how tall it adjusts, I didn't get to that. I love the depth adjustment. Unique feature. Hopefully it comes to Canada soon, it's a solid choice, IMO.

Jenny,
Would you still put the Evenflo Big Kid le Booster in the running? Sears.ca has it for $80. Or is it even less padded than the light-padded Turbos?

BudgieStew · Feb 13, 2007

Oh and when I was searching for a gate for the bottom of our stairs came across this..I saw it mentioned earlier in the thread but had never heard of it before today
Evenflo Confidence Booster. So its in Canada if that was the question.

http://www.babyproofingplus.com/item6956.htm

and Evenflo Big Kid Deluxe Booster Seat

http://www.babyproofingplus.com/item6957.htm

What is the most comfortable booster seat in Canada?

New member

New member

Senior Community Member

Active member

New member

Senior Community Member

Active member

Senior Community Member

Active member

New member

Active member

New member

Active member

New member

Senior Community Member

Active member

New member

New member

New member

New member

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics