DS does NOT like his ProBooster! (Lots of pics)

essnce629

New member
We just got his ProBooster today and I picked him up from school with it and we ran some errands so he could try it out. He complained about it the whole time!!!

"I hate this seat. It's squishing my shoulders. It's too tight. It's not comfortable. The armrests are too small. I can't use the armrests. I don't like the fabric on the headrest. I want soft material. I'm never riding in it again. I like my other seats better."

His main complaint was that it was too tight on his shoulders and that it was squishing him. He's pretty average size and not what I would call broad shouldered or anything. He'll be 7 years old in August and is about 52lbs and 49" tall. He rides full time in a Britax Regent and FR85. He's only rode in a booster a few other times when I converted his orginal FR to booster mode for him to practice riding in for a field trip. He did great in that booster and really liked it. So now I don't know what to do. We only bought the ProBooster to be used for 8 weeks this summer while he's in summer camp. He'll ride in it every day in the camp's van to camp (~2 miles) and then a few times a week when they go on field trips. After camp's over, it will be used very occasionally for the 2 or 3 times a year his school goes on field trips. But if it's tight on his shoulders now then it's only going to get worse as time goes by. When he sat in it in the car it positioned the belt well on his lap and shoulder so there were no problems there. We also didn't have any tipping like others have complained about.

Here's some pics. Sorry I don't have any pics of him in it in the car. He was at school when I took the first pics and then I couldn't find my camera till after we had the seat back in the house.

Mazda5 captain's chair
IMG_0847.jpg


IMG_0848.jpg


Using the 7th out of 11 head rest positions
IMG_0851.jpg


IMG_0852-1.jpg


Close-up of shoulder area
IMG_0859.jpg


IMG_0854.jpg


Highest head rest position
IMG_0857.jpg


IMG_0858.jpg


Highest position compared with Regent
IMG_0860.jpg


He much prefers his Regent!
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And just for fun!
IMG_0855.jpg



Any suggestions on what I should do? I'm thinking of taking him to try out some other boosters. Which ones have wider shoulder areas? Any cheaper seats? I didn't even want to spend the $110 I spent on this seat seeing it's only for 8 weeks of regular use. But I didn't want something that was hard to buckle or kept falling apart.
 
ADS

a_js

New member
It looks like he has pretty wide shoulders. The Vivo usually fits kids with narrower shoulders well, so I'm not surprised the Probooster is the same.

I was at Target the other day and saw their Compass boosters--look pretty good quality and roomy, though I know nothing else about them, other than that they're too wide for my son..
 

luvmy2

New member
No advice, just wanted to say his frowney faces in the "uncomfortable seat" are cracking me up.... then he's all smiles in the Regent! SUCH a cutie!
 

teacher01

New member
My son hated the Pro booster as well!! He refused to sit in it. I really liked the way he fit, but it was a no go for us!!
 

urchin_grey

New member
LOL, he looks thrilled...

He does look relatively wide in the shoulders to me too. Has he tried out a Monterey? Is there a reason you can't just use the FR in booster mode for camp?
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
Monterey is broad in the shoulders... it's also more than $110 though. (Although it might be comparable if you can nab a good sale.) That said, we :love::love::love: ours, and consider it money well spent.
 

essnce629

New member
The FR85 is super heavy so it's just not a good seat to be taking in and out of the car/van every day. Plus DS uses it in harness mode in DH's car every day. DS will proably be the one having to carry it to the van for field trips when he's at camp and that thing is a beast, plus it has the LATCH and tether straps hanging all over it! I just wanted a light simple booster for camp. I just never knew DS had broad shoulders which is why the Monterey never even crossed my mind since people say their kids swim in it! Do any IRL stores carry it for me to try out? What about the Parkway? Is that narrow too? I know I've seen that at BRU. Camp starts on Monday!!!!
 

DahliaRW

New member
If your ds doesn't like it I'd return it. Then I'd go to BRU or whatever other stores you have around you and let him sit in and try out other hbb to find one he likes that you're ok with.
 

emandbri

Well-known member
Now you have me worried, I just ordered one for Benjamin who is the exact age, weight, and height as your son!

Mine isn't used to a regent so maybe he will be okay in it.
 

lpperry

Active member
Is it the headwings that are bothering him? Maybe try a seat without the headrest that has the wings that angle in.

Also, look at him in the Regent. He's cross-legged. Is that how he always sits? I don't know if he could sit like that in any booster. I bet he's just used to the roomy Regent and he's not liking the lack of room in the booster. He might just have to get used to it!
 

Maedze

New member
Wow, the seat base looks really shallow :(

The Vivo is shallow too, but I've noticed it doesn't seem to bother kids, probably because of the way it curves and is low to the vehicle seat, the vehicle seat picks up where the Vivo leaves off.

Not sure if the same is true of the Pro-Booster.

OP, I agree that your son is broad shouldered and may do better in the Monterey, or perhaps the Oobr where the shoulders are more unconstricted.
 

essnce629

New member
Wow, the seat base looks really shallow :(

I actually think it's about 2 inches deeper than the Vivo.

Is it the headwings that are bothering him? Maybe try a seat without the headrest that has the wings that angle in.

Also, look at him in the Regent. He's cross-legged. Is that how he always sits? I don't know if he could sit like that in any booster. I bet he's just used to the roomy Regent and he's not liking the lack of room in the booster. He might just have to get used to it!

It's mainly the tightness around his shoulders that are bothering him. The only thing he didn't like about the headrest was the fabric (he prefers plush, not mesh/canvas). He's used to headrests as he's been in a FR for almost 2 years now and a BV before that. He sits in the Regent cross-legged sometimes but not always. I don't think he sits cross-legged in his FR85. It's mostly the shoulder thing. He's sat in DS2's TFP and said that was really comfortable and he tried out a Radian as well and liked that when we were shopping for convertibles for DS2. I guess he's just broad shouldered.

We have a Right Start close by and I just called them and they carry the Monterey so we'll go there after school today to try it out. If he likes it I'll exchange the ProBooster for it though Diapers.com which is where I ordered it. They seem to have a good return policy and ship really fast. Plus I can get the Monterey for just $8 more than I paid for the ProBooster.
 

essnce629

New member
Thanks everyone for your suggestions. We went to The Right Start after school and DS2 tried out both the Parkway SG and the Monterey. He didn't like the PW, but really liked the Monterey! And I guess he is broad shouldered since I had to make the shoulder area bigger right away for him to be comfortable. So that's what we'll be getting. Thanks again!
 

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