Question Monterey or Probooster

Jessica61624 · Oct 8, 2011

Dd is going to get a booster for her 5th birthday. I was set on the Monterey. She fits well in it. I really like it. But then I seen the probooster yesterday and it looks nice also. Dd really liked Hannah. If space or price weren't an issue which would you buy? Does the probooster have a 6 yr life like the Monterey?

Holly · Oct 8, 2011

I haven't used either one but I love the looks of the pro booster

mommaon112903 · Oct 8, 2011

I have both and much prefer the PB.

The Monterey no longer fits Josef as well as it used to and we both fell in love with the look and feel of the PB.

Kac · Oct 8, 2011

That's a tough one because I love both, but I love the proBooster a little more. Recaro has great CS too.

Jessica61624 · Oct 8, 2011

Is it generally a good fit on most kids?

Baylor · Oct 8, 2011

I don't know about all kids, but My 7yrold is about 50 lbs and tall and lanky. It fits him awesome. Also for kicks I let his Little brother sit in it, He is 3.5yrs old but is 49 lbs and about 8 inches shorter than DS1. And it fits him great too.. Too great, he thinks he can actually ride in it... lol.. but it fits him.

It is a great seat. I am so glad that KAC found it for me at a great price!!!

mommaon112903 · Oct 8, 2011

I have never known of a child not to have anything but an acceptable fit in the ProBooster. It was placed on the "best bets" list for boosters

Jessica61624 · Oct 8, 2011

So the big question should I reconsider putting her in a booster the same time the baby comes?

Kat_Momof3 · Oct 9, 2011

for me it all depends on the build of the kid... Jeffrey is built like a linebacker and the probooster's tall body wings would have pushed him out of that seat before he outgrew it... so I'm glad he had the Monterey.

For Ruthie... (though she may now get a good fit in the new version with the changed belt guides) she is narrow in the shoulders... really narrow... so Recaro boosters fit her better than almost every other booster in the market... we love the probooster!

As for putting her in a booster full time, I think it will depend on her size as well as her maturity... but I'd also try to hold off until she's at least 6.

fyrfightermomma · Oct 9, 2011

We love our proboosters and probably will never use anything else. To us, they are perfect and I have zero complaints. Sophia will be getting one on her 5th birthday to start using occasionally as well. My kids have all fit nicely in it despite being built comletely different. I was never really impressed with the Monterey.e

Jessica61624 · Oct 9, 2011

I would love her to get to 6 in the harness. She's insisting she go into a booster at 5. She is mature and has done good the few times she rode in a booster. My step mom will likely be the one to take her when the baby is born. I do not trust her to install a seat.

skitle1802 · Oct 10, 2011

Does anyone have head slump issues with the pro booster? It looks like the head rest sits forward of the back. I'm trying to find a 3 across for my 3rd row; need at least one booster back there.

mommaon112903 · Oct 10, 2011

skitle1802 said:
Does anyone have head slump issues with the pro booster? It looks like the head rest sits forward of the back. I'm trying to find a 3 across for my 3rd row; need at least one booster back there.

None at all so far

Josef is in the car quite often and is able to sleep very nicely in it.

fyrfightermomma · Oct 10, 2011

Nope, no head slump ever in the pb

ginny4 · Oct 10, 2011

i don't have the probooster nor have ever tried it. we have the monterey that so far 3 out of my 4 have used it. it fits them so nicely. perhaps because my kids end up being wide shouldered. my DD took til she was 50lbs before she fit it well & that happened just before 6yo. my DS is an early 5yo & fits it so nicely (wings all the way in)!!! he is about 48lbs. my big boys used it til they outgrew it & definitly passed the 5 step test. the side wings had to be all the way out for them tho. the probooster would liekly be too narrow to have gone that far in them.

Athena · Oct 10, 2011

How do the probooster and vivo compare. I am completely new to booster shopping, but in my booster for a skinny/narrow kid thread, the vivo was suggested. Is the probooster replacing the vivo (again, sorry so clueless about these

)? I like the look of how protective these look.

Kat_Momof3 · Oct 10, 2011

no, not replacing... they are two very different boosters... two prices.

the vivo has a shorter seat pan (great for vehicle seats that are also shorter as boosters can't always overlap and fabulous for kids with short femurs (thighs)), the headwings are actually somehow more ample (they stick out further) and I think a safer bet for the sleepiest and floppiest necks... and less body support (actually a good thing for kids with wide shoulders, like my son, Jeffrey, in the long run... he fit the Vivo till he outgrew it... wouldn't be that way with the parkway... and it costs about 99.99 at most retailers.

The probooster has a deeper seat pan (Ruthie's legs JUST bend at the edge... she is not leggy AT ALL), more ample body supports (which Ruthie has declared make her all gray probooster safer and her favorite above her pink &gray vivo... so it's not anything else making her love it), and the headrests are shaped differently (more angled toward the head instead of being super deep... which Ruthie likes as she can see more easily out of the van (in her dad's car, it hardly matters... 2-door car and tall front seats... she's not gonna see much)

neither can be used backless, both have features to make them fit different vehicle seat shapes, but because the Probooster is wider at the top than the bottom, it can be tippy in some vehicles' certain seating positions.

The probooster has more open guides for the lapbelt, though, making it easier in some vehicles to buckle (in my van, it's noticeable, in my dh's car, the belts are of a thinner style and smoother... so both are equally easy)

Both go to about 20-21" in height with the probooster a bit taller.

here are pics of the two

Athena · Oct 10, 2011

Thanks for the great descriptions and pictures! I think when I read vivo fit smaller kids I was thinking slim/narrow, instead of shorter. but it sounds like it would not be great for taller kiddos because of the lack of seat depth?

Kat_Momof3 · Oct 11, 2011

it actually goes quite tall, so it's good for tall kiddos... but leggy kiddos will either love it or hate it.

some love it because it sits low, and so they quickly are able to put their feet on the floor of the car (especially in sedans, where the seats sit lower to the ground... Ruthie can almost do that in her dad's cobalt 2-door coupe now) and a quick addition of a light footrest makes them comfy during that in-between time or they do what my daughter started doing not because of a lack of support (short legs on her), but because she likes to be curled up as much as possible (she used to sit frog-legged in her ff Radian... legs over each side, feet flat on the vehicle seat or fling one leg over each armrest in the nautilus), so she would put her heels on the edge of the vehicle seat, which didn't affect the seatbelt position, so I didn't make her use a foot stool instead.

The only thing she doesn't like about the probooster is she can't sit that way anymore, even though she still doesn't want the footrest... she liked it for reading, playing games, having her knees pulled up like a base for the book/video game.

it's the same reason some long legged kids love the olli and some don't...

but thank goodness not all boosters are deep and not all are shallow, because every kid is built differently.

tanyaandallie · Oct 12, 2011

I have both and like them both. I much prefer the Monterey. It is my fav booster of all times. BUT, it just does not fit all kiddos well so it is not an option for my smaller framed 6 year old. Also, the side wings have a tendency to expand on their own which is VERY irritating if you have a smaller kiddo in the seat. That said, it fits my 8 year old perfectly, is super comfy, great cup holders, latch, excellent side impact protection. LOVE it.

We like the Probooster. It fits my ds very well, great sip, super belt fit, comfy,easy from him to buckle. What I don't like about it......it's tippy. It worked PERFECTLY in my dh's old vehicle. The seats were a tad more bucket-ish and kept it in place. In his new vehicle it just does not work as well so I moved it to my vehicle. It is still tippy in my vehicle. I'm contemplating getting him a new seat.

ETA - I just read that the Monterey was modified a bit to help with shoulder belt fit. I'm obviously out of the loop.

May have to check it out for my ds now!

Question Monterey or Probooster

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