Special Tomato IRL

flipper68

Senior Community Member
My young friend has one on order and is using a loaner (she went on vacation to NC).

I didn't have a chance to see her in it or try it in a vehicle. I was going to play with it a bit just in the house but as I moved the bottom seat portion, I noticed it too had been to the beach (YKWIM? :rolleyes: ) so I had to restrain myself (sorry about the pun).

Her dad said they liked the way it supports her and she said it was comfy. They used it as a CR and as a W/C in a large (special needs) umbrella stroller. He also said he liked using it essentially as a booster for meals. She could sit up at the table (which she can't do when it's in the stroller).

It is a beastly thing, if you think an MA is large/bulky. . .It's listed as 31 pounds and it's quite long. It also has the tether (w/heavy duty anchor) and 2 "seat belts" for attaching it to the stroller, a regular chair, or it's own floor sitter base.

It is a soft plastic so it's easy to wash (I'll be curious to see how it wears). It has 3 adjustable pieces: headrest, back, seat bucket, and there are marks/indentations for 4-5 positions for the chest and you can order a second seat that is longer as well. It buckles in like the old FP 60/40 with the seatbelt going over the seat edge and then behind.
The harness has a SafeGuard chest clip and adjusters on both sides that look like the Evenflo Chase.

As I said before, it had been to the beach so I didn't get to look as closely as I will in the future.
 
ADS

scatterbunny

New member
It sounds pretty cool! I like any seat that uses the long belt path.

Is the plastic like foam-y soft plastic? Just trying to get a better mental image.
 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
It looks like it is foamy soft plastic, but I have not seen it in person. I too am trying to get a better mental picture.

Squeezeitseries.gif

2906.jpg
 

flipper68

Senior Community Member
Like I said before, my friend will have one of her own soon so more info will be coming. I may even get the task of 'de-beaching' the thing since it does have to go back to the agency that loaned it. :)

To clarify some of the questions:

1) "Special Tomato" is the brand, like Graco or Britax. http://www.adaptivemall.com (there's a story behind the name)

2) It is for kids (and adults) w/special needs and can be used as a car seat, a w/c, a booster seat (attached to a regular chair) or a "floor sitter."

3) It comes in 2 sizes: large and small. The lg. is approved to 150lbs. AND is airline approved (the family's primary reason for the purchase), so it's pretty narrow. The label says for 80 - 150, but my young friends isn't yet near 50 so I'll have to bug my friend (a tech/special needs tech/PT) who helped order it for the family.

am_1955_67715103
am_1955_55944421


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2) I'm trying to come up with a better picture of the foam. The outside (darker colored pieces) is HARD. The 3 inserts
are squishy, which brings up a question - the CR straps come over the top of the middle piece. Granted, the child's shoulders should be right there but what about compression?
am_1955_78154025


2b) For those of you who are familiar with "Tumble Forms" its NOT the sticky/shiny foam. It has a softer/smoother look and feel. It's kinda close to the close cell foam pool toys. THAT'S IT: Very similar to an Aqua Jog belt!

HTH

More to come when I play with it in a car and/or with her in it. :cool:
 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
2) I'm trying to come up with a better picture of the foam.
2b) For those of you who are familiar with "Tumble Forms" its NOT the sticky/shiny foam. It has a softer/smoother look and feel. It's kinda close to the close cell foam pool toys. THAT'S IT: Very similar to an Aqua Jog belt!

There is an "Action" picture in my post above that shows the foam being squished.

Here is the photo:

Squeezeitseries.gif
 

murphydog77

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
It doesn't look like it has any thigh support at all. I wonder if it's comfy. The designer of the seat presented it at Lifesavers one year and said he named it after his dd's nickname, "Special Tomato". I don't remember why, exactly, he called her a tomato, lol, but it was endearing, not insulting.
 

Ali

New member
That looks very cool. I used to volunteer at a Children's Therapy unit at our hospital and worked in the school district with special needs students. That looks much more supportive than most of their wheelchairs.
 

flipper68

Senior Community Member
RE thigh support: It is deeper IRL than in the photos and there is an extended seat "pad" you can order for bigger kids. It's almost a bucket.

My biggest worry is that using it as a CR and a travel seat/booster means repeated installs (everytime you go somewhere) - increasing potential for poor installs, especially since there are two others in CR's (under age 3). It is approved as a transport w/c (not all w/c's are). However, it is much safer to sit in the vehicle seat vs. a w/c AND sitting in the seat doesn't require a specially equipped van or bus.

I don't think it's as squishy as the action photo indicates. The demo hand is pretty strong AND on the edge of the inserts where it is thinnest.

As you can tell, I'm a bit excited about my friend's new equipment (she also has her stander home from school for the summer). :cool:
 

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