First Years Compass Booster

Mama Jo

New member

• Apr 27, 2009

• #1

Why have I never seen this before?? I saw it at Target for the first time yesterday. I really think I like it... The headwings aren't as deep as some of the other ones, but I think I like it as a backup more than the Turbo. Liv sat it in and said it was more comfy. And it seems alot more solid, it doesn't fall apart when you pick it up. And then I googled it and found a super cute Daisy pattern... I might just have to get one...

I put the headrest at the tallest position, just to see how much room she would have to grow. I guess I should have taken a pic of her in the Turbo and the Vivo to compare it to... Maybe I'll do that when I get home tonight. My camera phone isn't the greatest, so the pic could be better...

Cute cover!!

 

M

Maedze

New member

• Apr 27, 2009

• #2

Oh no...stay away from it, especially for such a little girl. I would say that it gives 97% of kids a really bad fit, booster wise. The lapbelt path is just too far back...it makes it a tummy belt.

 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob

Staff member

• Apr 27, 2009

• #3

I've seen it fit some bigger kids okay. Like toward the height limits of the seat. But not little ones.

 

Mama Jo

New member

• Apr 27, 2009

• #4

Good to know! Thank you!

Darn it, though! It's cute!

 

scatterbunny

New member

• Apr 27, 2009

• #5

It fit my H just fine when we got it, I'd guess she was 47ish inches and 47ish pounds, though, IIRC (without sorting through all my pics, I can't recall for sure ). I know she was less than 50 inches/50 pounds, because that's when we moved her to a booster full-time, and I'm pretty sure she was in the Compass for close to a year in dh's truck before then.

I like it better than the Turbo, too, for kids that it fits well, but the Turbo usually does do a better job of keeping the lapbelt low, especially on smaller kids.

 

M

Maedze

New member

• Apr 27, 2009

• #6

Really, both the turbo and the vivo are very nice boosters. I wouldn't hesitate to use either one.

 

Mama Jo

New member

• Apr 27, 2009

• #7

Maedze said:

Really, both the turbo and the vivo are very nice boosters. I wouldn't hesitate to use either one.

Click to expand...

Oh, I do use both of them. But there are times when I'd like to have 3. I'm planning to get a Monterey, but I really dislike moving the Turbo around because it just feels like it's going to fall apart... I'd like to give it to my sister who has my nephew in a backless, and he likes using the Turbo in my car. I love the Vivo though. And I'm sure I'll love the Monterey too.

 

scatterbunny

New member

• Apr 27, 2009

• #8

I remembered I had some Compass pics on Photobucket.

She was 5.5yo here, about 47-48 inches tall and 47-48 pounds. I was perfectly happy with belt fit (although the Turbo would have the lap portion even lower on the thighs), but if she'd been shorter, narrower, or more slim, I don't think it would have been a great fit.

It adjusts to about the same torso height as the Turbo.

I don't think I'd use it for a child as small as your dd, though.

 

Mama Jo

New member

• Apr 27, 2009

• #9

Yeah... she's a skinny little thing. LOL...

But one of my boostered kids is quite a bit bigger... I'll probably stay away from this seat anyway, in case I ever get into a situation where my DD needs to use it for some reason because the other 15 seats we have are unavailable. LOL.... I'd rather have something that would fit them just in case.

 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician

• Apr 27, 2009

• #10

I'm sort of holding out hope that the IIHS report slamming this seat will spur the First Years to change the lapbelt cutouts to fit smaller kids better... http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/boosters/not_recommended.html
It's high quality, good SIP, easy to buckle, nice that it folds and can be transported easily. It would be so awesome if it fit littler kids better :twocents:

 

scatterbunny

New member

• Apr 27, 2009

• #11

If they just mounted the armrests further forward, that would go a long way in fixing lapbelt fit for littles. :thumbsup: Some kind of torso wings would be nice, too.

 

Mama Jo

New member

• Apr 27, 2009

• #12

joolsplus3 said:

I'm sort of holding out hope that the IIHS report slamming this seat will spur the First Years to change the lapbelt cutouts to fit smaller kids better... http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/boosters/not_recommended.html
It's high quality, good SIP, easy to buckle, nice that it folds and can be transported easily. It would be so awesome if it fit littler kids better :twocents:

Click to expand...

Wow... huge surprise... almost half of those are made by Dorel

I just really liked how solid it felt compared to the Turbo. If they made the belt path acceptable, I'd definitely get one and get rid of the Turbo.

 

M

Maedze

New member

• Apr 27, 2009

• #13

scatterbunny said:

If they just mounted the armrests further forward, that would go a long way in fixing lapbelt fit for littles. :thumbsup: Some kind of torso wings would be nice, too.

Click to expand...

Precisely. It's not rocket science! Forward of the bight lap belt guides + shoulder belt guides parallel to the vehicle seat = a good booster fit for most children.

 

scatterbunny

New member

• Apr 27, 2009

• #14

Yes, the built guides parallel to the vehicle seat/child's shoulder are awesome! I LOVE that about the Compass, Turbo, FPSVB, SRC, and Indy. I hate the belt guides perpendicular to the shoulder, like the Parkway, Vivo, and Monterey.

 

M

Maedze

New member

• Apr 27, 2009

• #15

Or dorel boosters, which are on their sides. For some weird, inexplicable, Dorelian reason.


Dorel could make their seats usable boosters just by altering the lap belt guide. I don't understand why they don't.