~~~THE GRACO BACKLESS TURBOBOOSTER BOOSTER SEAT~~~AFFORDABLE, SAFE, AND CONVENIENT TO USE, TOO!
Written: Jun 05 '05
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Pros: Very affordable; rugged, attractive, no-frills design; accommodates children 40 to 100 pounds in weight.
Cons: Not the best choice for long road trips.
The Bottom Line: Looking for an inexpensive yet safe booster seat for your older child? Then take a good look at this Graco Backless Turbobooster Booster Seat.
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| melissasrn's Full Review: Graco Backless TurboBooster Booster Seat |
Because we liked our almost 5 year old son, Tristan's, original Graco Turbobooster so well, we decided to purchase this Graco Backless TurboBooster Booster Seat a few months back as a spare car seat. For even though we only have two vehicles now: one with the original Turbobooster installed and the other with the Evenflo Express Comfort Touch Booster Seat installed, there are still times when we need a third seat for convenience's sake if nothing else. Sometimes family members will take Tristan to church or other places in their own vehicles, so having this backless model handy has indeed been a good idea. With new child restraint seat laws in place, Tristan will have to be either 80 pounds or 8 years old before he no longer requires a booster seat in the state of Tennessee. So we'll no doubt get several years worth of use out of this new seat since he's just now reached 40 pounds in weight, which is the minimum required by this particular model. Read on to find out more about this convenient, light weight, and easy to transport booster seat for preschool as well as school aged children that's also very affordable at the same time.
~~~The Child Restraint Seat~~~
While this basic Graco Backless Turbobooster Booster Seat is currently available in several different colors and patterns, we have the basic rugby model that's mostly black, royal blue, and gray in color. According to product advertising: Designed with input from parents and kids, this backless TurboBooster car seat meets parents' needs for safety, comfort and convenience, and kids' needs for style and comfort. Easily portable and sporty, it is ideal for active families and for older kids who need a car seat because of increased awareness and new legislation. With new cool features, any child is sure to feel great riding around in the backless TurboBooster youth booster seat. This backless version has padded, height-adjustable arm rests and hide-away cup holders on either side of the seat - perfect for storing drinks, snacks, and toys for those long rides. A great value. From Graco, Rugby pattern, model No. 8491RGB. Warranty Length: 1 year from date of purchase. Created for older kids 4 to 10 years old, from 40 all the way up to 100 pounds in weight, and between 40 and 57 inches tall, this functional model is the last booster seat your child will need once he/she meets the minimum requirements. Of course it's designed for forward facing use only and works along with the seat belt inside the backseat of most newer vehicles. With its high quality and trusted Graco name, we knew we were getting a safe seat at an affordable price when purchasing this particular backless model, which is basically the same as the original one, only without the back obviously. The main difference is that younger and smaller children can be restrained in the original Turbobooster model while they have to be older and larger to fit into this one. So now that Tristan's turning 5 soon and will be starting kindergarten in the fall, I'll most likely start using this Graco Backless Turbobooster Booster Seat more and more as it looks less like a "baby" car seat and more like a "big boy" one.
~~~Price & Availability~~~
I purchased Tristan's new Graco Backless TurboBooster Booster Seat at our local Wal-Mart for slightly less than $20.00. Currently this rugby design can be found online at the walmart.com website for slightly less at $18.92 although I've seen it for as little as $15.74 here. Any store that carries Graco baby products will most likely have this basic model, but definitely shop around for the best price although at $20 it's still quite the bargain as far as safe and highly reputable booster seats go. There's really no assembly required as all that comes included is the seat bottom itself that's approximately 15 inches wide and 16 inches deep. The two arm rests are covered in soft removable machine washable material while the padded bottom (which is also removable and machine washable) features a gray retractable cup holder on either side. Proper belt routing instructions are clearly pictured on the side of the seat, as both the shoulder and lap belts are required (never use just a lap belt during use!). Of course the owner's manual includes complete instructions, so always read before installing any child restraint system. Purchase this Graco Backless Turbobooster Booster Seat online today at the following website:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=2041778
~~~Our Experience~~~
As stated in the introduction of this review, we purchased this Graco Backless Turbobooster Booster Seat primarily as a third seat to have when family members transported our almost 5 year old son places in their own vehicles. We chose this basic model because it's lightweight, doesn't take up much space, is portable and convenient, yet is still a safe booster seat alternative for our youngest child. This way, we can carry it back and forth as needed, load it in one of our vehicles as a spare, and even leave it at a relatives house as needed as the other bulkier booster seats we have aren't near as convenient to move around so frequently. If a vehicle has both the lap and shoulder belt in the middle back seat, this is ideally the safest place for this seat to be installed. But we've found the easiest place is on either side as you don't have to crawl into the back seat every single time you buckle up your child. Use the red clip attached to anchor to the seat belt, click it into place, and your child is ready to ride. Just make sure his/her ears are below the top of the vehicle seat cushion/headrest per operating safety instructions. Once your child reaches his/her destination, the booster seat can easily be left in the car and taken out to be used in another. So when convenience without compromising safety is the main concern, this Graco Backless Turbobooster Booster Seat is one that perfectly fits the bill, and it won't break your budget, either!
~~~Summary of Product Features~~~
++Forward-facing, backless booster seat for children from 4 to 10 years old and from 40 to 100 pounds
++Ideal for older kids because it doesn't resemble a baby's car seat
++Ideal for families that are active or need more than one car seat because it is easily portable
++Meets or exceeds federal motor vehicles safety standards
++Deluxe seat pad is removable for machine washing
++Rugby pattern: black with blue trim
++Features the kids like: the retractable cup holders for drinks, snacks and toys; the sporty seat pad design; the padded, adjustable-height armrests
++A great value: price plus safety, convenience and design features make this an excellent buy
***the above information taken directly from the walmart.com website
~~~Overall Recommendation~~~
Although this Graco Backless Turbobooster Booster Seat would not be the ideal choice for long road trips, it's actually a very safe yet convenient and affordable choice for older children meeting the age, weight, and height requirements. While our model was originally purchased as a spare, I'm sure I'll be using it more frequently in the future and will most likely use it to replace the Evenflo booster that's currently being used in my vehicle very soon. For it's so much easier to load Tristan into a family member's vehicle using this basic booster verses the original ones we've owned for several years now. And since he'll be starting kindergarten in just a few more months, this one will most likely be the more socially acceptable model among his peers when I go and pick him up from school. So in conclusion, I highly recommend this Graco Backless Turbobooster Booster Seat as you can't beat the price or convenience without giving up safety at the same time. Good luck and happy online shopping :-)
***To view more details online as well as other patterns available besides the basic rugby model we own in this Graco Backless TurboBooster Booster Seat, please copy and paste the following URL into your computer's web browser:
http://www.gracobaby.com/catalog/product.aspx?modelNumber=8491RGB&subCatId=17
www.gracobaby.com
Graco Children's Products Inc.
Attn: Consumer Services
150 Oaklands Boulevard
Exton, PA 19341
Customer Service Issues, call here:
800-345-4109
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 19.96
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years
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