Well, I guess I've learned my lesson. No more dashing into a store to pick up something without checking it more closely.

What am I talking about, you ask?

Well, last week I finally decided we needed to get another booster seat.

"Another?" my loyal readers ask in amazement. "How many can you possibly need? Haven't you bought a couple hundred by now?"

Actually, I have bought quite a few but I've returned most of the ones I bought. I'm picky. With three kids in boosters and two cars, we can't seem to get enough of them. I've actually been stalling for months, waiting for the new "perfect" booster to show up on the market and end up on the shelf at our local Target.

I finally got fed up with waiting and made a quick dash to the closest Target (35 miles away) to pick up another Graco Cherished CarGo - my personal favorite in terms of boosters seats. I was in a rush since I needed to get back to pick my kids up at daycare. I ran in, found the sign - yes, there it is - Graco Cherished Cargo - grabbed the box and headed for the check out stand. I was so proud of myself for getting "just what I needed" and not browsing around, wasting a bunch of time and money on other stuff we don't need (which, ironically, my husband refers to as "more cargo.")

I picked up the kids, got home, hauled the box into the house and started to unpack it. The first thing I noticed is that the seat was a different color than our other one. No problem - I'm not into the matching scene. I actually liked this blue color better than the other. I pulled the seat all the way out of the box to the excited squeals from my three year old daughter.

Uh oh…

Something was wrong here. Something was VERY wrong. I didn't see a front harness adjuster. I looked at the seat more carefully and then back to the box. My heart sank. Instead of seeing Graco Cherished CarGo, I saw the words Graco Treasured CarGo. Well what the…?

It turns out that the Graco Treasured CarGo is one of two new boosters put out by Graco this year. I had never seen it or heard of it before so it completely took me by surprise. Just so you don't think I'm a complete space cadet, I did go back to check the sign at Target the next day and it gave the name "Graco Cherished CarGo" but described this seat. Guess Target needs to gets its act together, too.

So What Is This Surprise "Treasure" Like?

My first impression is that it is an awful lot like the Graco Cherished CarGo. In fact, I'll go so far as to say it is the same seat with a few significant modifications - some improvements and one major disadvantage.

I previously wrote a detailed review of the Graco Cherished CarGo and compared it to three other boosters on the market. Because there are so many similarities between the Cherished CarGo and the Treasured CarGo, some parts of this description will be repetitive. Skip it if you want.

Features That are Identical Between the Cherished CarGo and Treasured CarGo

~ Accommodates a wide range of child heights and weights: Both Graco seats can be used as front-facing harnessed car seats for toddlers who weigh between 20 to 40 lbs. and are between 27 to 40 inches in height. They can also be used as belt-positioning boosters for older children who are between 30 to 80 lbs. and between 35 to 54 inches in height. The 80 lb. maximum limit for these seats is a definite plus since our state (and others) are considering requiring boosters for children up to 80 lbs.

Even though there is a substantial overlap of heights and weights for the car seat and booster, it's important to use a harnessed car seat as long as it is the child can fit safely and comfortably. Also, these seats should never be used in a rear-facing position.

~ 5-point harness: This type of harness is essential on any car seat that I buy from now on because it is the safest harness system. The 5-pt. harness has two straps that fit over each arm and leg and independently buckle into a crotch buckle. A front harness tie holds the two straps together across the child's chest. The idea of this is that if any one point fails to restrain the child in an accident, there should be sufficient back-up restraint to keep them in their seat. The buckle on the Graco seats feels especially sturdy as well as being easy to operate. When it fastens, it does so with a resounding "CLICK" which confirms that you have buckled it completely.

~ Tether strap: This is standard fare on most car seats these days, but missing from my older convertible models. The tether allows you to secure the back of the car seat to a bolted anchor in the car and holds the top of the car seat in place in the case of an accident. It also minimizes side to side and forward movement when the vehicle goes around corners and stops suddenly.

~ Options for harness adjustment: Both Graco seats have three sets of slots in the back for threading the harness through so it can be used with a wide range of heights. Right now we have the harness threaded through the middle slots which conveniently fits both our youngest child and middle child. If either one has a growth spurt, it's nice to know that the harness can be adjusted to accommodate their growth. They also both have two sets of crotch strap slots so the crotch strap can be moved towards the front of the seat as the child grows.

~ Deep, wide sides: As far as I can tell, both the Graco Cherished CarGo and the Graco Treasured CarGo have the exact same seat shape and dimensions. Both have generous side supports which give children a more secure, supported feeling and allow them to sleep more comfortably by resting their head against the sides. They are much more like a convertible car seat in this way rather than a traditional booster. I can't tell you for sure how much of a measurable difference in depth there is between these sides and the other boosters but it certainly looks deeper.

~ Slightly tilted back: These seats appear to lean back slightly more than other boosters. This tilt has a couple of advantages. First of all, it conforms more closely to the angle of most vehicle seat backs which translates to a tighter, more secure fit. The gentle tilt also makes it more comfortable for snoozing children. Again, I can't directly compare this feature to the other seats other than say that looks more comfortable.

~ Deep lap seat belt guides: There is a definite, pronounced "notch" on each side of both Graco seats to show where to place the lap portion of the belt when the seat is being used as a belt-positioning booster. The guide helps ensure that the lap belt is placed low across the child's lap and hips, rather than across their tummy. All of the boosters I looked at had some sort of notch for the lap belt but Graco's is the deepest.

At first, I thought the Treasured CarGo actually had deeper, wider lap belt guides than the Cherished CarGo but then I realized it just looked that way because the former does not have any fabric covering these notches. When I pulled the fabric away on the Cherished CarGo, I saw that these notches were identical on both seats.

By the way, these boosters (and any other booster) should NEVER be used with a lap belt alone. The main function of a booster is to "boost" the child up so that the lap/shoulder belt fits them safely. Therefore, some center seats and ALL airline seats are off-limits to boosters.

~ Affordable: I put this last because it really shouldn't be the main factor driving your decision on a child seat, though in reality, it often is. Fortunately, both the Graco Cherished CarGo and the Graco Treasured CarGo are two of the less expensive car seat/boosters on the market. The Cherished CarGo usually retails for $59.99 though I've seen it for less. Target was selling the Treasured CarGo for $49.99. I don't know what it goes for in other retail locations. Nor do I know if Target is currently selling the Cherished CarGo for $49.99 since they don't seem to even know what product they are selling!

Improved Features in the Treasured CarGo

There are a few features of the Graco Treasured CarGo that are, in my opinion, superior to the Graco Cherished CarGo.

~ Shoulder belt-positioner clip: This is a sturdy plastic clip (one on each side of the seat) for threading the shoulder belt through when used as a belt positioning booster seat. This "Comfort Clip" allows you to position the seat belt high across the child's chest (rather than throat and neck) and holds the belt in place, keeping the child from repositioning it. The clip can be attached at several different heights to accommodate different height children. The Treasured CarGo has a four position Comfort Clip compared to the Cherished CarGo's three position clip, therefore accommodating a greater size range of children.

Be aware the July 2001 issue of Consumer Reports raised some concerns about the belt positioner on the Graco Cherished CarGo (and several other toddler/booster seats). The concern is that a child in these seats may lean forward and cause some slack in the seatbelt that doesn't retract immediately when the child leans back. This is a potential problem with most booster seats that use threaded guides for positioning the shoulder belt. Children need to be trained to not lean forward in these seats and to periodically reach above the belt positioning booster and tug any slack out of the belt. Although not addressed in the Consumer Report, the same potential problem exists with the Graco Treasured CarGo.

~ Harness chest clip: The most significant improvement of the Treasured CarGo over the Cherished CarGo is the sturdier and more secure chest clip. The Treasured CarGo has a two piece chest clip that buckles together securely to hold the harness straps together. The buckle is relatively easy to undo for adults, but difficult for children. On the other hand, the Cherished CarGo has the older one piece harness tie that is threaded through on one strap and slips over the other strap. Though this tie is often adequate in an accident, it is too easy for young children to undo themselves. All of my kids have gone through "protest" periods where they undid their chest straps in mid-travel and forced us to stop the car.

~ Cup holder: Though certainly not essential, a cup/snack holder is always a convenient feature for boosters and car seats. The Graco Treasured CarGo comes with one gray plastic cup holder that easily snaps on or off either side of the booster. It has two compartments - one holds a cup or a juice box and the other holds a small amount of snacks (goldfish, animal crackers, and gummy bears come to mind because that's what my kids like to snack on in the car). The cup holder has the same problem as most car seat cup holders - its too shallow so that taller cups often fall over and out when the car corners, accelerates, or decelerates too quickly. The Graco Cherished CarGo does not have a cup holder.

~ Color of seat/fabric: Though this is certainly a matter of personal taste, I prefer the blue seat and blue plaid fabric pattern of the Treasured CarGo over the gray seat and brown/orange plaid fabric on the Cherished CarGo. I certainly wouldn't pick a booster on the basis of such a trivial feature, but I still can express my preferences. By the way, the fabric seat cover on the Treasured CarGo "looks" like it will stay put a bit better than the seat cover on the Cherished CarGo. However, I haven't had the seat long enough to confirm this. I also haven't washed the fabric though removing the seat cover is a snap.

Disadvantages of the Treasured CarGo

~ Lack of a front harness adjuster: We've found that a front harness adjuster is an essential feature of any harnessed car seat we own. If you need to loosen the straps on the Graco Cherished CarGo, all you need to do is push on the large red button on the front of the car seat and pull the shoulder straps. Tightening the straps is as simple as pulling on the front belt tab. Since the weather here in central Washington can vary as much as 30 degrees in a day, we often send kids off to daycare bundled in coats and bring them home in t-shirts. In addition, we have two children of different sizes who still need to ride in a harnessed car seat. Therefore, we need the easy adjustment that comes with the front one-pull strap.

Unfortunately, the Graco Treasured CarGo does not have a front harness adjuster. Instead, there is a metal harness plate on the upper back part of the seat. The harness straps thread through the harness plate and the metal adjuster bar. When you want to lengthen or shorten the harness straps you have to turn the seat around, rotate a red plastic tab that locks the adjuster bar in place and adjust the length of the straps. Then you have to push the red tab back in place (somewhat difficult to do).

If you want to change the height of the harness straps, you have to completely unthread them from the adjuster bar, rethread through the seat slots and then rethread correctly through the adjuster bar. Though the manual shows how to do this, there are no directions on the seat itself. Maybe I'm too cynical, but I can see how there is too much room for human error in the threading and locking of this harness system. It’s very important that both strap ends extend at least two inches below the harness plate and be of similar length. Again, there are no directions on the seat itself that say this so the odds of it being done correctly are diminished.

The convenience and relative safety of the front harness adjustment system makes me wonder why Graco would abandon this feature on their newer seat. All I can think is that it’s a money-saving strategy. However, it makes this otherwise terrific seat a much less attractive option for us since we still would like to use it as a harnessed car seat. If you just plan to use the Graco Treasured CarGo as a belt-positioning booster, the harness system would be irrelevant.

Other Observations

Like the Graco Cherished CarGo, the Graco Treasured CarGo is somewhat utilitarian in that it doesn't have the bells and whistles of some other boosters (head rest, adjustable arm rests, and recline lever). You also have to reach behind to thread the seat belt through rather than accessing it from the front. Finally, both seats are a bit thin on the cushioning. My kids have never complained, though, about the Graco Cherished CarGo, even on long, multi-day trips. I suspect that the cushioning is adequate for most kids.

Do I Recommend the Graco Treasured CarGo?

Oh, I wish I could recommend this booster. It reminds me so much of my cherished Graco Cherished CarGo, plus it has some attractive improvements over that seat. Unfortunately, it does not have one of the most important features, the front harness adjuster, so it is headed back to the store…as soon as I can pry my daughter out of it. I think she's in love…


Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): 49.99