Graco Connext Booster Review: Two Thumbs Up!

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Graco ConnextDarren says: Looking for an inexpensive backless booster to keep your older child safe?  Want one that LATCHes into your car to keep it from moving around?  Look no further!  The Graco Connext, $17.98 at Walmart, keeps big kids in a low profile booster from 40 to 100 pounds and up to 57″ tall.  It measures 16″ wide, so it’s not particularly wide, either.  Most older kids should have no problems buckling themselves in most seating positions.  For the cost of a few premium cups of coffee, you can keep your older child safe in a booster until they are big enough to fit properly in the adult seatbelt. For most kids that doesn’t happen until around age 10-12, when they can pass the 5-step test.  It’s light, easy to carry and tapers nicely in the back to allow small hands to reach the seatbelt buckle.  It may not fit the narrowest seating positions, but it should be wide enough to fit your older child!

Kecia says: This is my favorite new backless booster! My almost 9-year-old son (pictured below) recently went through a huge growth spurt and packed on 15 lbs in the last year! He went from being thin to ummm… not so thin! Lol. I’m not too concerned about his extra chub right now because it’s summer and he’ll burn some of it off between sports, camp and swimming. But his size has given me a new appreciation for wider boosters that also have good leg support for older kids with longer legs. At the moment he is 54″ tall and about 85 lbs. That puts him somewhere between the 90-95th percentile in weight for a 9 year old boy. And around the 75th percentile for height. He is a big kid, no doubt about that, but he doesn’t pass the 5-Step Test yet in the captain’s chairs of my minivan so he still needs a booster to help the adult seatbelt fit him correctly. The Graco Connext is wide enough and deep enough to accommodate him comfortably and I love the lower LATCH attachments!

Graco Connext    Graco Connext

 

 

Pros:

  • ConnextPathfinderLower LATCH attachments
  • Inexpensive, under $18 at Walmart!
  • Lightweight
  • Good belt fit on children of different sizes
  • Fits well in contoured seating positions
  • Smooth bottom is vehicle upholstery friendly
  • Includes shoulder belt positioning strap (if necessary)
  • Cover is machine washable (cold water – delicate cycle – air dry)
  • 10 year lifespan before expiration

 

Cons:

  • Made in China
  • Not as well padded as some other models (cover is padded but there is no additional comfort padding)

 

ConnextGL450

 

Thank you to Graco Baby for providing the Connext used in this review.  No other compensation was given.  Please visit the Graco website for more details!

10 Comments

  1. Sarah August 27, 2016
  2. Mommydev July 12, 2013
  3. Kecia July 9, 2013
  4. ketchupqueen July 9, 2013
  5. Jools June 3, 2013
  6. Jools June 3, 2013
  7. veggiegirl228 June 1, 2013
  8. Kecia May 28, 2013
  9. Shannon May 28, 2013
  10. Mary DeRuiter May 28, 2013