The Graco Highback TurboBooster featuring Safety Surround is the latest variant of the very popular Turbo high back booster. It is designed to fit children from 30-100 pounds in high back mode and from 40-100 pounds when converted to backless mode. The main difference from the regular Turbo high back booster is the addition of Safety Surround. This provides deeper side impact protection wings around the head and torso compared to the standard TurboBooster. Otherwise, the new TurboBooster is very similar in dimensions as the standard model. For example, it has the same maximum height in high back mode, so the tallest kids may have to use it in backless mode without the side impact protection until they pass the 5-step test.
This model also retains the other standard features, including two handy hide-away cup holders and height adjustable head restraint and arm rests. A screw must still be removed to adjust each armrest, but unlike the standard highback model, the screws come pre-installed in a fully-assembled backless section. Only the back needs to be attached out-of-the-box. The original TurboBooster has been around for so long and has been so popular, there’s simply not much to add. Newer versions of the original model have been updated to perform well in the IIHS booster testing and I would expect the Safety Surround version to do so as well.
The Graco TurboBooster with Safety Surround is available at Target in four colors shown below, Dahlia, Pearson, Rush and Harrington. Like other Graco carseats, it is tested to meet or exceed all US standards in addition to the draft European side impact standard and Graco’s own side impact standards.
Below you can see a cutaway section of the Safety Surround system:
Here are a couple comparisons to the standard high back TurboBooster:
Advantages:
- Safety Surround should improve side impact protection
- Generally provides very good fit
- Relatively light weight
- Dual Cupholders
- Backless mode
- Reasonably priced (Sale Price of $60 exclusively at Target as of August, 2012, MSRP $79.99)
Disadvantages:
- Not among the tallest boosters
- Like the original TurboBooster, the back unlocks/separates easily
- Bottom padding is not very generous
- Made in China
Conclusion:
It’s hard to argue against one of the best-selling boosters of the century. Continued evolution of the Graco TurboBooster, now including Safety Surround, only helps to make a good product even better! I found the fit to be very good on my son in a variety of vehicles, both as a high back booster and as a backless booster. In a crowded market of competitively priced high-back boosters, the TurboBooster with Safety Surround is definitely one you should consider.
Thank you to Graco Children’s Products for providing the the Highback TurboBooster Car Seat with Safety Surround used for this review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions expressed are those of CarseatBlog.
Does this work well in 3rd row outboard position in Town and Country. Does the belt get hung up in the belt guide like other boosters?
Did you ever find out the answer to your question? I have a Town & Country. My 4-yr old would be using this in the 3rd row seating. Did it work for you?
Does my car need to have the anchors to use this seat? I just bought it and my car doesn’t have the anchors for the latches to attach to. Do I need to return it?
Hello, and thanks for your review. Do the headrest “wings” interfere with the child’s vision out the window? If yes, my son might be leaning forward the whole time he’s in the car to check out all the big rigs on the highway, and the original Turbobooster may be better for us. Thanks again!
Does anyone know if this carseat has latches so you can secure it to the actual car seat?
The Turbo with Safety Surround does not have the lower attachments that allow you to secure the base to the vehicle anchors. The new Graco Affix does have these anchors, but it does not have the Safety Surround on the high back section.
How come the EPS foam is on the outside, on the torso region, instead of inside towards the child? I’ve never seen that before!
At first I was going to get the Britax Parkway SGL, but I just didn’t want to spend over $100 on a booster. I ran into this turbobooster by accident on Target.com and loved the price and it had some of the same protection features. I bought the purple one and my daughter loves it. it’s very comfy and makes her feel like a princess. I love the head and torso protection, plus it looks like she’ll be able to sleep comfortably on those longer rides.
The new TB w/SS comes with the screws pre-installed in the armrests and ready to go. Removal and re-installation is necessary should the armrests need to be lowered.
been out of the booster lop for a while so I had to ask: does this latest iteration of the Turbo still require purchasers to install screws in the arm rests?
My daughter has the green one in dh’s car and loves it!
Does anyone know if these are coming to Canada?
My daughter has the purple one and loves it. <3
great review
My girls LOVE the green one in the store, and they are on sale this week…might have to add one to my massive booster collection 😉