Good Lord it's hideous. No kid over the age of 6 would consent to this monstrosity.

Info from around the web, statistics bureaus:

Safety is the primary reason it is law in every U.S. state for children under four years old to ride in a car seat while in an automobile. Many states also require a booster seat for older children as well. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that car crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 6. They plead for proper use of car seats to help prevent these tragedies.

As the number of children in properly installed child seats goes up, the number of child deaths in automobile accidents goes down. If properly used, car seats are estimated to reduce child fatalities by 71 percent. Unfortunately, most car seats are not installed properly, and to address this issue the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is working to establish a uniform system called LATCH, or Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. Car manufacturers are working this system into their models to meet these new standards.

If properly used, car seats are estimated to reduce injuries to children by 67 percent. Car seats prevent children from being tossed around in the car into instrument panels or other fixed objects. They also prevent children from being ejected through an open or broken window.

Please keep your children safe and follow the law. It is perfectly acceptable and expected for the the child and the parent to sacrafice convenience for safety.

Back to the issue at hand here. We've got what I call a fantastic unit. It sells for $219 and has 5 stars on Amazon. To miss this deal would be a crime! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007R8XHOE

No cup holder? Any thoughts on how to attach a cup holder?

If I am not mistaken this is actually a booster/seat belt positioner & not a true car seat as it has no harness system of it's own. It is ONLY for kids who are booster ready. Please correct me if I am wrong on that....

Comfort Features
•Kiddy K-fix Connectors - Provide an easy connection to the vehicle's LATCH system located between the seat back and seat cushion. Including a detailed list of vehicle types the system is compatible with

I don't see a detailed list anywhere, and those rigid connectors don't look flexible enough to connect to any car I've ever put seats in - and yes I've changed kid seats a time or two.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the LATCH system, but from the cars I've had I know that the position of the latches vary depending on vehicle seat width, and the connectors on this chair don't appear to allow much flexibility.

So, is there an actual list of compatible vehicles?

beck12 wrote:If I am not mistaken this is actually a booster/seat belt positioner & not a true car seat as it has no harness system of it's own. It is ONLY for kids who are booster ready. Please correct me if I am wrong on that....

That's what I was thinking. "Car seat" is a misnomer here. It's a booster seat.

Do yourself a favor and skip this "deal" There are very safe booster seats out there for a fraction of the price. YES PLEASE keep your kids in boosters until they fit your vehicle's seats properly, but you do not have to spend this much for a good booster seat. (And I just bought a $500 car seat for my 2 year old, the Clek Foonf, so I do understand that all seats are not created equal and that sometimes it's worth it to spend more, but in this case, it isn't.)

At least one of those (two total...) 5 star reviews on Amazon is pretty fishy, as well, so please don't put too much credence in them.

Diono Monterey, <$120, fits kids to 120lbs (20lbs more than this one) and is well thought of by car seat technicians

Britax Parkway, <$105, also to 120lbs and well thought of

Graco Highback TurboBooster, <$50, to 100lbs, well thought of

Recaro Vivo, $80, to 100lbs

Recaro Pro Booster, $90, to 120lbs

And if you really want to spend a fortune on a booster seat, then the Clek Oobr is one of the best for $200, just a few bucks more than this one.

The ones I listed are tried and true, well known brands who are leaders in child safety seats in the US and other countries, and have MANY great reviews.

Sign me, an overzealous carseat nut, 5 kids, and I've owned close to 50 carseats for them, yes I am crazy! (And yes, my husband has given up trying to talk sense into me and just rolls his eyes when he sees UPS or FedEx bringing yet ANOTHER carseat!)

beecroft wrote:Good Lord it's hideous. No kid over the age of 6 would consent to this monstrosity.

Hi, I'm from Kiddy. I know i work for the company but it is an extremely sharp looking seat in person. It has been in the US market since March and has won 4 awards - Best Bet booster by IIHS, Top Product from Creative Child Magazine, Gold award from Family Review Center, plus it is Certified and Recommended by the Forum of German back schools (AGR is the acronym).

jamieinoc wrote:Info from around the web, statistics bureaus:

Safety is the primary reason it is law in every U.S. state for children under four years old to ride in a car seat while in an automobile. Many states also require a booster seat for older children as well. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that car crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 6. They plead for proper use of car seats to help prevent these tragedies.

As the number of children in properly installed child seats goes up, the number of child deaths in automobile accidents goes down. If properly used, car seats are estimated to reduce child fatalities by 71 percent. Unfortunately, most car seats are not installed properly, and to address this issue the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is working to establish a uniform system called LATCH, or Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. Car manufacturers are working this system into their models to meet these new standards.

If properly used, car seats are estimated to reduce injuries to children by 67 percent. Car seats prevent children from being tossed around in the car into instrument panels or other fixed objects. They also prevent children from being ejected through an open or broken window.

Please keep your children safe and follow the law. It is perfectly acceptable and expected for the the child and the parent to sacrafice convenience for safety.

Hi I'm from Kiddy! This booster is a Best Bet booster rated from IIHS too

armywife1996 wrote:Do yourself a favor and skip this "deal" There are very safe booster seats out there for a fraction of the price. YES PLEASE keep your kids in boosters until they fit your vehicle's seats properly, but you do not have to spend this much for a good booster seat. (And I just bought a $500 car seat for my 2 year old, the Clek Foonf, so I do understand that all seats are not created equal and that sometimes it's worth it to spend more, but in this case, it isn't.)

At least one of those (two total...) 5 star reviews on Amazon is pretty fishy, as well, so please don't put too much credence in them.

Diono Monterey, <$120, fits kids to 120lbs (20lbs more than this one) and is well thought of by car seat technicians

Britax Parkway, <$105, also to 120lbs and well thought of

Graco Highback TurboBooster, <$50, to 100lbs, well thought of

Recaro Vivo, $80, to 100lbs

Recaro Pro Booster, $90, to 120lbs

And if you really want to spend a fortune on a booster seat, then the Clek Oobr is one of the best for $200, just a few bucks more than this one.

The ones I listed are tried and true, well known brands who are leaders in child safety seats in the US and other countries, and have MANY great reviews.

Sign me, an overzealous carseat nut, 5 kids, and I've owned close to 50 carseats for them, yes I am crazy! (And yes, my husband has given up trying to talk sense into me and just rolls his eyes when he sees UPS or FedEx bringing yet ANOTHER carseat!)

This has a ton of added safety features that other manufacturers don't have: Certified and recommended by AGR which is a forum of scientists and professionals from the Association of German Back Schools as well as Healthy Back/Better Living. It has a technology in the belt path that upon impact crushes much like a pop can would so the seat absorbs the majority of the energy from a crash rather than your child. Also, when the headrest is raised up, the shoulders move out so it literally grows with your child.

-Kiddy USA

marista99 wrote:That's what I was thinking. "Car seat" is a misnomer here. It's a booster seat.

It is a belt positioning booster.

-Kiddy

onic wrote:I don't see a detailed list anywhere, and those rigid connectors don't look flexible enough to connect to any car I've ever put seats in - and yes I've changed kid seats a time or two.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the LATCH system, but from the cars I've had I know that the position of the latches vary depending on vehicle seat width, and the connectors on this chair don't appear to allow much flexibility.

So, is there an actual list of compatible vehicles?

There is no list of compatible vehicles at the moment. The LATCH does adjust up/down however side to side it does not shift for safety reasons. The vehicle manufacturers have positionj requirements they are supposed to meet and the ISOFIX bars in vehicles are horizontal bars on purpose to accommodate for the tolerance side to side in the vehicle.

-Kiddy

dcmarcuzzi wrote:This has a ton of added safety features that other manufacturers don't have: Certified and recommended by AGR which is a forum of scientists and professionals from the Association of German Back Schools as well as Healthy Back/Better Living. It has a technology in the belt path that upon impact crushes much like a pop can would so the seat absorbs the majority of the energy from a crash rather than your child. Also, when the headrest is raised up, the shoulders move out so it literally grows with your child.

-Kiddy USA

Is this airline approved???

We're talking $30-$50 off the normal price you can get it at Amazon.

Am I supposed to be impressed that is says "tested to European standards" - are euro standards better than US standards?

Great review with pictures of kids in it and tons of info: http://carseatblog.com/18008/kiddy-cruiserfix-pro-booster-review-der-beste-neue-kindersitz-thats-german-for-check-out-this-awesome-new-booster/

I would say European standards are better - they test the seats front and side impact at higher speeds - this has nothing to do with national pride ;0) But why would anyone want a booster without a harness system - we have a britax frontiers and my children love them - even the older kids- helps them sit higher and see better and the "ears" are great for comfort on long trips ( this comes from my almost 8 year old) - they don't mind the 5 point harness at all - if you have the attitude that boosters are " ridiculous" - your kids will believe you - my children know it keeps them safe and love their comfy seats with cup holders. I have seen a crash first hand with a van being hit sideways - believe me - you want every inch of extra protection...

I have this seat for my daughter, who is turning six in a few weeks. It is NOT ugly, it works really nicely, it's extremely comfortable and has great side impact protection. The expandable leg rest is awesome for leggy kids! You cannot attach a cup holder to this. Your child would have to use one of the vehicle cup holders.

You do not have to use the LATCH, it is not mandatory and in fact is illegal for a U.S. car seat manufacturer to require the use of latch, not all cars have them.

It will fit in any normal LATCH position in the vehicle. The only thing it will not fit is an off center LATCH, or if you put it in the middle position and try to "borrow" the latch hooks from either side. It is made to fit the standard spacing of latch in all vehicles.

And as to the previous person who stated you should buy a cheaper booster and save your money- I'm sorry but you bought a Foonf and you think it's a waste of money to buy a Kiddy booster?? Pot, meet kettle. The Clek booster (Oobr) is way way more money than this one and the Oobr was not comfortable for my daughter like this one is.

I got a good deal on this booster as an open box item and paid less than the woot price. But if for some reason I needed to replace the booster, I would definitely pay full price for it if necessary. It fits my daughter very well and is one of the ONLY high back boosters that will work with the crappy seat belts in my Dodge Grand Caravan.

nicoble wrote:I would say European standards are better - they test the seats front and side impact at higher speeds - this has nothing to do with national pride ;0) But why would anyone want a booster without a harness system - we have a britax frontiers and my children love them - even the older kids- helps them sit higher and see better and the "ears" are great for comfort on long trips ( this comes from my almost 8 year old) - they don't mind the 5 point harness at all - if you have the attitude that boosters are " ridiculous" - your kids will believe you - my children know it keeps them safe and love their comfy seats with cup holders. I have seen a crash first hand with a van being hit sideways - believe me - you want every inch of extra protection...

I had a Frontier too, when I tried to convert it to booster mode it would NOT work in my van. The way the belt guides are did not allow the seat belt to retract AT ALL making it very unsafe. In addition to the fact that every booster does not work in every vehicle, every booster is not a great fit for every kid. The belt must be across the child's lap/hip bones, not on their tummy. And the shoulder belt must be placed squarely on their shoulder.
The Frontier would be a great choice for a lot of people, but if it's incompatible with your vehicle in booster mode you have to buy something else.

gingerrene1 wrote:Is this airline approved???

No, you cannot ever use a booster seat with a lap belt only, therefore it is not airline approved. Check out the Kiddy World Plus, which has a shield you can use up to 40 lbs and is airline approved.

armywife1996 wrote:Do yourself a favor and skip this "deal" There are very safe booster seats out there for a fraction of the price. YES PLEASE keep your kids in boosters until they fit your vehicle's seats properly, but you do not have to spend this much for a good booster seat. (And I just bought a $500 car seat for my 2 year old, the Clek Foonf, so I do understand that all seats are not created equal and that sometimes it's worth it to spend more, but in this case, it isn't.)

At least one of those (two total...) 5 star reviews on Amazon is pretty fishy, as well, so please don't put too much credence in them.

Diono Monterey, <$120, fits kids to 120lbs (20lbs more than this one) and is well thought of by car seat technicians

Britax Parkway, <$105, also to 120lbs and well thought of

Graco Highback TurboBooster, <$50, to 100lbs, well thought of

Recaro Vivo, $80, to 100lbs

Recaro Pro Booster, $90, to 120lbs

And if you really want to spend a fortune on a booster seat, then the Clek Oobr is one of the best for $200, just a few bucks more than this one.

The ones I listed are tried and true, well known brands who are leaders in child safety seats in the US and other countries, and have MANY great reviews.

Sign me, an overzealous carseat nut, 5 kids, and I've owned close to 50 carseats for them, yes I am crazy! (And yes, my husband has given up trying to talk sense into me and just rolls his eyes when he sees UPS or FedEx bringing yet ANOTHER carseat!)

I have owned at least 30 car seats, including the Foonf which I sent back. This is a GREAT booster and I don't know why you're so down on it. Check out the carseatblog review, it provides a great belt fit, rigid latch, and extra leg support for the kids who need it.

onic wrote:I don't see a detailed list anywhere, and those rigid connectors don't look flexible enough to connect to any car I've ever put seats in - and yes I've changed kid seats a time or two.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the LATCH system, but from the cars I've had I know that the position of the latches vary depending on vehicle seat width, and the connectors on this chair don't appear to allow much flexibility.

So, is there an actual list of compatible vehicles?

The distance between the "lower anchors" is standardized by FMVSS 213 (federal motor vehicle safety standard). They may be harder to access or may be covered by fabric flaps, but they are all the same distance apart.

My daughter who is almost 7 has had this booster since she was 5 and I have had absolutely no problems with it. It is a booster seat though and not a car seat, so only use it for bigger kids.

Here is the IIHS's rating site:http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr102512.html
And the blog is a good review as well.

Now, a 5-point harness is still the best, but my 4 yr old slides down the upper harness clip and pulls his arms out, making it a 2-point harness, despite my best efforts at keeping him buckled in.

This product has a lot going for it based on reviews and safety standards; I believe I am in for 1.

dcmarcuzzi wrote:There is no list of compatible vehicles at the moment. The LATCH does adjust up/down however side to side it does not shift for safety reasons. The vehicle manufacturers have positionj requirements they are supposed to meet and the ISOFIX bars in vehicles are horizontal bars on purpose to accommodate for the tolerance side to side in the vehicle.

-Kiddy

But isofix is European (maybe British?)....so how is that info relevant?

marista99 wrote:But isofix is European (maybe British?)....so how is that info relevant?

They are the same thing, they just call it ISOFIX there and LATCH here. Same size, same distance between the metal hooks.