It is a day anticipated by parents and toddlers alike: the graduation from a forward-facing car seat to a big kid booster seat.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that once children have outgrown the height and weight requirements of a forward-facing car seat, they make the switch to a booster seat for traveling.
When your young child meets the height, age, and weight requirements to leave their car seat behind, choosing a booster seat that is long-lasting, comfortable, and safe can seem like a daunting task. Luckily, the Chicco KidFit Adapt Plus 2-in-1 Belt Positioning Booster Car Seat, is an adaptable (and breathable!) booster seat that will grow with your family. Our family gave it a whirl—here’s how it worked for us.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Easy to install and remove
Climate-control fabric that keeps your rider cool
Fully adjustable high-back with reclining option.
Cons
Fabric material is thin
Putting fabric back on after cleaning can be cumbersome
A Booster for the Ages
The Kid-Fit Adapt Plus is ideal for riders who are new to booster seats. The high back portion offers 10 different height adjustment positions to ensure the right fit. Then, when your child is old enough, the high-back portion can be removed to make it a backless booster.
Here are some quick stats on the booster:
- Can be used with kids who are at least 4 years old, between 40 -100 lbs., and between 38”- 57” tall
- The booster weighs about 10 lbs. when fully assembled
- The base seat weighs only 6 lbs.
And here are the features that make this seat stand out:
Quick installment
There’s a lot to love about how easy this seat is to install, right from the get-go. For example, the booster is packaged so you simply attach the high back and the armrests to the base portion and it’s ready to ride.
Installing the KidFit Adapt Plus Booster in a vehicle is also simple thanks to the LATCH connectors that hook onto the anchors located in the seats of your vehicle. The “SuperCinch” one-pull tightening strap on the LATCH adjusters makes it easy to lock the booster base snugly into the seat. To unhook the booster base, simply pull up on the LATCH release handle on the bottom of the base and pull the KidFit Adapt Plus out of the seat.
Safety
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, using a booster seat can minimize the risk of serious injury by 45% for children aged 4-8. So along with adaptability, the KidFit Adapt Plus Booster boasts a lot of steadfast safety measures, such as:
- An adjustable headrest on the high back of the KidFit Adapt Plus Booster lets families customize the fit of the booster seat so that the child’s head is always protected by rigid side wings.
- The high-back seat itself is equipped with EPS energy-absorbing foam for an added safety measure.
- Shoulder belt guides on the seat help to ensure the child’s seat belt is secure across their shoulder.
- The LATCH system used in the base of the KidFit Adapt Plus Booster helps to keep the booster seat tethered to the seat of the car, keeping the child and seat in place in the event of an accident.
Cooling technology
Everyone loves a summer road trip, but there are times when climbing into your car feels like climbing into an oven. Strapping your tired kids into their toasty car seats is an uncomfortable experience for everyone. So I really appreciated that this booster was designed to keep kids comfy and cool.
The KidFit Adapt Plus Booster offers 37.5 technology that draws excess heat away from your child on exceptionally warm days, and helps them maintain their body’s natural heat on cooler days. The mesh embedded in the fabric keeps the KidFit Adapt Plus ventilated and comfortable without trapping in extra heat—or even smells.
Machine-washable fabric
I’ve toiled on many occasions, scrubbing unmentionable stains out of my children’s travel seats due to the “hand-wash only” policy (WHO thought that was a good idea for car seats?). Fortunately, the fabric on the KidFit Adapt Plus Booster is totally machine-washable.
All you have to do is remove the cover and machine wash it on a cold, delicate cycle. The cup “folders” included with the car seat base are also removable, meaning you don’t have to awkwardly haul your car seat base into your sink to clean a spill.
My Experience with the KidFit Adapt Plus
I took the Chicco KidFit Adapt Plus Booster for many long test drives with my 4-year-old daughter who is transitioning away from a five-point harness. The fabric truly has a much lighter feel than her previous car seat, and there were several remarks about how “comfy” it is.
I like the mesh design of Chicco KidFit Adapt Plus Booster—it really does seem more breathable and less “stinky” than some of the previous models I’ve tried. It came together easily right out of the package and was literally two snaps and a pull of a strap to correctly install in my car.
“I like the mesh design of Chicco KidFit Adapt Plus Booster—it really does seem more breathable and less 'stinky' than some of the previous models I’ve tried."
My daughter has definitely felt confident in her “big girl seat” and enjoys that she can buckle herself thanks to the shoulder belt guide holding the seat buckle a little closer to her shoulder. She’s on the small side for a 4-year-old, so I’ve kept her on the smallest adjustable settings and they seem to fit her well. The side wings on the high back are made of sturdy foam with a plastic base, and they give me some peace of mind.
As a mom who travels 100+ miles with her children regularly, there’s no way around it for me: my kids eat in the car quite often.
After a few trips to Chipotle, I inspected the car seat and found that some crumbs clung to the fabric, but no more than typical car seat model material. A couple small stains of milk came off easily with standard cleaning supplies. Taking off the fabric covering was no different than any other car seat, and I had to pay close attention to make sure I put it back on correctly, but it seemed to be no problem to throw the cover in the wash if I needed to.
As for the heat-wicking material that lines the seat, it seems to work very well. My daughter has not complained about sitting in her seat as we climb into the car in 85-degree weather—this wasn’t the case with a bulky black booster she tried previously. She seems to be cool and comfortable as she rides in the car.
“Overall, I would highly recommend KidFit Adapt Plus Booster 2-in-1 Belt-Positioning Booster Car Seat. It was a great transition for my 4-year-old and helped her feel safe and comfortable in the car."
Before You Buy
The Chicco KidFit Adapt Plus Booster definitely offers a comfortable, safe ride. The climate control fabric, easy installation, and light weight sets it apart from other booster models.
If you’re debating whether or not the Chicco KidFit Adapt Plus Booster is a good fit for your family, here are a few questions to consider before you buy.
- Does my child need the high-back shoulder belt guide? If your child is younger and you’re looking for a high-back booster seat to help them properly position their shoulder belt, the KidFit Adapt Plus Booster may be a good fit. For older or taller children who don’t need the shoulder belt guide, the convertible high-back portion may not be as useful.
- How long do you typically travel? For families taking road trips, I would greatly recommend the climate control fabric included in the KidFit Adapt Plus Booster. Kids sitting long hours in the car will definitely be more comfortable with the heat-adaptive material. But if you don’t typically drive long distances with your children, the extra money for the material isn’t a necessity.
- How often do you switch vehicles? This was a big consideration for my family—we often take this booster to put in dad or grandma’s car. The ease of setting it up and taking it out made the KidFit Adapt Plus Booster a great fit for my family. If you have two boosters, or don’t regularly switch cars, you may not need this feature.
- How often will you need to clean the seat? No judgment here, but since this fabric on KidFit Adapt Plus Booster is a lighter material, it’s worth considering how often you eat or bring mud into the car. The fabric covering does come off and can be thrown into the washer, but it’s a little complicated to undo all the straps and then properly hook them up again. As I mentioned before, I found crumbs to be a bit stubborn against the material. If you are a family who doesn’t eat in the car or doesn’t anticipate much of a mess, this material shouldn’t be a hindrance to you. I personally have to wipe it down and spray it with cleaner regularly, but no more than I have found with other car seats.
Final Verdict
Overall, I would highly recommend KidFit Adapt Plus Booster 2-in-1 Belt-Positioning Booster Car Seat. It was a great transition for my 4-year-old and helped her feel safe and comfortable in the car.
The features such as the climate control fabric, ease of installment, and the adjustable high back made this seat a great fit for my family’s summer road trips. Knowing my child is safe and comfortable in my car gives me the peace of mind to turn miles into memories.
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