Ascending to the Big Boy Seat!

I was flipping through the menagerie of parenting magazines that are sent to the house and I recalled that Aiden was ready to move to a Booster Seat and WE WERE OFF! An excuse to go shopping; suits me fine! An excuse to go to Toy's R Us; suits Aiden's fancy (and with Grandma no less!). I bought my previous car seat at Toy's R Us because I liked their selection, it wasn't far from home, and I was there anyway. So, I went back to check out the Booster situation.

My first impulse was the Eddie Bauer edition. Wow a designer car seat! Only the best for my little Aiden (and my Jeep Cherokee). "Eddie Bauer," it appeals to my fashion sense, but not to my safety sense. It is a Cosco seat in disguise and nothing more than a pretty face with a superficial nice name. I need a seat with substance! I have had experiences with Cosco seats before working in daycare and vacationing with my nieces, and needless to say, I wasn't impressed.

So I looked just below the Eddie Bauer seat and found the Century Breverra Ascend, and the angels sang to me (well, not really). Now here is a car seat with a pretty face and substance, Hooray! And, it was about ten bucks cheaper than the "designer" car seat above it. It's safety features include the five point adjustable harness system that has low slots for the toddlers and high slots for the bigger kids. It comes with tether strap and installation kit. What really impressed me was that it was the only booster seat in the aisle that went up to 80lbs, which is the highest end of the weight recommendation for children in boosters. It also features a flap in front to ease SAFE installation of the seat, A BIG PLUS. I can get the booster in and out in less than 3 minutes if I need to switch it(I guess, as if I timed myself but it is very easy and quick). This is also enabled by the fact that my car has locking seatbelt
so I do not need to finagle with the locking clip that is provided as well for the safety of installation in cars that do not have locking seatbelts. I can get that Booster in without it budging one centimeter, let alone the inch lee-way the experts give.

So it is a sturdy, safe seat that is easy to install. Now for the superficial and not so superficial perks. It is an attractive seat (black and gray, nice design, not gaudy). It is soooo very soft, like velvet all over. It is very well cushioned and very comfortable (I know because Aiden was having an "Autonomy Day" and did not wish to seat in the seat at the store so I did. . .gently) and that speaks to its roominess and comfort level. It was the only seat with armrests which Aiden thoroughly enjoys. Most importantly, it has a cupholder that is detachable for washing and can switch sides depending on hand preference. The top of the seat also wrap around a bit so that sleepyheads have a place to nuzzle.

The cover is removable and washable, but I don't recommend doing so unless absolutely necessary. I had to partake in this process when a male cat zapped our seat with his special aroma while I was packing for a camping trip. This disgusted me VERY much and it did take a better part of the day to disassemble and reassemble the seat. The entire harness system has to come undone to remove the cover. I was wishing I took some engineering classes in college. The entire process provoked language that I am not accustomed to voicing. This; however, does attest to a well made and secure seat that is not going to just come apart on you, even if you want it too.

Overall, I believe that this is a great, attractive, SAFE, booster seat that meets and exceeds national safety standards at a FAIR price.