Customer Reviews

Evenflo Big Kid DLX Booster Car Seat, Cactus

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have spent SO much time researching, shopping, and testing youth seats and boosters and the only thing that I have found that seems to be a universal truth on the matter is that different seats work differently for different kids and different cars. After reading the reviews of TONS of these things I narrowed it down to the Evenflo Big Kid DLX, the Graco Turbobooster, and The First Years Compass. The First Years Compass looked great and got really good customer reviews but b/c it was not sold in stores nearby I would have had to order it in order to try it out which would also mean that I would have to pay to ship it back if it didn't work. I was pretty sure that it would be a good seat for us but since going with it would mean that I couldn't put all three of my kids on the middle bench of our '95 Odyssey (a definite downside) I decided to look at some models that would fit alongside my two Britax Roundabouts. This took me to the Evenflo Big Kid DLX and the Graco Turbobooster, both of which are narrower than the Compass. I went to Walmart and purchased both seats and brought them home to try. Based on looks and perceived superior comfort I gravitated toward the Evenflo. So much so that I set it up, installed it and never even opened the Graco box. We had the seat in the car for a few days and despite noticing that the position of the seatbelt on my son's neck wasn't great we continued to use it. He was excited to be in a big boy seat and claimed that he was comfortable. (He just turned 4, is 40 lbs. and 40 inches, and when seated his rump to shoulder height is 15 inches.) We live in a small town and the longest trip we took in those first few days was 10 minutes. Well, yesterday we were in the car most of the day and we discovered that this seat (the Evenflo Big Kid DLX Booster) just isn't going to work for us. The position of the belt (the guide is at an angle) caused it to cut into my sons neck leaving a visible mark/bruise, and the extra padding on the headrest was a little too padded and ended up pushing my son's head down causing muscle pain in his neck and shoulders. Then, when it couldn't get any worse, he fell asleep on the way home and fell forward suspended entirely by the seatbelt (that probably didn't help the bruise on his neck!) When we got home my sweet boy (who rarely complains about anything) said, "Mommy, tomorrow can I have my old car seat back? This new one hurts me." So today we tried the Graco Turbobooser and I am happy to report that it is a MUCH better fit for our son! The angle of the seatbelt guides allowed the belt to lay perfectly across his shoulder, the head rest has the perfect amount of padding so as to allow for a comfortable resting of his head, AND the Graco had two positions...erect and slightly reclined (note: the back of the booster must be flush with the vehicle seatback so if your vehicle seat can't recline I don't think the booster seat can either). Tonight my son had no problem sleeping comfortably in the reclined position (well, probably not as comfortably as he did in his Britax Roundabout but as comfortably as one can in a booster.) SO, all this to say, the Graco Turbobooster definitely worked better for us!

I purchased this seat last year for my 4 year old daughter. From the moment she discovered the cup holders she was in love (they make excellent organizers for various toys...LOL).



I like the convertible aspect of this seat. You can remove the back and use it as a simple booster seat. This has been useful during group outings. However, my daughter prefers the entire seat (as do I for her safety).



I am pleased by the light weight of this item, and its secure fit in my car. The fabric is easy to remove to wash in a standard washing machine. The fabric is also incredibly soft, yet amazingly stain resistant and sturdy. I have washed the seat cover and the back padding numerous times without negative impact on the fiber.



I am now looking to purchase a second for my nearly-three year old son.



Another note, this seat offers comfortable padding in the head area, my daughter easily sleeps comfortably in this seat without the "uncomfortable looking" head droop!! LOL



I would highly recommend this item for durability, light weight, ease to place in car, and convertable aspects. This is a great buy.

I reviewed all of the booster type seats and even did a consumer reports check and this seat was rated highly. I've had it for some time now and it stays pretty clean is exceptionally easy to change from car to car (fits in my minivan as well as in our sedan). My son falls asleap in it all the time and the side head rests do help his head from flopping all over the place. And the lights are okay too, although he doesn't use them that much. The cup/treat holders are perfect, he loves being able to have his own stuff and puts his toys in them when they are not in use with drinks.

I like how it works and grows with my child. We have been slowly moving the back up and are now ready to remove the back all together and just use the base part. And the arm rests stay with the base.

Over all I give this seat an A+ for all around use and safty.

We recently bought this chair for our 2.5 year old son. (He is very tall and weighs 40+ lbs) We looked at this Evenflo booster and the Compass booster. After careful consideration and comparison (including reading reviews) we found the two seats to be very similar in safety, options and appearance.
HOWEVER, once the safety factor had been settled, it was the TWO ACTIVITY LIGHTS that come built in to the Evenflo Big Kid Deluxe that sold us. And our son LOVES THEM!
We travel a lot in the car, and we're often driving after dark. All my son could do before was sit and listen to music or watch a DVD. NOW he can play with toys and read his favorite books to his heart's content.
The chair is sturdy and easy to use. Comfortable and cushy. And the cup holder/snack tray is awesome.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for your toddler or big kid!

We just bought this seat for our three year old daughter and she loves it. She loves the lights, cup holders, and of course the feeling of being in a "big kid" seat.
What sold us as parents was that you can separate the back from the base, the back can be adjusted vertically, and the armrests adjust up and down as well as pivot up and out of the way. We had it in the cart before we realized it had lights, which were icing on the cake.

We were recently involved in a car accident where we hit another car while traveling 35 MPH, and our car was totaled. My 4-year old little girl walked away with only a slight seatbelt abraison on her chest. This car seat did it's job-it saved her life. I am so happy with it, I bought the exact same seat for our new car. I recommend this car seat for anyone who asks!

I think this is the best car seat. My son is 6, and he has been in it for over a year. I am now looking for my 3.5 year old. Who is not yet in a full buster, I wish she could go into this one (not tall or heavy enough) We love the lights and the TWO snack / cup trays are AWESOME. Great for the money. And when my son wants to nap we crank the car seat back a bit and the booster goes with it. WE LOVE IT

We bought this booster for my 4 year-old son about a year ago because we were moving from Alaska to Arizona and driving for most of it. I can not tell you how easy this seat is to switch between cars or move around! It is extremely light and sturdy. My son was 3 when we got this seat and loved the big boy feel of it. The armrests move up and out of the way for him to get in and out or he uses them to climb up into our SUV.

His old car seat (Cosco Alpha Omega) didn't work with the seat belt as a booster because the base was too wide (the seat sat over the buckle). We could only use it with latch and the 5 point harness. The Evenflo Big Kid has a much slimmer base that works well in my SUV with plenty of room for more car seats or other passengers. If you don't have a lot of room for bulky car seats, this booster is for you!

The cup holders are great. At first, I thought, why would you need one on each side because his old car seat only had one. Then I realized, depending on which door he's sitting closest too, you need to open the cup holder on the opposite side (away from the door) for use. It's great to have somewhere for him to put his drinks and snacks. The head rest is extra cushioned which helps when he falls asleep. He has never had any problems with his head falling forward while sleeping.

The lights are great and that's the main reason we got the DLX model instead of the regular model. Honestly, he only really uses them during the winter months now when it gets dark sooner. In the summer, he's in bed before it's really dark. The lights are great, he can turn them off and on by himself and they're not too bright to distract you while driving and they don't wake up his baby sister next to him who sits rear-facing still.

Overall, a great seat. Still looks brand new and we use it every day! Cover holds up well and still just as sturdy after 1 year. I highly recommend this booster or the lower model without the lights.

We've had this booster seat for more than a year now and my daughter just love it! I am one of those parents that would research for days end for kiddie stuff (which by the way drives my husband crazy!)Most of my friends go for the Graco brand but I tend to go look for other products and look for more features and not to mention the safety factor too!
The lights sold it for us because we drive a lot out of town and my daughter would always ask to turn the lights on when she is doing something and since it's a no no while driving at night she would just click it on! problem solve! she would even turn it on during day time! and brag to her friends that she has her own lights to control in the car. Oh did I mention that the backrest can come off too when the time comes she just needs the seat.. now there's another great feature. Highly recommended.

We bought this car seat for my 4 year old from Target a few weeks ago. It is quite nice. I have not found anything NOT to like about it. We haven't used the activity lights yet because we don't drive at night a lot. Here are some great things about it:
-The padding is very cushy and nice. Much better than the other seats we were looking at in this price range.
-My son is very comfortable in it. He wants to take rides in the car just to sit in his seat.
-The Seat belt adjuster is a good shape/size for ease of use. When my son has ridden in my friend's kid's high back booster the seat belt adjuster is just thin enough that the seat belt gets folded over and stuck in it so he can't extend it. This is such a pain because I have to get out and help him untwist it almost every time. It makes him much less self-sufficient. This seat's adjuster is much better and fits him nicely.
-The cup/snack holders are handy and I like that they can be slid into the seat and out of the way if you need more space in the seats next to this one.
-The arm rests can easily be raised, which helps him get his seat belt buckled more easily. I don't think he has the coordination to pass the seat belt under a fixed arm rest and out the other side yet.
-The seat cover is removable and washable however, I have not tried washing it yet.
Over all, I would highly recommend this seat. It's worth the 5 extra bucks (vs. other seats like the Graco.) for the extra padding alone; not to mention the other features.