The Compass Deluxe Booster will be the best purchase you'll ever make! I love Britax, but when it came to the transition of moving my 5 yr old daughter to a booster seat, I soon realized that she would outgrow most of the booster seats in height and width before she would in weight.
br /
br /I'm a mom and a former baby store manager...so I do my homework. Safety always comes first! The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rated the booster straight A's, except for a B they gave it on "how well the instructions show how to properly use the child safety seat"...but I think is common sense. The overall Rating was an A. It was also recommended by consumer reports.
br /
br /These were my findings:
br /
br /*The side impact as well as the overall testing was quite impressive.
br /*Headrest telescopes up for height adjustment, that doesn't leave a gap...unlike competitors.
br /*Headrest also adds enough neck support when your child falls asleep without obstructing view.
br /*Velour fabric almost always stays cool and clean...besides the print will not be too babyish as she gets older. Besides who doesn't love giraffe print?
br /*Captain armrests seem to make the ride more comfortable, and nice that they move out of the way for buckling.
br /*I purchased this deluxe model, as it had much more padding for those long rides.
br /*It was easy enough for my 5 year old to buckle herself.
br /* The cup holders are on both sides which is great that they hideaway when not in use.
br /*Folds compact enough to put in overhead or trunk. You know how the airlines treat your luggage...do you really want to trust them with your child's life?
br /
br /Weight/Height Range: 30-100lbs/38"-57"
br /Harness Type: High Back
br /
br /On a side note- Did you know that if you are in an accident (even if your child is not involved), the car seat MUST be replaced? The molding may not show that it is warped form the collision, but may not protect your child in the next accident. I promise you your insurance will not volunteer this information, but they have to replace your car seat for the same value. This is why you should NEVER buy a 2nd hand car seat, unless you personally know the person selling it.
br /

I bought this booster for my 3 1/2 year old son who's very tall for his age. When I saw the Compass seats and their folding capability, I knew I wanted one. However, the local Target store only carried the weird lime green color. I decided to go with the deluxe version because of the fabric choices - I liked the giraffe print as I thought it would hide dirt better some of the other colors. We've been using the seat for about a month and my son really loves it! He can get into the seat without any assistance and he likes the flip up/down armrests. The padding and seat seem very comfortable to him, with a deep enough seat that his legs are at a comfortable resting angle. He's not used the cup holders yet. He recently got sick in the car which required me to test how well the fabric and seat cleaned up - it passed with flying colors!! What I really appreciated was that the bottom seat cushion cover actually snaps off separately from the back pieces, so you can easily remove just that portion for a quick cleaning.
br /
br /I agree with another reviewer that folks should be aware that the height of the seat back may interfer with your rear-view visability, depending on placement. I don't have a problem with that if the seat is in the far right/far left positions of my back seat, only if it is placed in the center of the back seat. But that might be the case for most full-back booster seats with adjustable heights - not just with a Compass seat.
br /
br /We've not had a problem with the fabric being too "grabby" that it interfers with my son's clothing, but he mostly wears jeans and windpants that are smoother fabrics. I like the soft feel of the fabric - I would be more concerned if the fabric was smoother because he might slip around in the seat too much!
br /
br /Overall, I would highly recommend this seat - very user friendly, very comfortable for my child, has excellent safety features and ratings, and yet still stylish.

We love this booster! My daughter says is it much more comfortable than the Britax Parkway we have in our second car and the giraffe print is very cute. The head support is comfortable and keeps her neck from falling forward when she sleeps on longer trips. With the Parkway, she was constantly leaning forward to see around the head support, but is able to see around the support of this seat while sitting upright and is not leaning forward at all! We have not had any problems with the fabric being too grabby as another reviewer experienced and in fact really like the soft cushy feel of the fabric. Definitely a five star seat!

October 1, 2008. On this morning's edition of NBC's Today show, I learned this booster failed testing performed by the American Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Of course, I recently purchased 2. I'm trashing them going back to Britax (which I had previously used)which was one of the brands that received the highest score. Check MSNBC-Today Show website for complete results recommendations.

This booster seat thrilled my grandsons with the giraffe print, but the quality impressed this hard to please grandmother. With both boys outgrowing their car seats I needed a booster but was apprehensive after seeing the safety features on other models. I purchased two of these seats for boys ages 4 and 7..tall for their age children, and the varying height adjustment is magnificent..makes the seats feel custom. They are comfortable beyond description, my boys actually sighed when they first sat down, and I love the seat belt placement 'nook' that prevents the belt from slipping into places it doesn't belong. I could care less that it folds, but that would be mighty convenient for those who switch on/off with their seats..its pretty easy to do, as well. Worth every penny.

Well, it's that time. My small 5 year old daughter has hit the milestone of graduating to the big girl seat. We have been using our beloved BRITAX ROUNDABOUT for as long as we possibly could. It was an easy choice, to get another Britax...until they discontinued the cowmooflage parkway model that i wanted to move into. So i asked friends who own a compass, poured over info at many babystore sites. I could just not buy the junk flimsy seats that i see in most stores. I saw the Giraffe print here at amazon first and was reassured that this Compass was the answer. I didn't want the basic version from the store, my daughter was going to get a FUN one. Kudos to Compass for understanding that making the seats comfy 'cool' is key to getting kids to willingly sit in a booster.
br /From order to door, this amazing seat arrived in less than 3 days with super saver shipping! (of course, i am on the same coast as the distribution center, but Amazon has always shipped my orders within just hours of ordering) SEAT DETAILS; I was pleasantly surprised that the 'spots' are BLACK not chocolate(if you care about that sort of thing like i do ;) What gives her *****? Build quality, fabrics, ergonomics, genius design from folding down forward, adjustable FULL back, to the smooth bottom to protect your leather seats...it's a no brainer. We have moved from Britax to Compass with ease. Or Cow to Giraffe...
br /*Check out that camouflage version for your little man too!*

Easy to install, granddaughter loves the look and the comfort. Its also portable. When my son picked up his children, he only had one car seat with him, so it was easy to let him use this one. Will definitely buy another one when the two year old gets big enough.

I've purchased this booster seat even though my son's previous car seats were by Britax. Britax Monarch booster was uncomfortably narrow and almost twice as expensive as this seat.
br /My son LOVED his new Compass Deluxe booster in Giraffe print right away. It's wide and comfortable, height adjustment is very easy. Great value for the money!

I did a lot of research for booster seats and this one was a definite "Yes!". The Compass seat is the only one that folds down, making it excellent for travel, especially on an airplane. My husband just left for deployment to Kuwait for 7 months and I knew I'd be taking a lot of plane trips during the time he was gone. I needed a seat that was safe, comfortable for my daughter, easy to transport, and easy to keep clean. The cover of the seat snaps off easily in different pieces so you only have to wash the pieces that got soiled. I threw it in the washing machine on the hand wash cycle and then air dried it....no more struggling to get the 1-piece cover off for 20 minutes and struggling to get it back on for 20 minutes or longer. The seat adjusts easily in the car and it takes about 5 seconds to fold it down for travel. She loves the armrests and the hidden cupholders and the wrap-around head piece is the perfect size so she can still see out the window and she has head support when she falls asleep. I did purchase the $19.99 bag for the carrier so I could check it with our baggage on the airlines. the bag unzips completely so you just lay the seat in it. I would recommend this seat to anyone!!!! The print is adorable, my daughter loves it and it smooth and comfortable. I am in love!!!!

I got the more expensive of these seats because of the extra safety features. I looked at all the sites I could find to see if they would give me the difference in the material, but found nothing. I got the giraffe print, which my girls loved. However, it's a soft, 'grabby' fabric and both my 4 and 7 year-olds complain that each time they slide back into the seat their pants pull down. It was funny at first (as you can imagine with a 7 year old). Now it's just annoying; I have to go back and pull up my little one's pants each time she gets into the seat on her own.
br /
br /I still want the better safety features but can't figure out if any of the B510s have a different material from the descriptions.
br /
br /In addition, in my car (a Subaru Forester) the backs of these seats are up rather high. It's a great safety feature but I am having trouble seeing in the rear view mirror with them. I wouldn't trade the safety for this, but it's good to keep in mind that the wider, higher head restraints might make it hard to see.
br /
br /I am sending these two back for a less annoying fabric.

So I love love love the look of these booster seats! And I read up on them before buying them and they were the only 5 star rated carseat on the federal testing sites. I bought two of them, one for each of my daughters. They love them and were so excited for their new booster seats for my new car. We have driven mostly short distances but one or two longer distances and the kids look MUCH more comfortable in them.
br /
br /However, my concerns are.
br / - On my 6 year old there is no good place to put the shoulder strap that is currently below her shoulder across her chest due to the head rest pushing it down. (I am looking into if there is a way to further adjust the headrest up so that the shoulder belt has a way to go to the proper position.
br / - For my 4 year old (she's taller than normal and has pretty much outgrown her 5 pt harness in our main vehicle) my only concern is that there is nowhere to lock in the seat belt which keeps her from wiggling out of the shoulder strap to reach for something.
br / - Lastly, these seats were just named on the recent review done of booster seats and it was listed as one of the worst performing in auto crashes due to the positioning of the seat belts. This further concludes my struggles with the shoulder belt for my 6 year old and soon my 4 year old who the strap nearly is below her shoulder.
br /
br /Overall, I love the look and comfort of the seats despite their shortfalls... however I will be buying new booster seats (probably graco as they were still listed the best in the recent study) to put in my car asap.

I ordered this just before my daughter's 4th birthday. When it arrived, I realized that it was much more comfortable for her than her car seat, so we started using it right away. She loves it!! It is quite plush, making long rides easier on her. The moveable arm rests make her getting in and out of the car easier, the two cup holders help contain snacks and drinks and the seat belt is held in place by the high back. Everyone admires her giraffe print, and I am quick to tell people to check out this company. They make a great product.

Researched for an entire weekend. Drove to every baby store in the area. Stores carried every other brand. One store said they use to carry Compass products but they were "cheap and lots of styrofoam". Almost believed them but revisited the Amazon product images and saw that must not be true. Took a chance and used Amazon Prime to have one overnighted for $3.99 (Amazon Prime is well worth it!). Best booster seat by far! Very well made, easy to use, comfortable and folds up very nice. Lightwieght but very solid. Giraffe print is very cool. You won't go wrong with this. Going to buy a second in pink.

I bought this for my granddaughter, who is 5 and weighs 41 lbs. The other half-booster seats (no back) just slid out from under her. This one is lightweight, attractive, comfortable, and stays put in the seat. Leather car seats are slippery and smaller children are not safe with using just the lap/shoulder belts. I feel more confident about her safety when she's in it. I bought my son the gray one to use in his truck.
br /Skyler can use this a long time. She loves sitting up higher to see out the window and she loves her cup holders! I would highly recommend this and all Compass boosters.

We were looking for a booster seat that my 5yo daughter and I could both agree on. I was concerned for safety since she would be giving up her Evenflo Triumph. She cared about appearence and comfort. My husband has an Evenflo big kid deluxe in his car, and it's okay for short trips. Long trips, which we make quite frequenty, she complained about the seat not being comfortable after awhile. I searched everywhere and found the Compass when I was looking at safety ratings. The seats are wider and plusher from everything else I've seen. Plus, I couldn't resist the adorable giraffe print, and that was a hit with my daughter as well. I also liked how the shoulder strap has a designated area where it goes through and across my daughters chest at the right angle, so she doesn't complain about the strap being so close to her neck. A common problem we have with my husbands booster!

I have always used Britax car seats and love them!! I did a lot of comparisons to the Britax Monarch. I really, really like that the armrests on the Compass fold up; it is so useful when securing the belt. Portability is great...we move it from Grandma Grandpas car to ours in a snap, not heavy or bulky, like most Brtiax (Monarch weighs 5 lbs more). My husband takes our daughter to school, then folds up the seat to allow for more room in the truck for his work, then just unfolds it when he picks her up. Works great! Love the safety specs - it has surpassed International Side Impact Standards. Definitely glad we chose this seat would recommend it to anyone.

We got this booster for our daughter right before she turned 4 years old. I had read reviews about the seat and many others and with this seat's high ratings decided to give it a try. I did a free trial of Amazon prime and paid only 3.99 and had it here in less than 24 hours- just in time to try it out on a 3 hour car trip to her Grandparent's house. She fell asleep and her head didn't fall over like it always did in her old car seat. The seat is very nicely padded and the giraffe pattern is absolutely adorable! Our daughter loves it. She said it's very comfortable and after just a few times of practicing she's able to buckle and unbuckle herself which makes her feel so big! The arm rests go up and down and the cup holders on each side move in and out which are both really nice features. We also loved that it is so easy to move from car to car and folds easily for carrying and a very easy to adjust headrest that you can move up as the child gets taller. All in all it was worth every penny and I highly recommend this seat!

I bought this for my 5.75 year old daughter and she likes sitting in it. It's very roomy, the fabric is velvety and this giraffe pattern is perfect for growing in (I considered getting the pink but I suspect my daughter may get tired of pink before she stops using this booster seat). I haven't folded the seat yet so I don't know how easy and quick it would be to do so.
br /
br /CONS: 1)Unfolding the seat for the very first time was tough. I had to call the manufacturer for help because I didn't want to break the seat. It turns out that opening it up (it ships folded) will be tough for the first few times until the seat loosens up but I got it open (no hubby needed). 2) The seat-belt guide is a nice feature but sometimes it locks the seat belt when my daughter is trying to put her seat belt on. I've since taught her to pull as much of the belt out and to gently put her seat belt on rather than yanking it. All the other features are well thought out, though.
br /
br /I highly recommend this seat although most of the major stores didn't carry this one. I had to order it online but well worth the wait (only took 3-4 days to get it).

Really attractive carseat, and much more sturdy than the cheaper like models. Def worth the extra $$$$

This is a great car seat! My daughter outgrew her toddler seat, but wasn't ready for a small backless booster seat (I wasn't either) this seat is perfect for both of us. She loves the softness of the seat and the cup holders. She feels grown up tells everyone all about her new carseat. (It also has a build in handle that makes it easy to move in and out of the cars.)
br /
br /This car seat does cost more than some of it's competitors, but it has great safety ratings so I will highly recommend it.

We have loved this booster from the moment we "installed" it. We decided to make a quick jump to the booster from our beloved Britax convertible seat b/c we'll be airplane travelling this Christmas. We have both our 5 1/2 year old daughter our almost-4 year old son in these boosters. It has been everything it said it would be: Easy to transport b/c it VERY easily folds up, safer easier than some b/c of the shoulder seatbelt guide, and last but not least comfy for the kiddos. Yes, they are able to still fall asleep in Compass booster seats -- even after coming from the supremely comfy Britax carseats!

For ease of use it's great, after you fold it a few times and figure out how it works. My Great Niece Hailey a discriminating [...] looked at it, said I don't like it but when she sat down in it discovered the cup holders, shoulder belt (no 5 point harness), and comfortable seat she was sold. We adjusted the seat to her height and she just loves it. It easily removes to switch cars, is light weight and has a built in handle.