Best Reviewed
Booster Seats
- Best booster seat Graco Highback TurboBooster *Est. $50
- Best five-point harness booster seat Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 *Est. $160
- Backless car booster seat Graco Backless TurboBooster *Est. $25
- Portable high-back booster seat The First Years Compass B570 Pathway *Est. $95
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- Five-point harness
- Converts to belt-positioning booster
- Seatbelt fit in belt-positioning mode
- Easy to use
- Costs less than other harness boosters
- Lower weight limit than pricier seats
- No recent frontal crash testing done recently
The Evenflo Maestro is the cheapest booster seat with five-point harness that is recommended by our sources. Its 50-pound harness weight limit is lower than the 65-pound limit of the top-rated Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 (*Est. $160), so your child won't be able to stay as long in the harness (which experts say is the safest way to ride). However, both seats convert to regular belt-positioning boosters for kids up to 100 pounds and 57 inches tall. Both seats score well in respected ease-of-use and seatbelt-fit tests, but unlike the Nautilus, the Maestro hasn't undergone independent frontal crash testing recently. Some Maestro boosters cracked in a previous ConsumerReports.org crash test, but ConsumerReports.org says a subsequent recall and repair fixed the problem, and Maestros made after April 9, 2010 in the U.S. (April 26, 2010 in Canada) aren't affected by the recall.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests how well the Evenflo Maestro provides a proper seatbelt fit in various vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tests how easy it is to use, in both harness and belt-positioning mode. A child-passenger safety technician at CarSeatBlog.com tests the Maestro with her 5-year-old son. ConsumerReports.org crash-tested the Maestro and the seat cracked, but a subsequent recall and repair kit fixed the problem. We found few owner reviews for the Maestro, but Buzzillions.com has accumulated a few.
| Evenflo Maestro Car Seat Booster, Keller | |
(60 reviews) In Stock. Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping |
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Our Sources
1. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
In belt-positioning mode, the Evenflo Maestro ensures a good seatbelt fit in almost any vehicle, earning it a Best Bet nod from IIHS. However, IIHS recommends only Maestro models made after April 9, 2010, as earlier models were recalled for cracking in a harness-mode crash test.
Review: Booster Evaluations for 2010: Best Bets, Editors of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Sept. 8, 2010
The child-passenger safety technicians who run this website recommend the Evenflo Maestro as a top harness booster. Kecia Healy reviews it here with her 5-year-old son. It provides an ideal seatbelt fit, but since its weight limit is only 50 pounds, she would need to buy another booster when her son outgrows it soon.
Review: Evenflo Maestro as Booster Review -- Part XII Combo Seat Review Series, Kecia Healy, March 26, 2010
3. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The Evenflo Maestro earns 4 stars out of 5 for usability, in both harness and belt-positioning mode. NHTSA tests and rates dozens of booster seats for ease of use.
Review: Child Safety Seat Ease of Use Ratings: Combination, Editors of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
4. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
The Evenflo Maestro was recalled after some Maestro seats cracked in ConsumerReports.org's crash tests. A repair kit issued by Maestro fixes the problem, ConsumerReports.org says. In the U.S., only Maestro seats built from Nov. 29, 2009 through April 9, 2010 were recalled.
Review: Evenflo Maestro Car Seat Remedy Kit Fixes Problem, Editors of ConsumerReports.org, Nov. 9, 2010
Buzzillions.com has accumulated only seven reviews for the Evenflo Maestro. All but one give it 4 or 5 stars out of 5; the lone one-star reviewer says the shoulder straps were so close together that they pinched the child's neck.
Review: Evenflo Maestro Booster Baby Car Seat, Silver, Contributors to Buzzillions.com
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