Monterey Booster Seat arrives

With the incredible success of the Radian car seat, Sunshine Kids has nervous competitors watching the up-and-coming car seat behemoth very closely.  Their second entry into the category does not disappoint. The Monterey booster seat achieves the same goal as the Radian did – to take a traditional seat concept, redesign it from top to bottom and make it more innovative and more long-lasting than anything that preceded it.

The primary goal for the Monterey was longevity. Sunshine Kids wanted kids to feel comfortable in a booster seat for a long, long time, reasoning that the more appealing the seat was, the less likely they’d be to put up a fight about sitting in it. Most booster seats offer adjustable headrests, and the Monterey does, too. But they’ve gone a step further with adjustable sidewalls that make the seat roomy for kids of all shapes and sizes. The seat is recommended for kids from 30 to 120 lbs. The height can be adjusted to accommodate kids from 38″ to 63″. So yes, a small adult could sit in it. The seat is lined with high-density EPE foam for extra cushioning. I sat in it at the ABC show (even though I’m theoretically too big), and it was really, truly comfortable. The deep sidewalls provide side-impact protection without seeming restrictive. The seat has LATCH connectors that can be used to position the seat in the car. These are not as elegantly done as, say, the Clek, with basic clips instead of rigid, pushbutton connectors, but it will do the trick to keep the seat from flopping around when there’s no kid holding it down. There are deep cupholders, too. Most conveniently, the seat can be transformed into a backless booster, so you’ll have some room to compromise with your kids as they get older. Although if I were taking a long car trip, I’d want to sit in the Monterey over a regular automobile seat any day of the week.

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