The First Years Compass Pathway B570 Adjustable Belt Booster Review

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(More customer reviews)With our two older children, we used the Graco booster seats with the back on them. While the price on them was right, the fabric was a bit scratchy and the backs came off the seat real easily when moving it around from vehicle to vehicle.
We obtained The First Years Compass Pathway B570 booster seat and plopped it in the van for our 3rd child.
When I first opened the box, I was a bit confused at all the adjustment points on the seat and how they worked. A quick glance in the manual and I was ready to place it in the minivan.
It goes in like any booster seat. However, this model has the LATCH connectors as well which prevents the seat from flying around in the event of a car accident and there is no child in the seat.
The booster seat has two snack cups that fit into the cup holders on each side of the seat. The cups come out with a half turn. Most toddler and covered cups fit into the snack cups, which is quite nice as the snack cups add height and help prevent cups from flying everywhere during a hard turn or a sudden stop.
Another nice feature is that the arm rests fold up. This is probably a trivial feature for the child, but it sure can help if you are lifting a child into the seat from an awkward angle.
In my opinion, the pros for the seat are: the latch system to secure the seat when not in use, the seat is nicely padded compared to the cheaper Graco boosters, the fabric is soft, the snack cups help keep drinks from flying everywhere, the seat is designed so that fabric covers the entire back of the seat no matter how high the back is adjusted, and with a quick adjustment, the seat fit from my youngest to oldest child really well.
There are some cons to the seat. If the child falls asleep, the design of the head rest does not seem to support the child's head well at all (my child's head keeps falling forward, something that did not happen with the Graco seats) and the seatbelt guides really seem to cling to the seatbelt when you are trying to buckle the child, making fastening the seatbelt kind of difficult.
Overall, I thought this was a very nice booster seat. Fortunately, I have not had to put any car or booster seat through the ultimate test of a car accident, so I can not comment on how it performs when it matters most. While there are some excellent features, the fact that a child's head is not supported well when sleeping and it is difficult to buckle compared to the Graco Booster seats are a real turn off for me.
The kids do like the seat, so it has their seal of approval. Personally, while I think it is an excellent seat, I am not sure the value for the money spent is all that great.
Update #1: As anyone with kids knows, it is inevitable that a child will make a mess in their seat of some sort. Well, after the contents of my daughter's cup leaked all over this booster, I learned two valuable things.
First, I had to dismantle the fabric/padding on the seat and I put it in a front load washing machine on the delicate cycle for the shortest duration possible. I pulled the pieces out of the washer and hung them to dry for a few days. When I reassembled the seat, I found that all the padding compressed to the front of the lower seating section. Maybe I washed it wrong (I can honestly say I didn't pull out the manual to read the directions on how to launder the seat), but I was quite disappointed in this. I guess the next step is to rewash and put it in the dryer with tennis balls.
Second, the seat has drain holes in the bottom. If you spill something on the booster seat, it is going to leak all over your car seat. Other seats I have had (either by accident or by design) had little areas that captured liquid. Not a big deal, but I was a bit shocked to see a puddle on my car upholstery.

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The First Years introduces a belt positioning booster that truly fits your child!Ever worry that the seat belt is not positioned correctly when you buckle your little one in for the ride? With the new Pathway Booster Seat, those worries should disappear.This new booster from The First Years allows you the flexibility to adjust the shoulder belt path up to 1.5" so your child will be comfortable and secure each and every time. And the lap belt positioning has been adjusted for a more comfortable a

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