Is your child in that tricky in-between stage of still needing a booster seat, but finding their current one a bit of a squeeze? Or feeling uncool about riding in a booster when friends have been in an adult belt for ages? Safety 1st Incognito to the rescue!
The Incognito is a low profile dense foam booster seat that is meant to blend in to the vehicle seat to be…you guessed it…incognito and discreet! And it delivers on that promise. The Incognito absolutely fills a niche for kids in that transition period (or sooner), is easy to use, lightweight, and comfortable.
Incognito is for people who are:
- 60-120lbs (27-54kg)
- 47-60″ tall (119-152cm)
- at least 6 years old
Incognito specs:
- 18.5″ deep by 16.25″ wide at front edge, 13″ wide at back edge
- 2.5″ high
- Ten year expiry date
- $44.97 at Walmart
- weighs only about half a pound
- read the manual here
What is needed to use the Incognito:
- a lap/shoulder belt (check the Incognito manual and your vehicle manual for information about seat belt systems);
- an appropriately sized and aged child who has the maturity and impulse control to sit properly at all times in a booster seat;
- head support up to at least the child’s ears (either a tall seat back, or a vehicle head restraint adjusted as needed).
- a vehicle seat deep enough to support the entire booster
When is the Incognito the solution to my problem?
- if your child is getting too tall for available head support but doesn’t yet fit the adult seat belt –> Incognito sits quite low to eke out a few more inches of head support
- if your child is sensitive about still using a booster seat and wants theirs to blend into the vehicle upholstery
- if the adult seat belt doesn’t yet fit properly but other booster seats aren’t providing good belt fit either –> check for adult seat belt fit with a Five Step Test
Seat belt fit was consistently good with our testers. The sloped seat pan of the Incognito will help kids stay in
position and prevent slouching, and the depth of the seat pan means good leg support for bigger kids.
Consider this an ideal option for the 8-12 year old crowd, as it is a better fit for kids with longer legs, and for those who no longer need the side support of a high back booster. The minimum height of 47″ means most six year olds will be too short, and our usual 6yo 48″ tall kid wasn’t heavy enough to try.
To use the Incognito: sit on the seat, scoot the bum back, buckle the seat belt, and then hook the two plastic belt guides onto the lap belt only (never the shoulder belt). Pull the belt snug, and voila! That’s it, easy peasy. For kids who are used to a conventional booster seat with pronounced arm rests this method will take some getting used to, but most age and size appropriate kids will have the dexterity and ability to buckle and route the belt. Our testers ranged in age from 7 to 10, and about 62lbs through 80lbs.
As there is no shoulder belt guide with this seat it is critical that the belt touches the chest and sits in the middle of the collarbone on its own. If it slips off the shoulder or is too close to the neck (where it’s annoying and kids won’t leave it be) then choose a different seating position or a different booster seat.
The lap belt should be nice and low on the thighs and pelvis, and never on the belly.
That’s really all there is to it – deceptively simple!
Thank you to Safety 1st Canada for providing the seats shown in this review, and for offering up TWO for lucky readers to win! All opinions are our own.
Remember this is for big kids – and to be eligible to win you must comment on this blog post answering the question: What does your big kid think of using this seat (ask them!)? Post the answer, tell the Rafflecopter widget “I commented” and we’ll make your comment visible soon! Good luck!