Sporting a powerful combination of good looks and handy extras, the Safety 1st Vantage Point SE High-Back Booster Car Seat 22561 is a tempting choice -- especially if one needs a car seat to stay useful for a few years. The Vantage Point SE can be used as a forward-facing car seat -- with a five-point harness -- for children weighing 22 to 40 pounds. For children weighing 30 to 100 pounds, it can be used as a belt-positioning booster. When it is used as a booster car seat, the five-point harness can be removed and the vehicle's safety belts are used to secure the car seat and the child.

The Safety 1st Vantage Point SE High-Back Booster has plenty of extras, including padded armrests, a removable cup holder with storage area and a mesh pocket. Compared to other Safety 1st booster car seat models, the Vantage Point SE has a deeper seat with protective wings on the sides. We like this feature, as the wings can add a measure of protection during side impact collisions. What this car seat is lacking, however, is an important safety feature now found on nearly all car seats: EPS foam. This energy-absorbing foam can provide additional protection during impact, and most competitors of the Vantage Point SE High-Back Booster now come with an EPS foam liner.

Overall, the Safety 1st Vantage Point SE High-Back Booster may be top-of-the-line for this manufacturer, but it still falls short when it comes to safety features like EPS foam.


Pros: For children 22 to 100 pounds, five-point harness up to 40 pounds
Cons: No EPS foam

Warranty
1 year, limited