diono Monterey XT Fix Booster Car Seat // Review

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Keeping children safe on your travels is really important, especially if they’re passengers in your car. At the time of writing, the UK is currently in lockdown due to the pandemic. However with restrictions potentially easing in the next couple of months, families will no doubt want to hit the road to visit family and friends and take on that next big family adventure in their car. We’ve been reviewing the diono Monterey XT Fix Booster Car Seat over the last two months and it’s been a great addition to our car.

diono Monterey XT Fix Booster Car Seat

The diono Monterey XT Fix Booster Car Seat is a forward-facing Group 2 and Group 3 car seat which means it is suitable for children who weigh between 15 – 36kg (generally aged between 3 and 12 years old and up to a maximum height of 150cm tall).

Flexible features

The diono Monterey XT Fix Booster Car Seat is a really flexible car seat ideal for growing children. It has an extending headrest which can be adapted into 11 different positions and the seat has a really easy one-handed height adjustment.

Not only does the headrest adjust but the seat has a 6″ deep sidewall expansion. Simply turn the dial at the rear of the car seat to expand or reduce the sidewalls. This is a fantastic feature and will accommodate children who have wider frames and will also be good for when children wear extra layers in the winter. I love how versatile this car booster seat is. It could be used for any child who needs a Group 2 or 3 car booster seat and can be adapted to suit a different child within a few minutes.

The booster seat is made with safety in mind and that’s why the booster seat just be used with a 3-point start belt. A lap belt will not provide enough protection. The booster car seat has (SSIP) Superior Side Impact Protection with aluminium reinforced sidewalls made with Airtek foam. The foam absorbs any energy exerted onto it in the event of a side impact collision.

Take a look at our video for demonstrations

The car seat has ISOFIX connectors which help with the safety and performance of the car seat. We have always used car seats with ISOFIX attachments as in our opinion, it limits the risk of any of our children being injured in a collision. The seat is relatively simple to attach to the chassis of the car with ISOFIX and must be fitted prior to use.

Child-friendly features

The car booster seat has retractable cup holders on both sides of the seat. This ensures that which ever side your child sits in the car, they can use the cup holder. I love this feature as the cup holder is a permanent fixture yet can be manoeuvred back underneath the seat when not in use, prior to travel. This cup holder is suitable for cold refreshments only.

One of the features I always look for when buying car seats is that the covers are machine washable. We all know how grubby the car seats can get with the endless snacks, accidents and mishaps. The cover can be removed and washed in a washing machine on a cold 30º cycle and then dried flat. The shell of the car seat can be spot cleaned only.

Would we recommend it?

We have been using the diono Monterey XT Fix Booster Car Seat for travel around our local area over the last few months and it’s been a comfortable seat for my seven year old son. He finds the seat comfortable and has said he has plenty of room and doesn’t feel restricted. He loves the cup holder too and uses it for his travel snacks and pocket money! Whilst we are yet to travel a great distance with the car seat in place, I am sure it would be as comfortable on a longer distance as it is in shorter distances. I feel happy that my son is safe and we can travel with him safely within the car.

The diono Monterey XT Fix Booster Car Seat is currently available in 6 colour ways. We have the blue version for review. You can purchase your own seat from Glasgow Pram Centre here where it’s currently on sale priced at £109. It’s a great seat which is versatile and will come in handy for many years to come. Well worth the investment.

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