Graco Eversure High Back Booster Car Seat gifted for review
A safe and comfortable, i-Size ADAC approved high-backed booster that grows with your child from 5-12 years. Here’s everything you need to know about the Graco Eversure i-Size High Back Booster seat.
What are the UK laws regarding car seats?
In the UK, legislation states that children under the age of 12 (1.35m tall) need to be in an age-appropriate car seat. If you are still using a stage 0/1 carseat when your child approaches 3.5 years (15-18kg), you will need to look for a safe and comfortable Stage 2 carseat as an alternative, ideally that your child can use until their old enough to travel with a seatbelt alone.
There are two different types of stage 2 car seats – a booster cushion and a high-back booster seat, the latter of which generally offers more enhanced safety features.
What is a high backed booster seat?
This won’t come as a surprise (the clues in the title) but a high-back booster seat has a high back. Unlike a booster seat, a high backed booster seat offers significant support and protection for your child’s head and neck in the event of an accident.
What are is the Graco Eversure High Back Booster seat suitable for?
The Graco Eversure High Back Booster seat is suitable for children aged 4-12 years, making the ideal transition from your child’s Stage 1 car seat or travel system-compatible car seat.
Graco Eversure Specifications
Recommended age: From approx. 3.5 to 12 years (Height 100-150 cm)
Dimensions: L 40 x W 48 x H 63 cm
Weight: 5.1 kg
What’s in the box?
The Graco Eversure i-Size High Back Booster Car Seat comes inside a large box and requires some (very) basic assembly before use.
Inside the box you will find:
Seat base
Seat back
Seat headrest
Side impact panels x 2
Instruction booklet
Does the Graco Eversure High Back Booster seat require assembly?
The Graco Eversure High Back Booster Seat does require some initial assembly, but don’t let this put you off. The assembly is very quick and simple, with only several components, all of which click into place. The process is very intuitive and the side impact cushions click onto the sides once the seat is fully constructed.
First impressions of the Graco Eversure
Our first impressions of the Graco Eversure were very positive. The seat is nicely padded with cushioned armrests and a patterned back. It features the reassuring i-Size tag (to confirm its i-Size safety rating and has a good sized headrest which looks to offer substantial support. We all loved the inclusion of two retractable cup holders – which were sure to be a hit with our daughter too.
How easy is the Graco Eversure Highback Booster seat to install?
`The Graco Eversure Hightback Booster car seat can be installed with seatbelts alone, but comes with Isofix points for additional stability and peace of mind. Unlike some Isofix seats which slot into the Isofix posts in your car, this seat uses Isocatch clips which hook onto the Isofix attachments in your car to stop the seat from moving around.
We found the installation of the Graco Eversure Highback Booster very quick and simple and reassuringly, is quick enough that we felt comfortable moving between vehicles if required.
To install the seat, you simply place it onto the seat of your vehicle (forward facing). Clip the Isofix latches in place, before pushing the back of the booster seat firmly against the back of your vehicle seat.
The seat belt guides should be level with or just above your child’s shoulders. When you pull across the seat belt, you should slot through the shoulder belt guide before clipping into place. When your child is in the seat, you can tighten the belt and ensure it’s not twisted, with the belt securely fastened across your child’s lap.
You can see a video example of installation on the Graco website.
What safety features does the Graco Eversure High Back Booster seat have?
The Graco Eversure High Back Booster Seat is an Isofix / R129 safety approved car seat, which has passed advanced testing including side impact testing using Q-Dummies. The seat includes two TrueShield Safety Surround Side Impact protection cushions to ensure your child remains safe in the event of a head on, rear end or side-impact collision.
This carseat has also been rigorously tested by ADAC – a German automobile organisation that tests car seats more rigorously than the European safety laws. The Graco Eversure High Back Booster received a Good (2.1/4 star rating) – and is particularly safe in a side impact collision.
How do you adjust the Graco Eversure?
The Graco Eversure High Back Booster Seat is very easy to adjust as your child grows and can even be adjusted one handed. Simply squeeze the height support adjust button on the back of the head rest and pull up or push down until your child’s head is positioned between the two sides of the head support, There are 10 different height settings.
How comfortable is the Graco Eversure Highback Booster seat?
My daughter looks very comfortable in this car seat. The seat is well padded with cushioned armrests and memory foam in the seat and headrest. My daughter likes putting her head back against the headrest as we travel, and whilst she is passed the age of falling asleep in the car, I don’t believe her head would tip forward if she did, instead resting against the head support.
What are our favourite features of the Graco Eversure?
We love the lightweight nature of this car seat, making it easy to move and install between two vehicles if required. It’s very easy to adjust as your child grows (even one handed) and the retractable cup holders are a big plus feature, convenient for longer journeys with your child.
How heavy is the Graco Eversure?
The Graco Eversure is really lightweight (weighing around 5kg), meaning its very easy to pick up and carry around as required.
What would we change about the Graco Eversure High Back Booster seat?
Overall we’ve been really happy with the Graco Eversure, so there are very few things we would change. If I had to be super critical, it would be great if the Side Impact Protection was already installed. The seat also sits quite wide with the side panels on, meaning that we are unable to lower the centre drop down arm rest in the middle of the back seats whilst the seat is installed. At first this really bothered my daughter (as it’s where she normally puts her water bottle), but once she got used to the pull out cup holders, this wasn’t as issue for long.
Is it worth the money?
Retailing at £100 – I think this car seat is excellent value for money, especially when you consider the longevity of the seat. Unlike some stage 2 carseats, the seat is quite ‘grown up’ in appearance, making it far more likely to be used long into my child’s tween years.
Where can I buy the Graco Eversure Highback Booster Car seat?
The Graco Eversure High Back Booster seat is available to buy at Amazon with a RRP of £100.
AD – Maxi Cosi AxissFix Plus gifted in exchange for my honest review
Meet the Maxi Cosi AxissFix Plus.
After Neve was born last September, and the sepsis nightmare that followed, my postpartum mobility was somewhat of a challenge. It took me almost 3 months to walk properly again and get my strength back. Even when I did finally got back on my feet, I found it incredibly hard getting Neve in and out of the carseat – in particular leaning over to apply the seatbelt, and carrying her to and from the house. Now that she is getting a bit bigger, I am transitioning to car seat that remains permanently fixed, so no longer need to worry about lugging her around whilst bruising my knees! Woohoo!
When I heard about the new Maxi Cosi AxissFix Plus – an isofix carseat which swivels 360 degrees, enabling your child to be buckled up easily from the doorside – I couldn’t wait to find out more!
First Impressions of Maxi Cosi AxissFix Plus
We were sent the Maxi Cosi AxissFix Plus in Nomad Sand – a beautiful grey green shade, which looks absolutely stunning. My first thought was how beautiful this car seat was, closely followed by “I hope she’s not sick in it”. I needn’t have worried however, as I quickly learnt that the seat linings are fully washable should that event occur!
There are 11 different colours available, meaning that you could even match the colour to your car interiors should you wish. This makes a pleasant change from being limited to one or two shades. Whilst they are all variations of Red, Grey and Black, it is great to have some variety.
About the Product
The Maxi Cosi AxissFix Plus retails at around £350 and includes the isofix base. The AxissFix Plus is suitable for your baby from birth to four years- this is an enhancement to Maxi Cosi’s predecessor AxissFix carseat which was only suitable from 9 months.
The seat of the AxissFix Plus allows your child to rearward face up until they are 87cm in height (which is about two years old). After that, the seat rotates into a forward facing seat for children of 87cm-105cm. A clip on the bottom of the seat is used to specify which ‘mode’ it is being used in, preventing the seat from swivelling the entire 360 degrees in one turn.
The seat comes with a highly padded and very cozy looking newborn inlay, which in our case wasn’t required, however, had I been using with Neve from newborn, I would have been confident that she would have been snug and secure in this seat.
Before installation, you can check online that your car is suitable HERE by popping in your car’s brand, model and type.
Installing the Maxi Cosi AxissFix Plus
The Maxi Cosi AxissFix Plus was VERY easy to install – using the isofix ports, the seat simply clicks into place. You then need to tether the seat to the anchor point in the boot, and then specify the orientation depending on which side of the vehicle you are placing the seat.
Mike installed the seat for me, however, I think it was so straight forward that I may have been able to do this on my own without assistance (this is a rarity!). There are also detailed videos available on YouTube which may be easier to follow for those that prefer visual instructions.
Once installed, the seat has two green indicators to show that it has been installed accurately. This is great for reassurance and peace of mind.
The seat took about 10 minutes to install and whilst straightforward, we wouldn’t want to be swapping from one car to another with this seat regularly due to the tether in the boot (my boot is usually pretty full of rubbish!). As such, we will be using this as a permanently fixed seat in just the one car.
Our Experience of the Maxi Cosi AxissFix Plus
The seat is incredibly easy to use, and it is such a refreshing change to be able to secure your child in the seat without needing to lean over or bend at a funny angle. With the seat facing the door, I can very quickly and easily pop Neve in the seat and apply the harness whilst standing relatively straight – no excess pressure on my back!
Rotating the AxissFix Plus
Once the seat is fitted in your car, you specify whether you are using the seat in forward facing or rearward facing mode using the scale on the bottom of the seat. This is to ensure that it only rotates 180 degrees and in the right direction 🙂
To rotate the seat, you simply use the handles under base of the chair, pull and rotate to the doorway, where you can then easily pop your child in the seat without having to lean. If you wish, you can recline the seat whilst it is facing you too.
Once the child is securely in place, you then lift the handle and rotate the seat back to its desired position (in our case rearward facing).
It feels a little high tech, and Neve finds the rotating process particularly amusing 🙂
The Harness
The five point harness on the AxissFix Plus is one of my favourite elements of the chair. The straps are really long when fully extended which I found a real positive, making it super easy to get even the most wriggly of children in and out. The straps also have a rubber underside, making it harder for younger babies to slip out of the harness and keeping the protective shoulder pads in place.
Built with practicality in mind, another clever feature of this seat is the hooks present on both straps. These nifty rubber hooks mean that the straps mean that they can be clipped up out of the way whilst you get your child in the seat – a massive help with a very wriggly toddler!
To loosen straps to remove your child you simply press down on a button in the front of the seat and pull.
Recline Settings
There are four reclining positions in both directions on the Maxi Cosi AxissFix Plus – great for snoozing on the go, which Neve tends to do the minute we get in the car!
In her first stage car seat, The Maxi Cosi Pebble, Neve sometimes used to slump forwards when she nodded off, and I always used to worry that she would hurt her little neck! I had read a few reviews of this seat reporting something similar, however we have personally not had that happen with Neve. She looks MUCH more comfortable in the AxissFix Plus, leaning her head back into the cushioned headrest, and nodding off leaning up against the side.
There isn’t much I can critique about the Maxi Cosi Axiss Fix Plus, as it has been a big hit overall.
The only real con I can identify is the fact it can only be used rearward facing until approximately 2 years. For safety conscious parents who have been following the iSize regulations closely, they may prefer a seat that can remain rearward facing until they are four. For us personally, we would most likely change to forward facing within this time scale anyway, so it wasn’t a major concern for me.
It is also a fixed car seat, so is not travel system compatible, meaning you would need to have a pushchair suitable from birth alongside this seat when using with a newborn.
Overall I absolutely love the swivel concept behind the AxissFix Plus, and would definitely recommend to any parent who has mobility or back problems, or indeed anyone who wants to make life that little bit more straightforward!
You can learn more about the Maxi Cosi AxissFix Plus carseat on the Maxi Cosi website here.
*Disclosure – we were sent a Maxi Cosi AxissFix Plus free of charge for the purpose of this review, however all thoughts and opinions are our own. This post contains affiliate links*
This is Us!
About Me
Hi, I’m Lucy, a thirty something mum of two from Birmingham. A memory maker, tradition keeper, stationery addict and Mr Men fanatic. HR Advisor by day and sleep deprived Mama by night!
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
3rd Party Cookies
This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.
Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.
Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!
