Have You Taken Graco’s "Buckle Up for Safety" Pledge? {Graco AFFIX Booster Seat with Safety Surround Review}

During a recent discussion with other moms on how quickly children grow up, we all had a good laugh reminiscing about the various purchase mistakes we had made over the years.

The fancy diaper bag that ended up sitting untouched? That pair of adorable baby shoes that were totally unnecessary? Or maybe that handmade patchwork quilt that looked gorgeous hanging on the side of the crib... until it was just moved into the closet?

The area that not a single person regretted, however, was having ensured that each and every time they brought their child into the car, that they were completely safe and secure. While no one can ever be 100% positive that they won't be in an accident, the most that we can do is stay diligent and use the best products out there to keep our children protected.

And no one is doing a better job promoting that than Graco and their "Buckle Up for Safety" pledge.

Earlier this month, in honor of National Child Passenger Safety Month, Graco launched their "Buckle Up for Safety" pledge on their Facebook page and the concept is simple.

Just visit and pledge your commitment to child passenger safety. For every pledge that Graco receives, they will donate $1 to Safe Kids Worldwide (a global organization dedicated to preventing injuries to children) until they reach their goal of 10,000 pledges!

Be your child's hero and take the pledge... and be sure to tell your friends, family and followers as well!

The very first car seat that I ever purchased (and that both of my children used from the time they were born) was from Graco, so there was no doubt in my mind that I would take their pledge.

But these days, after having long outgrown their infant seat, I'm still happy knowing that Graco has a variety of booster seats ranging from harnessed to belt-positioning in high back and no-back to meet the needs and personalities of preschool and school-aged children everywhere... while keeping them incredibly safe.

And, when the box containing a Graco AFFIX Youth Booster Seat with Safety Surround and Latch System arrived, I knew that it was just the right blend of fashion and function to embody a child's personal style while protecting them from all of the possibilities that might happen when heading out in a vehicle.

Available in the sleek neutral Stargazer design, the AFFIX Booster with Safety Surround is for use forward facing with the back for children that are 3-10 years old, 30-100 lbs and 38" to 57" tall. Then, as it easily converts to a backless booster, the AFFIX can also be used for your 4 to 10-year-old who weighs 40 to 100 lbs and is 40" to 57" tall.

With hardly any assembly required, it doesn't take much more than pulling this car seat out of the box before it is ready for use.

In three simple steps that took around a minute to complete, I connected the headrest to the back, hooked the two onto the booster seat and stood the whole thing upright to lock it into place.

It couldn't have been much easier before having a high quality, durable, comfortable booster ready for use!

I love that Graco not only included their multi-layer headrest for comfort and safety, but that it is fully adjustable by simply reaching around to the red lever on the upper back.

With one squeeze this can be lowered for shorter children and then raised for taller ones (or just to provide security for a single child as they grow)!

Even more, I appreciate the addition of the innovative Safety Surround to this booster, as it provides full coverage back support and very sturdy side impact protection wings around the head and torso.

Catching a first glimpse of this Graco AFFIX, Big Sister E and Little Sister B were excited about the soft padding, the included armrests and cup holder, and the overall "big kid" look and feel.

Heading out to the car, I was extremely excited to find that there was barely any installation involved, as Graco included a One-hand Latch System to secure this booster seat to the vehicle seat. Even better, the unique front adjustment of the Latch allowed me to quickly and easily tighten the AFFIX into place without having to reach under or around.

Not only does this secure connection prove convenient for parents to know that the booster seat is properly in place, but it keeps the whole seat very steady so that the child won't have any problem buckling themselves right in!

Once the AFFIX was safely in place, I took a minute to admire the thought that Graco put into its safety features. As well as the ease of installation, the adjustable head support, the Safety Surround, and the energy absorbing foam, I love the open-loop belt guides up at the shoulders to help ensure that my girls correctly positions their seat belt when getting in and buckling up!

All in all, Graco has done a wonderful job reducing my fears and easing my worries, while also keeping my big girls safe and secure. I have no doubt that we will be using the AFFIX with Safety Surround for quite a while... and, considering how extremely easy it is to simply remove the back and turn it into a backless booster, we'll be using it even longer after that!

When it comes to car seats, strollers, high chairs, swings, activity centers, monitors, and much more, Graco has the items that meet all the needs of children from birth to the preschool years in an affordable way — this booster seat will last for years to come and sells for $99.99 in Buy Buy Baby stores near you.

Find out more about the AFFIX Booster Seat with Safety Surround and Latch System on the Graco website and be sure to connect with this award-winning company on Facebook and Twitter as well.

Other than the AFFIX Booster Seat I was provided by Graco to facilitate my review, I was not compensated or enticed to do this review in any way. This post is solely my honest opinion of this product and this company.