Safe Traffic Systems TravelSmarter Delight Booster Review

(Last Updated On: December 17, 2023)
Safe Traffic Systems Delighter Booster and Travel Vest

Safe Traffic Systems TravelSmarter Delight Booster and Travel Vest

2023 update: this booster is discontinued, the newer, narrower version is the TravelSmarter Booster.

We’ve been fans of Safe Traffic Systems’ Ride Safer Travel Vest for some time now.  When they announced the Delighter (now known as the TravelSmarter Delight) booster seat, we were ready to take a close look.

NOTE: (we’re going to say this several times because we get a fair number of questions about it) this is the ONLY booster seat that can be used in conjunction with the Ride Safer Travel Vest. 

This version of the booster is also discontinued, please stay tuned for our review of its replacement, the TravelSmarter Booster Seat.

CSFTL Quick Stats

Features

  • Can be used in conjunction with the Ride Safer Travel Vest.

    Note: this is the ONLY booster that can be used with the Ride Safer Travel Vest.

Measurements

  • Width: 17 inches wide
  • Depth: 15.5 inches
  • Height: 7 inches
  • Weight: less than 1  pound

Installation

The Delighter booster is what my booster rider calls a “plopper.”  No, that’s not an official term!  She means that you can just plop the booster onto the vehicle seat and go.  This makes setting the Delighter up pretty simple.  Since it does not have lower anchors, caregivers should buckle it into the vehicle when it’s unoccupied.

Features

The Delighter’s most unique attribute is that it can be used with the Safe Rider Travel Vest. The manual only provides the following instructions for use with the vest:

“A RideSafer Travel Vest may be used along with this Booster Seat. Follow all warnings and instructions included with the RideSafer Travel Vest to use a Travel Vest along with this Booster Seat.”

So that’s what we’ll do.

Fit to Child

6.5 Years Old without Ride Safer Travel Vest

Safe Traffic Systems Delighter: 6 years old, 51 lbs, 47 inches tall

Safe Traffic Systems Delighter: 6.5 years old, 51 lbs, 47 inches tall

This model is our newest booster rider.  She’s currently riding in a harnessed car seat in one vehicle and in a high back booster in our other car.  Both scenarios are the right seat for her.  Since she’s still learning how to sit properly in a high back booster, posing in a backless booster for this review was a novelty for her!

The lap belt fit is just fine — it lays across the tops of her thighs right at her hips.  However, the shoulder belt fit isn’t quite as great in this vehicle — it falls off of her shoulder just a bit.  Given that fit, this booster in this vehicle for this child wouldn’t be our first choice.

6.5 Years Old with Ride Safer Travel Vest

STS Delighter with Ride Safer Travel Vest

STS Delighter with Ride Safer Travel Vest

The Delighter’s most unique feature is that it can be used in conjunction with the Ride Safer Travel Vest.  NOTE: It is the ONLY booster that can be used with the Ride Safer Travel Vest.

This model isn’t a huge fan of the Ride Safer Travel Vest; we mostly use it for Disney trips so she doesn’t have an everyday familiarity with using it.  Adding the vest to the booster for her wasn’t as challenging as I’d expected. The weight and pressure of the vest may have calmed her down — she was happy to model both together.  This might be a nice combination for travel.

9 Years Old

Safe Traffic Systems Delighter booster 9 years old

Safe Traffic Systems Delighter booster 9 years old

This model is 9 years old.  He weighs 50 pounds and is 50 inches tall.  Here, he’s modeling the Delighter booster in combination with the Ride Safer Delight Vest.  Together, both the vest and the booster fit him well.

10 Years Old

Safe Traffic Systems Deighter: 10 years old, 65 lbs, 55 inches tall

Safe Traffic Systems Deighter: 10 years old, 65 lbs, 55 inches tall

This 10 year old, 65 pound, 55 inch tall model is quite particular about her boosters so I was pleased to hear that she likes both the fit and the comfort of the Delighter booster.  A huge bonus is that it’s very light weight!  It fits her well — the lap portion of the belt fits right across her hips and the shoulder belt sits over the middle of her shoulder.

The Delighter will be outgrown when she’s 57 inches tall or when the tops of her ears are above the vehicle seat back (if no headrest is present) or above the headrest.  She’s got some room to grow in this seat.

She passes the Five Step Test in some vehicles, but not all.  Having a lightweight booster like the Delighter that she can carry on hand makes it easy for her to sit properly, even when she’s riding with a friend.

Travelling with the TravelSmarter Delight

Safe Traffic Systems Delighter in the airport

Safe Traffic Systems Delighter in the airport

We took the TravelSmarter Delight on a trip and found that it’s so light (less than one pound!) that she was able to carry the booster through the airport and set it up in the rental car once we arrived at our destination.  Like all booster seats, the TravelSmarter Delight is NOT approved for use on airplanes so we stored it in an overhead bin during our flight.

It also made a handy seat while we were waiting for our flight!

Important Information: Where to Find

FAA Approval/Date of Manufacture

Safe Traffic Systems Delighter Date of Manufacture & FAA Label

Safe Traffic Systems Delighter Date of Manufacture & FAA Label

The FAA label is on the bottom of the booster.  This seat is NOT approved for airplane use in booster mode.  Boosters require a shoulder belt, and airplanes don’t have shoulder belts.

It can, however, be carried on the plane and stored in the overhead bin for use in a car at the other end of the trip. Pro tip: check the overhead bin for the booster before you deplane.

The Date of Manufacture label is also on the bottom of the seat. All labels and the manual store neatly inside a velcro pouch on the seat bottom.

Expiration

Safe Traffic Systems Delighter Manual Storage

Safe Traffic Systems Delighter Manual Storage

The Safe Traffic Systems TravelSmarter Delight booster has a 7 year lifespan.  The Date of Manufacture (DOM) label is on the bottom of the seat.

Overall Thoughts

As a freestanding booster, the TravelSmarter Delight booster isn’t the best value.  The retail price is $75, which is pretty high for a backless booster!  However, it’s very lightweight and would be a great carpooling option for older children.  It works reasonably well with the Ride Safer Travel Vest so families who use the vest and would like a boost for their child would be great candidates for the TravelSmarter Delight.

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