Baby Trend is well known for their affordable car seats. The PROtect 2-in-1 folding booster seat started out as a very similar but slightly different booster — the now-discontinued Yumi 2-in-1 folding booster. We found that seat to be a well-fitting booster that was a terrific option for travel. The PROtect 2-in-1 folds into a tidy little package, is inexpensive, lightweight, and is a good option for a wide range of booster ready children. We expect that the PROtect 2-in-1 will live up to our expectations but let’s find out!
CSFTL Quick Stats
- High back booster weight range: 40-100 pounds
- High back booster height range: 38-57 inches tall
- Backless booster weight range: 40-100 pounds
- Backless booster height range: 42-57 inches tall
- Expiration: 9 years
Measurements
- Highest booster belt guide: 19.5 inches
- High back booster mode seat weight: 10 pounds
- Backless booster mode seat weight: 4 pounds
- Width at the widest point: 20 inches at the cupholders
- Seat pan depth: 12 inches
Features
Folds for Travel
Baby Trend PROtect 2-in-1 Booster Seat folded
The Protect 2-in-1 folds up to be roughly the size of a carry-on suitcase for easy transport between vehicles or on vacations! This is the seat’s primary feature so we wanted to mention it right away.
The PROTect 2-in-1 has a 19.5 inch top shoulder belt guide height, which is not the tallest booster on the market, but it’s definitely not the shortest. Since it folds, this is a great high back booster travel option for the younger booster riders who may not quite be backless booster ready, or who may be on a trip where they’re going to sleep. The wings are deep and provide excellent sleeping support. The adjustable belt guide at the shoulder, the adjustable headrest, and the options for belt fit by the buckle allow for a very customizable belt fit for children.
BabyTrend Yumi in an overhead storage compartment
We didn’t have a chance to take the PROtect 2-in-1 on an airplane trip for this review so we went back in time to show the Yumi in the overhead storage compartment of an airplane. We expect that the PROtect 2-in-1 would also fit in the overhead compartment.
Folding Arm Rests
Baby Trend PROtect 2-in-1 Booster Seat folding armrest
The arm rests fold up along with the seat itself.. The armrests can be raised to allow the child to buckle more easily, but they must be down when the vehicle is in motion.
Adjustable Shoulder Belt Guide
Baby Trend PROtect 2-in-1 Booster Seat shoulder belt guide
The shoulder belt guide on the Protect not only adjusts up and down, but front to back to provide a proper fit for the child. The shoulder belt guide is adjustable side to side, not just up and down like most boosters. It helps with the fit to the child’s body, and is easy to adjust between the three positions. This is a fairly unusual feature and we found that it helped to customize the fit quite a bit.
Converts to Backless Mode
Unlike the original version of this seat, the PROtect 2-in-1 converts from high back to backless mode. This is the biggest difference between the original seat and our seat.
Unfortunately, we found that the seat didn’t fit our younger model in backless mode as we would have hoped. We’ll share more about those struggles in the Fit to Child section.
Vehicle Seat Belt Guides
Baby Trend PROtect 2-in-1 Booster Seat lap belt guide
The lap belt must be under both belt guides on the base of the seat. The guides are clearly marked with a red arrow.
The manual instructs that The preferred place for the shoulder belt is under the shoulder guide, but if the seat belt fits better with the shoulder belt out of the guide it’s not required. With so many different positions for the belt guide, we were kind of surprised to find that one of our models had a better seat belt fit when the belt wasn’t in the guide!
Shoulder Belt Guide Adjuster
Baby Trend PROtect 2-in-1 Booster Seat shoulder belt guide label
The seat includes a shoulder belt guide adjuster. This was tucked under the fabric of the base, we found that it helped our oldest model with the belt fit in backless mode.
Adjustable Headrest
Baby Trend PROtect 2-in-1 Booster Seat shoulder belt guide and headrest adjustment button
The headrest adjusts by pushing a button on either side of the headrest and raising the headrest to the desired height. This was a bit difficult to do. I found it easiest to lightly put a knee in the seat for some downward pressure, then pull up on the headrest while pushing the buttons.
No Assembly Required/Setup
There is zero assembly required for using the Protect 2-in-1 booster seat. Simply pull it out of the box, unfold it and place it on the vehicle seat. Then, adjust the fit to your child and you will be on your way!
Since the Protect 2-in-1 booster seat does not have lower anchors, it will need to be buckled in when it is unoccupied to prevent it from becoming a projectile in the event of a crash.
Fit to Child
High Back Booster
7 Years Old
Baby Trend PROtect 2-in-1 Booster Seat 7 years old
This 7 year old model is 49 inches tall and weighs 57 pounds. He was very excited about modeling this seat for us! The lap belt fits nice and low across the hips, touching his thighs. The shoulder belt fit better when it wasn’t placed in the lower guides.
10 Years Old
Baby Trend PROtect 2-in-1 Booster Seat 9 years old
This model is 10 years old, weighs 62 pounds, and is 53 inches tall. The lap belt fits him well, sitting on his hips and tops of the thighs. The shoulder belt fit better when it wasn’t in the lower guide. The shoulder belt is centered over the collar bone. He felt this seat provided plenty of room for him.
Converting to Backless Booster Mode
Removing the Back
Baby Trend PROtect 2-in-1 Booster Seat release button
The back portion of the booster is removed by pressing the release buttons on the back of the seat. These buttons are easy to find and easy to push.
Baby Trend PROtect 2-in-1 booster backless mode
To convert the PROtect 2-in-1 from high back to backless booster mode, turn the seat so that the back side of the booster seat is facing you. There are gray buttons on each side of the seat back. Press them simultaneously and lift the back off the base. That’s all there is to it!!
Backless Booster
Fit to Child
7 Years Old
Baby Trend PROtect 2-in-1 backless 7 years old
Our 7 year old model is still 49 inches tall and weighs 57 pounds. In backless mode, the PROtect 2-in-1 booster doesn’t fit him as well as we would have hoped.
Baby Trend PROtect backless mode 7 years old
The lap belt was a bit low on his thighs and the shoulder belt was up too high.
We added the shoulder belt guide adjuster to bring the shoulder belt closer to the correct position but we’re still not thrilled with the lap belt fit on him.
10 Years Old
Baby Trend PROtect 2-in-1 Booster Seat backless mode 10 years old
Our 10 year old is back to model the backless booster mode of the Protect 2-in-1. This time, the shoulder belt provided a better fit when it was routed through the lower guides. He also needed the red shoulder belt guide adjuster to properly position the shoulder belt. We found this tucked under the fabric of the base.
Important Information: Where to Find
Baby Trend PROtect 2-in-1 Booster Seat date of manufacture label
Date of Manufacture: the date of manufacture label is located on the bottom of the seat base.
Baby Trend PROtect 2-in-1 Booster Seat date of expiration
Expiration Date: the manual states that the seat expires 9 years from the date of manufacture.This date is also stamped into the back of the seat back.
Baby Trend PROtect 2-in-1 Booster Seat height adjuster and manual storage
Manual Storage: the manual storage pocket is located at the top back of the seat headrest.
Baby Trend PROtect 2-in-1 Booster Seat FAA restriction label
FAA Approval: the Protect is not FAA approved since booster seats require a lap and shoulder belt, and planes have lap belts only.
Overall Thoughts
The Protect 2-in-1 took the fit and features we knew from the original version of the seat and presented them in a fresh, new package. The boosteroffered all of our models a consistent vehicle seat belt fit and a comfortable ride. Its most unique feature is a nice bonus: it folds into a lightweight, travel friendly package. As people who often find themselves storing a bunch of a car seats, we found that travel-friendly package a huge bonus! Not only that, the seat well-priced and offers a long-lasting fit.
