UPPAbaby Alta Review

America-born UPPAbaby has over a decade of combined juvenile products experience. They are inspired by ordinary family life to develop and design products that are easy to use and safe. The company's goal is to improve functionality without losing usability or style. UPPAbaby's product lineup includes an infant car seat (read about it in our best infant car seat review, a booster, and top-ranked strollers.

Performance Comparison

Crash Test

The Alta is a mixed bag for crash test results with a higher than average crash test analysis result but sensor results that conflict. All of the boosters in this review have presumably passed the federal guidelines and are to be considered safe. We ran our tests faster and on a sled with modern car smiliarlties to find options that really stand out from competitors.

The HIC result for the Alta is one of the most impressive in the group with some of the lowest recorded G-forces in the HIC crash dummy sensor (lower is better).

If this was the end of the story, it would have performed exceptionally well compared to the other booster. Unfortunately, the chest clip sensor data was not as good, and it only performed somewhat better than the average booster's chest clip data.

Ease of Use

If you want an average-to-use booster, the Alta is for you. But seriously, it earned an average score for ease of use compared to the other boosters we tested. We had trouble getting the belt into the shoulder positioner correctly every time, and the belt slipped out during testing as a result.

Interestingly, when we wanted to unthread it to remove the seat, this, too proved challenging. Despite being super wide up top, there is a design that tapers the seat portion so kids can still reach the buckle without struggling to get around the base of the booster.

You have to wrap the belt around the cupholder to buckle and unbuckle, and it feels like a design flaw and we recommend placing the movable holder on the side opposite of the buckle to make life easier. The shoulder belt in our tests rubbed on our kid tester's neck, and her skin showed redness during a short time of testing.

There is an extra step here we didn't see in competitors of a lap belt positioner. It is in the center crotch strap position, and it prevents the lap portion from riding up to the abdomen instead of across the hips where it is supposed to be. This could be useful for kids who slouch down in safety seats to nap since the belt would end up running in a place it shouldn't

The Alta is a bulky cumbersome booster, but it has useful handles that make it feel more manageable than its size implies. It has rigid LATCH connectors that rotate out when you pull the handle.

They connect to the anchors without an issue and include a color indication that lets you know the connection is complete. The pull-to-release mechanism works well, but we found ourselves wishing it was bigger.

The Alta comes with one cup holder, but you can buy a second one if you wish. However, given the lap belt threading issues we had, we recommend sticking with one or seeing how you like it before buying another one.

Weight and Size

The Alta is not your love match if your goal is lightweight or small. The Alta does a lot of things well, but its overall size is not one of them.

This booster is 16.2 lbs, and while not super heavy, it is more than 4 lbs heavier than the average competitor. It is also one of the widest in the group at 19.2 inches. This is wider than many convertible options, which traditionally are bigger overall. In essence, this booster is a cumbersome option that you'll want to install and leave in place.

Comfort

The Alta looks comfy, and it delivers somewhat but is generally just average overall. The padding is below average. It looks good, but when you sit on it, there isn't much substance, and the underlying padding is hard without much compression. There is a lot of loft, which is somewhat misleading as it looks cozier than it is. There isn't much padding on the back or sides, and we were left wanting more.

The fabric isn't truly smooth, it isn't rough, but there is a ridge to the design that you can feel when you rub it on your face. It reminds us of a jersey material but not as smooth and there doesn't seem to be any cooling effect. The headrest is large, but it's so far from either side of the passenger's head that there will be significant leaning to use it for napping. It could result in some neck straining, depending on the child's size.

Quality

The Alta earned good marks for quality, with an above-average score. But the higher price left us wanting more. Simply put, there are less expensive options that offer more in side-by-side comparisons.

The padding is below average for quality, but it looks good. It isn't super supportive and is almost too dense for comfort, and it feels like a show of comfort with no real effort to find comfort. Which could be a quality issue of poor padding choices. The cover is a zip-on/off option, and it looks well-fitted and works well.

This seat uses EPP, which we prefer for its non-off-gassing composition. The shell is smooth and easy to keep clean, and the seat has a substantial quality feel. It did not scratch easily during testing.

Should You Buy the Alta?

If you're a UPPAbaby fan, we can see why you'd be drawn to the Alta. This booster is sharp-looking, with lots of perceived padding and better-than-average crash test results. However, it didn't perform as well in most metrics or overall as competing seats with lower prices. Even if all you want is the best crash test results, they can't be found in the Alta. While we get the appeal of UPPAbaby and the quality and ease of use, the products typically provide, the Alta just misses the mark in this group of highly competitive options.

What Other Booster Seat Should You Consider?

The Chicco KidFit Zip Air Plus 2-in-1 high-backed booster is our favorite for most goals. This booster sports some of the highest crash test results, and it performed well in our tests for quality, comfort, and ease of use. No matter what your booster goals might entail (outside of travel-friendly), the Air Plus is a shoo-in for just about everyone. If your budget is bigger or can be stretched, the Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120 is the highest-ranking booster in the group. The Peg has the best crash test results in the group and impressive features that make finding a comfortable seat for multiple kid sizes a snap.

Manufacturer Video