Test Drive: Viaggio HBB 120

Posted on Monday, August 06, 2012

When I found out I was pregnant with my daughter, the very first thing I went out shopping for was a car seat. It seemed like the most important thing to have checked off my long to-do list well before she arrived. She was so tiny, and the world was so big, I had to protect her.

I became a mommy-to-be on a mission. I scoured the Internet for safety ratings. I read real-life mommy reviews and pored over manufacturer specifications. I visited my local baby store half-a-dozen times. Once the decision was made, the seat was bought and promptly installed in the car, months before baby was to arrive.

When she did arrive, those first few days were a blur. But there is one memory I still hang on to, even today. We were about to be discharged from the hospital, and my husband had gone down to get the car. I found myself alone for the very first time with my sweet baby girl. It was a flood of emotions as I soon realized this tiny pink bundle was my responsibility. I instinctively began getting her ready for the outside world, changing her diaper one last time, dressing her in the puffy pink bunting (specially designed for the car seat with holes for a five-point safety harness) that we had gotten to protect her from the cold New York winter, and placing her in her car seat. I clicked the buckle, smoothed the harness over her shoulders and gave her a kiss.

Click. Check. Kiss. She was ready to go, and so was I.

My sweet baby girl is nearly 6. She starts kindergarten next week, and she has long outgrown her puffy pink bunting and infant car seat. In fact, she’s on car seat number three now. And even though she’s bigger, I can tell you, I still feel the very same way about finding a car seat.

That’s why as a mom I was so happy when Peg Perego announced they would be coming out with a new booster seat this year. I was even happier when they agreed to give me the Viaggio HBB 120 a few months ago to use and test with my daughter. (The HBB doesn’t arrive in stores until later this month.)

Going from a convertible car seat to a booster is a big step. And as a mom, it’s a little hard saying goodbye to that big, bulky seat with its built-in harness and “tank-like” structure. But I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Viaggio HBB 120, designed for children 40 to 120 pounds, had so many of the same features as my Primo Viaggio SIP 5-70 Convertible.

Used along with the vehicle’s lap/shoulder belt, the Viaggio HBB 120 provides total Side Impact Protection (SIP) with wide, padded wings at the head and shoulder level and Expanded PolyStyrene (EPS) in the head panel and seat cushion. LATCH connectors add extra stability and keep the booster seat in place when not in use. The head panel (which goes to six different positions) and the easy-access recline handle are easy to adjust for perfect positioning.

I loved the fabric (mine came in breathable Crystal Black, but the Viaggio HBB 120 is also available in Crystal Beige, Crystal Red and “Prima Classe” Cacao and Licorice). And my daughter loved the fact that it had two cup holders. This, of course, was her favorite part as she climbed up in it for the first time.

Once again she seemed so small, and the world seemed so big.

“Mom, mom! Let’s go!” her little voice interrupted my reminiscing. I took a deep breath and marveled, just where had my baby gone? Then, instinctively, I started to buckle her up in the last car seat she’ll ever have. But she stopped me. “I can do it!” she exclaimed. She clicked the buckle, smoothed the seat belt over her chest, and this time, she kissed me

Click. Check. Kiss. She was ready to go, and so was I.

The Viaggio HBB 120 arrives in stores later this month. Use our Store Locator to find a retailer near you.

blog_label_posted_in: Baby, Traveling with Peg Perego, 2012 Viaggio HBB 120