OP here, we exchanged the seat for a new one and everyone’s much happier. It fits in the car better and the complaints over the headrest have stopped. Thanks all!

Anonymous wrote:Can you add a padded layer to the headrest? Another thought: maybe she needs time to get used to it.

It’s never a good idea to augment or alter a car seat, because it could affect the safety features. Padding might keep her neck at a different angle, for instance, which could diminish the whiplash protection.

If you could find something sold by the manufacturer for use with that particular seat, that would be OK, but I’d be cautious about any homemade or third-party modifications.

Okay thanks all, I'll take her with me to try out new ones. That's why I said gut check - I just wasn't sure whether I was being a push over by returning a seat just because the head rest wasn't squishy enough.

How is this a question?

Yes!! Go get her a comfortable one. Why wouldn't you?

Anonymous wrote:You don't have to sit in it, she does. At 6, she should have some say in the seat she has to sit in for the next few years.

+1 Agree with this plus OP you keep saying this was a high-end, not cheap booster, but I don't understand why your DD being more comfortable in a cheaper booster wouldn't be a win. Save money, get her buy-in, she's comfortable in the car -- win-win-win, unless I'm missing something?

You don't have to sit in it, she does. At 6, she should have some say in the seat she has to sit in for the next few years.

Can you add a padded layer to the headrest? Another thought: maybe she needs time to get used to it.

I'd return and take her with me to test them out.

I just got my 6 year old a new booster seat (Britax Highpoint, so not super cheap) with the idea that this would last her as a high back then regular booster until she's ready to sit on the seat regularly. She's complaining and complaining that the head rest is "too hard" and not cushioned enough. Sigh, it's a higher end Britax ... it may be different, but I'm sure it's FINE. I want to tell her to deal with it until she gets used to it, but then again it's her seat that she'll have to sit in for years, plus I don't want her squirming around and getting out of position. What would you do? Return and replace with a different seat or make her deal with it?