CarSeatAnswers.com http://carseatanswers.com Thu, 04 Jan 2024 16:05:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://carseatanswers.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/cropped-CSA-Site-Icon-512x512-32x32.png CarSeatAnswers.com http://carseatanswers.com 32 32 Convertible Car Seat for up to 100 Pounds – Which to Choose? http://carseatanswers.com/convertible-car-seat-up-to-100-pounds/ Tue, 18 Sep 2018 18:42:15 +0000 http://carseatanswers.com/?p=776

Looking for a car seat for a kid who’s at the top end of the growth chart? The limits vary greatly in convertible car seats available today.

There is no age limit for a seat; only height and weight limits.

Convertible Car Seat or Booster Seat?

First, let’s figure out which type of seat is the best to go with.

Convertible car seats get their name by being able to convert from rear facing to front facing.

Ideally, children remain rear-facing until they reach the weight limit of their seat. Once kids no longer fit rear-facing, you have more options.

Convertible seats can be installed facing forward, where the weight limit is higher than in the rear-facing position.

  • If you have an infant seat that your child is outgrowing, you will most likely want to go with a convertible car seat so your child can remain rear-facing longer.
  • If your child is ready to be forward facing, consider a booster seat.

Now, you might think of a booster seat as a small platform that a kid sits on to raise their height. Those types of boosters are really only for older kids. Booster seats are also available with a high-back and a 5-point harness. In a way, these seats are convertible since they can either be used with a 5-point harness or with the vehicle’s seat belt once a child is tall enough.

If your child has outgrown their rear-facing convertible seat you might consider moving to a booster seat.

One reason why you might do this is if you’re planning to hand the seat down to your younger child. Or, you may prefer a more upright seat with more cupholders, storage, and room to grow.

If a booster seat sounds right for you, they do allow for higher height and weight limits.

Which Convertible Car Seats have the Highest Weight Limits?

Diono Radian 3RXT

Diono Radian 3RXT

If your child is at the top of the growth chart for both weight AND height, definitely go with the Diono Radian 3RXT.

The 3RXT has an excellent 50 pound rear-facing weight limit and is good for 100 pounds forward-facing. The height limit is also the best out there by far at 57″. This is a great seat all around and I highly recommend it.

Another unexpected bonus is that this seat is narrower than most.

It’s still wide enough to be comfortable for your child, but excess bulk has been removed from the sides. This allows you to fit up to three seats side-by-side in many vehicles, which is hard to find in a car seat.

If you’re looking for a convertible seat with high limits for both height and weight, this is the seat to buy.

Maxi-Cosi Pria 85

Maxi-Cosi Pria

The Maxi Cosi Pria is another option with a 100 pound forward-facing weight limit in booster mode.

Booster mode uses the vehicle’s seatbelt. When used in harness mode, it supports up to 65 pounds forward-facing.

When used rear facing, the Pria has a pretty average weight limit of 40 pounds – so not quite as good as the Radian 3RXT at 50 lb.

The height limit is 52.” While this is a pretty good max height, and a few inches taller than popular Britax seats, it’s not the best. If you have a child who is in a high percentile for weight but more average for height, this is a great choice.

What if I Don’t Need a Rear-Facing Seat?

In this case, you’ll want to look at a booster seat.

Until your child is both 4’9″ or taller and at least 8 years of age, it’s important to use a booster to get to the proper height.

5-point harnesses are safer than the 3-point seat belts installed in cars. When possible, I recommend using a high-back booster with 5-point harness over a backless booster.

Typically, the 5-point harness on a booster seat can be used up to 65-90 pounds depending on the model. Once your child reaches that limit, you can continue using the seat along with the vehicle’s seat belt.

Something that doesn’t get discussed often is how much safer a 5-point system can be for kids who have a hard time sitting still in the car.

With a 3-point seat belt, the slack in the belt makes it very easy for a kid to wiggle out of position. If the shoulder belt ends up under their arm or across their neck, safety is compromised. A booster in harness mode has no slack in the belts. When used properly, wiggly children can’t move into an unsafe position.

Here are my recommendations for 5-point harness booster seats with over 100 pound weight limits.

Britax Grow With You ClickTight
Britax Grow with You ClickTight

For the highest weight limit in a harnessed model and very easy installation, look to the Britax Grow with You Clicktight. As an owner of this seat, all of my research pointed me here.

The Grow with You ClickTight can be used with the 5-point harness for up to 90 pounds, which is far higher than most models. The seat can be used along with the vehicle’s belt up to 120 lbs. With such high limits, this could be the last seat you’ll need to buy for your kid.

The ClickTight system makes it incredibly easy to install properly. This makes it very convenient for travel. On our last trip, it only took a couple of minutes to install in the rental car. After a long day of air travel, this was a very welcome time-saver.

The Grow with You is so good that I have a hard time recommending any other front-facing seat over it. If you’d like to check around on your own, here’s a rundown of some of the other models available:

What if My Child is Already Beyond the 5-Point Harness Weight Limit?

In this case, a belt-positioning booster seat will suffice.

You have two options – either a high-back booster or a backless booster.

The high-back booster offers a couple of benefits. First is head support. Some cars have no rear headrests. Those that do can’t always be positioned properly to the midpoint of the child’s head. Another benefit of high-back boosters is the “wings” at the top which provide side impact protection for the child’s head.

For these reasons, high-back boosters will always be safer than backless.

With that in mind, a backless booster is better than no booster at all for any child under 4’9″ in height.

Conclusion

Which of the above recommendations you should go with depends on your child’s current weight and how long you’d like to use the seat.

If your child is just about to outgrow their infant seat, go with a convertible seat like the Radian 3RXT.

Do you have a child approaching the forward-facing limit of their current seat? I recommend going with a high-back booster. In particular, the Britax Grow with You ClickTight is an excellent choice.

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Britax Boulevard G4 Convertible Car Seat Review http://carseatanswers.com/britax-boulevard-g4-convertible-car-seat-review/ Sun, 10 Aug 2014 18:37:58 +0000 http://carseatanswers.com/?p=461 Britax Boulevard G4 Convertible Car Seat

Britax has four different convertible seats in the G4 line with a 65-pound weight limit. Read on for my complete review of the Boulevard G4 and why I think it’s one of the best values in the Britax lineup.

Safety Features 5 stars

Britax seats are very highly regarded for safety. Their convertible seats share many of the same safety features, but additional features are also what separate the different models.

First, the shared features found in the Boulevard: steel bars integrated in the sides of the seat to prevent flex in a crash, SafeCells in the base of the seat to compress and reduce crash forces, and the versa-tether system to slow forward movement when used forward-facing.

The Britax 65-pound limit lineup from lowest price to highest includes the Marathon, Boulevard, Pavilion, and Advocate. Compared to the least-costly Marathon, the Boulevard adds a couple of nice safety features:

HUGS Chest Pads with SafeCell Technology: these chest pads are affixed to the seat shell, and not just the harness straps. They’re designed to stay positioned properly in a crash and reduce forward movement of the child in the event of a crash.

Boulevard Hugs Chest Pads
HUGS Chest Pads with SafeCell

 

True Side Impact Protection: this includes an extra layer of foam to better protect the head in a side impact.

True Side Impact Protection
True Side Impact Protection

Weight and Dimensions 4 stars

Depth: 21 inches – The Boulevard occupies less room front-to-back than most car seats supporting up to 65 pounds. This makes it a good choice for smaller cars or when taller passengers are seated up front.
Width: 18.5 inches
– The width of this seat is just below average. In most cars it will fit alongside another car seat when one of them is positioned in the middle.
Height: 26 inches
– Height is also a bit under average, so this seat doesn’t block rear visibility quite as much as some seats.
Weight: 19.5 pounds
– While this isn’t the heaviest convertible seat, with some weighing in at over 20 or even 30 pounds, it is on the heavier side. A lot of this is due to the steel reinforcement bars along the sides of the seat. If you fly frequently there are other seats which are easier to haul around, but the Boulevard isn’t too bad for occasional travel.

Overall, the Boulevard is a fairly compact seat given its height and weight limits and fits most vehicles well.

Installation 5 stars

The instruction manual for the Boulevard G4 has improved from the previous generation. The illustrations are good and it’s pretty straightforward to follow.

LATCH installation for both forward and rear-facing are about as simple as it gets. If you’re using the seat belt installation method, it’s a bit more work to access the belt path and to push down on the seat while removing slack from the belt, but it’s no more of a challenge than belt installations for other seats.

The recline angle can be set to three positions (1-2 for forward facing, 3 for rear facing) and is done simply by pulling a lever underneath the front of the seat and rotating the seat on the base. The level is checked by comparing the level line indicator on the side of the seat to horizontal.

The average person should have no problem safely installing the seat with either method. So long as you take care to check that no straps are twisted, the recline angle is properly set, and that the seat can’t be moved more than 1” side-to-side or front-to-back, you can be confident it’s installed properly.

Rear Facing 4 stars

The Boulevard has a rear-facing limit of 40 pounds, which allows for rear facing well beyond 2 years as recommended by the AAP. This seat can also be used for infants as small as 5 pounds, and it does so quite well with the included infant positioning pillow. This makes the Boulevard a good choice if you wish to skip a separate infant car seat and go right to a convertible.

Forward Facing 4 stars

When installed forward facing, there is a weight limit of 65 pounds and height limit of 49 inches on this seat. You may notice that older models of seats such as Britax’s G3 line were advertised as supporting 70 pounds. This changed due to NHTSA safety regulations put in place in 2014. Because of this, 65 pounds is the highest weight limit you’ll find in new convertible car seat models, which the Boulevard matches.

The 49” height limit isn’t the highest out there, but it’s still high enough to fit most children until they reach 6 or 7 years of age. This does have a benefit – it keeps the seat shell shorter which frees up space when rear-facing and impacts rear visibility less when forward-facing.

Adjustment 4 stars

This seat uses a no-rethread harness, which means you can adjust the height of both the headrest and the shoulder straps with one simple adjustment, rather than having to remove the shoulder harness and thread it into a higher or lower slot.

The harness buckle also has two positions for better fitment.

Fabric and Design 5 stars

The available covers for the Boulevard are comfortable and durable. The top cover can be wiped down for small messes, or can be removed fairly easily and hand washed.

Britax offers a total of six colors for this seat – Desert Palm, Durham, Laguna, Onyx, Silver Birch, and Sterling. Desert Palm is only available at Toys ‘R Us and Durham is only available at Target; the prices do run a bit higher than the other colors which are available at Amazon.

Boulevard Colors and Fabrics

Warranty and Customer Service 5 stars

A one-year warranty is included on this seat, which is typical of nearly every brand.

Britax has outstanding customer service, to the point where I feel it’s a big selling point. If you have installation questions or need replacement parts, Britax is quick to respond and very friendly to work with.

Lifespan 4 stars

All car seats have an expiration date after which they’re no longer safe to use. The Boulevard expires 7 years from the date of manufacture. Compared to the 6-year expiration date of many models, it’s good for one extra year of usable life.

Value 4 stars

Britax seats aren’t cheap, but they’re also far from being the most expensive. On each of their models, you’ll find premium features that match most of those on the priciest seats. In terms of quality, ease of use, and safety I do feel they’re a good value.

I think the Boulevard is one of the best choices for the money in the Britax lineup. While the Marathon is the least expensive seat supporting 65 pounds, the Boulevard costs only about $20 more. It adds a couple of very good features for this price difference: HUGS chest pads and an extra layer of side impact protection around the head.

Included Accessories

The only accessory included with this seat is the infant insert. Cup holders are a popular addition, but are not included in the box.

Optional Accessories

Britax has a number of branded accessories available including the previously mentioned cup holder, a seat protector, waterproof liner, seat storage pouch, travel seat bag, and travel cart.

Pros

  • Excellent safety features
  • Easy installation
  • Good range of adjustment
  • High quality fabric cover
  • Great customer service from Britax

Cons

  • A bit heavy
  • No cupholder included

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a safe convertible seat that’s easy to install and adjust, while not taking up too much space in your vehicle, Britax seats are a great choice. The Boulevard in particular is a great value in the model lineup since it adds the HUGS harness covers and improved side impact protection for a bit more than the price of the Britax Marathon.

Compared to the Boulevard, the Pavilion and Advocate add the Click ‘N Safe harness indicator. If you’d like a feature to help tell you when the harness straps are in the right range of snugness, consider moving up to one of these models, but the cost will be higher.

If passenger space next to your car seat isn’t an issue, the Advocate has large large side impact cushions for additional protection. Again, this adds to the price.

If you’re looking for the best combination of value and features in the Britax lineup, I think the Boulevard is a great choice.

View at Amazon

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Safety 1st onSide Air Convertible Car Seat Review http://carseatanswers.com/safety-1st-onside-air-convertible-car-seat-review/ Sun, 13 Jul 2014 16:51:51 +0000 http://carseatanswers.com/?p=423 Safety 1st onSide Air Convertible Car Seat

Introduction

The Safety 1st onSide Air is a lightweight and compact convertible car seat with a low price tag. How does it compare against other reasonably priced car seats? Continue reading for my full review.

Safety Features 3 stars

The big safety feature being advertised with this seat is “Air Protect.” This is Safety 1st’s side impact protection, and it’s a welcome addition to bargain-priced seat. It does add some peace of mind over entry level seats such as the Cosco Scenera.

Aside from the side impact protection, you won’t see any advanced safety features, which has a lot to do with the price. However, this seat meets NHTSA standards just as every other seat available on the market does.

Weight and Dimensions 5 stars

Depth: 17 inches – The depth of the onSide Air is less than that of most seats on the market. This means it won’t take away from the leg room of passengers seated up front, making it great for compact cars.
Width: 17.5 inches
– The width is also one of the narrowest available, again being great for smaller cars.
Height: 26.5 inches
– In terms of height, the onSide Air is about average. It sits fairly high given its relatively low height limit. This can be a plus if you’d otherwise find yourself bending over a bit to put your child in a seat. The overall height is still short enough that it doesn’t greatly impact rear visibility for the driver.
Weight: 12 pounds
– This is also a pretty lightweight car seat, making it good for travel or as a spare seat that you move around from car to car.

Installation 3 stars

This seat’s instruction manual is fairly well laid out. The pictures are pretty accurate, but some of the wording can be confusing.

The seat uses a flip-down recline stand which isn’t quite as sturdy as the rotating bases used in more pricey car seats. Since there are only two positions for the angle adjustment, it may be necessary to use a pool noodle or rolled up towel to get the proper incline angle. There are level lines on the sides of the seat rather than a more helpful bubble level, but again that is a feature mostly found in $200+ car seats.

For the LATCH system, this seat has a pair of hooks with an adjuster rather than the nicer one-piece LATCH connectors found on some seats. You’ll need to route the LATCH hook through the belt path in the seat which takes a bit of work.

For both LATCH and seat belt installation, getting the straps tight enough can be a little tricky. You may need to put your knee in the seat and put your weight on it when installing forward facing to get a snug fit. Overall, it’s not the easiest seat out there to install, but it’s as good as anything in this price range.

Rear Facing 4 stars

The onSide Air can be used rear facing up to 40 pounds. That’s great for a seat well under $100 and matches the limit of many seats costing three times as much. Though this seat is rated for children as small as 5 pounds, it doesn’t offer an infant insert, so it doesn’t offer a very snug fit for newborns. If you’re moving on to this from an infant car seat, this won’t apply.

Forward Facing 3 stars

When used forward-facing, this seat has limits of 40 pounds and 43 inches. These are pretty low limits, so plan to move on to a booster seat once it is outgrown. It’s a more compact seat than some so it just doesn’t have as high of a back and as many harness positions as larger seats do. These are tradeoffs for a smaller seat which frees up more space in your car.

Adjustment 4 stars

There are a total of four shoulder harness adjustment positions which give a good range of adjustment up until the height limit of 43” is reached. Another welcome adjustment is the three different buckle positions. You will need to rethread the harnesses to reposition them, which takes a minute or two but is pretty easy.

As noted earlier, there is just one recline position and it may be necessary to add a pool noodle or rolled up towel to get just the right angle.

Fabric and Design 4 stars

onSide Air Colors & Fabrics

This seat is quite comfortable with good quality fabric. The cover takes a bit more work than some to remove. It can be washed in soapy water by hand, but it’s not machine washable.

The onSide Air has six color options: Adeline, Damon, Empire, Flower Girl, Happenstance, and Livingston. Some colors are widely available while others are only available at certain retailers.

Warranty and Customer Service 3 stars

This seat has a 1 year warranty which is standard for the car seat industry. Customer service is handled by Dorel Juvenile Group, which has mixed reports in their helpfulness. If support is very important to you, going with a Graco seat for a bit more money may be worthwhile.

Lifespan 3 stars

Every car seat is given an expiration date, after which point it’s no longer safe to use the seat. This seat has a 6-year expiration date, which is typical of seats in this price range; no better, no worse.

Value 5 stars

This seat comes with a very reasonable price tag. While it’s not quite as cheap as Cosco brand seats or the Evenflo Tribute 5 DLX, it does offer additional side impact protection. This is still one of the most affordable seats available and it’s good for its price tag.

Included Accessories

The onSide Air includes a removable cup holder, which is always a welcome addition. The cup holder does tend to fall off a bit easily, so I only recommend it for spill-resistant cups.

Optional Accessories

Safety First doesn’t offer any accessories for their car seats, such as travel bags or seat protectors. However, there are many universal products out there made by other brands that will work.

Pros

  • Side impact protection
  • Compact and lightweight
  • Rear facing up to 40 pounds
  • Comfortable fabric
  • Good value

Cons

  • Setting recline angle may require pool noodle/rolled up towel
  • Low forward facing weight and height limits
  • Cup holder doesn’t lock in place

Conclusion

While there are several areas where this seat could be improved, the same can be said for any reasonably-priced car seat. Overall, the onSide Air is one of the best values out there. It’s a very lightweight and compact seat which makes it a good choice for a budget travel seat or a spare for the grandparents’ car. It’s also a good choice as a main car seat when space in your vehicle is limited.

View at Amazon

 

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Graco My Ride 65 LX Convertible Car Seat Review http://carseatanswers.com/graco-my-ride-65-lx-convertible-car-seat-review/ Sun, 29 Jun 2014 18:38:29 +0000 http://carseatanswers.com/?p=411 Graco My Ride 65 LX Convertible Car Seat

Introduction

The My Ride 65 LX is one of several convertible seats from Graco. How does it compare against other brands and the rest of the Graco line? Read on for my full review.

First off, Graco has an almost overwhelming number of seats to choose from. However, many of the seats are identical in construction but have small differences in options. Here is a brief comparison of the different My Ride seats:

vs. My Ride 65 DLX: The My Ride LX includes an infant head rest only, while the DLX includes an insert which adds support for both the infant’s head and torso. The DLX costs about $20 more.

vs. My Ride 70: This model is sold in Target stores only. As its name indicates, it has a 70 pound weight limit instead of 65 pounds. The height limit is the same as the My Ride 65 LX and DLX. The infant insert is not identical to the DLX, but also supports the head and torso. This model costs about $40 more than the LX.

So currently, there are three choices under the My Ride name. Since most children will outgrow their convertible seats in height before weight, I don’t feel the 5 pound higher limit on the My Ride 70 is worth the extra money. If you’ll be using the seat with an infant, I would go with the DLX. If not, I think the LX I’m reviewing here is the best value.

Safety Features 3 stars

The My Ride 65 has rather large side impact wings and is touted as having been side-impact tested.

This seat doesn’t have any innovative safety features, but that’s to be expected as it costs about ½ what the higher-end competition does. Graco has been making seats since the late 90’s and does have a good reputation for safety. Of course, this seat has passed all NHTSA safety tests as required to be available on the US market.

Weight and Dimensions 3 stars

Depth: 27 inches – This measurement is much higher than other seats, but only because Graco for some reason measured the seat fully reclined while other seats (Graco or otherwise) use an upright measurement. The forward-facing depth is at least a few inches shorter and would be considered average.
Width: 20.8 inches
– The width of this seat is higher than a lot of its competition. This has a lot to do with the dual cupholder design. If you’ll be installing the seat on either the left or right side of a bench seat, or in a bucket seat, this shouldn’t be an issue. However, if you’d like to install it in the center seat, it will cut into the space available to either side.
Height: 26 inches –
Height is a below average and doesn’t impact rear visibility as much as the average seat.
Weight: 15.8 pounds
– This is a fairly light seat, which makes it easier to move between vehicles and travel with.

Installation 4 stars

The instruction manual does a good job of explaining terminology at the start of the guide. It’s then broken up by installation type – forward or rear facing, LATCH or seat belt. It’s a fairly easy guide to follow. This seat earned a 4 star overall ease-of-use rating from the NHTSA.

The rear-facing LATCH installation is probably the one area where this seat is tricky to install. Due to their positioning, it can be hard to reach the LATCH belts to tighten them. You might find that the seat belt installation is easier when installing the seat rear-facing.

The My Ride does have a ball-level indicator which makes leveling the seat easier than the simple printed line used on many seats.

Rear Facing 4 stars

This seat has a rear-facing weight limit of 40 pounds, which is quite good. This allows children to remain rear-facing longer, which is of course the safest position.

Again, LATCH installation is tricky when rear-facing, so I would recommend the seat belt installation.

Forward Facing 5 stars

The My Ride has a weight limit of 65 pounds and height limit of 50 inches. These both compare well to most seats, even those costing twice as much.

The forward-facing installation procedure is straightforward, making this seat pretty easy to safely install.

Adjustment 3 stars

Since this seat supports high weight and high limits both forward and rear facing, it’s important to look at what adjustments can be made and how easy it is to make them.

Some seats offer multiple positions for the crotch buckle. Unfortunately, the My Ride only has one position, which can make it a bit snug on older, heavier kids.

At the shoulders, there are 5 different slots for the harness. The range of adjustment is good with this seat for anywhere from newborns on up. You will need to rethread the harness through these slots to adjust the height of the straps, unlike some pricier seats that don’t require rethreading the harness. Rethreading isn’t too time consuming, but if you’ll frequently be seating children of different heights in one seat, consider the Size4Me 65.

This seat did have a recalled latch in early 2014 due to an issue with the buckle sticking. Most new seats should ship with the new and improved buckle – you can tell by whether the seat’s red buckle release button is square (new design) or round (recalled design). If you end up with the old design, you simply need to call Graco at 1-800-345-4109 for a replacement.

Fabric and Design 4 stars

Graco My Ride 65 LX Fabrics and Colors

There are six different colors available for the My Ride 65 LX. The brighter “Ezra” and “Lana” colors are Wal-Mart exclusives, while the others are widely available and can be found a bit cheaper at Amazon. The fabric has a comfortable feel and can be wiped clean easily.

For bigger messes, the entire top cover of the seat is machine washable.

Warranty and Customer Service 5 stars

This seat has a 1 year warranty, which is standard for most child car seats.

Customer service is an area where Graco stands out. Many parents are devoted users of Graco products because of their reliable and responsive support.

Lifespan 3 stars

Every car seat is given an expiration date by the manufacturer, based on the materials used and the date it was made. The My Ride has a 6-year expiration date, which is typical. Many newer car seats in the $200+ price range have 7 year expiration dates, but 6 years is pretty typical for this price range.

Value 5 stars

The My Ride is a reasonably priced seat. It’s an excellent value if you’re looking for a seat with high weight and height limits – there are few options in this price range that support up to 65 pounds and 50”. Value is probably the best reason to choose this seat over its many competitors.

Included Accessories

This seat is one of the few out there with two cup holders. This is great for keeping one drink cup and one snack cup for long road trips, or for other passengers to have a cupholder when there otherwise isn’t one.

A removable infant support is also included.

Optional Accessories

Since this seat has cupholders covered, the only other accessories you might consider are a travel bag, travel cart, or seat protector. Graco does not make these items, but there are plenty of universal products out there which will work. Though this seat is pretty wide, the J.L. Childress travel bag supposedly fits it fine.

Pros

  • High weight and height limits
  • Lightweight seat
  • Easy installation
  • Machine washable cover
  • Dual cupholders
  • Great value

Cons

  • Wide seat
  • No crotch buckle adjustment
  • Harness must be rethreaded to adjust height

Conclusion

The My Ride 65 LX is one of the better values out there in a convertible car seat. The high limits for both height and weight extend the time you can use the seat both rear facing and forward facing. The easy installation helps ensure the seat can be used safely. Though it’s missing the no-rethread harness and crotch buckle adjustment found in pricier seats, it costs about half of what Britax and other fully-featured seats do.

View at Amazon

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Recaro Performance RIDE Convertible Car Seat Review http://carseatanswers.com/recaro-performance-ride-convertible-car-seat-review/ Wed, 18 Jun 2014 20:54:43 +0000 http://carseatanswers.com/?p=400 Recaro Performance RIDE Convertible Car Seat

Introduction

Recaro is a brand famous for its racing seats. Their seats are found in many high-end automobiles, and they’ve been manufacturing them since the 1960’s. Has Recaro’s experience helped them build the perfect convertible car seat? Read on for my in-depth review of the Recaro Performance RIDE.

Safety Features 5 stars

The Performance RIDE has generous side-impact protection through the use of EPS foam in the shell. It also has padded wings built into the headrest, which of course are height adjustable to help cushion and protect the head.

While there aren’t any particularly innovative features built into the seat for safety, owners of Recaro seats have had good things to say about their protection in the event of a crash. This comes as no surprise since Recaro has built nothing but car seats for many years.

Weight and Dimensions 2 stars

Depth: 22” – The depth of this seat is more than most out there. Combined with its tall base, the seat takes up quite a bit of front-to-back room in the seat when installed rear-facing. If you have tall passengers seated in front, or a compact car, this seat is not a good choice for rear-facing. If you have a large vehicle and/or shorter passengers up front, or if you only plan to use it forward-facing, this shouldn’t be a concern.
Width: 19”
– The width of this seat is average, so it doesn’t get in the way of other passengers or child seats along the same bench in most cars.
Height: 27”
– The Performance RIDE has a pretty tall base. This can actually make it easier to put smaller children in the seat. When it’s used forward-facing with taller children, the headrest does stand taller than a lot of seats out there which can block rear visibility.
Weight: 20.5 pounds
– The weight of this seat is slightly on the high side, which isn’t unusual for seats with extra side impact protection. It’s not so heavy that weight should be a concern unless you plan to travel frequently with the seat or move it between cars often.

Installation 5 stars

Ease of installation is one of the strong points for this seat.

First off, the instruction manual is well written and includes plenty of detailed pictures.

When used with LATCH, it’s simple to get the straps snug. If used with the vehicle’s belt, it’s very easy to guide the buckle through the belt path, which can be a challenge with other seats.

The Performance RIDE does not have a bubble level, but does include a level indicator line.

This seat is certified for use in airplanes both forward and rear facing.

Rear Facing 3 stars

The rear-facing weight limit of this seat is 40 pounds, which is better than most. However, due to the design of the base, leg room is not great with this seat when rear facing. If you plan to use the seat rear facing for well beyond 2 years, this may not be the best option; I’d instead go with a Foonf, Radian RXT, or Primo Viaggio. If this seat will mainly be used forward facing this won’t be an issue.

Forward Facing 4 stars

The Performance RIDE has a weight limit of 65 pounds and height limit of 50” when used forward facing. These limits are both higher than most seats on the market. This makes it a pretty good option for children in higher height or weight percentiles.

This seat does sit high, so when used with tall children the headrest does block some of your rear visibility.

Adjustment 5 stars

Making sizing adjustments is simple with this seat. A favorite feature of mine is no-rethread harnesses – this means when you adjust the height of the shoulder harnesses, you don’t need to remove them and rethread into another row, which typically would require removing the seat. With the Performance RIDE, you simply turn a harness adjustment knob found on either side of the seat and pull up or down on the headrest. This moves the headrest and harness together. Easy!

The seat has two recline positions – one for rear and one for forward facing, easily adjusted by pulling a bar underneath the front of the seat and rotating the seat back or forward.

Fabric and Design 4 stars

Recaro Performance RIDE Fabrics & Colors

Recaro offers a total of ten different fabrics, eight of which are widely available.

The fabric has a nice feel to it and is easy to wipe clean.

For more thorough cleaning, the cover is removable. It takes a bit more work to get the cover off and back on again than some other brands, but it’s not too difficult other than requiring a lot of steps. One downside to this seat’s cover is that it is not machine washable. It must be hand washed with a soft cloth or sponge and hung to dry.

Warranty and Customer Service 3 stars

This seat has a 1 year warranty, which is typical of convertible seats.

As far as customer service, Recaro is not as highly regarded as Britax and other companies which only make child car seats. If getting fast and thorough support is important to you, take this into consideration.

Lifespan 3 stars

All seats have an expiration date – a date that you need to discontinue using the seat so it can continue to work properly in the event of an accident. This seat has an expiration of 6 years from the date of manufacturer.

An expiration date of 6 years is typical of many models, especially those that are less expensive. However, recently there have been more seats with 7, 8 and even 9 year expiration dates. While 6 years is still long enough for one child to grow up in the seat, families who will be using this seat for multiple children should take this into consideration.

Value 3 stars

This seat has a pretty average price tag. It costs around what most Britax and Evenflo seats do. I would consider it to be a decent value – not overpriced, but it doesn’t offer additional features which make it a bargain.

Included Accessories

This seat includes a cup holder, which can be removed if you’d prefer. Many convertible seats include and infant insert in the box, but this seat does not. However, you can call Recaro at 1-888-9RECARO to obtain one for free.

Optional Accessories

Again, the infant insert is available directly through Recaro. This is the only optional accessory they make.

Pros

  • Great overall quality
  • Very easy installation
  • Harness doesn’t have to be rethreaded to adjust height
  • Comfortable fabric
  • High forward-facing height/weight limits

Cons

  • Large in height and depth
  • Leg room is limited when installed rear-facing
  • Cover is not machine washable

Conclusion

The Recaro Performance RIDE is a good seat with a few limitations. The size is the biggest concern. If leg space is at a premium for those in the front seat, and you’ll be using the seat rear facing, I would look to a different model. Legroom is also limited for the child when used rear-facing.

If this seat will only be used forward facing, I don’t hesitate to give it a recommendation. It still sits tall, but leg room no longer becomes an issue. It’s a very easy seat to install and adjust, which can greatly help in making the seat safer by ensuring it’s used properly every time. The fabric is comfortable and the seat has a nice look to it. If you’re looking at the Performance RIDE vs. the older ProRIDE, I would go with the Performance RIDE for its better fabric.

View at Amazon

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Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Convertible Review http://carseatanswers.com/peg-perego-primo-viaggio-convertible-review/ Sun, 18 May 2014 20:38:41 +0000 http://carseatanswers.com/?p=382 Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Convertible Car Seat

The Italian-made Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP 5-70 uses some of the nicest materials you can find in a car seat. Do the safety features and ease-of-use match up with its competitors? Read on for a complete review.

Safety Features 5 stars

Given the premium price of this seat, it’s expected that there be premium safety features built in. While there aren’t any groundbreaking innovations in this seat, there are a couple features which go beyond those offered in low-cost seats.

A steel plate in the seat back is designed to support the head and spine in an impact.

The Primo Viaggio has generous side impact protection (SIP) bolsters made of EPS foam. This is adjustable to the height of the child.

There is also a block of foam beneath the seat designed to crumple in an impact and reduce crash forces, which Peg Perego calls “SAFE” (Shock Absorbing Foam Element).

Weight and Dimensions 3 stars

One of the most important items to check when selecting a car seat is its dimensions. If your vehicle is on the smaller side or you need to fit multiple child seats, the size can be an issue. Here’s how the Primo Viaggio compares to other seats:

Depth: 21.2” – The depth of this seat is average. Only those with tall passengers up front or very small cars and average-to-tall passengers up front should have an issue with legroom up front.
Width: 18.7” – This seat is also average in width. All but the smallest cars will have no issue fitting three across or seating passengers next to this car seat.
Height: 26”
– The height is average for a convertible seat and shouldn’t be an issue with blocking your rear view.
Weight: 21 pounds
– The weight is a bit on the heavy side, but still far from being one of the heaviest. This is typical with seats that use steel to reinforce the structure. The weight isn’t much of an issue during installation or for moving between cars. Consider a lighter seat if you’ll be traveling with it frequently.

Installation 5 stars

The instruction manual can be found in a holder on the lower back side of the seat. I found it to be well laid out with plenty of good illustrations showing both how to install the seat properly and what to avoid.

When it comes to installing this seat, it’s as easy as I’ve ever seen for LATCH and still one of the best if using the vehicle’s seat belt.

With LATCH, the straps have a storage bar to hold them out of the way when not in use. What makes the system really easy on the Primo Viaggio is that the two straps can easily be pulled in one motion to the front or the back of the seat, depending on whether you’re installing forward or rear facing.

If you install using the vehicle’s seatbelt, it can be a little tricky threading the belt through the car seat due to the fairly small openings. Once you get it through, though, it’s easy to secure the seat.

The recline angle of convertible seats need to be adjusted when going from rear facing to forward facing. On this seat, you pull a handle below the front and tilt the seat into place. An indicator line on the side of the seat helps in making this adjustment.

There’s one other great thing you may notice about this seat during installation; the bottom of the base is very smooth. If you first used an infant car seat base, you probably know that they all have lumps of plastic on the bottom which dig into the seat. If you have leather seats, this can stretch the leather and leave permanent marks. The Primo Viaggio’s base is very smooth so it’s less prone to this happening. If you’re very careful about your leather like I am, you can still add a seat protector in between just to be extra careful.

Rear Facing 5 stars

In the rear facing position, this seat can be used up to 45 pounds. This is a very high weight limit and is great for keeping children rear facing longer, which is of course safest.

A helpful visual indicator for the child’s maximum height is included on the seat so you’ll know when it’s time to change over to forward facing.

Forward Facing 4 stars

This seat also has a high forward facing limit at 70 pounds. This seat will likely be outgrown by its height limit of 49” first, but the high limit could be helpful for children with shorter torsos.

Adjustment 5 stars

Peg Perego uses a pretty typical harness setup, but has added a couple of very welcome features. First is the harness retainer. This is a pair of straps on each side of the seat used to keep the harness from getting tangled or stuck behind the child when they’re first seated. The straps used to implement this are much more effective than the magnets some other brands use.

Next is the shoulder harness adjustment. With many seats, adjusting the harness height is a pain. They often require removing the seat and rethreading the harness through the back at the desired height. With the Primo Viaggio, it’s much simpler. Just press the button at the top of the headrest and you can move the headrest up or down to one of ten positions. When you make this adjustment, the shoulder straps move along with it. Simple as that.

The crotch strap has two positions and you do need to rethread it to adjust, but it’s not necessary to remove the seat to do this. This adjustment is only made once when going from an infant to an older child, so it’s not much of a hassle and this is something nearly all seats require.

Overall, this seat is about as easy to adjust as it gets.

Fabric and Design 5 stars

peg-perego-primo-viaggio-colors

The materials really make this seat stand out. This seat is Italian made, and it lives up to Italy’s reputation for craftsmanship. Whether you look at the all-fabric or the leather seats, the Primo Viaggio is one of the nicest looking seats out there. If finding a seat that looks great inside your car is one of your goals, I don’t think you can do any better.

Peg Perego offers a total of 10 different color choices for this seat, as shown above. Crystal Beige, Crystal Red, Fucsia, Licorice, and Paloma are available from a number of retailers including Amazon. Acquamarine, Atmosphere, Acquamarine, and Pearl Gray are a little trickier to find.

There are two options for materials with the Primo Viaggio. The Licorice and Paloma seats use a combination of fabric and leather. The leather runs along the outside edge of the seat, which is a smart design since it will keep it away from a child’s skin in a hot or cold car. These seats really look great in cars with leather.

The rest of the seats are fully fabric, using “Jersey Fresco” material. The fabric has a great feel and plenty of cushioning – it’s a very comfortable seat. Jersey Fresco is advertised as being breathable, which seems to be the case as it doesn’t get too hot. It wipes clean just as easily as any of the slicker, non-breathable fabrics I’ve seen. It’s also machine washable which I feel is very important for big spills and periodic cleaning. All in all, I’m very impressed with the materials of the Primo Viaggio.

Warranty and Customer Service 4 stars

This seat has a 1-year warranty, which is typical for child seats. Feedback on Peg Perego’s customer service is a bit mixed, but mostly positive. They’re very quick to respond, but in some cases may not be quite as friendly or helpful as those who set the bar high at companies like Britax.

Lifespan 4 stars

All convertible seats have an expiration date. This seat expires 7 years from the date of manufacture. This is a year more than a number of seats out there, which will help you get the most of it if you start your child in this seat as an infant.

Value 3 stars

This is a pricey car seat. The all-fabric color options are somewhat cheaper than the leather Licorice and Paloma seats, but still run over $300. However, given that the material quality is so good, and the safety features match the rest of the high end competition, I don’t feel the price is outrageous.

Included Accessories

An infant filler cushion is included for small children to allow for better positioning and fit. This is the only extra item included with the seat.

Optional Accessories

Peg Perego offers a cup holder and travel bag for the Primo Viaggio. They also have a Clima Cover. It’s a thermal cover for the seat to supposedly help keep the child warm or cool. Given that the fabric included with the seat is of good quality and doesn’t get too hot or cold, I’m not sure who would opt for this cover. It might be even better for comfort, but it’s not cheap and I don’t think it looks as nice as the fabric included on the seat. I’d stick with the included fabric unless you live in an extreme climate and have issues with ordinary fabrics.

Pros

  • Great safety features
  • Straightforward installation
  • Harness easily adjusts along with headrest
  • Handy harness holders
  • Very comfortable padding and fabric
  • Good range of color choices
  • Possibly the best-looking convertible seat

Cons

  • Shoulder pads long, bunch up for infants
  • Pricey, particularly for leather models

Conclusion

There simply isn’t a better looking or more comfortable car seat out there, and the safety features of the Primo Viaggio match that of its competitors. This seat has a premium price tag, but I feel that it does live up to being a premium car seat.

View at Amazon

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