Very well made!

I love this car seat! This is the second brand that I have owned and it is incredibly well made. It's sturdy and feels very safe. My child doesn't sweat in it and seems comfortable. Spend the extra money and buy this car seat. It's worth the extra money.More detail ...

A rare seat: fullsize convertible that fits small-medium cars

This is an exceptional design that offers full-size convertible car seat features and specs but can fit (rear-facing) in cars a few inches too short for other full-size convertible seats. The features and quality is also competitive with the better brands out there like the Britax Diplomat/Boulevard and Recaro Signo which all have side impact protection.



I only use this in rear-facing mode for my 18mo 22lb baby so this review is written in the context of rear-facing usage.



PROS:



1) Its outer shell is 2-3 inches shorter than other full-size convertible seats. It can rear-face to 35lbs or forward-face (harnessed) to 65lbs like the biggest convertible seats available. However the the shorter shell allows rear-facing in cars that normally could not fit a full-size convertible like the Britax Boulevard or Recaro Signo. Although the main shell is shorter the adjustable heat restraint can be raised for taller children once you are in forward facing mode. It just barely squeezes behind the driver seat (rear facing) in my Mazda 3 with the driver seat moved up a bit. The top edge of the shell squeezes between the top of the driver's seat and the extended head rest.



2) Compared to many Britax convertibles it has about 2 inches more leg room for the baby in rear-facing mode. This is measured from the baby's back to the car's rear seat back. It may not sound like much but when there's only 8-10 inches to work with another 2 helps a lot. If it means my baby can comfortably stay rear facing until she's 2.5yr that's a big plus. I did this comparison with my Britax Marathon (now up for sale).



3) Noticed the giant latch clips on this seat? They contain a spring loaded auto retracting belt feeder. When installing the seat you extend the latch clip to clip into your car push the seat down with your weight and the auto retractor pulls up any slack in the latch clip belt. As you take your weight off the seat the seat stays down and is quite secure. This is WAY easier than manually tightening the latch straps in every other convertible seat design.





CONS:

To achieve the shorter shell design the adjustable head rest can extend 5-6 inches above the shell when in forward-facing mode. When fully extended the head rest (including the head side impact part) is quite flimsy. It looks a bit unsafe but I feel like it will do the job of keeping some energy absorbing foam between the baby's head and any intruding structure during a side impact. It's certainly not going to keep the head in place if the seat is on the driver side and the car is hit on the passenger side. Only convertible seats with the head side impact protection built into the main shell may possibly pull that off (Recaro Signo Priori etc).



Overall I really like this seat because it actually fits in my smaller Mazda3 and leaves enough room for a shorter adult in front. It also achieves this w/o compromising features safety or use with taller/bigger toddlers. The fit offers plenty of leg room and recline that's impossible with other large car seats in a smaller car.More detail ...

Very safe high quality pricey car seat

First of all after a thorough searching you realize that the most important features should be considered in your decision are:

1) Baby's Safety: 5-point harness side head supports side body supports

2) Baby's Comfort: body and head room cushion material seating position neck pads easy locking/unlocking of belts

3) easy of installation: LATCH system good guidebook

4) Adjustability: Height harness level tightening of belts

5) Convertibility: car seat <-> booster seat

6) Material quality: Cloths plastics belts cushions locks

7) Price



I bought this car seat a month ago so bear in mind that my experience with the longterm outcomes is limited. I have a 2 1/2 year old kid who is in the upper limit of a normal weight and height range for her age. I bought this car seat online and picked it up from fedex. It took me 5 minute to install it in my car which was easy and fun with LATCH system. Its head side supports are the most important feature of this seat and they really serve their purpose. When my kid wear her jacket and hat room for her head becomes a bit tight but it is still comfortable and actually it is helpful when she falls asleep. 5-point harness is a great feature and I highly recommend to buy a seat with harness if your kid is under 4 years old. I will try to use the harness as long as I can. I have not used this seat as a booster yet but it seam it will be ok because the slots for car seat belts are well positioned. Its head support and harness level can be adjusted and easily but you have to do it before installing the seat because the releasing button is in the behind and unreachable when seat is tightly pressed to rear seats. you can tighten belts in the front and it is quick and easy. The quality of material is good and I really like the texture of the cloths. this product is one of the priciest car seats in the market. The average price for a descent car seat with most of the above features is around 120- 170 but if you consider buying a safe car seat with high quality I think it worths to spend more. Overall I am very happy for choosing this car seat and I give these scores (out of 5):

1) Baby's Safety: 5

2) Baby's Comfort: 4 ( a bit tight head room)

3) easy of installation: 5

4) Adjustability: 5

5) Convertibility: 5

6) Material quality: 5

7) price:3 (pricey)



Follow-up:



It's been 1 year since I wrote my review and my experience is still a good one. Off course after one year of covering the seat with all kinds of food and snacks it is time to wash the clothes but so far the seat has been great. So far no wear and tear and locks are still working good. Overall I would say I am happy with my purchase but it is still a one year experience and considering how much I've paid for it I am planning to use it much longer and I will keep you updated!More detail ...