I own three Chicco NextFit car seats and just bought two NextFit iX Zip LUXE. Due to having multiple vehicles, the time it takes to properly install a car seat, and that our youngest son is now too big for the Chicco Keyfit 30, we decided to have two NextFit car seats for each car. We bought two NextFit iX Zip LUXE because we wanted the zip-out liner and we liked the idea of having padding around the crotch and legs to make the restraint more comfortable for long rides. The Chicco Nextfit ix Zip LUXE is a bit of mixed bag. The Postives: 1. Chicco NextFit car seats are tanks! They are heavy, large, well padded, and wrap around the child. They remind me of the seats that you see in Nascar. If adult automobile seats shared similar design, I would imagine traffic fatalities and serious injuries would decrease. I am so impressed by the construction that I would not even consider buying another brand of car seat. 2. Leveling the seat properly is extraordinarily easy due to the adjustable base and built in leveling bubbles. Even people who are not handy, not technically savvy, and unable to hang pictures straight on their wall will still be able to position this car seat appropriately. 3. The child harnessing adjustments are extraordinarily easy to use and very intuitive. 4. The latch to attach the car seat to the care provides extraordinary leverage and allows for tightening the car seat in position very securely. I use both the latch and the vehicle seat belts just in case. The two fastening methods do not interfere with each other, at least not in any of my vehicles. 5. The car seat is very easily adaptable to children of multiple sizes and accommodates a large variety of heights and weights. Adjustments for size are easily made. 6. The padding detaches via zipper. Children have a tendency to throw up in the car. On the regular Chicco NextFit, detaching the padding for machine washing is no simple task. The zip out design solves that problem. 7. Instructions provided are very clear and thorough. The Negatives: 1. The zip out design makes installation using the vehicle seat belt more difficult. You have to unzip the lining to work the seat belt through the car seat. In my opinion, this negative is outweighed by the positive that the lining unzips for easy cleaning. 2. The LUXE incorporates leather/synthetic leather into its design in order to achieve its "automotive design" feel. This material is rough to the touch. It may look nice but it is impractical, especially when you are dealing with children who have soft and delicate skin. The LUXE is the most expensive of the NextFit iX Zip line and simultaneously the "automotive design" feature makes the LUXE the worst of the NextFit iX Zip line. I would think that the NextFit iX Air might be worth the money due to the "breathable mesh" but the "automotive design" is actually an undesirable quality. The only reason I bought the LUXE was because AlbeeBaby.com had the jade color on sale for $249.99. Owning two for the price of $500 was too attractive to pass up. I have yet to see whether the rough texturing on this leather will cause issues for my sons. If it does, I will use my old NextFit car seats in the minivan, which we use for long trips, and move the NextFit iX LUXE into my 4 door sedan which is used for shorter and incidental trips. My recommendation is to avoid the LUXE model. 3. Finally, the reason that I give this product 3-stars. The leather/synthetic leather would be enough to move it from 5 stars to 4 stars simply because the other 3 versions of this car seat do not have that drawback and the other three versions easily qualify as five stars, except for this one issue. What is that issue? "Padded ComfortFlex® harness system keeps both sides of waist belt out of the way for easy in/out!" The padded component that wraps around the thighs (not the crotch) has some sort of springy plastic or spring steel that runs through it. This part is what holds the straps apart to make it easy to place your child in the car seat without incidentally sitting them on top of the child restraints. That is great for placing the child in the car seat, however, that is not so good in the event of an accident. If you press firmly against the padding you can easily feel the hard and thin edge of the metal. I can hardly imagine what that might do to a child during an auto accident. Be warned: All of the Chicco NextFit iX Zip models have this component. The good news is that you can easily remove this component. That is exactly what I did. Without that component I would rate all the Chicco NextFit iX Zip models as 5-stars except for the LUXE which I would rate 4-stars. But since they include this component that I think is dangerous to the child in the event of a car crash, at least harmful relative to its absence, I am rating this car seat as 3-stars. If I were not able to remove this component, I would return this product and buy the Chicco NextFit iX instead. Since it can be removed, I will keep the product and deal with the leather component as I mentioned earlier. Pros 1. Built like a tank! 2. Easy to position properly and install. 3. Easy to adjust to children of different sizes. 4. Easy to secure child. 5. Easy to secure car seat. 6. Zip out lining for machine wash. 7. Excellent instructions. Cons 1. "Padded ComfortFlex® harness system keeps both sides of waist belt out of the way for easy in/out!" Huge issue. Spring metal inside of padding is potentially dangerous. Why not just use velcro to hold the straps out of the way? Be sure to remove this component. 2. "Automotive-inspired styling" is uncomfortable to the touch. Avoid the LUXE for a different model of Chicco NextFit iX Zip. 3. Zip lining makes it more difficult to utilize vehicle seatbelt to secure car seat.

We had to replace our well-loved Keyfit 30 because our 9 month old is just too tall for it. We looked at the leading competitors but honestly the Nextfit was suuuuuuper comfy, gave LO the angles he demanded for sitting up, and fit beautifully in my small car (Scion xD). And the color is smashing, to boot! Son has gone from screaming his head off to only mild annoyance at being strapped in, in less than a week. It's sturdy and sleek, too. LOVE this.

Started using this carseat a few weeks ago and the baby seems very comfortable! It is very well padded.

This is a wonderful product! It was super easy to install! My husband and I have a 9 month old son and he was starting to grow out of his infant car seat. This product is made with nice material and seems very comfortable. I believe it gives our son more room and he seems to enjoy it! I would definitely recommend this product!! So far, we are very pleased!

I just received my new NextFit Luxe carseat and couldn't be happier. Like most parents, my two biggest concerns are comfort and safety. I was thrilled to see that the headrest can be reclined in 9 different positions without taking my daughter out of the seat. This has been especially helpful when she naps in the car, which is often! She appears to be very content in the seat. The fabric is so comfortable and is far superior than any other car seats that we have used in the past. It appears to be durable, but can be zipped out for cleaning. I was also amazed at how easily the car seat could be installed. In the past, I had to rely on my husband to secure the seats and, even then, questioned if they were tight enough. This was not the case with the NextFit Luxe! I feel confident that my daughter is safe and it took less much time and effort when compared to other seats. I am very happy with this purchase!

I just received my new NextFit Luxe carseat and couldn't be happier. Like most parents, my two biggest concerns are comfort and safety. I was thrilled to see that the headrest can be reclined in 9 different positions without taking my daughter out of the seat. This has been especially helpful when she naps in the car, which is often! She appears to be very content in the seat. The fabric is so comfortable and is far superior than any other car seats that we have used in the past. It appears to be durable, but can be zipped out for cleaning. I was also amazed at how easily the car seat could be installed. In the past, I had to rely on my husband to secure the seats and, even then, questioned if they were tight enough. This was not the case with the NextFit Luxe! I feel confident that my daughter is safe and it took less much time and effort when compared to other seats. I am very happy with this purchase!

Before my daughter was born, I assumed we would keep her in the infant car seat until she reached the weight limit. Unfortunately, as she hit 10 months old and 20 pounds, she and the seat became too heavy to carry around comfortably. I did some research online, and saw that the line of Chicco NextFit car seats had good reviews on several websites so I decided to try one out. I have to say, I wish I would have switched to a NextFit Zip Luxe months ago! My daughter seems to find it much more comfortable than her last car seat. Even though she hadn't outgrown her infant seat, she seemed cramped and uncomfortable in it. She has more room to stretch out in the NextFit now and has been more content during recent car trips. Also, it was a breeze to install in my car. I was nervous about doing it myself, but it wasn't bad after I read thru the directions. I'm also really excited about the zip feature. As a former nanny, I'm well aware of the mess kiddos can make in their car seats. I like that I'll be able easily unzip the cover and wash it when those messes occur. Also doesn't hurt that it is all black, as it won't show stains. While doing comparison shopping, it appeared that most convertible car seats are bulkier than their infant counterparts. I found that to be true of the NextFit, but once I installed it, it seemed to take up about the same amount of space in my car as our old one did. All things considered, I wish I would've skipped the infant car seat and gone straight to this one. It fits itty bitty babies and will fit my kid for several years to come. I don't think you can go wrong with the NextFit ZipLuxe!

This car seat is easy to adjust and install. I am incredibly thankful for the easily adjustable head rest. I have had car seats where you had to undo the straps completely and feed them back through the new holes every few months. The front button for loosening the straps is great for quickly releasing my daughter from the seat. It is the perfect seat for transitioning our youngest to forward facing. The zip off cover will be so nice when we need to wash it after an accident too! The only thing I would like to see differently would be cup holders that are permanently attached or a little bit bigger than the one that is provided to clip on. That being said, I am completely happy with this seat and would highly recommend it!

Before my daughter was born, I assumed we would keep her in the infant car seat until she reached the weight limit. Unfortunately, as she hit 10 months old and 20 pounds, she and the seat became too heavy to carry around comfortably. I did some research online, and saw that the line of Chicco NextFit car seats had good reviews on several websites so I decided to try one out. I have to say, I wish I would have switched to a NextFit Zip Luxe months ago! My daughter seems to find it much more comfortable than her last car seat. Even though she hadn't outgrown her infant seat, she seemed cramped and uncomfortable in it. She has more room to stretch out in the NextFit now and has been more content during recent car trips. Also, it was a breeze to install in my car. I was nervous about doing it myself, but it wasn't bad after I read thru the directions. I'm also really excited about the zip feature. As a former nanny, I'm well aware of the mess kiddos can make in their car seats. I like that I'll be able easily unzip the cover and wash it when those messes occur. Also doesn't hurt that it is all black, as it won't show stains. While doing comparison shopping, it appeared that most convertible car seats are bulkier than their infant counterparts. I found that to be true of the NextFit, but once I installed it, it seemed to take up about the same amount of space in my car as our old one did. All things considered, I wish I would've skipped the infant car seat and gone straight to this one. It fits itty bitty babies and will fit my kid for several years to come. I don't think you can go wrong with the NextFit ZipLuxe!

This car seat is easy to adjust and install. I am incredibly thankful for the easily adjustable head rest. I have had car seats where you had to undo the straps completely and feed them back through the new holes every few months. The front button for loosening the straps is great for quickly releasing my daughter from the seat. It is the perfect seat for transitioning our youngest to forward facing. The zip off cover will be so nice when we need to wash it after an accident too! The only thing I would like to see differently would be cup holders that are permanently attached or a little bit bigger than the one that is provided to clip on. That being said, I am completely happy with this seat and would highly recommend it!

My husband and I got the NextFit iX Zip LUXE Convertible Car Seat for our 9 month old daughter who is 23 pounds, 27" long and sits rear facing. The car seat was quick and easy to install and the instructions were easy to follow in comparison to other car seats we've tried. The latches are labeled in the order of installation and the bubble levels on each side make it easy to confirm the car seat is installed correctly. All you have to do is latch, tighten, and adjust the recline (9 positions available offering variety for children of all sizes facing both forward and back). The car seat is soft, comfortable, and made of sturdy material. The headrest is adjustable and car seat offers plenty of legroom for her while she is rear facing. The plush seat padding (which also zips out for easy cleaning) is almost like memory foam. Our daughter's comfort was obvious from the start as her first ride to grandma's house, over an hour long drive, resulted in a peaceful nap for the duration. Getting our daughter in and out of the seat is quick and easy. The car seat is more compact than similar models allowing passengers riding up front more legroom. There were a few other features that stood out about this car seat. First, the seat comes with built in storage compartments for the tether, side latches and instruction manual, which is great for an organized mom like me who doesn't want to see excess cords dangling. Second, the harness strap shoulder protectors are soft, slide easily and cover a long portion of the strap. Third, the chest strap is low profile and clips easily. Also, aesthetically the seat is very attractive which is important because we all want our babies riding in style! I highly recommend this car seat to anyone looking for a comfortable, snug fitting, low profile and easy/quick to install seat for their child.

I've been using this car seat for about 2 weeks now and absolutely love it. It's so much easier to use than other convertible seats I've used in the past, and I've used quite a few! We are currently using it as a rear facing seat. Installation was fast and easy with the LATCH technology. The recline feature was easy to adjust and get the seat in the proper position. I love the headrest adjustment...it only takes one hand, and what mom has more than one free hand. The harness tightener is also very easy to pull; however, I do miss the D-ring that was on the harness tightener strap from my other seat. Overall this is a wonderful seat and I expect to get many years of use out of it.

I've been using this car seat for about 2 weeks now and absolutely love it. It's so much easier to use than other convertible seats I've used in the past, and I've used quite a few! We are currently using it as a rear facing seat. Installation was fast and easy with the LATCH technology. The recline feature was easy to adjust and get the seat in the proper position. I love the headrest adjustment...it only takes one hand, and what mom has more than one free hand. The harness tightener is also very easy to pull; however, I do miss the D-ring that was on the harness tightener strap from my other seat. Overall this is a wonderful seat and I expect to get many years of use out of it.

My husband and I got the NextFit iX Zip LUXE Convertible Car Seat for our 9 month old daughter who is 23 pounds, 27" long and sits rear facing. The car seat was quick and easy to install and the instructions were easy to follow in comparison to other car seats we've tried. The latches are labeled in the order of installation and the bubble levels on each side make it easy to confirm the car seat is installed correctly. All you have to do is latch, tighten, and adjust the recline (9 positions available offering variety for children of all sizes facing both forward and back). The car seat is soft, comfortable, and made of sturdy material. The headrest is adjustable and car seat offers plenty of legroom for her while she is rear facing. The plush seat padding (which also zips out for easy cleaning) is almost like memory foam. Our daughter's comfort was obvious from the start as her first ride to grandma's house, over an hour long drive, resulted in a peaceful nap for the duration. Getting our daughter in and out of the seat is quick and easy. The car seat is more compact than similar models allowing passengers riding up front more legroom. There were a few other features that stood out about this car seat. First, the seat comes with built in storage compartments for the tether, side latches and instruction manual, which is great for an organized mom like me who doesn't want to see excess cords dangling. Second, the harness strap shoulder protectors are soft, slide easily and cover a long portion of the strap. Third, the chest strap is low profile and clips easily. Also, aesthetically the seat is very attractive which is important because we all want our babies riding in style! I highly recommend this car seat to anyone looking for a comfortable, snug fitting, low profile and easy/quick to install seat for their child.

I just received this carseat for my daughter, as she's grown out of her infant carrier and I can't say enough good about it. The features of this carseat far exceeds my son's Diono Radian. The fabric is extremely comfortable - soft and breathable. She's always content in her carseat and naps during most car rides. Best of all, the seat pad can be zipped out for easy cleaning and let's be honest - accidents will happen. I can easily recline the seat for trips when I anticipate her taking a longer nap! Due to the placement of the straps, I can even put her in the carseat without waking her because the buckles are kept up and out of the way. No more digging around for buckles that are underneath of her body when strapping her in! My daughter is quite tall for her age, so I appreciate the adjustable head rest. I was able to install the seat easily by myself and feel confident that I did it correctly. While this seat is slightly wider than my Diono, it's comfort and easy installation make it worth being a bit larger. This could easily be a one-and-done carseat for those who wish to skip the infant carrier and use a convertible from day 1. I hightly recommend!

I just received this carseat for my daughter, as she's grown out of her infant carrier and I can't say enough good about it. The features of this carseat far exceeds my son's Diono Radian. The fabric is extremely comfortable - soft and breathable. She's always content in her carseat and naps during most car rides. Best of all, the seat pad can be zipped out for easy cleaning and let's be honest - accidents will happen. I can easily recline the seat for trips when I anticipate her taking a longer nap! Due to the placement of the straps, I can even put her in the carseat without waking her because the buckles are kept up and out of the way. No more digging around for buckles that are underneath of her body when strapping her in! My daughter is quite tall for her age, so I appreciate the adjustable head rest. I was able to install the seat easily by myself and feel confident that I did it correctly. While this seat is slightly wider than my Diono, it's comfort and easy installation make it worth being a bit larger. This could easily be a one-and-done carseat for those who wish to skip the infant carrier and use a convertible from day 1. I hightly recommend!

My 8 month old is growing out of her Keyfit so we decided to stick with Chicco for her convertable seat. First I have to say the instilation was super easy. Second the quality of the seat and material makes this seat well worth the price! Third I love that the cover slips off ...we all know car seats get messy! All in all I would recommend this seat.

We got this carseat for my son, who is 2 1/2 years old, and weighs 32 lbs. It was really easy to install and the process of adjusting the straps, and reclining positions was a breeze. The quality of the seat is excellent, very comfortable with great, soft padding. My favorite feature has to be the zip-off seat pad! It's super easy to clean up spills on the fabric as well. My only complaint is the cup holder. I personally prefer the cup holder to be "built-in" to the seat, not just attach to the side. However, it is very convenient that you can attach the cup holder to either side of the seat. All in all, I'd definitely recommend this seat to anyone looking to upgrade, or to someone who wants to buy a good, quality carseat and use it from the very beginning!

We got this carseat for my son, who is 2 1/2 years old, and weighs 32 lbs. It was really easy to install and the process of adjusting the straps, and reclining positions was a breeze. The quality of the seat is excellent, very comfortable with great, soft padding. My favorite feature has to be the zip-off seat pad! It's super easy to clean up spills on the fabric as well. My only complaint is the cup holder. I personally prefer the cup holder to be "built-in" to the seat, not just attach to the side. However, it is very convenient that you can attach the cup holder to either side of the seat. All in all, I'd definitely recommend this seat to anyone looking to upgrade, or to someone who wants to buy a good, quality carseat and use it from the very beginning!

My 8 month old is growing out of her Keyfit so we decided to stick with Chicco for her convertable seat. First I have to say the instilation was super easy. Second the quality of the seat and material makes this seat well worth the price! Third I love that the cover slips off ...we all know car seats get messy! All in all I would recommend this seat.

We got this carseat for my son, who is 2 1/2 years old, and weighs 32 lbs. It was really easy to install and the process of adjusting the straps, and reclining positions was a breeze. The quality of the seat is excellent, very comfortable with great, soft padding. My favorite feature has to be the zip-off seat pad! It's super easy to clean up spills on the fabric as well. My only complaint is the cup holder. I personally prefer the cup holder to be "built-in" to the seat, not just attach to the side. However, it is very convenient that you can attach the cup holder to either side of the seat. All in all, I'd definitely recommend this seat to anyone looking to upgrade, or to someone who wants to buy a good, quality carseat and use it from the very beginning!

I just transitioned my 11-month old to this convertible car seat. She is loving it! It is so comfortable and Chico really got the "hassle" items with a normal car seat right. First, my kids are all very long so I love the adjustable height. Next, the seat straps stay out to the side, no more digging under baby to find the straps!! Also, the straps self adjust once you buckle them so you can be rest assured you have the right for, not too tight but tight enough. The ability to unzip the cover for cleaning is amazing. The installation and moving it in and out is so easy with the automatic latches. Lastly, the 9-position tilt system is key to the right positioning for safety and also for comfort. I feel so great knowing our daughter is in a super safe yet comfortable car seat.

My daughter is 10 months and at 21 lbs, my keyfit was giving me quite a workout. I decided to upgrade to the nextfit and I am so happy I did! The installation could not have been easier and is a high quality product. The fabric is very comfortable and I love that it is breathable, making our upcoming 6 hour road trip that much more comfortable for my daughter. However, what is most important to me is that a car seat is reliable and this seat is so durable. This puts my mind at ease whether going 5 minutes to daycare or hour long trips to visit family. Plus spills are easy to clean up with the zip off fabric - there are really no downsides! Although if I had to pick one, I wish there was more color but that is just in contrast to the keyfit I had which was really bright teal. I definitely would recommend this to anyone looking to upgrade from the infant car seat or those willing to skip the infant and go straight to a convertible!

I got this car seat for my second daughter who is 11 months and i wish i bought my 2 year old the same one. I love that its easy and safe to install in and out of vehicles. I am using it in the rear-facing method currently and my daughter loves it she doesn't cry as much as before and i truly believe that she is more comfortable. The fabric is really made of great quality which does not make my child sweat after an hour drive. I love how easy it is to adjust the harness without taking the entire car seat apart which i have experienced with other brands like Graco extended 2 fit that I bought my oldest daughter. Additionally, it is nice that you can adjust the recline position. Since i often travel to Boston, I look forward to utilizing this car seat to its full potential and my baby will have a wonderful ride.

I got this car seat for my second daughter who is 11 months and i wish i bought my 2 year old the same one. I love that its easy and safe to install in and out of vehicles. I am using it in the rear-facing method currently and my daughter loves it she doesn't cry as much as before and i truly believe that she is more comfortable. The fabric is really made of great quality which does not make my child sweat after an hour drive. I love how easy it is to adjust the harness without taking the entire car seat apart which i have experienced with other brands like Graco extended 2 fit that I bought my oldest daughter. Additionally, it is nice that you can adjust the recline position. Since i often travel to Boston, I look forward to utilizing this car seat to its full potential and my baby will have a wonderful ride.

Love the new features on the new Chicco NextFit Zip! Tightening the harness is so much easier than the older model we have - love it! Also, I love the new lock-off - you only need one hand to lock-off the belt. The only issue I have been having is the zipper on the cover, which keeps getting stuck in the same spot every time (the first inward curve on the right side). I have to pull the fabric taut and somewhat wrestle it to zip/unzip). Besides that, I love this carseat!

Love the new features on the new Chicco NextFit Zip! Tightening the harness is so much easier than the older model we have - love it! Also, I love the new lock-off - you only need one hand to lock-off the belt. The only issue I have been having is the zipper on the cover, which keeps getting stuck in the same spot every time (the first inward curve on the right side). I have to pull the fabric taut and somewhat wrestle it to zip/unzip). Besides that, I love this carseat!