Approved By My Back & My Toddler
March 25, 2022
I have a 2-year-old, and the 2-year-old has opinions. I can't say they always align with my own. So, for the days that a car ride isn't his idea of a good time, this car seat makes life a little easier for both of us. I can quickly rotate the seat (with one hand!) and buckle said thrashing toddler into it, without straining my back leaning over. As a bonus, he's decided that he likes turning in the "wheeee seat," so we're all happy.
I have only ever installed two brands of car seats before, so I approached the installation with trepidation (and backup). The included instructions were not as clear as I'd hoped, but the video walkthroughs were incredibly helpful. The seat does require tethering, which I didn't realize at first. Because the tether is attached to the base, I had to disconnect the seat from the base, attach the tether, and start again. However, with this particular tether placement, the seat can move all way around.
Otherwise, the install was fairly intuitive and much less cumbersome that I was expecting. My only feedback here is that the latch connectors and tether "buckle" really require two people to pull them taut-one to depress the belt release, and one to pull the strap. That said, once the latch connectors and seatbelt are attached and tightened, the fit is very secure-the seat does not move.
There are helpful indicators on the sides, highlighting where to line the seat up with the base. There are small windows that show either red or green, to indicate whether or not the seat is locked into the base. Finally, there is a leveling bead on the side, which confirms the appropriate recline position for each weight category.
The seat fits well in both my small SUV and my husband's sedan. It just barely touches the front seat when it is fully reclined, and my husband is 6' 1" for reference. Note that if you have another car seat in the same row as this one, it will need to be on the opposite side, as another seat in the middle would not allow this one to turn easily.
I tried both kids in this seat. One is 2 years, 36" and 28lbs. The other is 3 months, 25" and 15lbs. The padding on the chest straps looks awkwardly large for the baby, but fits the toddler well. The chest straps do have a non-slip backing, which is nice to help keep them in place. The chest clip is easy to fasten, but is lightweight plastic and feels less sturdy than my previous seat. Also of note, my (fairly average size) toddler is just about the maximum height for this seat in the rear-facing position at 2 years and 2 months old, so this could be a drawback if you wanted to keep them rear-facing much past 2. That said, it's easy to rotate around when transporting different children, especially if some are rear facing and others are not. I'm thinking specifically of grandparents here, who could save space and money if they only need to transport one at a time.
I appreciate that the fabrics are neutral colors and pair nicely with any of our vehicles. Best of all, the seat fabric is machine washable! There are dual cup holders that are also removable for cleaning.
Overall, this seat has been a great addition. For disclosure purposes, I did receive this item through the Stellar Product Testing Panel, but I'm not sure we'll ever be able to go back to a fixed car seat, having had the rotation feature. I'm already trying to justify another one for the baby, once she outgrows her infant seat!
This product review was collected by the manufacturer.