Graco is launching a new car seat in stores on July 15th, the Smart Seat? Featuring Safety Surround? Side Impact Protection. The Smart Seat? is an all-in one car seat providing the ultimate in longevity and best side impact protection for every stage.
Key Features:
* Fits infant 4-40 lbs rear-facing in a harness, fits toddler 20-65 lbs forward-facing in a harness and fits youth 30-100 lbs in a belt-positioning booster
* Meets BOTH Graco’s Side Impact Testing and Europe’s Side Impact standard*
**draft standard
* SafeSeat Engineering – Engineered & Crash Tested to Meet or Exceed US Standard FMVS213:
* Side Impact Tested*
* New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) ? peak crash force approximately 2X Car Seat Standard
* Extreme Car Interior Temperatures
* Smart Base? stay-in-car base for one time install (LATCH-equipped and belt lock-off equipped for easier seat belt installation)
* Steel-reinforced car seat frame & stay-in car base provides strength and durability
* Seat to base locking indicators help to ensure that the car seat is secured into the base
* Integrated harness storage compartment holds the harness straps that are not in use while in the belt positioning mode
* Easy-to-read level indicator on the seat helps to eliminate installation guesswork
* One-hand, adjustable headrest with no re-thread harness automatically adjusts the height of the harness & headrest
* One-hand, 6-position adjustable head rest for your growing child
* On-the go, 5-position recline so you can recline child while in use
* EPS, energy absorbing foam
* Flip-up armrests makes it easy to get your child in & out of the car seat
This is literally the only car seat you will ever have to buy your baby from leaving the hospital when they are born through elementary school. The car seat fits infant 4-40 lbs. rear-facing and toddler 20-65 lbs. forward facing. The harness fits youth 30-100 lbs. in a belt-positioning booster.
One awesome thing about this car seat is that it comes in one piece! Right out of the box all you have to do is snap in the cupholder and it is ready to go. Granted the hard part is always installing the car seat.
With this convertible car seat it uses a base when you are installing it rear-facing and forward-facing (not as a booster seat). That means you install the base first and then you just pick up the car seat and drop it in place.
The base was one of the easiest car seats husband has every installed. It got an extremely tight fit without all the grunting and sweating that it has taken him with all our past car seats.
Make sure to turn the wheel so that the car seat is locked in place to the base.
This is my 2009 Chrysler mini van I have it installed in. Here it is rear-facing. It comes with nice cushioning to help keep the tiniest of babies comfortable those first few months.
So that you know it is at the right angle just use the nice level that is attached to the car-seat.
Here it is forward-facing. When adjusting the height of the straps there is no threading needed (if you don’t know what I am talking about consider yourself lucky)!!! You can just squeeze the red grip at the top of the seat and it raises and lowers to the spot you need in an instant. Always make sure the straps are tight on baby.
Lil Sis’s favorite feature would have to be the cup holder since her last car seat that was passed down to her from her older sister did not have one.
Make sure and keep the instruction manual that comes with it. That way when you turn it into a booster seat you have it ready. We keep ours in the glove compartment. When it comes to safety we always follow the instructions to the tiniest detail.
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Buy It!
You can purchase the Smart Seat? Featuring Safety Surround? Side Impact Protection for $339.99 exclusively at Buy Buy Baby.
I received a sample product for this review. All opinions are my own and/or my family’s, take it or leave it. Click here to view my whole disclosure policy.
