It’s road trip season! Early summer is a great time to make sure your kids’ car seats are installed correctly, and don’t need to be replaced. Pit Stops for Kids got the latest scoop in car seat safety and car seat requirements from Safety1st Consumer Safety Expert Julie Vallese. Even those of us who are not new parents could use some reminders as we head into road trip season!
Table of Contents
The three most important things when choosing a car seat are:
- One that fits your child
- One that fits your car
- One that you will use correctly every time
You can accomplish this by:
- Having the car you will be using the seat in with you and try it out at the store
- Having your child with you at the time of purchase
- Following information in both the car seat manual and vehicle manual for installation
- Attending a car seat check for assistance in proper installation and use from a certified car seat technician
New rules for car seats using LATCH require understanding of your car seat’s weight and child’s weight:
- Car seats manufactured after February 27, 2014 are required to carry a new label with guidance on maximum weight limits for LATCH
- The combined weight should not exceed 65lbs
- Look in the manual and label on the car seat to identify the weight of the seat
- Look for a weight on the maximum weight for the child
- Know your child’s weight
- If the combined weight of the seat and your child exceeds 65lbs-install the car seat using the vehicle’s belt
Click to read more safety tips for car seats!
Review of the Safety1st Advance SE 65 Air convertible car seat
Car seats just keep getting more advanced! The Advance 65 Air+ Convertible Car Seat features technology designed to keep children from 5-65 pounds safer in the car. How so? The cushion system includes patented foam in hexagonal shapes for protection around the torso, allowing for better side impact protection. And the Advance 65 Air + uses a steel-reinforced frame for extra stability. You get a four position recline, which helps the seat fit optimally in your car, and color-coded belt paths take human error out of installation.
But let’s get to where to rubber meets the road: we had the Advance 65 Air + tested by a real Pit Stops for Kids mom and toddler. In addition to the safety features, our reviewer noticed the following perks while using the seat day-in and day-out:
- Fully formed headrest, making the seat much more comfortable when the toddler falls asleep.
- Easy buckling system, and easy to wash: our reviewer completely removed the cover and washed it (and put it back on) with no problems.
- Carrying handle: need we say more? This car seat is heavy, and the handle makes it much easier to lug around.
Here’s the nitty-gritty:
- Rear-facing 5-40 pounds
- Forward-facing 22-65 pounds
- Featuring Air Protect +
- 10-position headrest grows with your child
- No re-thread harness
- 4-position recline for optimal fit to your car
- LATCH equipped
- Integrated cup holder
As we disclose whenever applicable, our reviewer received a Safety1st carseat for the purpose of review. Without review product tests, we’d be unable to provide real mom reviews on Pit Stops for Kids.
