Safety 1st Grow and Go Air 3-in-1 Car Seat Review

A Little helping with the Grow and Go Air review.

Our friends at Safety 1st have developed a number of 3-in-1 multimode and convertible car seats that are similar but have different features.  We’ve reviewed the cornerstone seat in this group, the Grow and Go and were eager to take a close look at the new Grow and Go Air.  The seat has three modes: rear facing, forward facing, and booster mode. Our seat’s cover is a peaceful and soft pattern called Evening Tide.

Safety 1st Grow and Go Air recline positions are clearly marked.

Rear facing the Grow and Go Air has the same three positions available for the use of the seat as the regular Grow and Go.  Positions two and three are for rear facing, and between the two they offer quite a large range. However, even with this in my car I needed to install the seat more reclined than I could achieve mechanically to get the seat to a newborn angle. If this seat will be used for a newborn, plan to have a rolled towel, pool noodle, or install the seat noodleless to achieve the correct recline. It was not difficult, but because there’s a single recline line and I was alone it did mean going in and out of the car to check the recline over and over. That’s normal for all seats with a single recline line, and the fastest way to install is to have a second person standing outside the car to give you guidance on the recline line.

Safety 1st Grow and Go Air installed rear facing with the seatbelt at a non newborn angle.

With the seat belt the install was straightforward and easy. Pulling the cover aside to reveal the rear facing belt path, especially if you have larger hands, will make things easier. I have small hands and did not pull the cover aside, and it was doable. I was being stubborn more than efficient.

The Safety 1st Grow and Go Air installed well with the noodle-less installation method for a newborn angle.

The lower anchors for this seat are somehow easier than other seats by Safety 1st. I suspect the height of the belt path gives more room for tightening, but whatever the reason I found the lower anchors very easy to use rear facing. I didn’t have to pull the cover aside to tighten it completely, and I was able to install with the anchors in about 10 seconds every time I did it (I was also using the noodle-less install method). The connectors are the typical hook on connectors which are standard on many seats. They are threaded through the belt path when the seat is new or when switching from rear to forward facing.

Rear facing the tether is not used; it stores easily out of the way on the lower back of the seat.

The Safety 1st Grow and Go Air’s headrest was nearly pushed forward by my vehicle’s headrest.

Forward facing with the seat belt or lower anchors was also very easy. With the headrest all the way up there’s a panel that can unsnap and fold forward, showing the forward facing belt path. This makes it easier for parents to route the belt or lower anchor strap, and then to pull either of those tight again. Forward facing installations were not a problem. The standard lower anchor weight limit for Safety 1st seats is 40 pounds, child’s weight. A vehicle seat belt must be used to install this seat for children who weigh more than 40 pounds.

The Safety 1st Grow and Go Air’s lower anchors were also just as easy.

Depending on the shape of your backseat and head restraints from the car, I could see there being compatibility issues, so check this out even if you’re installing and planning to use the seat rear facing for a long time. In my car, the head restraint was positioned well and didn’t interfere, but in other cars with more prominent rear head restraints it could push the Grow and Go Air’s headrest too far forward to install well.

The tether is easy to unhook from its storage spot and route through to the tether anchor.

The Safety 1st Grow and Go Air’s booster belt fit is good, without armrests or a typical guide.

When using this seat as a booster there are no armrests or even a very typical belt path. However, the belt fit on the child is very good. The lap belt sits low on the hips and stays snug to the child’s body. The shoulder belt should be routed under the Easy Out Harness Holder on the buckle side. It provides a nice shoulder belt fit as well. My 6 year old was able to buckle it in herself and had no complaints at all about the seat in booster mode.

This seat does NOT use the lower anchors when in booster mode. The lower anchors and tether must be stored away, and the seat buckled when not in use to keep it from becoming a projectile.

A great small newborn fit with the straps below the shoulders, the crotch strap not too long to be cumbersome, and the harness passing the pinch test.

This doll is too squishy to have even an approximate weight or height, but the Grow and Go Air starts at 5 pounds and 19″, so let’s go with having a child just at the lowest ends of this seat’s allowance.The small newborn doll fit VERY well. I was actually very surprised, this doll doesn’t fit in all seats.
In order to use this seat for a newborn the harness needs to be unthreaded from the headrest and rethreaded through the main body of the seat. The inserts should be added at this time, and the inner loops of the harness should be used. This sounds like a lot of work, but the manual makes it very easy with step by step picture instructions of every step needed. I just followed along with what the manual said and found myself with a very nice fit for a newborn. Fantastic!

The harness covers can be removed to fit the tiniest of passengers.  Please store them in a location you’ll remember — replacements cannot be ordered separately.  The manufacturer only sells the harness pads as part of a set along with a new cover.

The instructions for rerouting the harness into newborn mode.

You can see the straps are just a hair below the small newborn’s shoulders. They passed the pinch test, and with the crotch buckle in the shorter setting (it’s in the innermost slot, but routed back up into the middle slot) everything fit the doll very well.

Safety 1st Grow and Go Air with the newborn doll.

The harness was difficult to tighten in this mode, but my 6 year old was able to tighten the doll in it, so it’s certainly not something an adult can’t do, just harder than most seats. I don’t know if this will get easier with time and use, however.

This seat has a FANTASTIC newborn fit.

Newborn, 7 pounds, 17 inches

The newborn sized Huggable Images doll is listed at 17″, not long enough to use this seat, but I suspect with his legs unbent he’s the required 19″.

I kept the inserts and routing from the previous small doll, and you can see with the average newborn torso this seat fits babies easily. The straps are WELL below the shoulders of the doll, and I was able to get theme to pass the pinch test with ease. For the average newborn, this seat will fit without a worry.

This little cutie is 18 months old.  She weighs 23 pounds and is 32 inches tall.   The seat is very soft and padded, which she seems to enjoy. The headrest does block her view some, which she’s not used to, but for the most part, she’s quite content to ride in this seat.

Her mom reports that the seat can be VERY compact — it’s one of the few seats fit in their 2 door 2006 Jeep Wrangler.  However, it still has to be very upright to fit without sacrificing front seat space. In their vehicle, the more upright the Grow and Go Air is installed, the more difficult it is to loosen and tighten the harness.

Safety 1st Grow and Go EX: 2 Years Old

This model is 21 months old, weighs 29 pounds, and is 34 inches tall. The seat’s low sides make loading him into the seat pretty simple and he’s got a good bit of room to grow.

Safety 1st Grow and Go EX: 3 Years Old

This model is 3.5 years old, weighs 28 pounds, and is 36 inches tall. She’s on the smaller side of the growth curve so she’s still got plenty of rear facing room left in this seat!

Safety 1st Grow and Go EX 3 Years Old

This model is 3.75 years old, weighs 36 pounds, and is 38.5 inches tall. She’s she’s pushing the height and weight limits for this seat. Using the third harness position from the bottom, she’s got a little room to grow in this seat, but not much.

In the house the straps were right at the shoulders, trending to below.

The 6 year old doll weighs 45 pounds, and is a very tall 6 year old at 48″.  She’s one inch away from the overall height limit for the harness on this seat, and her shoulders were just at the top harness height. If she was a real child she might have settled a bit after I buckled her up and she might have just fit, but at her height it was so close I would call this outgrown. But only just.

In the house, six years old, with a little room to grow in the harness.

I used 6 year old Laine the child to model the seat in harnessed and booster modes for us. She weighs 54 pounds and is 46 inches tall. She found the harness uncomfortable, though I suspect that had a lot more to do with the fact that she’s only just moved to a booster and doesn’t want a harness again rather than any actual discomfort. I can’t imagine she disliked the feel of the very large and thick allowed strap covers, and she did like the feel of the cover quite a bit.

Safety 1st Grow and Go Air with the straps in the highest harness height for a six and a half year old.

When she first sat in the seat she said it was very soft and she liked that. She was able to buckle herself in harness mode easily, and kept telling me to tighten it, there was no complaint about the feel of the straps on her shoulders (again, part of why I think she said it was uncomfortable is because she would rather sit in a booster).In booster mode, the belt fit was great, and she was able to buckle herself in. She said it was quite a comfortable seat and liked it quite a lot once I stored away the harness.

Safety 1st Grow and Go Air’s harness storage instructions from the manual.

When not using this seat for a newborn, the harness is a no-rethread, pulled up by a handle at the top of the headrest rather than two independent handles like the Grow and Go.

Safety 1st Grow and Go Air recline line.

The seat requires a single recline when a child cannot sit unassisted, but as with other Dorel seats that have come out in the last 18 months, when a child can sit unassisted the seat has no maximum allowed incline. The Grow and Go Air can be very compact when using the more upright of the two mechanical rear facing recline positions and the base installed just flat on the backseat, great for smaller cars or taller front seat passengers.

Dorel’s Air Protect technology, airbags for the head.

The main differences between this seat and the Grow and Go, though, are the Air bladders that surround the head, and the open belt path for the forward facing routing. The Air bladders are basically thick balloons of air, and in a side impact the child’s head will hit those rather than plastic or foam.

There is no buckle padding with this seat compared to the Grow and Go. Some kids will prefer the padding, and I don’t know if it’s available for this seat from Safety 1st. However, it’s one less required thing that can potentially be lost, so there may be an upside to it as well.

Safety 1st Grow and Go Air aircraft approval.

The aircraft approval statement for this seat is located at the child’s right shoulder, and is clearly marked with an airplane symbol to make it easier. However, it is approved only when using the harness, as the booster portion requires a lap and shoulder belt.

Manual storage location.

The manual storage is at the bottom of the base, in the back, and is clearly marked on the seat and in the manual itself.

The Safety 1st Grow and Go Air’s expiration is completely on the bottom of the seat.

Safety 1st Grow and Go Air’s expiration is stamped on the underside.

On the very bottom of the seat, turn it completely upside down to see, the seat has a stamp to not use after 10 years from the sticker on the side. This is also repeated in the manual.

Safety 1st Grow and Go Air’s manufacturer’s information.

The sticker with the model name, number, and date it was made is located near where the child’s left leg will sit.