Our friends at Cosco have been busy lately introducing a slew of new convertible and multimode car seats to fit a variety of children at a variety of reasonable price points. The Comfy Convertible is another new model; in short, it’s a Cosco Apt 50 with a VERY plush cover and plush inserts. Let’s take a closer look.
Cosco Comfy Convertible
CSFTL Quick Stats
- Rear facing weight range: 5-40 pounds
- Rear facing height range: 19-40 inches tall
- Forward facing weight range: 22-50 pounds
- Forward facing height range: 29-43 inches tall
- Forward facing age range: 2 years minimum
- Shell height: 24 inches
- Lowest harness position: 5 inches
- Highest harness position: 16 inches
- Expiration: 8 years
- Lower anchor weight limit: 50 pounds
Features
- 3 buckle strap positions: 3, 4.5, and 6 inches
- 6 harness positions: 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 16 inches
- No moving parts to adjust between rear and forward facing
- 2 built-in cup holders
- Lightweight, simple to install
Measurements
- Weight: 6.8 pounds
Installation
Rear Facing
There aren’t any moving parts like a recline foot or adjustable base to change when installing the Comfy Convertible in rear facing mode. Simply set the flat part of the base on the vehicle seat and thread the lower anchors or vehicle seat belt through the clearly marked rear facing belt path.
Rear Facing Footprint
Front to back, the seat takes up roughly 32 inches when installed at the most reclined angle for the smallest passengers. When installed at the slightly more upright angle for older rear facing passengers, the Comfy Convertible is 31 inches front to back.
Lower Anchors
Cosco Comfy Convertible rear facing belt path
I found that almost every task I could imagine with this seat required removing the fabric cover to access the belt path or the harness. This wasn’t too much of an issue since the cover removes easily. There aren’t any elastic hooks or velcro fasteners to deal with, just a smooth elastic band around the edge of the cover to remove.
Cosco Comfy Convertible rear facing belt path
Once I folded back the cover, accessing the belt path was simple. I was able to connect the lower anchors, apply pressure in the seat pan with my non-dominant hand, and pull the tail end of the webbing straight up through the belt path. Once the seat was installed, slipping the cover back into place was fairly simple.
Vehicle Seat Belt
Installing the seat with the vehicle seat belt was about as painless as installing it with the lower anchors. The key to a solid install was removing the cover from the portion of the seat on the side away from the buckle. Once the seat belt was buckled and locked, I applied pressure in the seat pan with my non-dominant hand, removed the slack from the lap portion of the seat belt, then pulled the shoulder portion of the vehicle belt snug for a solid install.
Fit to Child
Smaller Harness Setting
Cosco Comfy Convertible Harness Standard Setting
The Comfy Convertible has a unique harness routing for the smallest passengers. While converting the seat to the smaller setting, I kept the manual nearby for reference.
Cosco Comfy Convertible Harness Size Adjustment
To move the seat to the smaller harness setting, use a flat head screwdriver to pop the end of the harness out of place. Feed it through the hole in the seat’s shell, then thread it back through the smaller set of holes.
Cosco Comfy Convertible Harness Adjusted for Newborns
The harness itself has 2 sets of loops — adjusting the harness for the smallest passengers also requires moving the straps to the smaller set of loops. To do this, remove each side from the splitter plate, then re-attach the harness using the smaller set of loops. The finished product will look like the image here.
Fit to Child
Newborn
Cosco Comfy Convertible: newborn doll, 7 pounds, 17 inches long
Our newborn model is a Huggable Images doll who weighs 7 pounds and is 17 inches long. With the harness straps on the inner set of slots, the Comfy Convertible offered a solid harness fit.
Toddler
Cosco Comfy Convertible: 14 months old, 23 pounds, 26 inches tall
This sassy model is 14 months old, 23 pounds and is 26 inches tall. With the harness on the outer set of loops, the seat fit her well. She’s got plenty of room to grow and her mom loved how lightweight the seat is!
2 Years Old
Cosco Comfy Convertible: 2 years old, 30 pounds, 34 inches tall
This model has grown up modeling seats for CSFTL. He’s now 2 years old, weighs 30 pounds, and is 34 inches tall. With the harness on the outer set of loops, he’s still got some room to grow.
Installation: Forward Facing
Cosco Comfy Convertible forward facing
Installing the Comfy Convertible forward facing was easier with the cover removed to access the belt path. There isn’t a recline foot or recline block so it’s just a matter of setting the Comfy Convertible onto the vehicle seat, buckling through the forward facing belt path, and applying pressure into the seat back while tightening the lower anchors or locked seat belt. I was able to install the seat and attach the top tether without too much trouble.
Fit to Child
Forward Facing
4 Years Old
This uber-cooperative 4 year old model weighs 29 pounds and is 38 inches tall. As she’s such a pixie, she could even still fit in the seat rear facing because she still has a bit of shell over her head. She has plenty of room to grow forward facing as well. Her younger brother uses this seat’s cousin, the Apt 40, from time to time but finds the crotch buckle too tight for his liking.
Important Information: Where to Find
FAA Approval Label
Cosco Comfy Convertible FAA Approval label
The Comfy Convertible is approved for use on aircraft. The approval sticker is found on the outside of the seat’s shell, on the child’s left side.
Date of Manufacture
Cosco Comfy Convertible Date of Manufacture label
The date of manufacture label is on the outside of the shell of the seat by the child’s left leg. The seat has an 8 year lifespan.
Manual Storage
Cosco Comfy Convertible manual storage
The manual is stored in a compartment under the child’s left leg. To access this compartment, lift up the cover. I found that the manual didn’t quite fit into the compartment but it’s possible that children wouldn’t notice the protrusion.
Overall Thoughts
Families looking for a lightweight seat for travel may find the Comfy Convertible a great option. With a 16″ top harness slot, this seat isn’t the longest lasting seat but it definitely fills an important niche: a reasonably priced, plush, lightweight seat that fits many different kids under age 5 or 6.
