The Evenflo SureRide (also the Evenflo Titan 65) and the Safety 1st Guide 65 are two of the most commonly recommended inexpensive convertible car seats on the market. These seats are comparably priced and relatively long-lasting both rear and forward facing. Even lower priced options can be found in the comparison between the Cosco Scenera NEXT and Cosco Apt50.
Need some help deciding which one fits your needs? Check out our handy comparison! Remember when shopping for any car seat to take into account the fit to the child, the fit to your car, as well as any extra features that may be important for your situation. The ‘best’ seat is the one that fits your child, your vehicle, your budget, and that you can use correctly 100% of the time. Let’s take a look at some differences and similarities between the SureRide and the Guide.
Evenflo SureRide vs Safety 1st Guide 65
| CSFTL Quick Stats: | Evenflo SureRide/Titan 65 | Safety 1st Guide 65 |
| Rear facing: | 5-40 lbs, 19-40″ | 5-40 lbs, 19-40″ |
| Forward facing: | 22-65 lbs, 29-54″ | 22-65 lbs, 34-52″ |
| MSRP: | $89.99-99.99 | $79.99-99.99 |
| Harness heights: | Lowest: 6.5″, Highest: 19″ | Lowest: 9″, Highest: 17″ |
| Lower anchor weight limit: | 50 lbs | 40 lbs |
| Expiration: | 6 years | 8 years |
| Shell height: | 25.5″ | 25″ |
| Lower anchor connectors: | Titan 65 has push on SureSafe connectors | Standard connectors |
| Recline: | One angle for all ages, has foot that aids in proper recline | Two lines creating a range of angles depending on weight and age, no recline mechanism |
Lowest Harness Height
| Evenflo SureRide/Titan 65 | Safety 1st Guide 65 |
| The SureRide/Titan 65 has 6″ bottom slots making it a good choice for use with a newborn, especially with the infant insert, if opting to skip the rear facing only seat. | The Guide 65 has 9″ bottom slots and tends to not offer a safe fit for average infants until around 3-4 months of age. We would not suggest this seat for caregivers who wish to start their newborn with a convertible car seat. |
Evenflo SureRide and Safety 1st Guide top harness slots
Highest Harness Height
| Evenflo SureRide/Titan 65 | Safety 1st Guide 65 |
| The SureRide/Titan 65 has 19″ top harness slots making it one of the tallest convertible seats on the market. With the 6 year expiration, it may expire before your child outgrows it! | The Guide 65 has 17″ top slots, which will allow many but not all children to move directly into a booster seat once the harness is outgrown. Our article Harness or Booster can help you decide when to make the switch. The Guide’s head rest is close to the top shoulder position and some children may find it uncomfortable as they start to outgrow the seat. |
SureRide and Guide top harness slots
Lower Anchor Connectors
| Evenflo SureRide/Titan 65 | Safety 1st Guide 65 |
| While the SureRide has the standard clip-on style connectors, the Titan 65 (at Wal-Mart) has the push-on SureSafe connectors. These feature a strap for releasing the connectors as well as lower anchor attachment guides. | The Guide 65 has the standard style of lower anchor connectors. These are not unsafe by any means, but for a vehicle with recessed lower anchors, might be harder to use. |
The SureRide SureSafe connectors vs the Guide 65’s standard connectors
Recline Mechanism
| Evenflo SureRide/Titan 65 | Safety 1st Guide 65 |
| The SureRide/Titan has a recline foot that is required to be used when rear facing. Depending on the slope of your seat, you may still need a rolled towel or noodle to help achieve and maintain the proper recline angle. We often use the noodleless installation method to install this seat. | The Guide 65 does not come with a recline mechanism for rear facing installations. This means you must use another way to recline the seat. Our video on the noodleless installation in out Guide to the Guide article is helpful in this situation. This seat can be harder to keep at the correct angle because of its lack of recline foot. |
SureRide and Guide recline mechanisms
Recline Angles
| Evenflo SureRide/Titan 65 | Safety 1st Guide 65 |
| The SureRide/Titan 65 has only one recline angle. All rear facing children must use the seat with this line parallel to the ground. Because the SureRide has a tall shell, this restriction can make the seat incompatible in smaller vehicles. When reclined at the required level line, the SureRide takes up the same amount of space as the Guide in the under 22 lbs position | The Guide 65 has two recline level lines. Children who weigh between 5-22 lbs and who do not sit independently must use the lower, more reclined line. Children who weigh over 22 lbs and can sit independently can use the more upright top line. When installed at the top recline line, the Guide takes up several inches less space front to back over the SureRide/Titan 65. |
The SureRide has one required recline vs the multiple recline levels on the Guide 65
Width
| Evenflo SureRide/Titan 65 | Safety 1st Guide 65 |
| The Evenflo measures roughly 18.5″ wide. Because it has a higher base than some other seats, it sometimes will fit in spaces where other child restraints cannot. | At approximately 18″ wide, the Guide is not much more narrow than the SureRide. It does sit lower than the SureRide, which can help puzzle better when it’s installed next to a seat with a higher base. |
The SureRide is 18.5 inches wide and the Guide is 18 inches wide
The SureRide and the Guide65 are both great budget-friendly car seats. When choosing between them fit is the most important factor, but for kiddos who reach the bottom harness position of the Guide 65 either seat is a great choice. After fit, important factors in deciding between these seats are price, longevity, and front to back room. The SureRide is a nice option for older forward facing child because the harness height is too tall compared to other seats.
Hopefully this comparison was able to give you some more insight on which seat is better for your needs.
Similar Seats
Similar seats in this category (lightweight, budget-friendly, convertible seats)
Originally written by Jennifer Penick. Edits maintained by CSFTL.
