When Graco announced their first 4-in-1 car seat, I was parts suspicious and parts intrigued. In general, multi-mode child restraints tend to fall short in at least one mode. It’s no small task to make a restraint suitable for a 4 lb newborn all the way up through an 80 lb 10-year-old.
Don’t get too excited! This is just a quick note to tell you that Car Seats for the Littles has had a chance to use and review the new 4-in-1 in all modes and we are very, very, very excited. This picture is just to whet your appetite. Wait for the full review after we have had a chance to use the seat with real, live models for a week. However, at this juncture, we’re comfortable saying that Graco has hit a home run….. to be continued!
One question we see a lot as CSPTs is, “how do I protect my vehicle’s seats when a car seat is installed?” It’s a valid question, especially for expectant parents who wonder what the car seat will do to a vehicle’s interior which was previously untouched by car seats and ground goldfish crackers.
Kiddy USA generously offered us a Kiddy World Plus for review, and I was eager to try one. Unlike any other child restraint in the US, this seat has a protection shield instead of a 5-point harness. This type of restraint is new to the US, but is fairly common in Europe, where restraints similar to this one are seen more frequently.
So, you’re scrolling through your local buy-sell-and-trade page, or your local craigslist ads, searching for maybe a new stroller, or some baby clothes for that little one that doesn’’t seem to stop growing. Then, you stumble across an ad for a car seat. “EXCELLENT CONDITION” is what the caption says, along with “Not expired!” It may be a great deal, a bargain, half of what that seat retails for in a store.
The Safety 1st Advance SE 65 Air + convertible car seat is a recent addition to the Safety 1st roster of child restraints. We were excited to take it and its multiple recline positions, a no re-thread harness and generous weight and height allowances out for a spin!
As Child Passenger Safety Technicians, we often have the opportunity to work with parents and caregivers that are excited about car seat safety and interested in becoming CPSTs themselves. One of the most common questions they ask about the certification process is what does a CPST do, anyway?
Child Passenger Safety Technicians are often faced with some difficult scenarios. CPSTs can traverse the challenging territory of fitting three car seats across bench seat, selecting a seat for a tiny car with tall children, or the puzzle of a jam-packed minivan where only certain seats can be used in certain positions.
The Evenflo Triumph is not a newcomer to the convertible car seat world; it’s gone through several upgrades over the years and is loved by many for its ease of use features.
When it comes to resources for child passenger safety technicians, the LATCH manual easily makes the short list of “must have” references. It is jam packed with technical information that is invaluable to the CPST. Need to know how to use a top tether (rear or forward facing)? Want to know where LATCH began or how to use a retrofit tether? Can’t find the anchors in a vehicle that should have them? The LATCH Manual can tell you all of that, and so much more.
