Evenflo Shyft DualRide Rear Facing Only Car Seat Review

Evenflo Shyft DualRide

When our friends at Evenflo let us know that there was a new rear facing only car seat on the way, I was definitely ready to take on the challenge of reviewing it. I didn’t know much about what was headed my way, but imagine my great surprise when a car seat that’s also a stroller arrived on my porch! I offer a special shoutout to the neighbor from my Buy Nothing group who happened to be picking something up at the same time this seat was delivered and asked if my wife and I were expecting another child.

Evenflo Shyft DualRide

Anyway, I had no idea what to expect from this car seat, so the “it’s also a stroller” bit was quite a surprise. I may have even muttered something about being sent a travel system until I took a close look at the box and saw that it actually contained something kind of amazing — the Shyft DualRide is a lightweight stroller and a car seat all in one!

There is indeed a similar product on the market today. Where the Shyft DualRide differs is that I have a hard time spelling the name correctly, plus a few other key things. The handle extends to a very comfortable length for the caregiver in stroller mode, it includes a cupholder for the caregiver (it attaches to the handle in stroller mode), the wheels can remain installed with the base if you only want to carry the carrier portion around, wheel wells, and some of the trim levels include a stroller bag. Similar items are available on that other seat, there is an extra charge for each item. I also found the Shyft DualRide quite easy to install, found that it fit all of our models from preemie to 16 month old doll well, and was easy to use.

Evenflo Shyft DualRide

We’re not Strollers for the Littles so strollers don’t get a lot of coverage around here. Since this car seat is also a stroller, we feel obligated to take a look at it. We do think strollers are a great thing.

I’ll provide some basic guidelines since the wheels can be attached to the car seat but confirm everything in the manual before heading out for a stroll.

Remove the carrier and wheels from the base by squeezing the lower handle on the back of the carrier, then pulling up on the carrier handle. The wheels will extend at this point.

The carry handle must be in position 1, stroller position, when the seat is used as a stroller.  Squeeze the oblong button on top of the handle, then move the handle into the correct position. Press both handle rotation buttons and rotate the handle into infant carry position (position 2) to move back to the vehicle.

You can also leave the wheels attached to the base and carry just the carrier around. I can’t see too many scenarios where this is the preferred method but here’s how: with the carrier (and wheels) on the base, squeeze the upper handle and pull up on the carrier handle, the carrier will come off, leaving the wheels on the base.

Stroller Handle Height

My entire under-6-foot family took turns pushing the Shyft DualRide around.  The stroller handle was plenty tall for us, but I’m sure you’re wondering how tall it really is.  Our 6 foot tall friend pushed the seat around without issue.  That’s a small data set but there you have it.

Evenflo Shyft DualRide storage bag

2 out of the 3 trim levels of the Shyft DualRide includes a storage bag for use in stroller mode. It cannot be used when the seat is in the vehicle. As stroller storage bags go, it’s fairly large and it attaches easily to the seat. It wouldn’t hold enough stuff for a full grocery run but would be fine for smaller trips or just a day on the town.

Evenflo Shyft DualRide release handles

Pick the stroller up from the ground and squeeze the lower release handle. Lean the stroller toward the front wheels and press down until the stroller folds. You will hear a click when it is securely folded.

Evenflo Shyft DualRide ready to install without the base, but with the wheels

You can install the Shyft DualRide without the base in two ways — with the wheels attached and without the wheels attached. If you install the seat with the wheels attached, the two front wheels must be removed and inserted into little holes on the bottom of the base. This was definitely not obvious to me at first so I wanted to be clear about it here.

Evenflo Shyft DualRide installed without the base

Remove the wheels by pushing the grey button on the center of each wheel to release them from the stroller frame. Then, insert the wheels in the holes on the bottom of the carrier.

Remove carrier but not the stroller frame. Squeeze the upper release handle while lifting up on the carry handle. Stroller remains connected to the base.

To remove carrier and stroller frame, squeeze the lower release handle while lifting up on the carry handle.

Evenflo Shyft DualRide baseless belt guides

The Shyft DualRide has some very nice, easy to see and access belt guides. That made installing it without the base pretty darn easy. To install without the base, collapse the stroller then remove the two largest wheels and attach them to the underside of the carrier.

Evenflo Shyft DualRide installed without the base or wheels

You can also install the Shyft DualRide without the base and without the wheels. It’s effectively naked at this point. Remove the wheels from the carrier, then place the Shyft DualRide on the vehicle seat with the harness facing the rear of the vehicle. Thread the vehicle seat belt through the belt guides, buckle the seat belt, then route the shoulder portion of the belt around the back of the seat. If the retractor has not engaged by this point, pull the shoulder portion of the seat belt all the way out until it clicks, then let it retract back into the vehicle. Press down on the carrier to remove more slack from the belt, then check your work by giving the seat a firm handshake at the belt path. It should move no more than one inch at the belt path.

Evenflo Shyft DualRide preemie with infant insert and shoulder pads

The premie doll weighs 4 pounds and is 17 inches long. We’ve come to expect that Evenflo seats will fit the tiniest of passengers well and the Shyft DualRide did not disappoint! With the infant padding in the seat, the doll has a great fit.

Evenflo Shyft DualRide preemie with infant insert and no shoulder pads

Our Huggable Images newborn doll weighs 7 pounds and is 17 inches long. Here we have the infant insert in place but have removed the shoulder pads.

Evenflo Shyft DualRide newborn doll no infant insert or shoulder pads

We also tried the fit on the doll without the infant insert or shoulder pads. Our doll looks equally comfortable in this setup as well.

Evenflo Shyft DualRide 8 months old

CSFTL’s newest model is an 8 month old charmer who dressed to impress for his modeling debut! He weighs 19 pounds and is 28 inches tall. He absolutely nailed the “smile for the camera” moment and the seat fits him well. Those giant shoulder pads make a lot more sense for a bigger kiddo than they did on our preemie and infant dolls.

Evenflo Shyft DualRide 8 months old plus awesome dog

He’s got plenty of room to grow and his dog Sailor was happy to join the party.

Evenflo Shyft DualRide 16 month old doll

When I see a combination stroller/car seat, I hope that families will be able to use it for a long time. This type of seat requires a slightly higher investment than a basic rear facing only seat would require so I was also stoked to see that our 16 month old doll fits in the Shyft DualRide with some room to grow.

Evenflo Shyft DualRide date of manufacture label

Date of Manufacture label: the Shyft DualRide expires 6 years after the date of manufacture. The label is found on the bottom of the base. There’s also a label on the bottom of the carrier.

FAA approval: the Shyft DualRide is approved for use in aircraft. The label is located in the carrier.