iCoo Baby iGuard35 Review

iCoo iGuard 35, Hauck’s luxury brand’s new rear facing only seat

Hauck is a German company with about a century of experience making baby gear. We first met Hauck at ABC Kids Expo in 2014, and have enjoyed visiting with them at conferences and trade shows ever since. After selling strollers in the US for a short while, Hauck released a rear facing only seat here in the United States.

The iCoo Baby Acrobat travel system includes the new iGuard35 rear facing only car seat. Hauck also produces a similar seat with minor trim changes as the ProSafe35. The ProSafe35 is available for purchase as a travel system and a standalone car seat.

iGuard’s infant insert with removable foam wedge

Infant insert with removable foam pad –  The foam pad and insert are required until baby is 11 pounds, at which time the pad can be removed. After that point, the insert can be used alone until baby weighs 22 pounds. The insert is reversible after the foam is removed.

iCoo iGuard 35 base’s lockoff/recline adjustment level

Belt lockoff on base – This lockoff is also the base’s recline adjustment mechanism. Lifting the handle upwards releases the base’s recline foot, which has three adjustment levels. Both the lap and shoulder portion of the belt go into the lockoff, and the top part closes over the belt to lock it into place.

EPP foam and an easy to remove cover are two of the perks on the iCoo iGuard 35 carrier

Easy to remove fabric cover – the iCoo Baby iGuard35 has a breathable mesh-like cover. It is padded and soft but still seems to keep baby cool, even in hotter climates. The tabs on the cover slide into spaces between the shell and foam to provide a snug fit.

EPP foam – Seen above, this is the black foam lining the inside of the iGuard35, from top to bottom. The EPP foam even wraps around the sides of the carrier as seen in the last photo.

V-Smart harness on the iGuard 35

V-Smart harness alignment system – Aligned in a “V” shape, the harness slots are designed to provide a better fit for even a smaller baby and continue to do so as baby grows.

iGuard 35 base fully adjusted

The base is about 15 inches wide by 22 inches long, but it sits up pretty high on the vehicle seat compared to bases for many other rear facing only car seats. Installing the base is simple; the lockoff locks the seat belt into place without issue. Since part of the lockoff also acts as the recline adjustment lever, the base is easy to adjust in the vehicle.

Installing the iGuard 35 with pool noodles

Since there are only three adjustment settings on the base, a rolled towel or pool noodle may be necessary to achieve the proper recline. The recline indicator has two settings — one for babies under 22 pounds and one for babies over 22 pounds. Since the real baby we have testing the seat weighs less than 22 pounds, the base had to be installed in the more reclined range.

To achieve the proper recline in my vehicle I needed a pool noodle pyramid, taped together.  Some vehicles would require a more substantial pool noodle setup, or perhaps a tightly rolled towel.

iGuard 35’s recline level indicator

iCoo/Hauck is currently planning to produce a new and improved base with an updated recline indicator. Unfortunately, we have not had the opportunity to see or use this new base yet. Our hope is that the updated base would offer a greater recline adjustment range as well as a more user friendly recline indicator. The current indicator is a level indicator with two recline zones. The orange part will move into the desired range when the seat is reclined properly.

Stowing the lower anchor connectors on the iCoo iGuard 35’s base

The iCoo iGuard35 base is also equipped with premium push-button lower anchor connectors. When the iGuard35 is installed with the vehicle belt, the lower anchors must be stowed right in the base itself. There is cover for this area on the base, and the lower anchor connector strap is meant to be tucked behind the “wings” on the lockoff. I had a bit of difficulty making this happen, but eventually got it to work.

iCoo iGuard 35 installed baseless in a Honda Odyssey

Installation without the base is fairly straightforward; the vehicle belt goes through the belt guides on the carrier itself. The belt guides themselves are narrow, but I did not find that to be an issue.

The vehicle belt guides for baseless installation of the iGuard 35 are close to the handle in rebound position

It was easier for me to move the handle into rebound position after I installed the seat fully, since rebound position angles the handle toward the belt path. Remember to lock the vehicle seat belt when installing without the base.

The level line on the iGuard 35 is very visible when installing the iGuard in baseless mode

There is a very visible recline level line on the side of the base. It is easy to see and helps to make a baseless installation that much easier. Parents often use baseless installations when traveling, and installing the carrier with a lap only seat belt, similar to those on airplanes, is fast and simple. The carrier weighs a substantial 10 pounds so this seat may not be the first choice for travel.

These tags on the harness and crotch buckle of the iGuard 35 are very helpful

There is a newborn crotch buckle routing for babies under 8 pounds. The seat includes harness adjustments for babies who weigh between 4-8 pounds and babies over 8 pounds. I found that these tags on the harness and crotch buckle are very clear and helpful. There are two crotch buckle settings, the inner is for newborn routing and then for babies who weigh less than 22 pounds; the outer setting is for babies who weigh over 22 pounds.

iCoo iGuard 35 preemie doll 4 pounds, 17 inches long

Our preemie Huggable Images doll weighs 4 pounds and is 17 inches long. She gets a decent fit with the  insert and lower birth weight padding. The harness has adjustments for smaller babies and the crotch buckle has a newborn setting, both of which are necessary for a small baby like this doll.

Because the harness pads are so long, they may need to be removed for smaller babies. I left them on for this model — I could still easily place the chest clip at the proper level, right around her armpits. The bottom of the insert seemed to bunch around her legs and hips, though this didn’t seem to interfere with the fit of the harness.

iCoo iGuard 35 – 7 pounds, 17 inches long

Our newborn Huggable Images doll weighs 7 pounds and is 17 inches long. She also needed the infant insert with foam padding. She had a good fit with the harness below her shoulders. The harness pads were enough to offer comfort but didn’t seem like they’d get in the way or be too bulky for a baby the size of an average newborn.

Both the manufacture date and expiration date for the iGuard 35/Prosafe 35 are clearly listed on this sticker

Expiration: The iGuard 35 has a 7 year expiration. The date of manufacture is found in several locations. The English language version is located on the left inside panel, with the Spanish language version on the right, on the bottom of the carrier itself. Contact information is also located here on this panel.

A second date of manufacture sticker is located on the bottom of the base.

FAA approval for the iGuard 35/Prosafe 35 is clearly marked on the manufacturer information sticker

FAA Approval Label: Also located on the inside panels on the bottom of the carrier.

Large, clear, and helpful stickers on the base of the iGuard 35 are a nice touch

A large label offering helpful installation advice is located on the back of the seat.

Helpful labels on the iGuard 35 carrier itself might need some improvement in newer models

Handle placement information is located on the handle, however the iGuard35 provided had handle labels which were already rubbing off.