IMMI Go Review

IMMI Go storage bag

The IMMI Go stores in a bag that’s conveniently attached to the seat. Preparing the seat for use means removing the bag from the larger part of the seat itself. The bag folds into itself and stores right on the seat. Once the bag is tucked away, the seat is ready for installation in harnessed mode.

IMMI Go top tether required

Installing the IMMI Go with lower anchors wasn’t challenging at all. The base of the seat fit nicely into the dip in my car’s seat. Once it was on the vehicle seat, pulling the lower anchor adjuster strap straight out from the back of the seat while pushing the seat’s base toward the back of the vehicle made for a fairly painless, snug install.

The top tether is always required for harness mode installation.

IMMI Go vehicle seat belt loops

Where the lower anchor install was quite simple, installing this seat with the vehicle seat belt was a completely different story. The vehicle belt routing is atypical — two fabric loops attach to the back of the seat’s base. The vehicle belt is threaded around one armrest, through those two loops, then around the second armrest. This routing reminded me of the Britax Frontier 85’s long belt path routing, only in this case, in my vehicle, this routing made a solid install impossible.

The top tether is always required for harness mode installation.

It’s possible that this routing works just fine on flat vehicle seats but I can’t say for sure.

IMMI Go: 3 years old, 33 lbs, 36 inches tall

This little cutie is newly 3 years old. He weighs 33 lbs and is 36 inches tall.  Most of the time, he rides rear facing but were he to travel with this seat, it could be the right seat for that situation.  He’s got plenty of room to grow here.

IMMI Go: 6.5 years old, 51 lbs, 47 inches tall

This model is 6.5 years old, weighs 51 lbs, and is 47 inches tall. These days, she rides in both a harnessed seat and a booster seat depending on the vehicle. Both seats are the right seat for her. She’s at the very top end of the height range for the IMMI Go. The manual allows for the harness height adjusters to be at or above the child’s shoulders. For this kiddo, those adjusters are right at her shoulders and she found that VERY uncomfortable.

Unlike traditional harnessed car seats that have a 5 point harness built into some type of rigid shell, the IMMI Go does not have a shell. The top tether is required to keep the harness in place. The IMMI Go can only be used in seating positions that have a top tether.

For my model, this lack of structure was quite disconcerting. She’d prefer more of a shell around her as she rides.

IMMI Go: off center

Unlike a more traditional harnessed car seat, everything about the IMMI Go’s harness is adjustable. The lap portion adjusts at the hips and the shoulder height adjusts on the front of the seat. Our first attempt at using the IMMI Go was kind of a flop — the hip straps were not quite even so our 6 year old model wound up off center. It took a little finesse to figure out the right amount of adjustment to place the kiddo squarely in the middle of the seat. Once we found that spot, we stopped adjusting the straps at the hip. The manufacturer let us know that having the harness be little off center is acceptable so this isn’t a big concern.

IMMI Go conversion to booster mode

The IMMI Go’s main function in the world is as a lightweight, portable car seat. That’s where it shines. Converting the IMMI Go from harness to booster mode is not something we’d suggest doing on a regular basis. The process involves removing 5 brackets from the seat with the help of a flat head screwdriver, unthreading the vehicle seat belt loops from the back of the seat, and removing the crotch buckle from the harnessed part of the seat.

IMMI Go conversion to booster mode

This process is so involved that we can’t see a scenario where the IMMI Go is the best booster choice — once the harness is removed, we’re hard pressed to want to switch back and forth between modes.  We strongly suggest keeping the manual handy for reference during this process.  We also strongly suggest keeping the manual handy for reference while converting the IMMI Go back to harnessed mode.  Both tasks were frustrating and time consuming.

IMMI Go is converted to a booster!

I did feel a little bit like I’d won the lottery once the seat was finally converted to booster mode!

IMMI Go booster mode: 6.5 years old, 51 lbs, 47 inches tall

Here’s our model from earlier, only now she’s excited because she’s in a backless booster.  She’s still 6.5 years old, weighs 51 lbs, and is 47 inches tall.  The IMMI Go offered a nice belt fit for her — the shoulder belt sits right across the middle portion of her shoulder and the lap belt is low across her hips.  The IMMI Go dropped right into the small dip in my vehicle seat and allowed her to easily buckle herself into the seat.

IMMI Go booster mode: 10 years old, size 10 clothing, 55 inches tall

This model is 10 years old, wears a size 10 most of the time, and is 55 inches tall.  About half the time now, she passes the Five Step Test to ride without a booster seat.  These days, she knows the Five Step Test and can check her own belt fit before getting into a vehicle.  The IMMI Go offered her a great belt fit and she liked how the booster kind of blended into the car.  It’s a very low profile booster so the IMMI Go could be a long-lasting option for families who would need a travel seat followed by a backless booster.