Good option, but better alternatives

Author's Rating:

Pros: Safe, durable, easy to install and use, inexpensive.

Cons: Spartan, utilitarian, hard to tighten straps.

The Bottom Line: 
A good buy for a cost conscious parent. It does the job well, but it won't win any style or comfort points from most kids.

Author's Review
As with most things, you tend to get what you pay for. I have twins, and as such, was very interested in finding a good, safe seat that was reasonably convenient for a good price (read cheap cheap cheap). I tried another seat that was just too poorly made before we returned it and bought this seat. We have been using it for a little over a month, and I still have some mixed feelings about it.

If you are looking for a plush, padded, safety 'couch', then this is definitely not the seat for you. My 15 month old son seems to like sitting in it, but every time I unbuckle him, he arches his back and stretches. I haven't determined whether this is due to being in an uncomfortable position, or just his habit after getting 'free' of the buckle. I tend to believe the later, but will not rule out the former.

The safety is a given with this model. Consumer Reports ranks it very highly, and I believe it. The straps are very secure, and the plastic is sturdy and durable, and the foam is cushioning, but not overly so.

This is the sixth car seat we have owned, so we have gotten to know the ropes a bit. One of the best features for this seat so far are the straps. They don't bind, crimp, or tangle. They are easy to get out of the way, and make putting the child in and taking them out very easy and quick. The only downside of the straps are that it can be difficult to get them tight. It certainly isn't a chore, but you have to give it a good pull to retighten them if you need to loosen them for some reason.

Installation is a snap. Finally, someone used their brain and made the cover intelligently. The seat cover has an overlapping flap positioned perfectly to reach through when you need to pull the seat belt through. This isn't an issue if you use the LATCH anchors, but I still prefer the seat belt. And I'm pretty tired of raking my knuckles on the inside of the seat trying to weave the seatbelt through an opening made for a hand half the size of mine, so this feature is a Godsend. This seat is an excellent choice if you have to move it from car to car. My Mom used to think I was mean because I wouldn't take our old car seats out and let her take the kids with her if we happened to meet somewhere. Now I don't mind a bit (at least with this seat ... our other twin is still too small for a forward facing seat and her's is a major pain to pull out).

There are a lot of reasons to buy this seat, but there are a lot of reasons to look for something else. I was not able to find something that was comparable in price (or even within 30 dollars for that matter) that I felt was as safe, durable, and functional as this seat. However, you won't get a warm fuzzy feeling knowing your child is riding in the lap of luxury. If you have money to burn, find something else. If you are cost conscious, this is a good option.

The pros are simple. It's inexpensive, sturdy, safe, and easy to use. The cons are just as simple. It's a bit spartan in that it has no frills. It's a plain simple safety seat. If you are looking for the 'Lexus' of car seats, this isn't it. It's probably more of a Saturn ... safe, durable, and priced reasonably.