Cheap Baby Trend Flex-Loc Infant Car Seat

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $119.99
Sale Price: $118.36
Today's Bonus: 1% Off

I don't generally write reviews but wanted to praise Baby Trend on the design of this car seat. We were directed to it after the January 07 Consumer Reports review showing this as one of only two infant car seats to pass their more stringent crash tests (TV news showed alarming video of various car seats flying around the passenger compartment after being struck by a vehicle).

Compared to our still-new Safety 1st seat, this one is so much better engineered in a number of ways:

1) The base is super easy to install. Click twice into each of the car's two anchor points, then tug on each of the two straps to tighten the base. That's it. Our old seat had paragraphs of confusing directions that didn't leave me as confident as this one.

2) The base has an easily adjustable tilting mechanism and leveling indicator to insure you get the right angle for the baby's head (no flopping). Our old seat had no such system we used rolled-up towels.

3) The seat has a dial to quickly adjust the seat height as the baby grows. No such system on our old seat.

4) The handle has an ergonomic triangle shape on top for more secure grasp when reaching into the car from the left or right.

5) If the base is not available, the seat can be strapped directly into a car using the car's lap belt.

6) The seat is overall more narrow than our old seat, allowing our two other kids to fit in the back seat with a little more breathing room. Every inch helps.

7) The seat is lighter than our old seat, although it feels just as secure and solid as the old one.

All this, and the seat is the same price as our old one. Unfortunately Amazon/Target was sold out when the Consumer Reports issue came out, but I found them in stock online at Wally World, if you are looking to get one quickly. The one for sale here is a better color combo than Wally's, unless you like lime green but the seats themselves are all the same superb design.

Summary: super easy to install and adjust, well thought-out features, fair price! Makes me want to have more kids just to buy more of these :)

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I have had two kids use my Evenflo carseat. I HATED it. It was like they never even tried it out to see how well its features worked. I finally got so sick of it when my 2nd child was 4 months old that I ordered a Babytrend Flexloc. At first I was seduced by the high safety ratings, but even after that Consumer Reports article was rescinded, I still liked a lot of the features.

Pros:

-very comfy seat, good padding

-the canopy is twice as long as my Evenflo so it can cover baby almost completely

the canopy stays in place; it doesn't fall forward or backward behind the seat

the tightening mechanism under the baby's feet is easy to reach and VERY easy to adjust to make the straps tighter or looser depending on what baby is wearing

the harness mechanism is very easy to adjust (the shoulder strap height). My Evenflo had to be rethreaded every few months and even my mechanically inclined husband said it was horrible. The Flexloc is just a dial on the back that you turn--it's a breeze.

The seat can be transfered between cars without the base. It can be strapped directly to the car by using a seat belt on the car seat or by using the LATCH system if your car has it.

the triangular handle has a nice grip and is easy to hold in any position

this carseat is lighter than my Evenflo

The cloth is very wipeable, not as absorbant of spills and stains as my Evenflo

Cons:

I found a few minor cons that definitely would not deter me from buying this carseat, and one that might (depending on how I can resolve it once I contact Babytrend).

The release button to take the seat off its base is at the toes under the seat. It's a little harder to reach than the ones behind the head if the carseat is backward facing.

As others have said, the buttons to move the handle are a bit stiff, but not horribly so. I was prepared for them to be way worse.

The handle is thinner and doesn't FEEL as sturdy as my Evenflo when carrying baby around, but it hasn't had any problems

-This is the one BIG one that I have to check with Babytrend on: Twice when I have turned a corner sharply, the carseat has tipped to a 45 degree angle! I have tightened down the seatbelt as much as I could, putting my full weight on it and using the seatbelt retracting mechanism. But maybe I'm still not doing it right. The base is narrower than my Evenflo's was, so maybe that's why? So I need to contact Babytrend and see if they have any suggestions. Until then, I guess I'll take the corners slower!

Overall, I have felt like this seat was a MAJOR improvement over my Evenflo and even over the Graco Snugrides I checked out at the store. It was intelligently designed to be easy to use and adjust as baby grows. I would recommend it for sure. Just make sure you strap it in tightly or use the LATCH system if you have it.

Best Deals for Baby Trend Flex-Loc Infant Car Seat

I can't complain too much about this car seat because I got it at 70% off the original price on clearance at a big box store. I can say that if I had paid full price I would be angry. I have 3 kids and have owned 3 different infant seats, this is my least favorite. Here is why -

Cons

1 In order to lock in the bottom buckle both straps need to be placed on top of each other and pushed in at the same time. With a squirming baby this can be very difficult, plus to is very hard to push in. I mean REALLY hard to push in Frustrating!

2 The strap to adjust the tension is very hard to pull tight or to loosen. When your child is crying you want these actions to go as smoothly as possible. But it takes so long to get the baby properly strapped in in this seat, which leads to even more crying. More frustration!

3 It is a heavy seat. Try lugging this around with a baby in it and you will have arms of steal! But your back will kill you.

4 It is not that big, it is very narrow. My daughter is 14 pounds now and she is already starting to get tight. I cannot imagine any child up to 30 pounds could fit in this thing. I imagine by the time she is about 20 pounds we will have to get a new seat for her.

Pros -

1 It is smallish. If you want a smaller seat for a new born and then plan to upgrade later, this is a good choice.

2 Adjusting the head restraints is very easy and I would say the best feature. Just a twist of the knob in the back. No taking out the straps and retreading them through different holes.

All in all, it is not a bad car seat, but not worth the $130+ they are asking. I'm happy with it at the clearance price.

Honest reviews on Baby Trend Flex-Loc Infant Car Seat

We love the handle on this car seat. I owned a Graco Snug Ride and HATED it---it does not snap into a supermarket shopping cart. The handle is a triangle shape and you can carry it forward, backward, or against your hip. Love it, bought one with my second child and again for my last child when the first one expired.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Baby Trend Flex-Loc Infant Car Seat

I have a 12 week old and in that short time, the mechanism that allows the handle to rotate forward and back (carrying position to "in the car" position) has failed. Since the product is under warranty I called Baby Trend and they would only help me if I sent the car seat back to them for repair. Obviously, if I do that, I will have no means of transportation for my baby. I would need to buy a new car seat, which defeats the purpose of having it repaired! I spoke with the head of the customer service department who refused to send a replacement. I do not advise buying this or any other Baby Trend product that you cannot afford to lose for a few weeks to have repaired.