Best Graco My Ride 65 LX Convertible Carseat Deals

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List Price: $139.99
Sale Price: $132.27
Today's Bonus: 6% Off

This is actually the second Graco My Ride 65 car seat we've purchased. We had one for my baby from 4 months old11 months old when we were in a car accident. A car hit us head on and then we were hit from behind by a dump truck. The car was totaled but with my baby in this seat, he came away without even a bruise or bump to show for it! I immediately decided to replace it with the same seat that protected my child so well.

Besides being so safe, I love that my child will be able to fit in it for such a long time. He loves sitting in it and it seems really comfortable for him. The straps are really easy to adjust also, which is wonderful when working about winter coats and such. It is a rather large seat and might not fit well in small vehicles, but we love ours!

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program MY EVALUATION (briefly)

As the parent of... quite a few kids and having used at least half a dozen different car seats over the years (counting the booster seats) I feel that I can state with confidence that this one My Ride 65 is way up there when it comes to design, quality and, equally important, safety.

I won't say that this is the best car seat your money can buy because deciding which one is better when comparing largely similar product can be subjective but I can say that the product is worth the money spent because the seat is meant to 'grow' with your kid and it supports children up to 65 lbs. It's unlikely that you will need another for your kid as he/she grows.

One note of caution: this car seat is... big. If you are planning to use it in a very small car, make sure that you can return it after you open the box and try it out because it just might not fit very well.

MY INVESTIGATION

There are two main configurations: rear-facing (4 to 40 lbs.) and forward-facing (20 to 65 lbs.) I didn't test the rear-facing configuration with a baby but I did go through the two installation procedures for both configuration and tested the forward-facing with an actual passenger.

I wish I could state otherwise but setting it all up is not 'easy', which explains the 56-page manual. There are many options and configurations and the makers expect you to follow everything to the letter if you want your baby to be protected rather than harmed by the seat. I found that doing it all 'by the letter' can be quite time consuming (1-2 hours for each of the 4 configurations I tested) but it absolutely worth the time because you only do two major installations (with adjustments as your kid grows) for the seat's lifecycle.

On each of the 4 installations we ended up with an extremely comfortable and protective seat. I was confident that a child will be as safe as one can reasonably expect given the circumstances of a moving vehicle.

THE MANUAL

As I mentioned before, following the manual to the letter is critical. This is a complex product and the expectations are high for a product that's expected to protect and even save a child's life. I am pleased to say that the English/Spanish, 56 pages for the English version only manual is very well written and, while there are many considerations and many steps to take during installation and operation, everything is well explained and well illustrated.

The manual discusses all the options when it comes to installation, the things to consider (airbags) BEFORE placing a child in the seat, the do's and don'ts of installation and maintenance. Again, the manual covers a lot of ground but I am happy that all the details are there. It should be kept as a reference for as long as one has the seat because I can see myself getting back to it every time I need to make an adjustment just to make sure that I do it right.

INSTALLATION

The basic configurations are rear and forward-facing configurations anchored with either LATCH or the seatbelt. Then, there are various adjustments such as picking the right strap slots, adding or removing the head or body support, etc.

Installation too a log time for the first configuration because I had to get used to using the manual and become familiar with the seat's design but I never felt that I was doing anything unnecessary. Everything was covered by the manual to the right level of detail.

OPERATION

Once all is in place, it's as easy and getting the child into the seat and tightening the seatbelt. While it's likely to become better or more efficient at taking the seat in and out of your car I would not recommend doing this very often. This seat is complicated and bulky and I would get two of them if my child was to ride in two vehicle.

Graco recommends that you place 'something' like a towel underneath to protect your car seat and our past experience agrees with that. The manual is very good at explaining how to clean the product but we didn't try that yet.

DESIGN AND COMFORT

My Ride 65 is comfortable and protective. There is a lot of padding and the various attachments, adjustments and seating configurations should have any child riding comfortably and safely up until the time they don't need a car seat any longer.

FINAL VERDICT

After testing this product, if I was seeking another car seat I would pick this one again without hesitation if I could afford it. The product appears to be safe, comfortable and built to last.

Best Deals for Graco My Ride 65 LX Convertible Carseat

I bought MyRide 65 as a secondary seat in my husband's car. I really don't like it. I also have a Britax and it's so much easier.

These are my issues: The strap adjustment for the child's shoulders is located in such a way that when it is rear-facing, it's incredibly difficult to tighten. You must pull a strap by the child's feet downward and your automobile seat is in the way!!! I feel uncomfortable every time I put her in this seat, I fear that I do not have her tightened in adequately.

Also if you have any issues with hand strength the button to release the shoulder straps is extremely difficult to depress. I have carpal tunnel and it's a bear. As the child grows, shoulder strap adjustment must be done with the seat removed from the car. Don't use this seat if you want to use it for children of different sizes interchangably. It's too much of a pain. In the Britax there is a round knob on the side you just turn to adjust the strap height. Easy Peasy.

I feel the angle of the Myride 65 is too vertical. When my daughter was a newborn her chin touched her chest more in this seat than the Britax. My daughter has greater difficulty sleeping in this seat on long road trips due to it's more vertical position and lighter padding.

All in all, If I were to do it all over again I am glad I didn't purchase this seat as our primary car seat.

Honest reviews on Graco My Ride 65 LX Convertible Carseat

Love this seat. We have 3 of them. They are in a Chrysler Minivan, Toyota 4Runner, and Honda Accord.

So you CAN put this seat in a small car and still have room. This seat is NOT in the center in the Accord and the front passenger seat is NOT pushed all the way forward. Our daughter still has room for her legs in the back.

So yes, it is a big seat, but it fits perfectly in a small car. You don't need to be driving a "sofa" as one reviewer said. :)

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Graco My Ride 65 LX Convertible Carseat

We already had a Britax Boulevard CS 70 and needed a second seat for our other car. Not wanting to spend big bucks on another Britax, we did our research and chose the My Ride 65 LX. We've had it for several weeks now and I have to say, I like it better than our Britax! Why? The design is so much better for our squirrelly toddler. In the Britax, the trigger and strap at the bottom of the seat that you access to tighten and loosen the chest straps is easily within reach of our son, since it's placed just below where the knees hit. He can just reach down and grab the trigger, and then lean forward to loosen his straps. In the My Ride, the trigger and strap are placed much lower down, making it impossible to reach (and since he can't see it, he doesn't even try). Also, the fabric on the Britax isn't one continuous piece my kid likes to pull the sides out while he's riding in it, so that they're sticking out on both sides and the molded plastic underneath is exposed. He can't do that in the My Ride. I also love that there are cup holders on both sides (Britax doesn't have any). My son seems perfectly comfortable in the seat, too. It's definitely larger than many other convertible seats, which is why this is a 4-star review instead of 5 stars, but we're very happy with it and would recommend it to others.

A note on size: We have the seat installed forward-facing in an older Saab sedan. I'm doubtful that it would fit in the car as a rear-facing seat while allowing the necessary space gap to the back of the front seat.