List Price: $249.99
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program It is a great seat, but I would suggest trying out "the fit" in whatever type vehicle you will be installing it in.
I tried this one in a Toyoata Seinna and had to use a towel rolled up to adjust the lean of the seat. This made the seat not wobble and fit snuggly with minimal movement. There is pleny of leg room and would probably even be true for smaller cars.
One con is that the straps are sometimes hard to loosen when unbuckling. Also, it does not come with belt covers at the neck, which is a feature I believe ALL carseat manufacturers should include.
Overall, I really like this seat!
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Dorel Juvenile Group company manufactures a lot of car seats which is good because consumers are offered a lot of options based on their budget. The problem is that the car seat design offered by this company is basically all the same internally. Which is bad because if there is one negative aspect, then all the other products with the same features are affected.I have the Safety 1st Complete Air 65 SE Protect Convertible Car Seat. I love the color and design apart from the safety aspect of having a side impact protection in the form of an air filled bag like, well, an airbag to absorb any impact. It also allows a tighter space around the head so that it doesn't move around especially for younger babies with weaker muscle control. That car seat looked more expensive visually than the actual purchase price. Unfortunately that's the only positive thing I can say about it.
Fast forward to three years later and I am presented with this Safety 1st Alpha Elite 65 Convertible Car Seat. I was hoping for a revamp in design to rival the more expensive Britax, Clek, and Orbit car seats. What I got was the same underpinning to my existing Safety 1st top of the line car seat without the nice side airbags but replaced with a similar side protection insert and the addition of an arm rest. All others remain the same.
DESIGN
To start, it looks a little bit better in person than on the sample photos. The color scheme is neutral gray which will fit right alongside the mainstream gray interiors of all the Japanese, American and Korean cars these days.
Installation has always been the same which is not difficult at all especially if you have the LATCH option in your vehicle. It's easy to buckle and tighten as well as remove to shake off the crumbs and to eventually clean more thoroughly.
You now get an arm rest that easily swings up and down as you see fit. The issue is swinging it up won't make this already bulky car seat any more compact. The arms are there already and I'd say it takes up an additional 2 inches each way. That means a loss of 4 inches of space if your vehicle space is precious as it is.
WASHING
The weakness as always with all the Safety 1st convertible car seats is in the convenience of removing the cloth for washing. The seat pads are washable. The manual shows you how to remove it which all you need to do is remove the elastic garter belts behind fastened by a simple plastic tab. I don't like those tabs. It's too flimsy and these don't hold the elastic belts securely.
The other problem is you have to wiggle the seat pads further when removing it away from the built-in adjustable headrest.
A big improvement in this car seat versus my older Complete Air 65 SE, is that the cloth covering the adjustable headrest is now fully washable, too. Fumy thing is the manual doesn't tell you, but perhaps because it is even easier to remove it by slipping the elastic belt around the red latches. That's it. Even so, there should be instructions on it.
My old seat didn't have the ability of the center cloth of the adjustable headrest to be removed because of the way the airbag is installed. The problem is that 90% of the child is in contact with this non-removable cloth part. While only the bum is in contact with the washable aspect. When my child threw up twice all over his car seat, I had to basically analyze how the cloth was installed and mastered how to remove it for washing. It wasn't pretty and there were a lot of curse words I said while disassembling the cloth.
I'm happy to say you won't have that kind of nasty experience over here in this improved washable aspect. You do still have to deal with the tabs and wiggling the cloth.
PRICE
This one is also a few bucks cheaper than the top of the line Air 65 SE that I mentioned above. The price really isn't bag if this is within your budget. You get a sturdy car seat that can last from infant to toddler all the way to being a booster seat rated to 100lbs, if they don't complain on tightness at this point.
You don't get the elegance of better design or disassembly convenience of those pricier car seats double the price of this one. But you do get the most important aspect which is safety and protection of your child.
OVERALL
If this was within my budget, I would exactly be their target market. My gripe is that of all the car seats they manufacture they can't seem to get their design and color scheme right. It's like grandmas are their designers for the cloth pattern and color scheme. Don't they know this is the 21st century already? Where are the modern trendy patterns and bright colors. Where is the Oeke-Tex Standard in their materials? What about Organic textiles and PVC-free materials?
How about more padding to protect the bum for longer drives. Or a more compact and less bulky car seat through improved construction and use of better materials than their usual plastics that have to be thick to maintain rigidity?
That's why they earn 3 stars. Nothing more. Nothing less. Like I said, you get what you pay for. At less than $200, how can you complain really.
Best Deals for Safety 1st Alpha Elite 65 Convertible Car Seat, Triad
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program The Safety 1st Alpha Elite 65 Convertible car seat is a very nice seat. The best feature is the ability to convert this from a rear facing to forward facing car seat that grows with your baby from 5 to 100 lbs.! The LATCH system is also great, so you can latch the special belts directly into the car, without having to struggle with the seat belt.The material is soft, but feels thick and durable. It is easy to clean spit up and milk with just a wipe. The belts loosen easily to accommodate putting the child in, and tighten for safety. It seems comfortable and very sturdy. And the extra head support is a nice feature, in case of an accident. It is lightweight for you to remove and carry around easily.
The removable cup holder is also a great plus! And the arm rests make this the perfect seat for style, comfort, and safety! I really love this seat! I highly recommend it!
Honest reviews on Safety 1st Alpha Elite 65 Convertible Car Seat, Triad
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Very well padded seat, back and head areas, this is a very structurally sound car seat with thick metal in key structural areas.It's very easy to use and will provide comfortable, safe seating from five pounds, to one hundred pounds.
After going through every feature of this seat, I personally feel it's as good or better than some higher priced models.
I felt it's every bit as good in padding, comfort, and ease of use as 'Safety First' higher priced model
'Safety 1st Complete Air 70 Protect Convertible Car Seat. Brody which I've mentioned in a footnote the main difference.
HEADREST HEIGHT ~ Loosen (by several inches) the 'harness release lever' & the 'top anchorage strap',
then press both plastic headrest levers inwards towards each other ~ pull up / down ~ for desired height.
(Be sure the back metal bar is locked in a channel)
CHEST BUCKLE ~ There's nothing to press, to place chest clip mid-chest (even with armpits)
simply grasp the clip in it's center (thumb & index) and slide up / down the straps.
The button is only for opening the clip.
UNBUCKLE HARNESS ~ I found the red button hard to press. Holding straps together with one hand
and pushing toward buckle helps. When the button is pressed, the tongues sorta spring out.
HARNESS RELEASE LEVER ~ Under flap. I first took this to be the plastic flange but it's not.
Just beyond that there's a metal lever that needs pushed straight forward & down.
ARMRESTS ~ Padded 9" long armrest, easy to pull out, then rotate down to use / or up to store.
Automatically lock in place when 'home' in either direction.
SEAT PAD ~ The entire pad is removable from the plastic shell for cleaning.
Hand wash ~ air dry. (no bleach can not dry clean)
INSTALLING IN AUTO ~ Two options, LATCH and VEHICLE SEAT BELTS (choose only one)
The LATCH system is preferred but can only be used in vehicles that have the LATCH anchors bars installed
and designated for LATCH seating. Most vehicles after Sept 2002 have the LATCH option.
If LATCH isn't an option ~~~ before you buy this car seat you may want to check your auto's owners manual
OR contact Dorel Juvenile Consumer Relations Dept to be sure your VEHICLE BELTS will work with this seat.
There are some vehicles that won't work with this child restraint seat, or will require extra steps
INSTRUCTIONS ~ The instruction booklet is large print, with detailed illustration for each instruction.
It's 62 pages long, but the length is mainly do to lg print and spaciousness which is nice for notation.
48 pages are repeats of basic information, in accordance with various seat installations,
rear facing forward facing LATCH or vehicle seat belt.
Completely in English, only.
AIRCRAFT ~ This seat is certified for use on aircraft ONLY when used with the internal harness.
It isn't certified for aircraft when used as a belt positioning booster.
PERTINENT INFORMATION ~ Basic, nut shell information is conveniently found on labels on back sides of seat.
TIP ~ Adjust all harnesses for a good fit for your child before installing in auto.
Place a single layered towel underneath & behind the child seat to protect it from damaging the auto's upholstery
A correct position for a child is determined by their height, weight and age.
REAR FACING > 5 point harness = 5 40 lbs & 19" 40" tall & under one yr old
FORWARD FACING > 5 point harness = 22 65 lbs & 34" -52" tall & over one yr old.
BOOSTER > 5 point harness IS REMOVED = 40 to 100 lbs & 43" 52" tall & over one yr old.
Uses vehicle lap/shoulder belt combination.
The child restraint seat has an expiration date molded into the back side of the main plastic shell.
The one I received expires December 2021.
The seat I received is patented in USA & Canada ~ but imported by Dorel Juvenile Group, Columbus, Ind, from China.
One year warranty, but then can purchase replacement parts if needed.
FOOTNOTE ~ This model does NOT features what 'Safety First' calls 'Air Protect side impact technology'
which is two step protection from violent side impacts.
But the feature is found on 'Safety 1st Complete Air 70 Protect Convertible Car Seat. Brody.
which includes extra padded 'head muffs' which are 2" thick & 7" in dia. which shields a child's head
and allows air to escape from the headrest, channeling the crash energy away from the child.
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