Reviews of Safety 1st Alpha Elite Convertible Car Seat

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $159.99
Sale Price: $109.99
Today's Bonus: 31% Off

We bought this car seat to replace the infant car seats for our twin boys. We wanted something that would last for a long time. I did a lot of research and for the price (important since we were buying two) these seemed to be the best for us. Purchased at Costco for around $89.

Pros:

1. Price

2. sturdy car seat

3. easy it is to adjust the headrest/shoulder strap height

4. rated in the top for crash test

5. Nice soft fabric

Problems:

1. The straps twist very easily.

2. I'm not a petite person, and my husband is over 6' and strong and we both have a hard time pulling the strap to tightening them in. It just doesn't move sometimes. Not exactly safe when they are loose in their car seats

3. The seat is very hard to recline. I had to pull it out of the car to get it to recline.

4. No matter how tightly we have them strapped in, they slump forward while sleeping.

5. Taking the cover off to wash is a nightmare.

6. The pillow thing on top is pointless. I took it off, but now the Velcro is rubbing the back side of the front seats.

7. Not easy to install in the car. We can't get the latch system to tighten enough, so the car seats move side to side. (Again my husband and I aren't weak people.) The shoulder belt works much better and keeps the car seat from moving, but it's then a pain to move the car seats from car to car.

8. They fit fine in our SUV, but they don't fit in my mom's Subaru.

9. difficult to get at the right angle for rear facing

Overall, we are in the market for new car seats.

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I received this as a gift for my first child three years ago. We used a bucket car seat for her until she was one and have been using this one for the last two years. It is an AWESOME car seat, and for the price you can't beat it.

We never did use it rear-facing, so this review is for forward-facing only. However, that said, I'm quite sure it will work just fine rear-facing, and plan to use two more of these for my twins that are on the way.

Here's what I love-

-Lots of padding

-The way my daughter's legs have hung off this have never caused her to have sore spots on the back of her legs, even as she's gone from a 1 year old to a now tall 3 year old.

-Arm rests are nice and sturdy.

-Love the adjustable back and how it keeps the straps at the right height. (We have a different brand in my husband's car and you have to adjust the strap height practically every time you put a kid in it. Probably should toss that seat and buy sixteen of these...)

-Very easy to loosen and tighten the straps to get your kid in and out for an adult. Your kid will not be able to do it. The folks saying it's too hard to tighten are either doing something wrong or don't have it installed properly.

In answer to some of the "cons" out there-

-The cover SHOULD be hard to take off to clean. You don't want it getting loose with your kid in it. (And really, it's not that hard. My kid vomited in it, it took me about 20 minutes to take the seat completely apart so I could wash the cover. I was even able to wash the straps. You just need to pay attention to how you take it apart so you can put it back together properly.)

-The LATCH system is just fine. If your car seat is wobbly, you are not putting enough weight into the seat to create enough tension in the belt. When I install the seat, I put my knee into it or lean into it while pulling the LATCH belt. It gets nice and tight. I've never had a wobbly seat.

-As a forward-facing seat, my kid falls asleep in it all the time. Her head has never flopped forward, and the seat is not reclined in any way.

-My straps are not narrow. They have twisted on occasion but it is super easy to get them untwisted.

-You should not have to take the cover off to use the seatbelt or the LATCH. If you are, you are doing it wrong.

-The car seat is a bit big. I have a Chrysler Pacifica, and I can fit three across tightly, but they fit. If you have a smaller car, two should be just fine in the back seat.

Again, I have not used this rear-facing. But for forward-facing, you can't beat it.

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This is an excellent car seat given that they have the best crash rating. My child's frame is lean and tall and this is on the bigger side. Yes it is difficult to install to the point of being annoying. I will not use this for rear facing since it way to bulky.

Pros: Very plush and comfy. One of the best I have seen within the $175 price range.

Has an adjustable recline which suits our child well. I really love this feature.

Fabric is excellent and handled juice spill well. It is not stain proof though.

Comes with a removable cup holder which works well for us.

Love the headrest and the detachable pillow.

Cons: Annoying to set up. And the instruction manual helps little.

The safety straps are way to tight and needs practice to get a hang of them.

The infant headrest comes installed its a pain to remove.

This is a not frills car seat that deliver high end safety and comfort.

Honest reviews on Safety 1st Alpha Elite Convertible Car Seat

I have 2 sons both are in the 95-99% for size in their ages (3 yrs and 12 mos). This car seat is much easier to fit the baby in than my older son's Graco. Great deal for the price. If my older son wasn't ready for booster seat, I'd buy another one for him.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Safety 1st Alpha Elite Convertible Car Seat

My daughter has had this car seat since she left her infant one and I loved it so i wanted the same one for my son. The price was $80 less than I paid for my daughters and it shipped fast!