Review of Graco My Ride 65 DLX Convertible Car Seat

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $159.99
Sale Price: $143.99
Today's Bonus: 10% Off

My son was unusually tall for his age, so when he outgrew his carry-along infant car seat at around 6 months, my husband and I went looking for a convertible car seat that would do extended-rear-facing not just with weight but more importantly (for us) with height. We read all of the reviews (email me for some great car seat websites!) and eventually decided on the Graco MyRide 65. If I was reviewing this seat for him, I would have given it five stars. We loved the one we purchased so much that we bought a second for my husband's car. Easy to install, easy to use, comfortable with lots of leg-room rear-facing, the cover is easy to remove, clean, and put back on we LOVE these car seats! So when we were searching for car seats for my daughter, we decided to do without the pumpkin seat in my car, and just go straight to the MyRide.

Very briefly: The MyRide is one of the 3 tallest car seats on the market, soft and wide with cup-holders, it does rear-facing up to 40 pounds and forward-facing up to 65. It comes in a variety of patterns (each store carries a different pattern, so make sure you check out BRU, Target, Walmart, and Bed Bath & Beyond and decide which pattern you love!) and stays soft and plush after years of use. It not only has a tall back but also a tall base so that your child can see out of the car window, making rear-facing (and eventually forward-facing) more pleasant.It is easy to tighten and loosen when facing either direction. However, rear-facing it may not fit in smaller cars because of the tall back, and fitting 3-across is not possible because of the width of the seat and the cup-holders. In addition, we encountered a serious problem when trying to use the car seat for a newborn.

We installed our daughter's car seat, but COULD NOT get the straps to tighten correctly. The straps would tighten exactly as they were supposed to until our daughter was actually IN the seat, and then the straps would not tighten at all. It wasn't just a strength issue neither my husband nor I could get the straps to budge at all when our daughter was in the seat. My husband must have reinstalled that car seat 5 times, thinking perhaps the legs were on the straps, perhaps he had put it in wrong, etc. Since we have two others exactly like it and had never encountered this problem before, we had no idea what was going on. We could only get the seat to tighten by manually pulling the straps through the back and tightening with the other hand at the same time, which was difficult, required a lot of strength, and the straps still never got as tight as I wanted the belts to be.

I was very disappointed, thinking we had somehow gotten a defective seat, although I didn't see how since it tightened fine when no one was sitting in it. So I went online. There, I found many people who had had the same problem. All but one had returned the seat, deciding that it was defective and giving the seat poor reviews. However, one person had come up with a different solution. She recommended we remove the infant insert padding. I didn't see how some fabric and padding could be causing such serious problems, but since my son had been older when we had used the MyRide with him and had never needed the insert, I decided I had nothing to lose, and pulled out the insert. Immediately, the seat worked perfectly. I have no idea how the fabric was catching the straps in such a manner, and I still don't get it to this day, but the problem was solved.

I could not use the seat with the infant insert. However, my daughter was too small to fit snugly in the seat without the insert. In the end, my husband and I decided to use the pumpkin seat again (luckily, it hadn't expired) until our daughter was a little bigger, and then use the My Ride. Our daughter has now been in the MyRide for 2 months without even the smallest problem.

So, in conclusion, this is a great car seat for bigger babies and toddlers! We DO still love it, rear-facing and forward-facing. It is easy to remove the cover, easy to fasten, etc. But in my experience, it cannot be used with the infant insert, and this makes it a terrible choice for newborns. If you don't believe me, just read some of the other reviews, or do a Google search. You will find a ton of people who have had similar problems with the straps. However, if you are looking for a seat to replace your carry-along car seat because your infant has outgrown it, look no further. This one is otherwise perfect.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

We got this carseat last week for our 3 year old daughter. She was forward facing in her other carseat, and Alpha Omega Elite, and I hated it every time I put her in it. She frequently falls asleep in the car and her head would flop so badly that I worried her neck would snap sometimes. We tried neck pillows, etc. Nothing worked. So we saw this seat and she sat in it on the display, along with about 5 others. She fit so nicely and loved it! So we got it. I am so very happy with it. She has fallen asleep in it a few times now, and her head stays put and she looks very comfy. She actualy talks about her new seat and jumps around with excitement when its time to get in it.

The seat does seem really bulky, and my husband wasn't sure it would fit in my Mazda 3. I have to say, it's smaller than it seems. It fits very well and was super easy to install. It took him about ten minutes and it doesn't budge. I highly recommend this one!

Best Deals for Graco My Ride 65 DLX Convertible Car Seat

We purchased this car seat in "Chandler". I did a lot of research on which convertible car seat to buy. First, we were sold on the Safety 1st Complete Air LX because it seemed like you were getting more features for the price. Then, because of the reputability of Britax, we were about to purchase the Britax Marathon 70. After coming across an article about not only the safety of car seats, but the TOXICITY, we decided to go with the My Ride in Chandler. It scored as the LEAST TOXIC/SAFEST car seat. Plus, all of these car seats pass the same test. If it comes down to being just as safe as the Britax, but less toxic for my baby to breathe in and rest her head on during rides, I am totally sold. Link to articleI did read some reviews about the difficulty of installation and the size of the seat being too large but this seat fits perfectly in our Mazda 3. We even have MORE leg room up front than we did when our Graco Snug Ride was installed before! My husband installed this seat in about 10 minutes. Having to actually re-thread the straps is inconvenient, but we only have one baby using this seat so it isn't too big of a deal for us.

Honest reviews on Graco My Ride 65 DLX Convertible Car Seat

After much research I decided on this car seat. It met all my expectations. Very easy to adjust and install. It also fits nicely into my Hyundai elantra which was a concern because some of the reviews said it was on the large size. You can keep them rear facing for longer than some of the other car seats i researched which is another thing i really liked about it. The price was also a plus because we needed two and couldn't spend $300+ for a car seat. I would definitely recommend this for any mom with a toddler.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Graco My Ride 65 DLX Convertible Car Seat

I've owned this seat for a year now ... finally getting around to writing a review. Things were okay with this seat until about a month ago. It's a little bulky, but expected for a convertible seat that will last a good long while. All of a sudden, I noticed my daughter not having the chest clip buckled. I kept thinking I was losing my mind and forgetting to buckle her in until I heard my son yell from the back seat of the car that she was unbuckling the chest clip. After she would unbuckle the chest clip, she would take the straps off her shoulders and turn around in her seat and wave at me. She just turned 18 months old ... and is rear facing. Needless to say, this had me super worried. She continues to unclip the chest clip. I have her straps tight enough and the chest clip in the proper position. I've contacted Graco and I'm not the first one with this problem. Their first response to me was that they designed the chest clip to open easily in an emergency situation. And that sometimes babies are 'smart enough' to figure them out. They sent me a replacement clip ... which is the same clip that is already on the seat and surprise, surprise, just as easy to open for an 18 month old. I had to contact them again after stopping every 2 minutes on the road to buckle her back in. This is so NOT safe and SO not right on so many levels. Graco got back to me and giving me a refund check AFTER I send in this seat. I'm honestly surprised that they have not issued a recall or changed the clip design after reading all the horror stories of the same thing happening online. I do think this seat is nicely made and I enjoyed it but my child's safety is the main concern and she's definitely not safe if she can undo half the straps holding her into it. And for Graco to realize this problem and not change the design is alarming.

Summer Infant CushyStraps Review

Customer Ratings:

I purchased these for my new baby grandson. I had noticed that every time his mommy put him in his care seat, he complained and the straps seemed to be digging into his shoulders... then I saw these strap covers! What an absolutely clever idea. They're so soft and snuggley against his head, so well that he falls fast to sleep and never complains anymore for getting strapped in his carseat. I have only one recommendation and/or suggestion, if you get these "wash them first"... my daughter didn't do that and after the first few times of having it against his face, he started to get a little rash, just right were they touch his skin. I suggested to her that she wash them... and he hasn't had anymore rash since. Do your new infant son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter, neice or nephew a great big favor and buy them these cute little strap covers, they truly are the best!!! And they come in pink, blue, or tan. What more can you ask for. Enjoy... I know my grandson is!!!

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

These were $4.99 with free shipping when I ordered them, which seems to be pretty good compared to other brands that ran up to $10.00+. Nice & soft and they do the trick for making sure the straps don't cut into my baby's neck and they even help support her head when she falls asleep in the car.

Best Deals for Summer Infant CushyStraps

Was concerned about lack of head support in my newborn's car seat, so I bought these as well as a snuzzler, thinking that these would help her head from falling forward while the snuzzler wouldnt. These are quite supportive for side-to-side head control as well as forward, so my daughter is safe actually without even using the snuzzler! Probably didn't need to buy that, these hold her tiny head just fine and are cute, soft, and well-made. Not too restrictive either. Love these.

Honest reviews on Summer Infant CushyStraps

They seem good in theory, I felt like the straps on my carseat were irritating my newborns face so I purchased these thinking it'll be cute & functional. When these arrived and I put them on I realized they were HUGE! Way too much stuffing in them & it seemed to be more uncomfortable for the baby :( I took them off immediately & since I threw away the packaging I guess I'll just have to save them to use when she's older. BTW my baby is 6 weeks old

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Summer Infant CushyStraps

love these! Bought it twice! good chew toy for the kid and great to hold their head up when they fall asleep. had for 2 years, washed and dried well!

Britax B-Safe Infant Car Seat Extra Base Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $79.99
Sale Price: $59.99
Today's Bonus: 25% Off

This is a must have for any family with multiple cars. Makes going places an easy task. Don't have to worry about the hassle of moving the car seat base between cars. Just have a base in the cars you use, snap the car seat in and be on your way. If you are on a tight budget though (and this thing isn't the cheapest), Britax car seats can be be manually buckled in (in other words, you don't NEED a base). However, the difference is an easy snap versus stringing the seatbelt through the correct holes in the carseat, etc. The extra base saves you a lot of time and ENERGY, which you'll probably be short on, especially with a newborn. Definitely a convenient thing to have though.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

It is easy to use and set up, but the clasp is a real pain to both open and close. I nearly broke my finger trying to open it once closed. Which I guess means it's not likely to open during use, but also means this is not an ideal product in cars where it is likely to be moved in and out of the seat often. I have had to move it 3 times since installing it and it is still a pain to open, requiring significant pressure on a very small part of one finger to open. My wife can't do it, and even I have a hard time if I can't get proper leverage. My recommendation is to set it and forget it. Our older Britax models were hard to open too, but not this hard. We still have the old ones and while the design is the same for the clasp it is just a lot harder to use on this model. In any case that is one very very minor complaint of this seat base.

The level is a nice touch. The bottom of the base is flat, which is a huge improvement over older models which left indentations in the seat when removed. This one does not seem to have that problem.

Otherwise it is what it is, a seat base. No one buys one without the seat anyhow, and there don't appear to be 3rd party options, so you are kind of stuck with this. All in all this does the job, it is exactly the same as the base that comes with the car seat, so there is not much more to say about it.

Best Deals for Britax B-Safe Infant Car Seat Extra Base

We purchased this extra base to ensure easy transfer from one car to another. It is perfect and works so well. I have recommended this car seat and base to all my friends that are new grandparents

Honest reviews on Britax B-Safe Infant Car Seat Extra Base

The item came the next day even though I only paid standard shipping! :) The extra car seat base has worked great!!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Britax B-Safe Infant Car Seat Extra Base

My wife and I bought a second base for our car seat after getting frustrated with constantly either moving the only base we had between cars or having to manually run the belt every time we put our daughter in the car. Having a second base means each car has one in it at all times. Super convenient. If you're on the edge about it, just do it.