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| True Fit Convertible Car Seat - Casino
| | Reviewed by: Baby Gizmo Senior Editors |  | | Mom Rating:
(2 Reviews)
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 | Title: A More Universal Fitting Convertible Car Seat
Best: Removable headrest, soft, plush fabric, full EPS foam liner, super easy to clean cover, no-rethread harness, 65 lb 5-point harness
Worst: Crotch belt could use one more setting for bigger kids and a belly pad to protect kids from the buckles
Full Review: see below
| Lowest Price: $161.99 (from 5 sellers) |  |
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|  | | Full Review: The First Years has introduced their first convertible seat that may give the higher end car seats a run for their money. With a removable headrest, The First Years True Fit Convertible Car Seat, has changed the convertible car seat to allow for a more universal fit when rear-facing. For use with children 5 to 65 lbs (or 50 inches), this convertible seat will take mom from birth through almost 5 years old depending on the height and weight of the child. First Years has really paid attention to safety, convenience and comfort when designing this seat.
Since it’s a car seat, let’s start with safety on the True Fit. One of the first safety features we noticed was that the 5 point harness can be used up to 65 lbs (or 50 inches). While many other seats force you to use the vehicle’s seat belt (instead of harness) after 40 lbs, we love this higher weight limit since keeping your child in a 5-point harness as long as possible is much, much safer.
The True Fit can be installed easily and quickly using LATCH or seat belts rear facing up to 35 lbs and the forward facing up to 65 lbs. (Make sure you check your vehicles limit on LATCH because many cars have a limit of 40 lbs on the anchors so you may have to switch to installing with the seatbelt.) This seat has deep side wings that have been side-impact tested, a full EPS foam liner for impact energy absorption, and built-in lock offs to provide secure installation.
We had no problem installing this seat with both the LATCH and seatbelt in a variety of cars. Depending on your vehicle’s seat, you may have to use a rolled towel or noodle to get the correct angle for rear-facing, which is the case with many rear facing seats. Since car seat safety is at the top of our priority list and we cringe to think of how many car seats are installed incorrectly, we always recommend that you read the manual entirely before attempting to install it. Also, if you have any doubt in your ability to install the seat 100% correctly, we encourage you to take your vehicle to a car seat check which certified CPS techs can install it correctly.
So, it’s a safe seat and of course meets or exceeds FMVSS 213, but what about convenience. The First Years has taken convenience to a whole new level with the removable headrest. For convenience for mom and dad so that they don’t have to ride with their knees in the dash as their front seats are pushed so far forward to accommodate a rear-facing convertible seat, the removable headrest is genius. The seat can be used rear-facing without the headrest for infants up to 22 lbs (and whose head is less than 1" from the top of the shell). This shortens the seat to make it much easier to fit. There is even a line right on the seat to let you know if your child is tall enough and it’s time to add the headrest. If you think that a convertible car seat is too big to use rear-facing from birth, you will change your mind with this car seat. Without the headrest (for under 22 lbs), this car seat takes up about the same amount of room as an infant car seat. Remember the headrest always has to be used forward facing.
Another convenience is the shoulder straps and 3-position crotch strap are both adjustable from the front of the seat, and neither will require rethreading. We don’t have to uninstall the seat to adjust the harnesses? YEAH!!!! We found the harnesses were very easy to adjust (tighten and loosen) and didn’t twist. The adjustable crotch strap is a great feature for getting a tight fit for your growing child. Even though the three position crotch harness is great, we think it could use one more position even farther out to provide a bit more depth to accommodate bigger children. Also, an addition of a belly pad to protect kids from the buckles would be our suggestion as well.
The last notable convenience feature in the True Fit is the easy to remove cover. The 3 piece seat cover easily snaps on and off for cleaning without having to re-thread the harness or uninstall the car seat. We don’t have to uninstall and completely take apart the seat removing the harness to clean it? YEAH!!! To clean the cover, the manual says to hand wash in cold water with mild soap and air dry. With previous seats, we’ve had to use tools and completely un-thread the harness leaving us with a seat that was tricky to get back together. We love that the True Fit cover literally snaps on and off so easily that we find ourselves washing the cookie and dried milk off the seat more often.
So, what about comfort? The side impact wings are not only for safety but they also give our sleepy kids a place to lay their head. The soft fabric, well padded and roomy seat keep little ones more comfortable on long car rides. Included with the seat are two inserts: an infant insert and a height adjuster insert, both that are removable without re-threading the harness. And for bigger kids, there is a drink holder that easily snaps on/off on either side.
Retailing for $180, the True Fit is less expensive than many of its competitors but has all if not more of the great features of a good convertible car seat. All in all, we love the True Fit for its attention to safety, convenience, supreme comfort and overall great design with a removable headrest! Genius!
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