Combi Shuttle Infant Car Seat

The Combi Shuttle Infant Car Seat is rear-facing infant car seat designed for children up to 29 inches in height and not exceeding 22 pounds. There is no minimum weight and height listed for this seat. The seat can be used with or without its base. The Combi shuttle automatically gets a point in the safety column for being a rear-facing infant seat. Rear-facing infant seats tend to protect a baby’s head very well from both frontal and side impacts. Design wise, this car seat is very attractive and is available in several different colours.

With regards to comfort and safety, the Combi Shuttle is top class. It consists of a nice, soft removable cushioned seat which is completely machine washable. The seat is covered by a soft breathable material and the headrest is lined with impact absorbing EPS foam for comfort and safety. EPS also lines the sides of the seat, for increased protection from side impacts. In addition, the Combi shuttle has an adjustable canopy for protection against the sun.

The shuttle can be installed using either a LATCH instalment or a seat belt installation. The LATCH instalment, however, is a lot less complicated and takes up far less time. Another feature that makes having a Combi Shuttle so convenient is that it is compatible with several Combi strollers - in fact, with all 2009 designs. This allows you to move the child from the car into a stroller without ever unbuckling that child.

Like most infant car seat, the Combi Shuttle Car Seat has a five- point harness system to safely secure child, on the Shuttle however you are able to adjust all harnesses with a single pull. The height of the harnesses can be easily adjusted to seven different increments with no rethreading being required. This allows the harnesses to best fit the child has he/she grows. There is a headrest that also as seven adjustable increments. In addition, the Combi Shuttle has the distinct feature of an anti-rebound bar which stabilises and reduces seat movement in the event of a collision.

A big disadvantage of the Combi Shuttle Infant Car Seat is that it does not have a reclining feature. One would think that for a seat seemingly designed for newborns this would be an integral part of its design. Young babies, when traveling in an infant car seat, should be as close to a 450 angle as possible so as to reduce the risk of an airway obstruction. Older babies should be slightly more upright. The fact that the weight limit on the Combi Shuttle is only 22 pounds means that this is not the most durable of infant seats. It seems like a bad investment to pay almost $200 on a child seat that is only going to be good for a couple of months.

The Combi Shuttle Infant Car Seat has several of the safety features on would expect from an infant car seat. It is well padded, comfortable and has a five point harness system. It retails for anything from $150-$170, but with a weight limit of 22lbs this seems a bit excessive.

Combi Kobuk Booster Seat

A booster seat raises the child up so that the car’s seat belt falls across the bony hips, not the soft easily injured abdomen. It also ensures that the upper portion of the seat belt lays across the chest and not the child’s neck. The Combi Kobuk is a high back booster seat that has a headrest with shoulder belt guides to keep the upper portion of the seat belt off the child’s neck. Car Seat belts are really designed for adults, so until the child reaches the appropriate height needed for a seat belt they should not travel without a Child booster seat or some type of infant seat. The headrest will really be appreciated by your child especially on long trips where he/she might need to take a nap.

The Combi Kobuk booster seat is designed for children 3-10 years of age weighing anywhere between 32-121 pounds, with height ranging from 33-57inches. The backrest of the Combi booster seat can easily be lowered or raised for children of various heights and in instances where a child outgrows the backrest it can be completely removed. Unlike other booster seats that require a child to be at least 40lbs before removing the backrest, the Combi Kobuk booster seat has no such restrictions. I would advice that you keep the backrest on as long as possible though as it not only makes the seat much more comfortable, but also offers side impact protection.

Lined with energy absorbing EPS, Egg Shock foam (memory foam that sits behind head), and vented comfort foam, The Combi Kobuk is one of the safest and most comfortable booster seats on the market. It is also one of the few booster seats that offer side support and the only one that has vertical and horizontal seat belt guides. These belt guides allows you to find the right setting to properly secure children of varying heights. This booster seat is covered with a nice breathable fabric, that can be removed and hand washed.

The Combi Kobuk booster seat is designed to grow with the child. If the child outgrows the backrest, it can easily be removed and the shoulder belt attached to the base can be used in conjunction with the seat belt the child. Other feature of this booster seat is the removable cup holder that can be placed on either side of the seat and a nice, soft headrest. The headrest will really be appreciated by your child especially on long trips. Despite appearances this booster seat is surprisingly lightweight and can easily be transported from one location to another.

The Combi Kobuk is a safe, reliable, sturdy and comfortable booster seat, and at a retail price of $190 it is money well spent. It is important to note that as it is with all booster seat, your child should display a certain level of maturity that will not cause him/her to wiggle out of seat belt or slouch over, before you decide to switch from an infant seat that offers a five-point harness system to a booster seat that uses the car’s seat belt.

Combi Zeus 360 Convertible Car Seat

Combi Zeus 360 car seat is so named because of its ability to rotate a full 3600 on its axle. This makes it so much easier to load a child into the seat. Where as with other car seats you have assume some awkward positions to secure your child into his/her child seat, with the Combi Zeus 360 you simply rotate the seat to the side, secure the child then revert the seat to the forward or rear facing position. It is also possible to load the child from the forward-facing position, then swivel the seat around and lock it in rear-facing. It is important to note that rear-facing seats are inherently safer than front-facing seats.

The Combi Zeus 360 car seat is designed for children up to 36inches in height and weighting anywhere from 5-33 pounds when placed in the rear-facing position. In the forward-facing position, the Combi Zeus 360 can fit a child up to 40” tall weighing anywhere from 20 -40 pounds. When in the rear facing position, there are 3 harness slots you can use to secure the child, providing the harness height is at or below the child’s shoulders. When forward facing, there are two harness slots available, the top and the middle; any of these can be use to secure the child providing the harness height is at or above the child’s shoulder. An important thing to note is that the Combi Zeus 360 convertible car seat is of considerable size, and it takes up a lot of space when in the rear- facing position; this might be a big deal for small car owners.

The Combi Zeus 360 is loaded with thic,k energy –absorbing EPS foam making this car seat very safe and comfortable. The seat also has two removable head cushions, harness strap covers, and a “stomach pad” which is sewn onto the cover creating a padded shield between the child and the crotch strap. Adding even more to the comfort level is the fact the Combi Zeus 360 convertible car seat has breathable fabric around the head area, something your child will particularly appreciate in the summer. The fabric covering the seat is easily removable and can be machine washed.

Another advantage of this seat is its 8inch bottom harness, which makes this seat perfectly capable of fitting the average or large newborn child. The seat also has a reclining feature and a smooth base that will not damage your car’s upholstery.

A disadvantage of the Combi Zeus 360 that affects its safety rating is the fact that the rotation mechanism can easily be accessed by a child when in the rear facing position. Also, the buckle design and location of buckle release mechanism makes it very easy for any adventurous child (which is almost every child) to unbuckle him/herself. The last thing you want to see in your rear view mirror when driving is your child harnesses loose and he/she spinning like a merry-go-round.

All in all the Combi Zeus 360 is a very good car seat for a younger child as it safe and extremely comfortable. The retail price for the Combi Zeus 360 convertible car seat ranges from $290-$350, which is not all that expensive when you consider the fact that this seat has a 7 year life span.

Safety 1st Go Hybrid Convertible Booster

The Safety 1st Go Hybrid Convertible booster is an upgraded version of the Safeguard Go Anywhere Portable Child Restraint. It is a forward-facing booster seat that fuses the safety of the of the 5-point harness system with the versatility and convenience of a backless booster seat. The two car seats that a child will need before he/she is old or tall enough to travel in a regular car seat. This seat is very light weight and can be broken down to the size of a briefcase in a few minutes, which makes it so much easier to travel with.

The height of the harnesses can be adjusted but ideally the harness is designed to be used on children 31”-52” in height, weighing anywhere from 22-60 pounds. When being used as a booster seat, child must be anywhere between 43 to 57 inches tall with weight ranging from 40 to 100 pounds. Safety 1st Go Hybrid Convertible booster can either be installed using LATCH installation or seat belt installation, the LATCH being preferred when the harnesses are being used.

A big selling point and safety feature of Safety 1st Go Hybrid Convertible booster is the fact the five-point harness system can be used for children up to 60 pounds. Most car seats five-point harness has a weight limit of 40 pounds, which realistically speaking most kids are like 3 or 4 by then and might not be mature enough for a booster seat. In other cases, parents may prefer to keep their child in a 5-point harness beyond 40 pounds because it may offer somewhat more protection in side impacts and rollovers than a 3-point lap and shoulder belt. The safety 1st Go Hybrid Convertible booster is able to give those parents piece of mind knowing his/her child is safely secured when driving. As stated earlier the height of the harness is adjustable likewise are the side head wings on the backrest. This seat does not have any head restraint which might be an issue for some parents.

The base thing about Safety 1st Go Hybrid Convertible booster is that it has three-quarters of an inch of padding, for added comfort. There are also a head pillow, an adjustable armrest and an integrated belly pad on the crotch strap, all of which adds to its comfort level. Unlike other car seats which are very bulky and tend to take up a lot of space, the Go hybrid is very compact, leaving enough space in the back of the car for up to 2 other passengers to travel comfortable. The cover on the base, harness and headrest can be removed and is machine washable.

Like all booster seats the Go hybrid has a shoulder belt adjustment strap attached to the base. When being used as a backless booster the strap is used to properly position the car’s seat belt on the center of the shoulder and chest of the child using the booster seat. This is one of the few booster seats that allows you to use the lower LATCH attachments to keep it in place for loading, unloading and when it is unoccupied.

The Safety 1st Go Hybrid Convertible booster can be found at various department stores and online. Its retail price ranges from $180-$200 which is not bad, considering you are literally getting two products for the price of one.

Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Car Seat

The Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Car Seat should have simple just been called the all in one because that is exactly what it is. It starts as a rear-facing car seat, converts to a forward facing car seat and later on into a belt-positioning booster seat. Pretty much this will be the only seat you will ever need for as long as your child is required to travel in an infant car seat.

The Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Car Seat has different weight restrictions depending on the position in which it is being used. In the rear-facing position the seat designed for a child weighing anywhere from 5-35lbs, in the forward-facing position child should weigh 22-50lbs and a child between 40-100lbs when being used as a belt-positioning booster seat. Even though this seat is s o versatile, when possible always use it in the rear-facing position as this is inherently a lot safer than all others.

The Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Car Seat has a 5-point harness system with up front adjustments that fit babies up to 50 lbs. There is also a “Quick Fit” 5-position padded headrest that adjusts with harness in one easy step. This is so that the seat can comfortable accommodate a child has he/she grows. Apart from the 5-point harness system and adjustable headset that adds to the safety and comfort of this child seat, the seat is lined with ProTech EPP energy absorbing foam. There is also 2-position belt positioning guides which are used to correctly position seat belt across child when the Alpha Omega Convertible car seat is being used as a booster seat. The seat is LATCH equipped making installment into motor vehicle so much easier, however installment can also be done using seat belts.

For added comfort the Safety 1st Alpha Elite Convertible Car Seat has 4 reclining position accessible when in rear-facing position. This is a great feature since new born babies need to as close to a 450 angle as possible when travelling in an infant seat, so as to reduce the risk of an airway obstruction. This car seat is soft with very comfortable padding that will have your infant sleeping like a lamb on those long journeys. There is also an infant head insert and articulating armrest which makes getting the child in and out of the seat so much easier. Two upper harness straps are padded so that they rest very gentle against the child’s upper body. Other peripheral features are a removable cup holder and a storage compartment. Maintenance is a breeze since the suede fabric covering the seat is removable and machine washable.

This Safety 1st Convertible Car Seat retails for anything from $160-$190 which is extremely reasonable considering you are getting 3 items for the price of one. It is available in various colours, so you might be able to get one in your child’s favorite color. All in all this is a very good car seat, a bit bulky though, so those with small cars might have an issue with this child seat.

Safety 1st onBoard 35 Infant Car Seat

The Safety 1st onBoard 35 is a rear-facing infant car seat designed with two things in mind, comfort and safety. Everything about this infant seat screams quality, from its unique “air protected” cushions to its reclining feature monitored by an easy to read glass bubble. This infant seat is ideally designed for babies weighing 4-35 pounds and up to 32inches tall. This is probably the only child seat on the market that is designed to effectively accommodate premature infants or babies not are below average size. Not to be outdone by other infant seats the Safety 1st onBoard 35 also has a top class adjustable five-point harness system.

The fact that the onBoard 35 is a rear -facing car seat is a real plus as these are inherently very safe, if used correctly. As a result of the way they are installed, rear-facing infant seats tends to protect a baby’s head very well from both frontal and side impacts. A big safety feature of the Safety 1st onBoard 35 are the “Air protected” cushions, these are open cell foam pillows encased in plastic that manages energy in a crash by limiting compression through the gradual release of air . These are used on the sides, in place of energy absorbing EPS or EPP foam found in most other child seats. Safety 1st onBoard 35 has thicker “air protected” cushions up high for bigger babies, and smaller ones low enough to protect newborn and premature babies. The cushions found in the seat are removable and machine washable.

The base and the seat itself are two separate units. The reclining feature is found on the base, where there is an easy to use lever under the base that is used to adjusts the recline angle. On the seat it is an easy to read bubble gage with a guide attached to let you know the appropriate reclining angle for infants of different age and size. This is a big plus when compared to other car seats, reason being; Young babies should be as close to a 450 angle as possible when travelling in an infant car seat so as to reduce the risk of an airway obstruction. Older babies should be slightly more upright. The onBoard 35 lets you know if your child is in the appropriate reclining position.

This infant seat is designed to facilitate either LATCH or seat belt installation. Unlike the hooks used by many other infant seats, the LATCH straps connect to the car seat using mini connectors that has a push button release. When using a seat belt installation, there is a LATCH storage compartment on the base that gets the LATCH straps and connectors completely out of the way. The carrier may be installed without the base but this is not advisable.
The onBoard35 offers 17% more leg room than other infant seats. This is great for the child however it can be a real bother for the passenger whose seat is directly in front of the infant seat. If you are big on color then you might be disappointed that the onBoard 35 does not offers much variety there. These disadvantages are negligible though as for any parent the big things are comfort and safety, two things for which the on Safety 1st onBoard 35 receives an A++++.

The Safety 1st onBoard 35 has some of the most advance safety features found in any infant seat. Its retail price ranges from $180-$200 and can be found in various stores or online.

Safety 1st Vantage High Back Booster Car Seat

This booster seat, designed for children 20-100 lbs. When being used as a forward facing car seat in which the five point harness is utilized, the seat holds a child whose body weight ranges from 20-40lbs. When used as a belt positioning booster seat, the child’s weight should range from 30-100lbs and of a certain height. The fact that the Safety 1st Vantage Point Booster Car Seat can be used as a car seat for toddlers and as a booster seat for older children is a big selling point.

This allows you to save a considerable amount of cash since the child can use this one seat throughout all of the years he/she is required to travel in a car seat. The five point harness system can be adjusted to fit children of various heights. This is important since often times a child might be old enough for a booster seat but lack the discipline needed to stay put in one.

In relation to safety the Safety 1st Vantage Point Booster Car Seat is highly ranked. As stated earlier this seat has a five point harness system which firmly secures its passenger. Once child is properly fitted into seat there is a single strap that can be used to adjust the tightness of the 5-point strap system. There is also a release clip to loosen straps. There are also 5-position shoulder belt guides on this car seat. This allows the seat belt in the vehicle in which the seat is to be positioned properly across the stomach and shoulder of kids of varying heights. TheSafety 1st Vantage Point Booster Car Seat is well padded with shock absorbent foam and also offers side impact protection.

For comfort the Safety 1st Vantage Point Booster Car Seat has padded armrests and an adjustable headrest. There is also a removable cup holder and a storage compartment that can be used to store toys, snacks or even a book. These small features will be well appreciated by both you and your child especially when on long trips. This car seat is available in many colours, thus if you are able to get your child’s favorite color they will love it even more.

The Safety 1st Vantage Point Booster Car Seat is very safe, comfortable, convenient and attractive. With retail price ranging from $70-$100, an investment in a safety 1st Vantage Point Booster Car Seat is certainly money well spent.