In car seat safety, best practices start with extended rear-facing (ideally until at least 4 or 5) and end with boostering (ideally until 10 to 12). While extended rear-facing is ultimately more important than boostering from a safety standpoint, keeping children properly boostered until they’re ready to use seat belts is still a key part of keeping them safely restrained in moving vehicles and an important way of preventing severe to potentially fatal internal injuries in collisions. Today we’re going to look at one of Peg Perego’s newest car seats, the Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120  high back booster. It’s essentially an update to the Peg Perego Viaggio HBB 120 booster I reviewed years ago and a strong competitor to the Maxi-Cosi RodiFix and Clek Oobr in the growing market of luxury European and Canadian high-back boosters. Let’s see how it stands up to the competition.

Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120 – What’s the big deal?

The Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120 is a high-back booster seat by Italian car seat maker Peg Perego and an update of sorts to their successful Viaggio HBB 120 booster seat. It comes with a long list of some rather amazing features. First of all, it’s one of the absolute tallest booster seats on the market. It’s tall enough that pretty much any child who uses it is likely to be able to use it until s/he no longer needs a booster seat of any kind. Additionally, it’s capable of stretching out wide or shrinking in narrowly. With three width modes, the shoulders can accommodate children of a wide variety of sizes while shrinking down enough to make 3 across installations feasible in small cars. On top of this, it’s reclinable, and can be reclined while installed and by the child using the seat. But wait…there’s more. It can also be folded down to a backpack-sized package that makes it easy to carry with you from vehicle to vehicle or stow in storage bins when traveling by airplane. And finally, like the Clek Oobr, it also includes rigid lower LATCH anchors that make it unnecessary to buckle in the seat when unoccupied to keep it from turning into a projectile during a crash.

Beyond all of these impressive feats, it’s still a standard high-back booster, which means you can use it once your child stops rear-facing (e.g., at 4 or later if possible, as in Sweden) or forward-facing and booster your child until s/he is old enough to use a vehicle’s seat belts without a car seat (e.g., most often between ages 10 and 12 when s/he can pass the 5-step test). Smooth, stylish, and minimal, the Flex 120, like other Peg Perego car seats, is made in Italy, and is a seat you’ll be happy to use again and again.

Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120 Limits for Weight and Height

High-back booster: 40-120 pounds. Best practices suggests children should not be placed in booster seats as infants or toddlers, but when they’re at least 4-5 years old. Your 4 or older preschooler may be able to use a booster seat if exceptionally responsible, but many parents will have more success if they wait until their children are at least 5 (e.g., kindergartners in the US); it’s fine to wait until 6 or 7 to start using it if you feel your children aren’t ready yet. The height range spans 39 to 63 inches while the highest belt guide position stops at 22 inches; you don’t need to have a head restraint in the car to use it. The Flex 120 does not include a backless mode.

Buy the Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120 on Sale at Amazon here.

Dimensions and Key Features of the Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120

The Viaggio Flex 120 is 14 inches wide when measured at the base. In narrow mode, it measures 17 inches across at the shoulders, while in wide mode, it spreads to 20 inches wide. It weighs just under 15 pounds (14.8, to be precise). Its narrow width means it will be one of the best choices on the market for a narrow booster for 3 across car seat installations. The Flex 120 features a 12 year lifespan based on the date of manufacture; this is one of the longest expiration dates in the industry and is yet another reason it’s a great choice for families looking to save money in the long term on car seats. The manufacturing date can be found on a label beneath the seat. As is the case with every booster seat, the Flex 120 cannot be used on aircraft, per the FAA, as it needs a lap and shoulder seat belt, while planes only come with lap belts.

Using the Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120 (Seat belt installation, LATCH anchors, and additional FAQ)

Installation: The Flex 120 takes seconds to install; you simply place it on your vehicle’s seat, attach the lower LATCH anchors, flip the seat upright, and work your vehicle’s seat belt through the Flex’s belt guide and click it in. It takes about four seconds to get it set up. The LATCH anchors, as noted above, are not to secure your child to the booster seat; they are to secure the booster seat to your vehicle when it hasn’t been buckled. You’ll still need to buckle your child (or your child will still need to buckle himself or herself) each time the seat is to be used.

Child fit: The Flex 120 is likely to fit children of all shapes and sizes, especially with its mammoth 22 inch belt guide limit. There’s a large knob on the back of the seat that you can turn to adjust the shoulder width to fit kids of different dimensions. Position one is narrow, position two is medium, and position three is wide. And with a 63″ height limit and a 120 pound weight limit, virtually every child who has not yet passed the 5-step test for seat belt readiness will be able to fit inside the Flex 120 until s/he’s ready to go without it. As noted above, you can also adjust the recline of the seat; there’s a handle that your child can pull or that you can adjust, and with it, your child will can sleep more comfortably. It’s a handy feature for road trips, tired children, or simply kids looking to relax a bit while you’re traveling.

Cup holders: I’m not generally a fan of cup holders on car seats, as there’s numerous research linking constant snacking to childhood (and adult) obesity, but if you want them, there are two included with the seat. They’re a pair of plastic rings that slide out of the seat and slide back in when not in use. It’s worth keeping in mind that most European car seats don’t come with them (including the RodiFix), and for good reason.

Why Buy the Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120?

In conclusion, while it would be lovely if it were a bit cheaper, the Viaggio easily meets the needs of a booster seat: it gives parents a safe way to transport children once they’re done extended rear-facing (or forward-facing if they were turned forward before 4 or 5) in a car, truck, SUV, or minivan. Kids can stay in the Flex until they’re ready to transition out of booster seats and into regular vehicle seats with seat belts (which typically won’t happen until most kids are between 10 and 12).

Due to its narrow width, it’s one of the most 3 across friendly booster seats available, and because it doesn’t include arm rests, younger children are highly likely to be able to buckle themselves in without getting stuck trying to navigate past the arm rest gauntlet. Like the RodiFix, it’s a safe, well-designed, and attractive car seat that can be one of only two or three seats your child ever needs (along with a convertible like the Clek Fllo for the first five years). The fact that it comes with a 12 year expiration date means it can conceivably be used with several children, dramatically decreasing its effective price compared to seats that cost less but become useless much sooner.

You can buy the Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120 in 4 colors: Licorice, Monza, Daytona, and Crystal Black here. Canadians can buy it here, although it will unfortunately cost you more.

If you find my information on best practices in car and car seat safety helpful, you can do your shopping through this Amazon link. Canadians can  shop here for Canadian purchases. Have a question or want to discuss best practices? Join us in the forums!

When it comes to car seats, safety starts with rear-facing. And while an infant seat won’t let you rear-face until 4 or 5 the way the best convertible car seats will (e.g., the Clek Fllo), a good infant seat will make the first several months of life with your baby a less stressful experience, even if only by letting you move your child from your vehicle to your home (or wherever you’re going) without waking him or her up. Today we’re going to look at an update of Peg Perego’s Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35 car seat. I reviewed the Primo Viaggio infant seat years ago and found it a safe little seat with a luxury feel; let’s see how the updated version, the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Nido, stands in comparison.

Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Nido – What’s the big deal?

The Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Nido is an infant seat by Italian brand Peg Perego and the successor to their long-running Primo Viaggio 4-35 infant seat. It features a few unique elements that make it an update worth considering, most notably a load leg (a feature commonly found on European car seats but rare in US seats) to reduce downward rotation in frontal collisions as well as an oversized canopy to provide unparalleled levels of privacy and UV protection. The anti-rebound bar found in the original Primo Viaggio continues to be present.

Being an infant seat, you can use it to take your newborn baby home from the hospital as soon as you’re allowed to leave; it has a minimum weight limit of 4 pounds and tops out at a generous 35 pounds, although, like virtually all infant seats on the market, it will be outgrown long before then by height.  Slick and stylish, the Nido, which means Nest in Italian and Spanish, continues to be made in Italy and features additional goodies like a European belt path routing, a no-rethread harness, and 6 fabric patterns.

Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Nido Limits for Weight and Height

Rear-facing: 4 to 35 pounds. Best practices suggests rear-facing as long as possible, with ages 4 and 5 being common minimal guidelines. In the United States, that means rear-facing until 50 pounds (or the equivalent height limit in a 50-pound seat) if you can, since there’s no safer way for a child to travel in a passenger vehicle. You can rear face with a child up to 32″ in height and the shell height tops out at around 19″ without the inserts.

Because you won’t be able to reach 50 pounds in this or any infant seat, you’ll want to follow the Nido with a quality convertible seat that allows for extended rear-facing once your baby begins to outgrow it. Three good options include the Clek Fllo, the Clek Foonf, and the Diono Rainier; each will allow you to rear-face until 50 pounds, which is long enough to get virtually all children to 4 and most children to 5 or beyond.

Buy the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Nido on Sale at Amazon here.

Dimensions and Key Features of the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Nido 

The Primo Viaggio Nido’s shell is 17″ wide at its widest point, which makes it a great infant seat for 3 across car seat installations, much like a set of 4 other narrow infant seats I frequently refer to parents. It weighs a rather hefty 11 pounds when both inserts are included (2 more pounds than the original 4-35) and has a 7 year lifespan for both the seat and the base; the expiration is based on the date of manufacture, which you can find on stickers attached to both the carrier and the base. As with most car seats, it has FAA approval, which you can find stamped on the side of the carrier; note that you can’t use the base on an airplane.

Using the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Nido  (Rear-facing installation and additional features)

Installing the Nido was pretty straightforward; it has the reputation of being a tricky seat to install in some cars, but between seat belt and LATCH options, you’ll likely be able to find an installation that works for you as long as you take your time.

Inserts: First of all, keep in mind that there are 2 inserts to deal with, just as with the original 4-35. The stage 1 insert is generally designed to be used from birth until 8 pounds, per the manual (review it for additional details and exceptions). Peg Perego does state that you can use the stage 1 insert as long as necessary if you have fit issues (e.g., if your baby weighs more than 8 pounds but there is still space between your baby’s torso and the crotch buckle). The Second stage insert is designed to be used above 8 pounds if needed.

Recline angle: Although the manual tells you that the angle you need will depend on your baby’s weight and to follow the indicator attached to the side of the base, Peg Perego will tell you that the recline bubble present is simply a guide, and that you should make sure your newborns have enough recline. What this means is that you should make sure your recline stays in the light blue section (i.e., the top third of the recline bar) for the first few months of life. If you need to use a pool noodle or rolled towel to get a good recline in your vehicle, Peg Perego gives you permission to do so whether or not you’re already using the recline foot. It’s unfortunate that this isn’t clearly explained in the manual.

LATCH installation: When installing with LATCH lower anchors, you’re unlikely to have any issues. You might note if you check the manual that you’re allowed to borrow lower anchors when your base is in the center vehicle seat; however, even though the manual doesn’t tell you this, you’ll still need to make sure this is okay with the manual of your vehicle, as a “no” in either manual will override a “yes” in the other.

Seat belt installation: A seat belt installation will also likely be straightforward; there are lock offs included in the base, and the instructions are easy to follow.

Baseless installation: A baseless installation is possible with the Nido, as it is with almost every infant seat. Although a base installation will be far faster and easier, especially for repeated installations, a baseless installation can be convenient when using taxis, Ubers, or other travel situations, or when you absolutely need to minimize installation space. You can install via either American or European belt routing. European belt routing has the advantage of also providing an equivalent method of preventing downward rotation (also achieved by the load leg or by rear-facing tethering, which is rarely available in US seats).

Load leg: The load leg is connected to the base; to use it, you simply squeeze a button attached to the leg and follow the instructions to lower it. You basically lower it until it touches the floor of the vehicle and click it into place. Keep in mind that in vehicles with raised or humped floors (e.g., a Subaru Outback, a Chevrolet Volt, and many others), you might not end up being able to use the load leg at all. That’s okay; it’s still a safe seat without it.

Why Buy the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Nido?

In conclusion, despite its quirks, the Nido fulfills the basic needs of an infant car seat: it provides a safe way to transport newborns (full term or premature) out of the hospital and into a car, truck, SUV, or minivan, and keep him or her safe in such a vehicle for most of the first year of life. I’d like to see a simpler and more sensible recline guide and I wish the seat were lighter; 11 pounds is on the heavy end for an infant seat, although it’s worth remembering that many parents only carry infant seats around for the first few months before they start carrying their babies around instead in carriers. In the end, all infant seats become heavy with 12 pounds of baby in them, no matter how light the seats are to begin with. At any rate, the Nido is safe, stylish, and includes a pair of safety features–the anti-rebound bar and load leg–that are rare finds in American car seats. I like it and recommend it. Just remember it’s still important to rear-face once it’s outgrown.

You can buy the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Nido in 6 colors here. It’s unfortunately not yet available in Canada, but Canadians can buy a similar seat, the Britax B-Safe 35, here.

If you find my information on best practices in car and car seat safety helpful, you can do your shopping through this Amazon link. Canadians can  shop here for Canadian purchases. Have a question or want to discuss best practices? Join us in the forums!

There has never been a better time to rear-face in the United States and Canada than today. Even though most parents continue to forward-face shortly after their children turn 1, more and more parents are learning about how much safer it is to continue rear-facing until 4  or beyond, and we’re finally moving in the direction of our fellow parents in Sweden and Norway. However, extended rear-facing wouldn’t be possible if manufacturers hadn’t begun offering more choices in convertible seats with high weight and height limits.

Today in the United States, to rear-face your child until s/he reaches 50 pounds, you have a number of options: the Clek Fllo, the Clek Foonf, the Diono Rainier, the Graco Extend2Fit, the Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1, the Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit, the Nuna Rava, the Safety 1st Advance EX 65 Air+, and the Safety 1st Grow and Go EX Air. However, with few exceptions, almost all of these seats are two-stage, rear-and forward-facing options, and most cost over $200. Today we’ll take a closer look at a seat that includes a booster mode while clocking in below the $200 price point: the Safety 1st Grow and Go EX Air 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat. Depending on the color you choose, you can buy it for as little as under $150! But how does it compare to the other, more expensive 50 pound-class convertibles and 3-in-1 options on the market? Very well, to tell the truth. Let’s take a closer look below.

Safety 1st Grow and Go EX Air – What’s the big deal?

The Safety 1st Grow and Go EX Air is a 3-in-1 car seat and Safety 1st’s answer to the Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit. Graco had experimented with all-in-one seats for a number of years, and finally hit upon a big success with the Graco 4Ever All-in-one. They then came out with their first 50-pound capable convertible, the Extend2Fit (which remains one of my favorite car seats available in the US). Realizing the growing popularity of ERF-seats, Graco then pushed out the Extend2Fit 3-in-1, adding a booster mode to the Extend2Fit, and then brought the reinforcements in the Extend2Fit design to the 4Ever All-in-one, creating the 4Ever Extend2Fit, which combined 3-in-1 functionality with 50-pound rear-facing capabilities. Safety 1st, for their part, released the Advance EX 65 Air+, their equivalent of the Extend2Fit, and the Grow and Go, their equivalent of the 4Ever All-in-one. They then rolled both into one with the Grow and Go EX Air, which, like the 4Ever Extend2Fit, combines 50-pound rear-facing with 3-in-one capabilities. In short, all of these new seats mean more opportunities for extended rear-facing and combination seats for parents to choose between. But what exactly is a 3-in-1 seat?

A 3-in-1 seat like the Grow and Go EX is simply a seat that allows you to rear-face, forward-face in a harness, and then booster a child, allowing you to get much more time out of a single seat before needing to replace it. This saves waste, money, and the time needed to find additional seats.

Being a a convertible seat, you can use it from the day your baby is born to take him or her home from the hospital rear-facing. While most parents use infant seats, using a convertible seat with a newborn is perfectly safe as long as the seat fits your baby in terms of harness adjustability, recline angle, head support, and of course, the lower weight limit. Once your child maxes out the weight or height limits for it in a rear-facing configuration, you can turn it forward-facing until reaching the weight and height limits there. Once your child outgrows it forward-facing, you can turn it into a high-back booster and then a low back booster.

In other words, it’s potentially capable of being the only car seat your child ever needs. Additionally, because it has a 10 year lifespan, you’ll be able to use it with multiple children if you’re interested in doing so, or at least use it to make the most of the 50 pound rear-facing limit and 65 pound forward-facing weight limit, in addition to the booster modes.

Safety 1st Grow and Go EX Air Limits for Weight and Height

Rear-facing: 5 to 50 pounds. It’s best practices to rear-face as long as possible, which in this case means rear-facing up to 50 pounds if at all possible, since rear-facing is the safest way for a child to travel in a moving vehicle. The rear-facing height range ranges from 19″ to 49″, and your child’s head must also stay completely within the headrest when extended. The shell height is a wonderfully large 27″ when fully extended, and according to Center for Disease Control growth charts (which are the same for girls and boys), a 50th percentile child reaches 50 pounds when 7 years old and 49″ when 7:5 (7 years, 5 months).

This makes this a seat where rear-facing is actually limited by weight instead of height, which is very rare (but very good) in car seats. Four other examples of this in the rear-facing world are the Safety 1st Advance EX 65 Air+, the Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit, the Graco Extend2Fit, and the Nuna Rava, all of which feature 50 pound and 49″ weight and height rear-facing limits due to the same design. What’s key to remember here is that you’ll be able to rear-face virtually every preschooler (all of whom should be rear-faced) and kindergartner (who still benefit from rear-facing, although they can also be forward-faced) without worry.

Forward-facing: 22 to 65 pounds. The forward-facing height range starts at 29″ and ends at 49.” The child’s ears must fit within the headrest when the headrest is fully extended. This height limit, as noted above, will be reached by a 50th percentile child at 7:5. The weight limit won’t be reached by a 50th percentile child until 10, but it’s overruled by the height limit. If you were to max out the rear-facing limits before forward-facing, this suggests you could rear-face the average child until 7 and then forward-face until 7:5 before converting to the booster modes.

In practice, you could move directly from rear-facing into boostering, as the Swedes do, as most children will be able to sit appropriately in high-back booster seats by 7, which means there aren’t any safety advantages in continuing to forward-face at that point. There is no harm, however, in continuing to forward-face until your child outgrows that configuration by weight or height. As with the Safety 1st Advance EX 65 Air+, there is a minimum age requirement of 2 for forward-facing, although, as noted above, it is best to continue to rear-face until the seat’s weight or height limits are met.

High-back booster: 40 to 100 pounds as a high-back booster. The height range is between 43″ and 52″ with the same fit restriction as when forward-facing–in other words, your child’s ears must fit completely within the extended headrest.

Safety 1st added a minimum age  of 4 years to the booster use requirements. This is far better than previous car seat recommendations where manufacturers stated boosters could be used as early as 3 (a very unsafe idea), but it’s crucial to remember that preschoolers should never be in boosters and kindergartners are almost never ready for boosters either. On the other end of the scale, kids should stay in boosters until they pass the 5 step test for seat belt readiness, which most kids won’t pass until they’re between 10 and 12.

Compared to the Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit, a few things stand out in the booster mode. First of all, there’s only a high-back mode in the Safety 1st, unlike the high- and low-back modes in the Graco. Second, the height and weight limits in the Safety 1st are smaller (53″ vs 57″ inches and 100 vs 120 pounds respectively). What this means in theory (and in practice) is that the booster modes in the 4Ever Extend2Fit will be usable for a longer span of time than those in the Grow and Go EX Air.

Buy the Safety 1st Grow and Go EX Air on Sale at Amazon here.

Dimensions and Key Features of the Safety 1st Grow and Go EX Air

The Grow and Go EX Air’s shell is 18.5″ wide at the widest points across the dual cupholders; it’s 24″ tall and 24″ long front to back. The seat itself weighs 15.5 pounds on my scale when all inserts are included and 14.7″ without them. It can be used for 10 years from its manufacturing date, and its harness height ranges from 5.5″ on the low end to 16.5″ on the high end. To take advantage of the lowest harness position, you need to use the newborn routing, which negates the otherwise-present no-rethread harness. The highest booster position is 18.5″ and the lower anchor weight limit (LATCH) is 40 pounds; after that, you’ll need to use seat belts to restrain the seat.

I measure the shell height at 27″ when the headrest is fully extended. Three crotch buckle positions are included (at 4.5″, 5.5″, and 6.5″ from the seat bight) in addition to a no-rethread harness (which, again is not functional when using the newborn harness routing). There are 3 recline positions to choose from (the 1st position is for forward-facing or boostering while positions 2 and 3 are for when rear-facing). The seat is FAA certified for air travel when harnessed (but not in booster mode) and the expiration date  is located beneath the seat and is stamped into the plastic. You can find the date of manufacture sticker on the outside left side of the seat.

The Grow and Go EX Air is available in 5 colors: Black, Purple, Arctic Dream (dark blue, grey, and light blue), Lithograph (grey, black, and metallic blue), and Royal Grape (black, purple, and grey).

Using the Safety 1st Grow and Go EX Air (Rear-Facing Installation, Forward-Facing Installation, Booster Installation, Child Fit, and Additional Bonuses)

Installing the Grow and Go EX was straightforward in both rear-facing and forward-facing configurations. I was happy to see the inclusion of a no-rethread harness, as they simply make adjusting harness heights easier as your child grows, or when it’s necessary to swap a new child into a car seat, such as when carpooling or giving rides. It’s important to note that if you’re planning on using the seat from birth, you’ll need to convert the harness into newborn mode, which does take a few minutes the first time you do it. Fortunately, you should only need to do it twice: when getting into newborn mode and when getting out of it several months later.

I was happy to be able to achieve a good fit for newborns, toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary-aged students. However, it’s important to note that the booster mode is not nearly as functional as those in the 50-pound 3-in-1 seats it competes with: the Diono Rainier and the Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit. The top seat belt guide is too low to make the seat usable for an extended period of time in booster mode, and this is reflected in the lower top height limit for booster mode. If you want to be able to use the booster mode for more than a year in your 3-in-1 seat, you’ll definitely want either the Rainier or the 4Ever Extend2Fit, as both come with much more realistic belt height ranges and height and weight limits.

Similarly, it’s not a seat you’ll want to tote through an airport; something that folds compactly like the Diono Rainier will be a far better choice. It’s also not a seat you’ll want to turn to for 3 across installations; the best 50-pound seats for that are the Clek Fllo and Clek Foonf at 17″ in width.

When installing the seat, remember that the lower LATCH anchor weight limit is 40 pounds. Since you can install the seat either through seat belts or LATCH, I’d simply install it from the start with seat belts to avoid having to reinstall it that way later when approaching the 40 pound weight limit. I typically always recommend seat belt installations since they make 3 across installations easier and because seat belts are just as safe as LATCH.

When rear-facing, besides making use of the newborn harness mode, remember you also need the bottom and back newborn inserts, although you can remove the shoulder pads if necessary for fit. Once your child is in the standard rear-facing configuration, you can choose between crotch buckle positions 1 and 2; the second position provides more space, and you should choose the position closest to your child. When forward-facing, you’ll want to use the included forward-facing tether to limit head excursion. When forward-facing, you can choose between the 3 crotch buckle positions at will.

Why Buy the Safety 1st Grow and Go EX Air?

The Safety 1st Grow and Go EX Air is one of an increasing number of car seats that make extended rear-facing available to parents of all budgets. It specifically lets parents rear-face to 4, 5, and even longer by featuring a 50 pound rear-facing weight limit and the highest height limit currently available at 49 inches. This is huge.

It’s hard to find things wrong with the seat without being very picky; it could be narrower, but seats like the Clek Fllo and Clek Foonf satisfy that need by allowing rear-facing to 50 pounds while coming in at a svelte 17.” It could fold into a more travel-friendly configuration, but you can turn the Diono Rainier into a backpack while still being able to rear-face to 50 pounds, forward-face, and booster. It could be cheaper, but the Graco Extend2Fit and Safety 1st Advance EX 65 Air+ is already available to let you rear-face until 50 pounds for less than $200 and is more or less the same price, depending on which seat is more on sale at the moment at Amazon. The booster mode is largely ineffective, but the Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit takes care of that for a little more money.

Just as its other 50-pound Safety 1st sibling, the Grow and Go EX Air lets you rear-face as long as any other seat currently available in the US market while costing a fraction of the price of most of them. There isn’t anything safer than rear-facing, and this seat makes that possible on a small, small budget. Unless you have particular needs (such as for a narrower, shorter, more compact, or lighter seat), this is a good choice to keep your kids very, very safe for a modest price.

You can buy the Safety 1st Grow and Go EX Air in 5 colors here. Unfortunately, it’s not yet available in Canada, but Canadians can buy a similar seat, the Diono Rainier, here.

If you find my information on best practices in car and car seat safety helpful, you can do your shopping through this Amazon link. Canadians can  shop here for Canadian purchases. Have a question or want to discuss best practices? Join us in the forums!

Parents in the United States have more opportunities to rear-face than ever before. Even though the majority of parents continue to forward-face by shortly past 1, more and more parents are learning of the benefits of continuing to rear-face until 4 or beyond, like our fellow parents in Sweden and Norway. None of this would be possible, though, without an increasing array of seats that push the limits in weight and height for extended rear-facing.

Right now in the United States, if you want to rear-face your child until 50 pounds, you have a few options: the Clek Fllo, the Clek Foonf, the Diono Rainier, the Graco Extend2Fit, the Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1, the Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit, the Nuna Rava, the Safety 1st Advance EX 65 Air+, and the Safety 1st Grow and Go EX Air. However, with few exceptions, most of these seats clock in at well over $200. Today we’ll take a closer look at a seat that doesn’t: the Safety 1st Advance EX 65 Air+. Depending on which color you buy, you can buy it for as little as under $150! But how does it compare to the other, more expensive, 50 pound convertible car seats on the market? Very well, actually. Let’s dive into the details below.

Safety 1st Advance EX 65 Air+ – What’s the big deal?

The Safety 1st Advance EX 65 Air+ is a convertible car seat an one of the best values on the market today for extended rear-facing. Being a convertible car seat, you can start using it the moment you’re ready to leave the hospital (you don’t need to use an infant seat) as long as your baby fits it properly in terms of the lower weight limit, head support, recline angle, and harness adjustability. Once your child reaches either the height or weight limits for the Air+ when rear-facing, you can then turn it forward-facing until your child reaches the height and weight limits in that configuration. At the end of its 8 year life, the seat will be considered expired and will need to be replaced.

Safety 1st Advance EX 65 Air+ Limits for Weight and Height

Rear-facing: 5 to 50 pounds. It’s best practices to rear-face as long as possible, which in this case means rear-facing up to 50 pounds if at all possible, since rear-facing is the safest way for a child to travel in a moving vehicle. The rear-facing height range ranges from 19″ to 49″, and your child’s head must also stay beneath 1″ from the top of the headrest when extended. The shell height is a wonderfully large 28″ when fully extended, and according to Center for Disease Control growth charts (which are the same for girls and boys), a 50th percentile child reaches 50 pounds when 7 years old and 49″ when 7:5 (7 years, 5 months).

This makes this a seat where rear-facing is actually limited by weight instead of height, which is very rare (but very good) in car seats. Three other examples of this in the rear-facing world are the Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit, the Graco Extend2Fit, and the Nuna Rava, all of which feature 50 pound and 49″ weight and height rear-facing limits due to the same design. What’s key to remember here is that you’ll be able to rear-face virtually every preschooler (all of whom should be rear-faced) and kindergartner (who still benefit from rear-facing, although they can also be forward-faced) without worry.

Forward-facing: 22 to 65 pounds. The forward-facing height range spans 29″ to 49.” As noted above, a 50th percentile child by height will reach this height at 7:5 while the weight limit won’t be reached until 10 for a 50th percentile child by weight. However, the seat’s usability would end for that same child at 7:5 due to the height limit being exceded then. If you were to rear-face to the limits before forward-facing, the dimensions and growth charts indicate you would be able to rear-face a typical child until 7 and then turn him or her forward-facing until s/he reached 7 years and 5 months. This is incredible. Practically speaking, you could also move directly from rear-facing into boostering, as the Swedes do, since most children will be able to sit appropriately in a high-back booster seat by age 7. Once this occurs, there are no safety advantages to continuing to forward-face vs high-back boostering. However, there’s nothing wrong or unsafe about continuing to forward-face until the seat is completely outgrown by weight or height.

There is a minimum forward-facing requirement of 2 years, but if you’ve read this far already, you’re hopefully planning on exceeding that by several years.

Buy the Safety 1st Advance EX 65 Air+ on Sale at Amazon here.

Dimensions and Key Features of the Safety 1st Advance EX 65 Air+

The Advance EX 65 Air+ is 20.5″ wide at its widest points across the armrests; it’s 28″ tall and 24″ long front to back. The seat itself weighs 28.4 pounds on my scale. It can be used for 8 years from its manufacturing date, and its harness height ranges from 7.5″ on the low end to 18″ on the high end. I measure the shell height at 28″ when the headrest is fully extended. Three crotch buckle positions are included in addition to a no-rethread harness. There are 3 recline positions to choose from. The seat is FAA certified for air travel and the expiration date is located beneath the seat and is stamped into the plastic. You can find the date of manufacture sticker on the side of the seat opposite the cupholder.

Using the Safety 1st Advance EX 65 Air+ (Rear-Facing Installation, Forward-Facing Installation, Child Fit, and Additional Bonuses)

Installing the Air+ was straightforward in both rear-facing and forward-facing configurations. I was happy to see the inclusion of a no-rethread harness, as they simply make adjusting harness heights easier as your child grows, or when it’s necessary to swap a new child into a car seat, such as when carpooling or giving rides. I was happy to be able to achieve a good fit for newborns, toddlers, preschoolers, elementary-aged students, and middle-schoolers. I was also happy to see a handle included in the seat (it’s on the back) to make it easy to carry.

It’s important to note, however, that this is a very large seat as well as a rather hefty one. The weight means you aren’t going to want to move it around if you don’t have to (it’s not a seat you’ll want to tote through an airport; something that folds compactly like the Diono Rainier will be a far better choice). It’s also not a seat you’ll want to turn to for 3 across installations; the best 50-pound seats for that are the Clek Fllo and Clek Foonf at 17″ in width.

When installing the seat, remember that the lower LATCH anchor weight limit is 40 pounds. Since you can install the seat either through seat belts or LATCH, I’d simply install it from the start with seat belts to avoid having to reinstall it that way later when approaching the 40 pound weight limit. I typically always recommend seat belt installations since they make 3 across installations easier and because seat belts are just as safe as LATCH.

When rear-facing, you can choose between crotch buckle positions 1 and 2; the second position provides more space, and you should choose the position closest to your child. When forward-facing, you’ll want to use the included forward-facing tether to limit head excursion. When forward-facing, you can choose between the 3 crotch buckle positions at will.

Why Buy the Safety 1st Advance EX 65 Air+?

The Advance EX 65 Air+ is part of the growing democratization of car seats in the United States and Canada. What I mean is that it’s part of a growing number of seats that make extended rear-facing available to parents of all budgets. It specifically lets parents here rear-face to 4, 5, and even longer by featuring a 50 pound rear-facing weight limit and the highest height limit currently available at 49 inches. This is huge.

It’s hard to find things wrong with the seat without being very picky; it could be narrower, but seats like the Clek Fllo and Clek Foonf satisfy that need by allowing rear-facing to 50 pounds while coming in at a svelte 17.” It could fold into a more travel-friendly configuration, but you can turn the Diono Rainier into a backpack while still being able to rear-face to 50 pounds, forward-face, and booster. It could be cheaper, but the Graco Extend2Fit is already available to let you rear-face until 50 pounds for less than $200 and is more or less the same price, depending on which seat is more on sale at the moment at Amazon. It could have a longer lifespan, but the Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit does while allowing you to use it to rear-face, forward-face, and booster.

To put it mildly, the Air+ lets you rear-face as long as any other seat currently available in the US market while costing a fraction of the price of most of them. There isn’t anything safer than rear-facing, and this seat makes that possible on a small, small budget. Unless you have particular needs (such as for a narrower, shorter, more compact, or lighter seat), this is a good choice to keep your kids very, very safe for a modest price.

You can buy the Safety 1st Advance EX 65 Air+ in Hardwick Hall, Newbury, and Twist of Citrus here. Unfortunately, it’s not yet available in Canada, but Canadians can buy a similar seat, the Diono Rainier, here.

If you find my information on best practices in car and car seat safety helpful, you can do your shopping through this Amazon link. Canadians can  shop here for Canadian purchases. Have a question or want to discuss best practices? Join us in the forums!

When it comes to safe ways of transporting children in cars, best practices tell us rear-facing is the way forward. Although most US parents still forward-face by shortly after 1, best practices indicate it’s safest to continue doing so until at least 4, as is the case in both Sweden and Norway. To make this possible, though, we need seats with high weight and height limits in rear-facing configurations.

Currently, there are only a handful of seats that allow you to rear-face until 50 pounds in the United States: the Clek Fllo, the Clek Foonf, the Diono Rainier, the Graco Extend2Fit, the Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1, the Nuna Rava, the Safety 1st Advance EX 65 Air+, and the Safety 1st Grow and Go EX Air. Other 50 pound seats have come and gone, such as the Diono Pacifica. However, the market continues to grow as US manufacturers realize that parents are increasingly interested in following global best practices in car seat safety. This brings us to the Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit. It combines the 3-in-1 (rear-facing, forward-facing, and booster) modes of the Graco 4Ever with the 50 pound rear-facing weight limits of the Graco Extend2Fit. How does it compare to the other 50 pounds seats on the market? Pretty well. Let’s take a closer look below.

Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit – What’s the big deal?

The Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit is a 3-in-one car seat and the successor to the Graco 4Ever All-in-one. It As a convertible seat, you can use it from the day your baby is born to take him or her home from the hospital rear-facing. While most parents use infant seats, using a convertible seat with a newborn is perfectly safe as long as the seat fits your baby in terms of harness adjustability, recline angle, head support, and of course, the lower weight limit. Once your child maxes out the weight or height limits for it in a rear-facing configuration, you can turn it forward-facing until reaching the weight and height limits there. Once your child outgrows it forward-facing, you can turn it into a high-back booster and then a low back booster. In other words, it’s potentially capable of being the only car seat your child ever needs. Additionally, because it has a 10 year lifespan, you’ll be able to use it with multiple children if you’re interested in doing so, or at least use it to make the most of the 50 pound rear-facing limit and 65 pound forward-facing weight limit, in addition to the booster modes.

Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit Limits for Weight and Height

Rear-facing: 4 to 50 pounds. Best practices suggests rear-facing as close as possible to 50 pounds before forward-facing, since rear-facing is the safest way to place a child in a moving vehicle. The absolute height limit is 49″, and your child’s head also needs to remain 1″ below the adjustment handle for the no-rethread harness. The shell height is a very generous 29″ when fully extended, and per Center for Disease Control growth charts (which are the same for boys and girls), a 50th percentile child won’t reach 50 pounds until 7 years old, and 49″ until 7:5 (7 years, 5 months). As a result, this is one of the rare seats where weight is actually the bottleneck instead of height for rear-facing; the Graco Extend2Fit and Nuna Rava, which both also feature 50 pound and 49″ weight and height limits respectively while rear-facing, are designed the same way. The main takeaway here though is that you’ll be able to rear-face virtually every preschooler (all of whom should be rear-faced) and kindergartner (who still benefit from rear-facing, although they can also be forward-faced) without worry.

Forward-facing: 22 to 65 pounds. The forward-facing height range ends at 49.” This height limit, as noted above, will be reached by a 50th percentile child at 7:5. The weight limit won’t be reached by a 50th percentile child until 10, but it’s overruled by the height limit. If you were to max out the rear-facing limits before forward-facing, this suggests you could rear-face the average child until 7 and then forward-face until 7:5 before converting to the booster modes. In practice, you could move directly from rear-facing into boostering, as the Swedes do, as most children will be able to sit appropriately in high-back booster seats by 7, which means there aren’t any safety advantages in continuing to forward-face at that point. There is no harm, however, in continuing to forward-face until your child outgrows that configuration by weight or height.

High-back / low-back booster: 40 to 100 pounds as a high-back booster and 40-120 pounds as a backless (low-back) booster. The height range in both configurations is between 43″ and 57″ and Graco added a minimum age range of 4 years. This is far better than previous car seat recommendations where manufacturers stated boosters could be used as early as 3 (a very unsafe idea), but it’s crucial to remember that preschoolers should never be in boosters and kindergarteners are almost never ready for boosters either. On the other end of the scale, kids should stay in boosters until they pass the 5 step test for seat belt readiness, which most kids won’t pass until they’re between 10 and 12.

Buy the Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit on Sale at Amazon here.

Dimensions and Key Features of the Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit

The 4Ever Extend2Fit’s shell is 19″ wide at the widest points (across the cupholders). The seat itself weighs 25.8 pounds with padding and 24.3 pounds without padding. The 4Ever Extend2Fit is 23″ tall, and 21″ deep. It can be used for 10 years from its manufacturing date, and its harness height ranges from 7″ at the low end to 17.5″ at the highest position. I measure the shell height at 29″ with the headrest fully extended. The width at the shoulders is 12.” Two crotch strap positions are included; the inner slot is 2″ from the back of the seat without padding and 4.5″ with padding while the outer slot is 6.5″ from the seat back. The seat depth is 13.” You can choose between 6 recline positions (4 rear-facing, 2 forward-facing).

Using the Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit (Installation, Child Fit, and Additional Bonuses)

The 4Ever Extend2Fit was easy to install in both rear- and forward-facing configurations, as well as in high-back and low-back booster modes. I was particularly a fan of the inclusion of the extender beneath the seat to provide additional leg room; this debuted in the original Extend2Fit and it does add comfort when rear-(but not forward) facing. The leg extension is adjustable and has 4 positions of travel. For additional comfort on long road trips, 2 cupholders are included.

The no-rethread harness made adjusting the seat easy enough for kids of varying sizes, and I was happy to be able to achieve a good fit for newborns, toddlers, preschoolers, elementary-aged students, and middle-schoolers.

It’s important to note that you need to use both the harness pads and the body support if your child weighs 25 pounds or less. The seat is FAA approved for harness use; keep in mind that you can’t use it as a booster on a plane because you need lap and shoulder belts for a booster seat. The seat has a 10 year lifespan, but Graco stipulates it needs to be replaced after any crash, including minor ones.

Special Notes When Installing the Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit Rear-Facing

When rear-facing, you can choose between recline positions 1 through 4; 5 and 6 are reserved for forward-facing (and are marked as such on the side of the seat). You can also use the leg extension by pulling it out and clicking it into one of the 4 positions available. To access the belt paths for both rear- and forward-facing, you can pull forward the bottom cover.

You can install the seat via either seat belts or LATCH, but I always recommend seat belt installations since they make 3 across installations easier and because seat belts are just as safe as LATCH. Additionally, a seat belt installation means you won’t have to switch to seat belts later on once your child reaches 35 pounds, as this is a requirement for rear-facing. Keep in mind that you can’t use inflatable seat belts with the 4Ever Extend2Fit (which is the case with the vast majority of car seats currently on the market).

Special Notes When Installing the Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit Forward-Facing

It’s important to note that you can only choose between recline positions 5 and 6 when forward-facing; if your child weighs 40 pounds or less, you’ll need position 5. If your child weighs more than 40 pounds, you’ll need position 6. As noted earlier, you’re not allowed to use the leg extension in any position when forward-facing. You’ll also need to use the built-in seat belt lockoff (it’s red and located behind the seat) when installing the seat in forward-facing position for children who weigh more than 40 pounds. If you need to uninstall the car seat once you’ve used the lockoff, you’ll want to unbuckle the seat belt to lower belt tension before trying to open the lockoff in order to prevent sore fingers and pirate speech.

As noted above, while you can use LATCH, I’d recommend seat belts for forward-facing. The forward-facing LATCH weight limit is 40 pounds; once your child weighs that much, you’ll need to switch to installing the seat with seat belts if you haven’t already.

Why Buy the Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit?

Overall, I’m thrilled to see the 4Ever Extend2Fit. It joins the growing ranks of seats allowing children in the United States and Canada to rear-face to 4, 5, and even longer by featuring a 50 pound rear-facing weight limit and the highest height limit currently available at 49 inches.

It’s hard to find things wrong with the seat without being very picky; it could be narrower, but seats like the Clek Fllo and Clek Foonf satisfy that need by allowing rear-facing to 50 pounds while coming in at a svelte 17.” It could fold into a more travel-friendly configuration, but you can turn the Diono Rainier into a backpack while still being able to rear-face to 50 pounds, forward-face, and booster. It could be cheaper, but the Graco Extend2Fit is already available to let you rear-face until 50 pounds for less than $200, and unlike the 4Ever Extend2Fit, it doesn’t feature a booster mode.

The 4Ever Extend2Fit fits nicely in its niche and is one of the best car seats on the market for safety and budget-minded parents. When you consider that this could potentially be the only car seat you ever need for a child, its value increases exponentially.

You can buy the Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit in Clove and Jodie here. Unfortunately, it’s not yet available in Canada, but Canadians can buy a similar seat, the Diono Rainier, here.

If you find my information on best practices in car and car seat safety helpful, you can do your shopping through this Amazon link. Canadians can  shop here for Canadian purchases. Have a question or want to discuss best practices? Join us in the forums!