April 2, 2020
(Intensely refreshed June 13, 2022)
Buy this car safety seat and you’re done for six years! Maybe more. It will get you from newborn to 110 pounds! Comfortable, with exceptional safety features, easy to buckle. And more.
WHICH CAR SEAT DO I BUY?
Our oldest grandchild is so tall for his age, and has a large frame also. He’s a big kid.
As he approached the age to transition to a backless booster, we found ourselves frustrated at the size and comfort of the booster seats available. We thought we were really about to transition into something simple and easy.
Not.
Frustration: The rider is required to be in a child safety seat, but is getting older and has outgrown either the seat or the restraint method.
PROBLEM: The booster seats we are able to find really are not any wider, and most have inadequate padding. They just couldn’t be comfortable.
I could see that others were searching for this information online, but finding few answers.
Don’t be frustrated or overwhelmed. Let me help you with some of the important considerations if this is your struggle.
Even if your little “grand one” is average size or small, you will find this article is helpful in thinking about your long-term needs for safety seats.
So the good news is this: There IS a best car seat for big kids.
You’re here because you need the best car seat for big kids. Probably means you have a big kid.
Even if it doesn’t, please give me 5-10 minutes to show you this car seat, the last one you will ever need.
It will serve you from newborn to 110 lbs. Yes, really.
Look, I’m planning to spill everything in this article. It’s long and detailed.
If you’re a skimmer or skipper, or if you just get tired of reading…
Scroll down to “The Bottom Line” below to get my personal recommendations.
But please come back for the logic — it’s about safety and knowledge and responsibility.
Thanks, for stopping here to learn, and making the decision to get serious about car seat safety and how to purchase for your little one.
Here’s an important thing for you to remember:
Car seat knowledge is not a quick acquisition.
Get a pad of paper and a pen, or your phone notes,
and start assembling the criteria.
- Safety for user,
- Comfort for user,
- Convenience for parents,
- Price,
- Easy installation and buckling,
- Good reviews,
- and more.
Take your time to research and make your comparisons, and when you’re finished you will KNOW why you selected the seat for your little one.
Buying a car safety seat…
If you don’t plan, you may be buying seats many times. And they can get expensive.
I HAVE AN ANSWER:
We purchased the Evenflo Symphony. Just give it a little look. I’m gonna tell you why this one will work, and will save you some money. It’s one purchase that will last you for years. Without a doubt, it is the best car seat for big kids.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
ABOUT CAR SEATS
If you need to do some research (and you do, trust me!), take a look at what’s already been done.
The following websites have been so helpful. They all offer great information.
What you will find is a lot more answers than you knew you needed.
People have done a great job researching many different issues — safety, comfort, multiple seats side-by-side, recommendations for different vehicles, installation tips, etc..
You’ll be glad someone pointed out the different features to you.
Did you start your notes yet? It’s about to get serious!
Here’s your list of sites to visit,
if you want more detailed information.
I want you to be well informed.
But…
come back here to Grammye
to finish your project.
Remember: I got you.
And save this post to read later,
when you start to prepare for the next change.
Now, run look at these, and I’ll wait here.
Or skip it for now and read on!
Best Car Seat Hub – Top-rated seats
Car Seats For The Littles – Four stages
And, For a list of common things you could be doing wrong with child car seats: Check out 20 Common Car Seat Mistakes.
UNDERSTANDING THE CAR SEAT STAGES
That tiny baby seat/carrier is great, with the stroller and the click-in base. Don’t give it up until you have to. Maybe when your little bundle is so heavy you really can’t use the carry handle any more.
But before you make your next purchase, just look at the options and the cost.
Here are the stages after the infant seat.
- You’ll convert next to another rear-facing seat. You will still be using the 5-point harness and probably some fitted but removable padding to snug the baby in. It won’t have the separate base, but it will fasten into your car similar to the way the base was fastened.
- Then your child will face forward. They advise you to delay this as long as you can. At this time you may still have some removable padding in the seat. And you will continue to use the 5-point harness. You will now add the use of the tether strap to anchor the seat; it goes over the back of your vehicle seat and anchors to a hook at the base.
- The next change is that your child will stop using the harness, and will start using the adult seat belt threaded through a holder in the car seat. (The guides in the articles above are very detailed about readiness for this change.)
- Finally, your child will need a booster seat (with a back, or backless) continuing to use the adult seat belt. This is the last stage before not using a child safety seat at all.
Here’s a car seat readiness chart based on size from safekids.org.
CAR SEAT READINESS
Really research the criteria for each change.
It’s not just convenience, or size, or age, or weight, although each of those is an important factor.
There are many ways to know if your child is or isn’t ready for reversing direction, or changing from harness to seat belt, or from car seat to booster. Or from booster to simply seat belt.
You’ll find out what’s important and why. I’m not covering all that here, because there’s a lot to know. My favorite for this information is the link from above, “Car Seats For the Littles” which covers a lot of ground.
(Go ahead if you want. Then see you in a few minutes. But the reality is that’s probably for later. Readiness will be a factor for the first time when you start thinking about forward facing. Not right at the beginning.)
WHAT TO BUY, AND WHY
I’m gonna give my advice for your next step after the baby carrier:
It’s this:
Buy a 3-in-1, or an all-in-one. Hint: These are the same thing.
Pay attention to the language. “Convertible” usually means rear facing to forward facing, with harness. It may also be called 2-in-1.
“All-in-one” or “3-in-1” usually means those two stages plus forward facing with a seat belt. Whatever the language a reviewer or manufacturer uses, this is what you’re looking for.
The Car Seat Lady does a good job of explaining some of this if you have more questions.
Let me show you the features of this car seat:
This Evenflo Symphony seat has a weight range of 5-110 lbs. Yes, you read that right. It goes all the way from rear facing infant safety seat to high-back booster.
It has a snuggle pad for the tiny baby that is easily removable. Still another pad remains for snugging up your toddler. This also is removable.
And the standard padding that is permanent is a good quality fabric, thick and breathable. It’s durable, washable, and attractive.
The seat has a great 5-point harness, and will work rear facing as long as you need (up to 40 lbs, 40 inches). Then it turns around for forward facing with the 5-point harness (up to 65 lbs, 50 inches). Later, you hide the harness behind the back pad and feed your car’s seat belt through the guide at the shoulder, and use this way until you’re finished (up to 110 lbs, 57 inches).
That high weight limit isn’t the case with every car seat. It’s part of what makes this the best car seat for big kids. And one more factor: the “seat pan” is wide. That’s the name for the actual seating area.
By the way, the 5-point harness works great with the seat padding which is designed to accommodate it completely without any disassembly of the harness. (Now you know what “no re-thread harness” means.)
One speed factor that is great is a small button at the front edge of the seat, a “loosener” for the 5-point harness belt system. You press this button and pull on one of the shoulder straps, and it gives you a little slack to wrestle your little wiggleworm in. Now you can fasten the chest buckle and the lower buckles more easily. Then you pull up on a strap next to the button and the belts tighten again.
STARTING TO USE THE VEHICLE SEAT BELT
For babies, the harness use has been so straightforward. 5-point harnesses are what you do for almost every device.
When you fast-forward to the days when you use the car’s seat belt instead of the harness, you’re following a very different process for buckling in your child.
I wanted to consider several things:
Safety for user
Comfort for user
Convenience for parents
Price
Easy installation and buckling
Good reviews
MORE ABOUT SAFETY
Just a few words about safety: It’s the whole reason you’re doing this. Make sure in your notes you’re collecting all the reasons for the car seat features.
Unique installation features, instructions about harness/belt tightness, recline positions, etc., can be so overwhelming.
But the car seat — it’s all about your baby’s safety.
When you’ve seen a close friend injured in a serious vehicle accident, and you find their grandchild was totally unharmed in a safe car seat, you have a new respect for the design of child safety seats. And a new respect for the caretakers who follow the rules.
THE NITTY GRITTY ON THIS SEAT AS A BOOSTER
A huge plus with the Evenflo Symphony: It doesn’t have the arm rests (which don’t usually work for bigger kids anyway). It has a deep groove on each side that holds the lap belt in place. Makes buckling them up SO much easier.
Our struggle was this: In using a seat with arms, which most of the “booster” seats have, including the high-back style, we were trying to wrestle the seat belt below the protrusions that should function as armrests and seat belt guides, as instructed. Even when we thought we had found a good car seat for a big kid, this factor interfered.
It was very difficult to place the seat belt below those guides. I felt like we were compromising the safety of the booster seat we were using. That settled it: No more little plastic “arms” on the seat.
Now the research began. We had to go to the store with our criteria list: No little armrests, only the grooves. Good cup holders. Wide seating area. Comfortable padding.
We went together to the stores. We made notes. We pressed on the seats to test the padding. We examined the cup holders, and (important) we measured the seating area. With a flexible measuring tape. This was the only way to know if we were getting a generous seating area. Even if it looked wider, sometimes the cupholders intruded into the seating area. We researched the reviews and compared the specifications to other seats. This is where our decision was truly made.
THE HAPPY ENDING
This car seat is really a comfortable ride for him. Long trips are fine. It’s also very protective around him.
Oh, it’s big and bulky and heavy. You can remove and reinstall it if needed, but it’s not a small or lightweight item, and moving it frequently would be impractical.
But know this: I choose big/bulky/heavy over lightweight and moveable. Because we know what this is all about.
Also, your child can help a bit with the buckle. He is able to unbuckle himself, but can’t buckle himself in with the seat belt. That’s okay. When the car starts moving, I know he’s secure because I buckled him in.
And incidentally, there are rigid holders to keep the buckle receptacle still while inserting the buckle. It’s called a Buckle Booster.
They make it way easier for older children to manage their seat belts.
There’s another “step” to all this…
We also purchased a small footstool to support his feet. This is a nice thing to do for their comfort when they’re taller, no matter what forward facing seat you choose.
(When your child is big enough, just do it. Otherwise you will say, “Stop kicking my seat” more times than you can count. The kids are really uncomfortable when their feet dangle.)
An inflatable foot rest is safe for car use, mainly because they’re softer, lighter, and not sharp. (So, in an accident if they bonk around they probably won’t give you a skull fracture or impale you.)
But I know some people also use plastic folding stools. Living on the edge, right?
Plastic step stools come in different heights, like this folding step stool which is 15″. And they are quick to set up, quick to fold away.
THE START OF YOUR LIST:
All-in-one
Rear facing + forward facing + booster
Weight range 5-110 lbs
Wide seat pan
Adequate and breathable padding
Removable baby and toddler snug pads
Use with 5-point harness or seat belt
Easy installation and buckling
Affordable
Last seat you will need
Good reviews
THE UPDATE TO THIS STORY:
In my research I’ve found there are several other seats which are very similar to the Symphony model.
They appear online to be in the same category, as far as recommendations and weight limits. Their price was higher at the time we purchased. If the wide seat area isn’t your top priority, you may find another seat suits your needs better.
Here’s one that’s come along, and I’ll mention it because it may suit your needs if you want to skip the infant travel system.
Since we made our purchase, Evenflo has introduced the Everystage DLX. Researching the differences, there are two important additional features that may make this a more suitable choice for you:
- A unique adjustable-position recline feature for newborns
- A ratcheting installation called “Easy Click”
If you truly are using the All-In-One type seat from the beginning for your tiny baby, this is worth considering.
The cost is a little more than the Symphony, but if you’re not purchasing the newborn travel-system type items, your total investment with this seat will still be very good.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Personally, I’m a big fan of the carrier-type, snap-in-the-base for newborns. It just works. For moms, you can buckle baby in while you’re in the house, carry them to the car and snap them into the base in one easy step. When you get somewhere, you can pop that stroller open and snap the carrier into the stroller. Grandma can have a base, and you don’t need a second seat.
It’s efficient, versatile, and well designed.
It’s after the baby outgrows this that the equipment can get confusing and expensive.
That’s why I’m still recommending the Evenflo Symphony DLX very strongly.
Here’s my personal recommendation:
If you want the straight answer, the easy choice made for you, it’s this:
Get the Graco Travel System for the newborn.
Then the Evenflo Symphony DLX for your long-term car seat.
Finally, the Diono Solana 2 Booster seat. If you need it.
And you’re done.
ABOUT THE COST
We can’t totally ignore the figures, can we?
The infant travel system will likely set you back around $200.
If you need an extra baby seat base, that’s about $65.
Then the all-in-one will be around $240.
The Diono Solana is around $50.
This could be your total. Around $550.
(And you may never need that booster seat. One of ours was ready for the adult seat belt when he finished with the all-in-one.)
But remember — this all gets used by the next child, and the stroller lasts beyond the time you use the infant carrier.
And yes, friends, we definitely hand down our car seats within the family.
Let me answer a question you may have: The expiration date on the seat prohibits sale after the date, but doesn’t prohibit use.
Does that make you feel better?
You can find high back boosters, like Diono Cambria from $40 up to $200. Backless boosters like Diono Solana are $50 but you can find others for much less.
We actually use a Diono Solana 2 and love it, for one of our younger grandchildren right now. It’s a generous size, has better padding than the others. The version I recommend latches onto the anchors to keep it still in the car. (You’ll see the two short straps on the front of the seat that confirm it has the hooks for your anchors. There are other versions that don’t have this.)
If a wide seat doesn’t work in your vehicle (or you have a child who isn’t wide) please research the websites I mentioned earlier. They give actual measurements, plus categories for different needs. It’s so helpful.
NOT SORRY
This was a big decision for us because we have two vehicles the children ride in, and they are all different ages and stages. That’s a lot of car seats, and we are delighted with our setup after using several years.
The research we did proved valuable in so many ways. Please take a few days to consider all this, and review the safety features. Review the websites above. Or seek out your own advisers.
Get started!
Find out everything you can about car seat safety before your next purchase.
Surprises…
Researching all this was where we found out:
- A child is not supposed to have a winter coat on while in the seat.
- Messy/drippy eating can deposit food debris in the buckles that compromises their safety.
And that’s not all:
- Make sure the seats you buy fit side by side in your vehicle. Multiple car seats may challenge your space. That’s why you need the measurements.
- Some vehicles do not have the LATCH anchors in all positions. You may have less choices about placement than you thought.
All your research really will answer even the questions you didn’t ask!
It’s how we found out what LATCH system means. It’s the “system” that car seats use: Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren.
So many rules, so many stages, so many choices.
Be safe, be smart, be frugal, be happy with your purchase.
LIFE TRUTH: Our great frustration actually ended up leading us to our best purchase and a wealth of knowledge. I hope that happens to you!
Thanks for being here, for caring about complicated car seat decisions. The goal is to help you know how to shop for your particular situation.
Now. Go put this great car seat in your cart at Walmart and push it around while you do your research.
And something else: If you’ve got a friend who is about to start this search, be a buddy and send them this post.
Thank you! At GFP company is always welcome!
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-Grammye
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