Pediatricians are now recommending that children stay rear-facing for 2 years. I always thought this was a bit silly because of how cramped and uncomfortable that seemed to me, but now Graco has come to the rescue with the very first car seat meant to be used from birth to 2 years. One of the great things about this is that it saves parents from buying seat after seat to accommodate their child's growth. That means, less money, less stress, and far less hassle.
I've been given the opportunity to be one of the first to check out this seat and share it with you. I'm also giving one away!!
From the seat facing side of the base, users can easily pull up a foot rest for the child inside. This will save the back of the car's seat from getting kicked and dirty. Also, once the child is old enough to keep the seat in the car full time vs. removing the seat with the child inside, simply move the handle all the way backwards to keep it out of your way for easy buckling and unbuckling. Finally, the latch system is on this seat and tucked into the compartment on the very front of the car seat's base.
Here is my favorite part of this seat. I absolutely can't stand the struggle I have to go through just to get the harness in the right position for safety's sake. Graco has come up with a far better approach to this very issue and I am LOVING it. To get the harness straps in the right position, users can now squeeze the red buttons on the back of the seat, hold them in, and slide the head support up or down. It sure beats having to un-thread and re-thread the harness straps!
This is such a wonderful innovation and I'd love to see it on EVERY car seat.
I chose the Mena pattern over the Moonstruck for this review {there are currently only two styles available}. The Moonstruck is more gender neutral with hues of grays rather than a pattern with pink like I chose. I should also point out the seat's cushion for infants. It is very soft and cozy feeling. It feels like a pillow, really. Any baby would feel quite comfortable inside this seat.
Since the seat is also made with a new, Click Connect system, there is a new stroller to go with it. The Click Connect system seems a lot more user friendly to me. I don't fight with getting the seat out of the base half as much as I do with my other Graco seat. The stroller is designed to work with the new Click Connect system as it "clicks" in 2 different places now, rather than just on the back of the seat, but the handle on the back of the seat is the same and people familiar with Graco SnugRide seats will feel comfortable using this new style.
I asked my three year old to sit in the seat while it was reclined all the way to the 8th position and here's what it looked like. Now, she weighs 27 pounds and is 37.25" tall. Her legs are a little bent, but overall, she seems to fit in the seat just fine.
And here is Mikayla with the seat reclined to a 4. {I was right next to her so I didn't buckle her in all the way.}
The only problem I see with this seat is its size. I have an older style minivan with bench seats. In my van, the front seats would have to move up to comfortably fit this car seat on the middle bench. This means it wouldn't be able to go behind the driver's side and the passenger would have to sit close to the front dash in order to use this seat. However, if you have a newer style van with a roomier interior, you'll be just fine. We drove a 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan for a road trip recently and this seat would work just fine in there. I just thought I'd share this in case you have an older minivan like I do {mine is a '99}.
BUY IT: The new, SnugRide Click Connect 40 retails for $219.99 at Babies R Us stores everywhere.
THE GIVEAWAY!!
**Thanks to the PR firm and Graco for the items to facilitate this review and giveaway. I was not compensated for this review beyond receiving the item mentioned. This review shares my thoughts and opinions. Others may have a different experiences or opinion.**
