Evenflo Big Kid Booster Seat; a convertible seat for your child!
Written: Nov 26 '04 (Updated Nov 26 '04)
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Pros: Convertible seat will last for all of your children's needs.
Cons: Doesn't have a built-in DVD entertainment center?
The Bottom Line: This child seat should last you for a long while, yet won't break the bank.
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| ivplay's Full Review: Evenflo Big Kid Booster Car Seat - Marton |
Last September our eldest son was kicked out of the built-in child seats in our Chrysler Town & Country in favor of the newly-born baby. The baby had to be seated in a baby carrier/car seat, and it was difficult at best to get into the back seat. Knowing that we would eventually need to own three booster seats or kid seats, we started our search.
What is the Evenflo Big Kid Booster Seat?
The Evenflo Big Kid Booster Seat is a child restraint system for a rear seat in a vehicle. It is a belt-positioning booster seat, and as such must be used with a shoulder and lap seat belt, never with only a lap belt. The Big Kid Booster is a booster seat with a height-adjustable back. In addition, the back can be removed as your child outgrows it, yet is still too small to sit directly on the car seat itself.
The seat has hidden cup holders and snack trays that slide into the base of the booster seat itself. Additionally, there are pivoting armrests attached to the base which have two height adjustments for young and older children alike. The seat back has a deep backed head support for keeping your child's head upright while sleeping, and it comes with a removable, washable cover to ease cleaning of the unit itself.
Who can use this seat?
Children of the following 'dimensions' can use this seat with the accompanying backrest:
30-100 lbs in weight
Less than 57 inches tall
Children of at least 1 year of age
Once the child's ears rise over the top of the back rest with it fully extended, you can take remove the backrest and continue to use the booster base. The dimensions are the same in this case except that once your child's ears are higher than the top of the vehicle seat back you should set them directly on the seat with no booster whatsoever.
Assembly/Use
The seat is fairly easy to put together. Insert the arm rests in the base to the appropriate height at which point they will secure with tabs and slots designed for just this. At this point you need to assemble the backrest, which is rather simple although requires some force. The head rest secures into the backrest with three posts, and then you install the pull handle. The handle is used to adjust the height of the backrest to accommodate your child's height. Installation of the backrest is simple and secure, pushing the assembly into the base. Again, there is a locking tab to hold the backrest securely in place. Add the cover to the booster seat and you are ready to go!
Using this seat is easy. Place the seat in one of your car or van's back seats and have the child sit down, ensuring that they are flush with the back and bottom. Adjust the backrest until the bottom of the shoulder strap is level with the child's shoulder, thus ensuring that the strap will travel along the shoulder as designed. Pull the strap across the child, making sure that the strap is in the guide and snug across the lap. Buckle the seat belt and your child is secured!
When you child outgrows the seat back, you can remove the back and use the accompanying belt loop with the base to keep your child safe with just the booster base. The belt loop connects to the base and then extends up to the child's shoulder level where it catches the shoulder strap and keeps it level with the child's shoulder, ensuring a safe fit.. It is adjustable to ensure a good fit over a variety of heights.
Our experiences
Our eldest son loves this seat for a variety of reasons, as do his mother and I. The seat has armrests along the side just like Mom and Dad's car seats, yet doesn't have the over-the-head securing arm rest. This makes our son feel older, and he calls it his big boy seat. Also, the seat is easy to manipulate in and out of the vehicle, so if I take Aidan somewhere in my truck it is a fast and pain-free experience to switch the seat from van to truck. The snack stowaways are a nice addition to the seat, and we use them often on our trips across the state to see the grandparents. Finally, the deep head rest allows our son to sleep in the seat without his head continually bouncing down on his chest, waking him up every few minutes. That is a great feature!
We have not had the opportunity to use this seat without the backrest as of yet, as Aidan has not outgrown the seat. It is a simple process to set up, however, as we tried it out in the store prior to buying the seat. The adjustable back is a nice feature, and we have had to extend the back to allow the strap to sit in the right area of his shoulder. Remember to revisit the adjustments often, as the placement of the shoulder strap is integral to your child's safety!
A few safety notes, if you are driving somewhere without your child remember to secure the seat with a seatbelt. If you get into an accident, the flying car seat could cause serious damage to you or other passengers in the vehicle. Never use this in a rear-facing orientation, as it is not designed for this. This particular seat is not FAA approved for airplane usage, as it is only designed for use with a shoulder and lap belt. Finally, do not use this seat if it has been in an accident. Think of child safety seats as a one-time use item. If it is involved in an accident, you cannot see the physical strains that it has been subjected to. It may yet be safe to use, but then again it may not. Do you want to take that chance?
Overall
For $39 at target we have certainly received our money's worth out of this seat. With two more children on their way to booster seats, I believe that this seat will service us for a few years to come. Remember to fill out the registration/warranty card so that the company can contact you in the case of recalls, and take advantage of the 90-day limited warranty. We enjoy the use of this seat and would recommend it for you!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 25
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years
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