I don't generally write reviews but wanted to praise Baby Trend on the design of this car seat. We were directed to it after the January 07 Consumer Reports review showing this as one of only two infant car seats to pass their more stringent crash tests (TV news showed alarming video of various car seats flying around the passenger compartment after being struck by a vehicle).
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br /Compared to our still-new Safety 1st seat, this one is so much better engineered in a number of ways:
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br /1) The base is super easy to install. Click twice into each of the car's two anchor points, then tug on each of the two straps to tighten the base. That's it. Our old seat had paragraphs of confusing directions that didn't leave me as confident as this one.
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br /2) The base has an easily adjustable tilting mechanism and leveling indicator to insure you get the right angle for the baby's head (no flopping). Our old seat had no such system - we used rolled-up towels.
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br /3) The seat has a dial to quickly adjust the seat height as the baby grows. No such system on our old seat.
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br /4) The handle has an ergonomic triangle shape on top for more secure grasp when reaching into the car from the left or right.
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br /5) If the base is not available, the seat can be strapped directly into a car using the car's lap belt.
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br /6) The seat is overall more narrow than our old seat, allowing our two other kids to fit in the back seat with a little more breathing room. Every inch helps.
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br /7) The seat is lighter than our old seat, although it feels just as secure and solid as the old one.
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br /All this, and the seat is the same price as our old one. Unfortunately Amazon/Target was sold out when the Consumer Reports issue came out, but I found them in stock online at Wally World, if you are looking to get one quickly. The one for sale here is a better color combo than Wally's, unless you like lime green - but the seats themselves are all the same superb design.
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br /Summary: super easy to install and adjust, well thought-out features, fair price! Makes me want to have more kids just to buy more of these :)

I have had two kids use my Evenflo carseat. I HATED it. It was like they never even tried it out to see how well its features worked. I finally got so sick of it when my 2nd child was 4 months old that I ordered a Babytrend Flexloc. At first I was seduced by the high safety ratings, but even after that Consumer Reports article was rescinded, I still liked a lot of the features.
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br /Pros:
br /-very comfy seat, good padding
br /-the canopy is twice as long as my Evenflo so it can cover baby almost completely
br /- the canopy stays in place; it doesn't fall forward or backward behind the seat
br /- the tightening mechanism under the baby's feet is easy to reach and VERY easy to adjust to make the straps tighter or looser depending on what baby is wearing
br /- the harness mechanism is very easy to adjust (the shoulder strap height). My Evenflo had to be rethreaded every few months and even my mechanically inclined husband said it was horrible. The Flexloc is just a dial on the back that you turn--it's a breeze.
br /- The seat can be transfered between cars without the base. It can be strapped directly to the car by using a seat belt on the car seat or by using the LATCH system if your car has it.
br /- the triangular handle has a nice grip and is easy to hold in any position
br /- this carseat is lighter than my Evenflo
br /- The cloth is very wipeable, not as absorbant of spills and stains as my Evenflo
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br /Cons:
br /I found a few minor cons that definitely would not deter me from buying this carseat, and one that might (depending on how I can resolve it once I contact Babytrend).
br /- The release button to take the seat off its base is at the toes under the seat. It's a little harder to reach than the ones behind the head if the carseat is backward facing.
br /- As others have said, the buttons to move the handle are a bit stiff, but not horribly so. I was prepared for them to be way worse.
br /- The handle is thinner and doesn't FEEL as sturdy as my Evenflo when carrying baby around, but it hasn't had any problems
br /-This is the one BIG one that I have to check with Babytrend on: Twice when I have turned a corner sharply, the carseat has tipped to a 45 degree angle! I have tightened down the seatbelt as much as I could, putting my full weight on it and using the seatbelt retracting mechanism. But maybe I'm still not doing it right. The base is narrower than my Evenflo's was, so maybe that's why? So I need to contact Babytrend and see if they have any suggestions. Until then, I guess I'll take the corners slower!
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br /Overall, I have felt like this seat was a MAJOR improvement over my Evenflo and even over the Graco Snugrides I checked out at the store. It was intelligently designed to be easy to use and adjust as baby grows. I would recommend it for sure. Just make sure you strap it in tightly or use the LATCH system if you have it.

I have a 12 week old and in that short time, the mechanism that allows the handle to rotate forward and back (carrying position to "in the car" position) has failed. Since the product is under warranty I called Baby Trend and they would only help me if I sent the car seat back to them for repair. Obviously, if I do that, I will have no means of transportation for my baby. I would need to buy a new car seat, which defeats the purpose of having it repaired! I spoke with the head of the customer service department who refused to send a replacement. I do not advise buying this or any other Baby Trend product that you cannot afford to lose for a few weeks to have repaired.

We bought this because of the good safety reveiws. We also liked it because it is nice looking. We get comments on how nice it looks. I don't recommend it to people because of the handle. It's VERY hard to put up and down. You have to crawl in the car and grab the release with both hands while pulling back and wrestling with it to get it to go down. Not very easy if you have small hands. My husband even has trouble with it sometimes. Also if it is raining and you are trying to get the baby in the car and the handle down you will get soaked. It's not a fast chore. Other than that it looks nice but I probably would get something different.

We love the handle on this car seat. I owned a Graco Snug Ride and HATED it---it does not snap into a supermarket shopping cart. The handle is a triangle shape and you can carry it forward, backward, or against your hip. Love it, bought one with my second child and again for my last child when the first one expired.

This seat is BY FAR the easiest and most secure infant seat to install with any latch system. I have used it for both of my children and it still looks brand new. The canopy is huge and can easily cover the baby from almost all angles. (I had the expensive Peg Perego and hated the handle and canopy) The only thing I didn't like about this car seat had nothing to do with the car seat itself, but that my babies were so big so quick, that I didn't use it very long with either one. I absolutely recommend it.

Great seat. We read reviews somewhere complaining that their infant's head flopped forward in this seat. I installed it so that it was in a more reclining position while still being within the range- per the level indicator. We have had no trouble although we always support his head in the car seat so it cant flop around.

I own three car seats and this one is the most difficult to operate: the handle release is very difficult to operate (on a scale of 1 to 10 it is a 10) and the straps are too short (can you hear the screaming and uncomfortable baby right now?). I give it two stars because my child will never be harmed in it. How could he since I'll never use it.

For our second child we bought this car seat (previously had a Graco) to fit into the matching Sit N Stand double stroller. Wish I found another seat that also fits, even if it won't be the same color. Great safety ratings, the triangle handle looks weird but I thought was comfortable, and easy to clean. However, it is very difficult to move the handle back (which you're supposed to do for safety) once you put the baby in the car. It takes a few tries to get it to move and is a real hassle. The strap length isn't very long either and my baby only weighs 13 pounds.
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br /I agree with other reviewers and would not buy this again despite the convenience of fitting well with my new carriage by the same brand (which I love and highly recommend).

(I'm Roger's partner- the mamma, really.)
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br /While this seat is clearly safe, and I love the microfiber fabric better than the plasticky alternatives, I'm not real thrilled with this seat.
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br /I've had the same problem as others with moving the handle back and forth. One side works okay, but the other side is tricky. Here's how we make it work: first, take a deep breath. Then grab the handle/button and squeeze hard without putting any pressure on the handle to move it ANY OTHER direction. AFTER you have depressed the button, THEN you can try to move the handle. The handle has to be perfectly centered before the button will be depressible and the handle therefor movable. Not an easy task if you've got a screaming baby to attend to (and taking them out with the handle up is pretty awkward-- its very easy to bump babe's head). If you look at the mechanism you can see why it doesn't work very well.
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br /The triangular handle seemed great, but the seat is still very awkward to carry. I'm probably on the weak side in terms of mothers, but even my 8.5lb newborn made this thing tough to carry. I dread carrying him around at 18lbs. Its too heavy to carry away from my body, so I end up having it banging against my leg while I awkwardly hobble around. Or I hold it sideways in front of me with two hands. However, I must admit, I haven't tried to lift other seats.
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br /Everything else works fine, and I'm sure glad its easy to adjust. The crotch buckle is annoying though in that it takes two hands to hold the two sides together before it can get inserted into the between-the-legs strap. Maybe that's typical, but I'd rather not have to do it that way.

This is hands down a great car seat for the money. EASY EASY EASY to install due to the brilliant and heavy duty latch system. SUPER easy to adjust due to the adjustment knob and not having to take apart the straps to adjust for shoulders. Easy to take in and out of the base. Easy to carry with the triangle hold. The plastic is of much better quality than graco or Evenflo and the safety ratings rock. What we also LOVE is that this carseat can be purchased with a Jogging stroller!!!! We wanted a jogging stroller and not a "regular" one, so this seat also fits that need. Overall, we love it everyday of the week and highly recommend it. Lastly, the padding is soft for the baby!!!

I bought this because of reviews from the book 'Baby Bargains'. It was highly rated and I agree. I took it to the fire department for installation and the fireman who helped me said it was the easiest to install he had ever encountered. He did use a styrofoam swim 'noodle' wedged under the base to give it more recline, which it needed. Love the handle and the easy to adjust straps. I don't love how hard it is to move the handle back and forth. The buttons to unlock the handle for motion are not always easy to press. I was going to take away a star because of the difficulty moving the handle, but I didn't because every other aspect of it is that good.

My son is 4 months old, and he has already outgrown the seat. Well, I should say he has outgrown the straps.
br /He is not overly large for a baby at 16lbs. His height isn't even that much over 50% for his age. Even with nothing on but a romper, the straps are so tight around his shoulders and the strap between his legs is so short that I feel like I'm going to break him just keeping it all together.
br /I know this seat got a great rating when safety testing - it's why I purchased it. But they could not have possibly actually testing its safety with a typical 6 month old.
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I got this car seat with the travel system and I thought it was very cute and easy to move in and out of the car. It was great when my baby was very little (0-3 months), but she is now just over 4 months and we can barely fit her in the seat! The belts are so tight they smash her shoulders and most of the time cannot even slip over her shoulder properly...they fall to where they are around the side of her upper arm!! She is not a particularly big baby. She weighs about 16 pounds and is 26.5-27 inches. I was very disappointed that I was unable to use this car seat as long as I hoped. I would suggest that, although pricey, your best bet is to get a convertible car seat such as the Britax Roundabout, because it is safe, convertible and will hold a child until she is 50 lbs! Don't spend your money buying something that will be useless in a matter of months!

Overall, this is a very good carseat. Yes, the handle is difficult... but we rarely take ours out of the car anyway, so it doesn't matter to us. (We wear our baby when out and about). I love the turn-knob harness height adjuster, and I love how safe and comfy my babe looked in it-- until recently. This is the bad part: the straps are way too short! My 7-month-old is in the 50th %ile for height and weight, but if he's wearing a sweatshirt or even thick pants, I can barely buckle him in! Granted, his bum is a little fluffier than average since we cloth diaper, but still... the buckle strap is ridiculously short (and yes, I have let it out all the way). If it weren't for that, this seat would definitely get 5 stars from me.

I purchased this seat (for my twins) 15 years after my 2nd child. So I was not so hip on what the latest and greatest gadgets were for infants. But I took a chance after looking online for reviews.
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br /So far this seat has been great. It is very easy to get the babies in and out of the car and I have also purcashed the snap-n-go stoller base too and that has been awesome.
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br /I read some of the other reviews on here and I'm not sure what everyone means when they say the straps are too short. I've found them to be quite long enough and always have enough room to pull the strap to tighten them.
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br /Anyway here are the things I've liked and disliked about the seat:
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br /Likes:
br /* Easy to install when using the LATCH system. Very handy.
br /* Easy to adjust the shoulder straps w/ the shoulder strap height adjuster thingy in the back.
br /* LOVE the easy grip triangular carry hande. Very comfortable and you don't feel like it will slip out of your hands. Nice when carrying 2 at a time!
br /* Nice neutral color (purchased the grey mist).
br /* Easy to remove straps and padding when needing to clean.
br /* Flexible canopy. Great for when you just need to block a portion of the child/sun.
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br /Dislikes:
br /* Very hard to release the handle to put it into the back position. You have to really push hard and even the daycare ladies have problems and usually just maneuver the babies underneath the handle when getting them in and out of their seats. Although, I'm a pro now.
br /* When the minivan's captain's seats are in their full upright position, it is difficult to reach for the realease button (removing the seat from the base). Would have been nice to have it located on the back of the carseat seeing how this seat will never face forward due to the weight limitations anyway. Right..??
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br /For the most part, I have been quite happy with these seats. I still have a few more months use I'm sure. The twins are 6 months and 15 and 16 lbs.
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br /Have fun, good luck and Congratulations on your baby(ies).
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br /:)
br /Janie

This car seat worked out well for us. All the features were amazing and the base was heavy which made me feel safe when sticking the car seat in it. I didn't give it 5 stars because we had a problem adjusting the crotch strap. It is removable but we had to break out tools to get the metal part out of the grooves. Other than that, it worked out well and served its purpose.

We bought this car seat (and the snap 'n go) based on good reviews (not the ones listed here). It did not meet our expectations. I give it 2 stars just for the safety of it. Otherwise, I have a hard time finding positive things to say. It is way too heavy. Our baby was 7 lbs+ and from his early days, it was heavy to carry around. Now that he is almost 20 pounds at 5+ months, it is nearly impossible to carry him for any length of time. The adjustable strap often gets stuck and we really have to tug to make it work. On most grocery carts it is too big to have it face towards you as you shop. When you do clip it on to the cart, the front end is suspended in the air. I just put it sideways which is a pain. Also, the handle bar is built to be easier to carry...I don't agree. It is still awkward- I end up hooking it under my arm. Lastly, to put the handle bar up and down is very difficult. You have to squeeze the taps on both sides and really push hard to get it to release. I'm sorry that I don't have any others to recommend. I had hoped to like this and am just suffering until he doesn't need the support in the grocery cart---that is really the only reason I still use it.

The latest, more vigorous crash tests have shown that nearly all infant car seats provide poor protection. Some seats snapped out of the bases and some of the LATCH belts broke. If you already purchased an infant car seat, it is safer to use it with the seat belt rather than LATCH (according to the crash test results). One of only two seats to perform satisfacorily was the original Graco Snugride. If you want the convenience of an infant car seat, this one is cheaper and very safe. If you are considering Graco Safe Seat because of the higher weight limit, please look at a convertible seat instead (Britax Roundabout is the best, although a little pricey).

I purchased this seat because of the safety factor that Consumer Reports reported on. In comparing the seat to Graco Snugride, however, I am very disappointed on the tough, very dense foam on the low back/sacral region of the seat. The foam goes down to a certain point on baby's low back, and then disappears, leaving a dip for baby's buttocks. Just imagine sitting in a recliner with support only down to the low-back region (with buttocks not supported) ...not comfortable. I wonder how a baby's backside would stand up to a traumatic jolt in that seat...well, I'm not going to take any chances. Baby Trend should have consulted a Physical Therapist (like me) before designing this seat.

our baby is only 5 days old, but so far it's a good carseat. i like the colors and design. it seems safe and easy to use.

According to consumer reports, this car seat is one of ONLY TWO car seats to pass all the crash tests. I highly suggest parents (and soon to be parents) to check out consumer reports before buying any car seats. And for the price it's worth it!!