We searched high and low to find a convertible car seat for my 7 month old son. He's already over 20 pounds but can't face forward for another 5 months - so all those other car seats that only hold 40 pounds total were going to be a waste of money for us. This seat holds 80 pounds total, so this is one baby item he won't be growing out of so soon! Parents - please remember that your baby needs to face backwards until they are at least 20 pounds AND over 1 year old!
br /The seat itself was a breeze to put together. It went from box to back seat in about 20 minutes. It comes completely put together except that you have to adjust the shoulder straps to the height of your baby. The first time we put my wiggly little guy in the seat, everything clipped together like a charm. No pinched fingers, no digging for straps under his legs, no frustrated Mommy or Baby.
br /The seat fits nicely with room to spare in our mini-suv. We could even move the passenger seat back a little from where the seat had to be for the baby car seat we just replaced. And speaking of - this car seat IS NOT for newborn babies. If you are buying your baby's first car seat - buy a baby seat. These convertible car seats are for infants and toddlers NOT little babies - and once you start shopping around for anything from toys to books to clothes you will know there is a big difference between babies and infants.
br /This chair sits up straighter than a baby seat. My little boy was tired of laying down in his baby seat by the time he hit the 20 pound limit, so the new sitting position in this seat is much better. However, if your child can't hold their own head up or tip up their own bottle or sippy cup, they won't be able to give themselves a drink. Speaking of - the entire top cover comes off EASILY and you can throw it in the washing machine! With or without mashed-in bananas and cheerios and milk!
br /Also - when your little one does fall asleep in this chair - have a pillow or a rolled up blanket to catch their necks. Their heads will tilt down if you don't. That's gravity's fault - not the chair's.
br /Basically, if you have a little one who likes to sit up and look out the window or amuse themselves in the back seat - this car seat is perfect. Comfortable, affordable, SAFE, and easy to use. It's the same amount of quality you'd expect from any Eddie Bauer product and I highly recommend it.

My mother bought this car seat for her vacation home so we wouldn't have to lug our everyday infant seat with us when we visit. We liked that this seat can go from rear- to forward-facing and also to booster, with a wide range of weights. However we found it enormous for our 3 month, who's on the bigger side. Granted, he's only 3 months, but still, this thing made him look puny. The seat took up so much space in the car, which is a Lincoln Continental and NOT small, it was very tight to fit in two adults in the back seat along with this car seat. Also, the straps twisted really easily and both the chest clasp and the between-the-legs clasp were difficult to use. We definitely wouldn't recommend buying this seat.

Like the other reviewer, our son was outgrowing his infant seat quickly and we wanted to buy something that would convert to a booster for when he's over 40 lbs. We also wanted something that wasn't too expensive (but not cheap) and had a cloth cover because our son is like a little furnace when he's in his seat/swing/etc and he can sweat easily.
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br /We had a bit of trouble getting it tight enough using the LATCH system in our car which had leather seats. I finally figured out to pull on the tightening strap from the other side of the seat while kneeling on the seat itself to get it tight enough.
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br /I do wish it had a level on it like our Graco Snugride infant seat did. I actually got a level out of our tool box to make sure it was fairly level.
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br /The one other problem I still have is that while using it rear-facing, I have a hard time tightening the shoulder straps while pulling on the tightening strap that is between my son's feet. Because the seat back of the car's seat is right up against where that strap comes out, you have to basically pull up--you can't pull it away from the baby and not down which is the way you would want to pull it based on how it is fed through the slot. So I really have to yank on it hard and I shudder to think how much I'm going to hate wrestling with it when it is 10 degrees outside in the middle of a Minnesota January Winter and my son is crying and my fingers are frozen off! :) But I'm getting better at it with practice. Luckily his bulky winter jacket means there isn't a lot of slack I have to get rid of after I put him in there. I'm guessing once it is front facing it will be easier because I can pull down and away from the seat.
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br /Has anyone found any safety reviews of this seat?

My husband and I purchased this car seat for our 8 month old son who just grew out of his infant carseat. I read the other reviews and I'm going to be quite blunt here. I believe that the people who wrote the negative reviews either didn't read the directions or are just too stupid to figure it out. What can I say, some people are just not mechanically inclined. The directions were very clear (even showed pictures) on how to install the seat. It really was not very hard. The seat does recline, you just have to make sure that the little prop up thing is folded underneath the carseat. Also there are markings on the side (by the seatbelt possitioner) that help you make sure it's level. Again I think those poeple just expected the dang thing to put itself in the car. It came out of the box fully assembled and all I had to do was adjust the harness straps to fit my son. It went in the car smoothly, although I do recomend not using the LATCH in the rear facing possition as it is a little difficult to tighten. So anyways long story short, I watch 3 little ones during the day and each one is dropped off with their carseat (all different makes and models) and they all 3 fit nicely in the back seat of my ford explorer and are all pretty much the same as far as securing them into the seat. So I think it's opperator error, not the seats fault.

After carefully reviewing the previous reviews, I sent my husband out comparison shopping (I was sick) and to my amazement, he called to tell me that Target had this seat in stock at 50 percent off! We grabbed it up and are very happy with our decision so far. Our 3 1/2 year old is still in her 3 in one deluxe that she received for her 1st birthday, but our "big for his age" son was ready to move up from his infant carrier at 9 months. Contrary to the previous reviewers notes, the chair DOES recline, there is a stand that props it, but with a nudge it snaps up and the chair leans back. The removable pillow cover is great and the straps are EASY to adjust as the child ages up. I would recommend this seat, even at the list price.

I got 2 of these for my baby shower and saved them until she was older. Well, 2 firemen, certified in installing carseats, said these are horrible. The seat kept sliding on it's back in the rear facing position and shifted all over the place. I tried to exchange them at Target and they refused to take them back b/c I had no receipt and my baby registry magically dissappeared! (Go figure). If you are stuck with these seats, like I am, here's some tips (after it took them 1 hr to put in!):
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br /For Rear-Facing, use a pool noodle (long foam piece for a pool) and put at the back base of your car's backseat where car seat would go. DO NOT use latch. The seat moves all over the place. Use the backseat's shoulder belt. Pull the seat belt all the way out, weave through the bottom, click in and tighten.
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br /Unfortunately, I do not have the money to keep these and buy new ones like the manufacturer advised me to do. Ridiculous. The head padding is horrible too. I feel bad b/c her head is pushed forward from this.
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br /I will be saving my money to get a new one b/c this is the WORST convertible car seat ever!

After looking at the Evenflo Titan Triumph models, and not totally ready to spend the $$$ for a Britax, our daughter's loving grandparents bought her this Eddie Bauer seat. The other reviewer was spot on with the ease of which this seat assembles (a real joy after the nonsense of Evenflo's infant seats!) and how quickly it went from box to car with no pain involved! It does sit quite a bit straighter than some of the other seats, and we will have to have a pillow for Sofia's head when she tips forward to sleep, but I love the structured headrest; something functional as well as comfortable when so many are just cushion. That was a real selling point. My only gripe is that it doesn't recline as some of the others on the market do. But it doesn't outweigh the overall quality of the product. Well constructed, well thought out, easy to use and adjust. Grade A

This carseat is difficult to get installed. I spent about 40 minutes in 90 degree weather hunched over in the back seat of my car trying to get this seat installed rear-facing for my 5 month old son who had outgrown his carrier style carseat. After installing it, finally, I got my 5 month old son into the seat only to learn that even in the fully reclined position the headrest at ALL levels pushes your childs head forward. It may look like it is just a cushion but it is not. It is a piece of plastic covered with cushion and fabric that adjusts. This carseat seems to work best for forward facing toddlers who do not sleep in the car. EVER. I purchased the seat before the birth of my son and thought I was making a sound investment in a carseat suited for 5-80 lbs. My receipt is long gone and I am stuck with this horrid carseat. I have had to since buy another carseat. Also I tried to make contact with the manufacturer (dorel juvenile group) of this seat on 2 occasions and have not had a response from them yet. Doesn't speak much about their products.

I tend to agree with the previous review. There are a lot of ways to install these carseast (rear facing with LATCH, rear facing with seatbelt, etc...) and instructions to go with each one. You can't just take it out of the box and expect to throw it in the car and have it magically install itself appropriately and safely. These are great carseats and durable quality. I would highly recommend them!

I am a new grandma and this car seat will be perfect for most stages as the grandkids come to visit. It is flexible enough for all sizes of the kids and seems very solid and safe in my back seat. A little difficult to install but worth it.

I have spent hours researching car seats. I purchased 2 Britax car seats ($300.00 210.00) for my son and took them both back! We have THREE of these car seats (one for each vehicle) and they are the BEST! My son has been using this car seat since he was 6 months old and he acts like he REALLY enjoys sitting in this seat. He is a long and heavy little boy and this seat allows all the room he needs. PLEASE READ THIS ADVICE: HAVE YOUR CAR SEATS PROFESSIONALLY INSTALLED AND DO NOT MOVE THEM FROM VEHICLE TO VEHICLE!! THEY WILL GET TOO LOOSE!! 85% of all car seats are installed incorrectly!! Our Smart Start Partnership for Children in our county installs car seats for FREE! THIS CAR SEAT MOVES LESS THAN 1/2 INCH FROM SIDE TO SIDE WHEN IT IS CORRECTLY INSTALLED!! IT IS WELL WORTH THE MONEY!!