My husband and I were a little afraid of buying this car seat because of the bad reviews we saw. Being safety freaks, we made an extensive research on car seats for our 2 year-old, 35 pounds and 38" toddler. At the end, we were undecided between the Cosco Summit High Back and the Britax Roundabout. We came to the conclusion that the Cosco Summit High Back would be a better buy because the Britax Roundabout was on recall not too long ago. Also, this one is the safest (according to Consumer Reports) and because of its safety, it would be worth facing the pre-installation issues that other parents reported here. So we bought the seat and we are extremely happy with it. First, keep in mind that reading the manual is the first thing you have to do - it's boring, but very important, specially when it's for your children's safety. So here's what we found out about the problems and complains:
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br /1 - IT DOESN'T RECLINE - Yes, the seat reclines, but our understanding, contrary to what some people wrote here, is that the car seat should to be reclined once is installed on the car. Remember that, once installed, the car seat should not move more than one inch in any direction. So it looks to me that you shouldn't recline the seat once installed, period. The seat reclines to better fit the different inclinations of the back seats that different cars may have. For example, our Saturn VEU (where the car seat was installed) has a very upright backseat, but other cars have a backseat more inclined. The reclinable option of the Cosco car seat gives you the chance to change the inclination of the car seat so you can find the perfect fit for the back seat of your car. So before installing, check how inclined the back seat of your car is. Then try to find the angle of inclination on the car seat that will better fit the inclination on the back seat, and stick with it. I cannot tell for sure, but I guess some folks had trouble getting the seat tight enough on their cars because of the wrong inclination. Actually, my opinion is that, in order to avoid confusion, Cosco should change the description "reclinable" to "adjustable inclination", so consumers wouldn't be induced in error when buying the seat.
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br /2 - TWISTING STRAPS - Yes, the straps tend to twist, but that's only if you pull them just in one side. If you pull them together and as even as you can when you are going to adjust the straps on your child, they won't twist. We were getting upset with the twisted straps, but then we realized it was our own fault. Now that we know the trick, it didn't happen anymore.
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br /3 - IT DOESN'T FIT MY CHILD - Some parents are complaining that the straps don't fit well on their children. If you read the manual, you are going to see that they recommend you take the straps out and put them back together again before you install the seat. That's because you have to adjust the straps and the seat's features to fit your own child. We had to move the shoulder straps from their place and the in-between-legs lock as well so it would fit our son. At first it didn't seem to fit our kid, but once we read the manual and made the necessary arrangements, it now fits like a glove. Again, I can't speak for other people's children, but it worked for us. Just remember that is a question of how you do it, and not of how much strength or force you put into it. So if it looks like your child isn't comfortable and snugly secure, don't use force - take the child out, readjust it, and try again.
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br /4 - IT DOESN'T STAY SECURE IN OUR CAR - We are lucky enough to have a car with LATCH system. It took my husband literally two minutes to install the car seat, and it doesn't move a single bit in any direction. If it did move, I wouldn't have let my son ride in the car at all until the County's inspection, since I am "the" safety freak. But it is very secure and it doesn't move at all, so I'm very happy to say that I think we are fine. Of course, even being extremely tight on our car, I'll go through the inspection (something I recommend every parent to do). But I'm positive the car seat will pass the inspection. I cannot rate the car seat installation using the seatbelts, but it works very well with the LATCH system.
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br /Well, that's it. We are happy with our purchase and so is our son, who loved his new roomy and comfy seat. (I can't wait until he finds out that there's a place for his cup too!). Just read the manual and, most importantly, go through a car seat inspection conducted by a certified car seat installation technician. You can call your local police department and they are going to be able to direct you to where you can find such person. I hope this review helps!!!

While I think this is a really good choice for most people, I would like to point out that it is not an ideal choice for families with very tall kids. The 5-pt harness is only good for kids up to 40 inches in height, after that you need to use the seat as a belt-positioning booster. This is not a problem for most people, but if you have a very tall kid like my son (who was over 40 inches at his 3rd birthday), you will be better off getting something else like a Britax Marathon or a Husky because all of the safety organizations strongly recommend that you do NOT put a child under 4 yrs of age in a belt-positioning booster. The Summit is actually one of the shorter seats if you measure the distance from the seat to the top slot. The top slot cannot be used with the harness (per the mfr's instructions), so you only have 3 positions to put the straps before you run out of room. Hope this helps!

I am writing this after reading so many bad reviews about the Summit High Back Booster Seat. We have used this car seat for about 2 years now for my almost 7 year old. The "puzzle-like" buckle did take some getting-used-to for my daughter, but she learned how to buckle herself in pretty quickly. (Honestly, I have no idea why Graco made it so tricky to buckle, as I do not see this as a "safety" feature. It would make more sense to make the buckle difficult to "undo" for the wiggly child who doesn't like to stay strapped in the seat) Not all kids will be able to buckle themselves(especially younger kids), so that is an issue to consider if you absolutely don't want to have to buckle your child in. As far as cleaning the seat, although it is more time-consuming than most car seats, it is NOT, as some claim, impossible. The cover is NOT "bolted" in, but it snaps in with plastic screw-like pieces. Once you've done it, it's not a big deal, though it does takes more time to remove than your typical cover. Since my daughter is on the "petite" side (48 in. tall and 40 lbs.) she is still able to use the 5 point harness, which is a plus, safety wise. Now that she's wearing a heavy jacket, we will use the car seat belt (I also like that the plastic seat loops are attached to the car seat and not the seat cover for when you are ready to use your car seat belts). All in all, we have been very happy with this car seat. It stays securely in place, especially with the seat belt clip. We don't use the cup holder as it is really in an awkward place and can not be easily reached, however I really think those things just take up unnecessary space. My daughter likes this seat and likes that the belt buckle can be adjusted out of her way. If you're looking for a good car seat that will grow with your kids, check this out!

After searching high and low (and reading reviews far and wide), I settled on this seat and have been very pleased. It adjusts easily, buckles easily, tilts back nicely, stays cooler than one with dark fabric and seems comfortable for both my car seat riders (25lb 1.5yr old and 35lb 3.5yr old). Best of all, even though I had to move my son (1.5yr old) to the "door" position from the middle position b/c the two seats were too bulky to strap in next to each other in my Geo Prism, my kids can still hold hands and pass toys to each other. We are happy (and presumably safe, too!).
br /Two minor complaints: cupholder is a waste of plastic (and I'm not fond of waste) and the crotch buckle has a perverse tendancy to fall backwards towards the back of the seat b/c both kids' seats are tilted back halfway. For my son, this is no big deal b/c I'm still lifting him in and so forth. For my daughter, we have the inevitable struggle to wiggle it out from under her bottom every time we get in. I'm thinking of attaching a velcro dot, so that it could be stuck to the seat where I want it to be...but then there's the possibility of wrecking tights and other girly clothes...we'll see. Great seat. Would buy it again and recommend to friends.

We purchased this seat after researching many consumer reports. We plan to use it as a booster seat when our son weighs 40 pounds.
br /I read reviews before purchase of those complaining of twisted straps. This has NEVER been an issue for us.We DO NOT have this problem. Yes, the seat is a little bigger/taller than you would expect, but big deal. If fits very well in our Chevy Tahoe and Ford crewcab. We bought it before our vacation. A 10 hour drive. (I thought this would be a good test to see how well it worked for us) Our son ( 4 yrs. old)never complained about it and it was comfortable for him to sleep in. He loves to raise and lower his own armrests. Perhaps a 2 year old isn't quite ready for a seat of this nature. This was a excellent buy with no regrets. And believe me, I am picky about my children's car seats.

** I ended up writing this review as I was looking at this car seat to replace our youngest's infant/convertable seat...
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br /We bought this seat when our son was 2 years old. He had been in a Cosco Alpha Omega, which we loved, but had a second baby on the way... We chose this seat becuase of it's rating on Consumer Reports and we love it.
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br /The only drawbacks are:
br /1) It is very difficult to install it in our bucket seats, as the base is too large, but with towels underneath, so our car's seat is level, the Summit fits great! We also do not move our car seats, so as to reduce the risk of installing it wrong. So we are not bothered by the extra time it takes to install it.
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br /2) The straps can be a bit difficult. They, like every other car seat we've had do get twisted from time to time, but more than that, they are not the easiest to tighten, but we take the time to do it anyhow - our son's life is worth it!
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br /3) The base of the seat is HUGE - not good for airline travelers. And makes it near impossible to use the middle seat if this car seat is placed on one of the sides.
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br /Some of the "perks" are not so great - the cupholder for instance is too low for my 3 1/2 year old to reach while strapped in. The reclining feature does not work in my current car, but does in the back of our pick-up. The pillow/cushion on the top is also a joke. It "secures" with a little elastic strap, but really by the time you're using this car seat, you shouldn't need much head/neck padding for little ones.
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br /When my son was an infant a family member bought us the Britax Roundabout. That car seat was completely inferior to the Summit. Actually, it was one of the worst car seats we've ever used, but that's a whole different review! The Summit is much easier to install correctly and use so. The seat of the summit is huge, making room for my son to sit with legs pulled in, if the driver's seat is too far back. The arm rests make him feel like an adult, and now he is old enough to move them up/down on his own. When he does fall asleep in the car, he is comfortable resting his head to the side, without the head cushion provided.
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br /While it may not be perfect - the "perks" are not so perky, and it is bulky, regardless, we are very satisfied with the safety and performance of this seat. We are confident that our son is in good "hands"

I have 5 kids and I have had every imaginable car seat that you can find. I have never had one that I liked so much as this one. I have a 15 year old and I will buy her this car seat when she has a baby because it is so nice. I nursed my baby in the car with this one on long trips and reclined her while she nursed and she slept so soundly. I used the shade on the window for her and the car seat just held her body like a cradle and she loved going for a ride. I would recommend this seat to everyone. My daughter is 4 and 1/2 and I STILL have her seat. She uses a seatbelt now and she still uses the cup holder and she still reclines on long rides. It is the best seat I have ever owned.

We started out as most new parents with an infant carrier and that worked great until around 3 months. By then she was getting to be too heavy for me to carry. So we moved on to an infant toddler car seat...the Triumph by Evenflo. The seat was great for a few month but then as you got taller we started having problems. She would scream when it was time to buckle and we would struggle to get enough strap to get her buckled. When she turned 1 and became a forward facer we headed back to the fire department to get the seat adjusted and they advised us to get her a new one.
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br /The reasons were very clear...at 1 year old, 32 inches tall and 25 pounds she had already outgrown it and she was not safe in it. The straps either had to come out of the seat above her ears our below her shoulders and given the right accident they said she would be killed from the car seat alone. They told us that an infant to toddler seat just cannot work. They said sheer dynamics of an infant verses a toddler and rear verses forward facing makes designing a seat to do it all nearly impossible. They told us in the future we would be better off and safer with an infant seat and then spending the most money on a toddler to booster seat...something like this one.
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br /But I had learned enough from the first two seats to know we needed to play and try them out in the store before we bought them. This was the first seat we tested and she loved it. The second I put her in it she sat up tall and proud. It was easy to adjust and buckle and for the first time she actually wanted to get buckled!
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br /The shoulder straps and buckle can both be adjusted rather easily. And it is easily secured with either the LATCH system or with the regular seatbelt. The cup holder is a great feature and she loves having her cup at her finger tips. She also loves the arm rests! It is so cute to look back to see her little legs crossed and her arm propped on that arm rest as she looks out the window...it's one of those priceless kind of moments.
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br /The only complaints I have is that the recline is pretty much useless. Once the fire department secured that thing it was NOT reclining. Once they get it tight enough to be safe then there is no real room left for it to slide and recline. So that is kind of disappointing because her poor little head falls forward when she falls asleep. Also we had a couple of sippy cup accidents and the cover needed washed...good luck getting it loose! The thing doesn't appear to come off she was have a couple of nice stains that I can't get to budge with just spot cleaning. But other than that it is a great seat and she loves it...so much so that we bought one for each grandma to have in her car!

After inspecting several different car seats for several days, I decided to give the Cosco Summit a shot. This car seat is a dream come true. With holidays approaching, I was concerned about the long drives and my 14 month old dozing off in his other carseat. I didn't like the way his head bobbed along. So, I went looking for a seat w/the reclining feature.
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br /Once I got this seat home looked it over again, I was amazed how easy this is to adjust as the child grows. Not only is it easy to adjust the 5 point harness straps that secure the child in the seat, but it's easy to also raise the height of the should straps. In his old carseat, you have to completely undo the 5 point harness and re-thread it through the next slots...in this seat, you just pull a bar up in the back and you're done! Amazingly convenient!!
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br /I have a Grand Am and I was able to install this using the seat belt and tether in the middle back seat with no problem. If you apply alot of weight to the seat while you buckle the belt down, when you get off the seat, it will not move. I've not yet had problems with the straps twisting, and I can't imagine letting my child buckle him or herself in--considering the consequences of not buckling them in properly in the event of a crash, I can't understand why people complain about how their kids can't buckle themselves in...hello? Who's the Momma here?
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br /Anyway, LOVE this seat...I think that the buckle of the 5 point harness isn't kidproofed, and that should be addressed. Do these engineers have any idea what terrible 2's are all about? Also, the tether is difficult to adjust, and a ratchety adjuster would be a tremendous improvement to the loop thing.
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br /LOVE this seat...will probably by a second for the other vehicle.
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Like others bought this seat after the Consumer Reports review. The latch for the seat belt is the worst I have ever seen. It to hard to describe the details of the poor design, but just take my word for it's a pain. It sometimes takes me 2 mintues to get it to work right. AWFUL. I deeply regret purchasing this seat.

A tip for purchasing any car seat, my experience is the seat belt latch (to be clear not the latch securing the base, the latch for securing your child to the seat) is what you deal with the most, and if it's poorly designed the seat is worthless.

My wife recently purchased two of these booster seats for our minivan to replace the old, smaller ones our two boys have used. The seat looked great and I think the kids would be very comfortable in them. However, we will never know because I am asking her to return the seats. The problem is the tether system - as others have pointed out, attaching the tether is no problem. Tightening the rear tether is nearly impossible in a minivan. Basically, you are working "blind" under the seat using a ridiculous system that reminds me of trying to tighten children's goggles. The older car seats -- that also use the latch system -- are a total breeze to attach and tighten. I am extraordinarily unimpressed that a seat of this cost would contain such a difficult to use tightening system. I would never be able to get the seat installed and uninstalled safely in any manner of time. It is the kind of thing that has you muttering after a few seconds because you realize the company either (a) never tried to use this seat in a minivan or (b) just didn't care. Anyhow, if you have the need to ever take these seats out -- like, say, to clean out all the kid's food gunk that somehow finds a way under the seat -- than it is not worth the frustration. Pass is my advice. Better to be sure you can install the seat safely and easily whenever you need to. After all, safety is the whole reason for a car seat for the kids.

My 1 year old son and my friends 3 year old twins love this seat. They seem very comfortable in it. It is well padded, roomy enough to grow with them and it reclines.
br /I have only had the seat for a few months now and the straps do seem to twist on thier own (my husband and I have actually argued over who is twisting them ----- me or him?) I guess if you have a very calm child and don't have help from that child in the buckling and unbuckling process they would probably be less likely to get twisted.
br /We can also never seem to get it tight enough (we have a caravan and use the latch system). I know the base is supposed to move somewhat for the reclining process but it seems too move too much. Can that be safe?
br /My friends straps are also always twisted but she can get her seats in tighter (she has an older caravan and uses the lap belt).
br /Cleaning is not to bad. We have taken the cover off once and did not find it difficult. My friend has never had difficulty with the cover either.
br /This seat is ok but my husband and I are going to try a different brand for his car.

we bought this a few days ago for our 1-year-old, to replace his Eddie Bauer 3-in-1 that got stolen. This booster has a lot of the same features that we loved in the 3-in-1 but it costs quite a bit less. We installed it in the most reclined position because I just don't think a 1-yo is ready to be fully upright all the time. ***Please decide if you want it to be in an upright or reclined position before you install in the car; if you can alter the position the booster is in AFTER it's installed it is NOT secure enough and your LATCH/seatbelts must be tightened.*** Our baby seems very comfortable in his seat, and has fallen asleep a couple of times in it already. I agree with another reviewer that the removeable "pillow" thingy is totally useless and ridiculous, for now I'm using the pillow insert that came with our SnugRide Infant carseat and that works great. Anyone who doesn't already own one of these inserts can get one for maybe $6 if they're concerned about their child's head lolling too much.
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br /I don't understand how people who claim to have college degrees can have so much trouble with a carseat like this one! I didn't even read the manual for this product because it's so similar to the 3-in-1 carseat, which I TOTALLY loved. By the way, we took said previous carseat with us to the East Coast and installed it in the airplane seat and my father-in-law's car without any problems either. Yes, this booster takes up a lot of room in your backseat, but pretty much any good carseat for the under-40lbs set will take up the same amount of room. We have a '96 Sentra... The only thing that bugs me about this booster seat is the brown tweed pattern, so it's a totally cosmetic thing. I wish they'd had it in the Blue Glacier fabric, or something equally attractive. And I agree it'd be nice to be able to put the cupholder on either side of the seat. But these are minor flaws -- my 14-year-old didn't have a carseat this nice when he needed one because they didn't make them like this back then! I'm really glad I don't have to re-thread shoulder harness belts after each growth spurt and taking off the fabric cover on this seat isn't THAT hard (and better than not at all). The one we got doesn't have the puzzle lock even though it was made in May '05, so I'll be checking on that next time I'm @ BRU (this weekend). I'm one of the few people who actually prefer the puzzle-lock feature, I guess. Overall, I think this seat is a great buy.

I have had this seat for over a year now. My son is almost 2 and weighs 29lbs. It has so many wonderful features, and I have never had a problem with it. The straps twist sometimes, but are very easy to undo. Some people complain about not being able to recline it, but if you read the instructions, you're supposed to recline it before you put it in the car. The Latch system is ultra safe and easy to use as well. We got into a car accident two weeks ago. The front of my car was completely banged up, yet my son slept right through the entire ordeal. The seat kept him safe and tight and he didn't budge an inch, and that to me is most important. It is a great looking seat as well. The only thing I don't love about it is how big it is, so it's kind of a pain to move from car to car, but I would rather switch it than put him in a friend's car seat, because I know just how safe it is. We paid around $100 for the seat and will be able to use it for years, as it converts into a booster seat. It was rated #1 by Consumer Reports in 2003. I didn't know that until after I bought the chair, but it makes me feel good to know that I made a good choice. If you want a good seat that will last a long time and is super safe and comfortable for your child, this seat is the way to go.

I bought this for the extra features of padding on the straps, the cup holder, the arm rests etc. But for the past 1 1/2 yrs. that we have had it, my daughter has never used the cup holder...it's in an awkward place, she never uses the arm rests, and the padding on the straps doesn't keep them from twisting up as I had hoped. The biggest problem we've had with this booster seat is with the large base...in a small car it takes up too much space and if you have another baby seat and try to sit someone with them...there is just no room.

I bought this car seat because Consumer Reports gave it a high rating for safety which of course was my 1st concern. I also bought it because it was supposed to change for the needs of your child once they got older. (yeah right!) There are a few factors that parents need to be aware of.
br /1. First of all, the base, it's so big! It allows for little leg room for your child so either they are crossing their legs or you are dealing with their non-stop kicking of the back seat. The base needs to be removed!
br /2. The cup holders are only good for the person sitting next to the car seat because there is no way my kid can reach it.
br /3. The straps are not twist proof because within a short time period they became all twisted up and it's a pain to try to get them straightened out again.
br /4. The head rest I think was more of an annoyance for my daughter more than anything else because it is placed to high up. Needless to say I had to end up taking it out because it served no purpose anyways.
br /5. The straps are not child proof, my daughter could ease her shoulders and arms out of them leaving only her bottom half to be strapped in. No matter how many times we tightened the straps, they were still not secure around her.
br /6. Finally, when my daughter would fall asleep, she would slump forward because the chair makes them sit up straight adding no support for her. I am constantly having to push her head back up because it can't be comfortable to sleep like that.
br /To sum things up, if you want to make sure your kid is securley strapped in, this doesn't seem to be the chair to do the job. The chair does not live up to all it standards and frankly I was not too impressed with it. Since buying this chair I have had to buy another booster chair for my daughter. I bought the Eddie Bauer Blue Glacier Booster Car Seat and have felt much better about my purchase. My daughter is securely strapped in, and when she falls asleep, there is enough of a recline in the chair that she is not slumped forward. I would suggest buying an infant car seat and then switch to a booster seat later down the road. Many changes need to be places on the chair and if they could be met then this chair would be perfect.

I searched everywhere for the best booster car seat for my 2 1/2 year old daughter. I LOVED this one and I actually found it in different color patterns on a different baby web site with free shipping. Overall it's VERY SAFE, she couldn't figure out how to get out ;). But, she was very uncomfortable in it. Her legs were always in a slightly inclinded position no matter how many positions it goes in, the bottom half is always tilted up a little. It got so bad I had to start using my 7 year olds old booster seat (Graco High Back Booster). However if your child is over the age 3, has long legs or is tall...the Summit is the way to go, very safe, easy to install, easy to adjust and easy to clean.

I have 3 children that are all toddlers in car seats. Last year the reviews from consumer reports came out and this chair was on top. I have to question if they actually used the chair to have given it such a high rating. The LATCH is horrible to get to tighen sufficently. And when you need to release it as I often do since I tend to change cars frequently, it is next to impossible to get the buckel for it to work. The rear tether is impossible to tightnen. The harness straps CANNOT be tightned appropriately. There is always just a little too much give. I have used Fisher Price when the made seats, Graco, and Britax. ALL are better than this death trap. DON'T BUY IT!!! You will either end up replacing or returning in. And, it takes up so much room on a seat that your 3 person bench seat can only fit 2 seats. And it hangs over the front as well. HORRIBLE!!!!!

I'm giving this a 4 star rating because one of the seats does have twisted staps, so it isn't perfect. However, I have three of these seats. Two for my 2.5 year old twins and one for my 4 year old. I've read the negative reviews and except for the 1 seat with the twisted strap, none of the other complaints are being realized with my three seats. I'm finding them to be easy to use and very comfortable for my kids. And, I LOVE that we will be able to use them for years to come because of their weight limit.
br /If I had unlimited resources, I may have gone with Britax seats. However, $600-$700 for 3 car seats was not in our budget. The Cosco Summits have been a real treat for much less $$. Also, we rerplaced 2 Evenflo Triumphs and an Evenflo Chase with the Summits. The Cosco Summits out perform our old Evenflo seats in every way. Once we started using the Summits, I felt like I had been released from car seat HE**!! I would recomment the Cosco Summits over Evenflo every day of the year!

This car seat/booster seat is great. The self adjusting handle in the back of the car seat make it great for changing heights. Easy enough for any one to maneuver. Although I would not use it for babies younger than one. There is a lot of space for growing kids.. But a little too much for babies.

We have used this seat for almost 2 years now with absolutly no problems. I recently stripped down to clean it and it was so easy and took less then 30 min start to finish.
br /My sister thought I went out and bought a new one just becuase after washing and normal wear it only takes a good wash in the machine to look new again. I am so pleased that it has lasted this long and now that I am expecting again I plan on purchasing the same seat for my new little one

I love the carseat for my daughter. However I almost broke the thing while taking off the cover to wash it. I also had a hard getting the cover back on. I love the way the seat buckles and I feel very safe with my daughter riding in it but I hope that it stays clean enough not to have to wash the cover again for a while!

I am sorry to say that I just returned this car seat. Based on Consumer Reports, and my own research, I thought this was the car seat for us. I ignored the negative feedback on this site and I should not have. First of all, the seat seemed great as far as my son was concerned. He will be 3 years old in September, 37 lbs, and 40" tall. We bought this so he could use it as a booster as soon as he gains 3 more lbs. He loved the feel of it, loved the cup holder and it was very roomy for him. When I tried to put it in my SUV it was impossible to get tight enough. I drive an Isuzu Rodeo w/out LATCH. I tried it on in the middle and the outer edges of the seat. We could get it semi-tight in the middle but we are expecting #2 so it has to be on the outer edge. Pulling it as tight as we could the seat would move about 8" - 10". That is just not acceptable. We took the base off of it and were able to get it very tight. However, without the base my son didn't have his cup holder and cried and it made the seat lower so he didn't get that up high big boy feeling. I actually liked the seat better without the base because it is quite a bulky seat. So I am sorry to say that I can't recommend this seat for everyone. I bought a Platinum CarGo by Graco. We'll see how it goes. I've yet to try and put it in my car.

So far this has been a great car seat. Easy to install using the seatbelt in my car (of course no car seat I have ever owned is exactly the easiest thing I have ever done) . The advertising is misleading as one would think you can use the relicne feature for comfort, BUT if you read the instructions throughly, and if you get it installed correctly, the recline is only to help fit the car seat to your car. Once the car seat is in correctly, it is immpossilbe to recline. The base needs to slide forward, and if you can do that the car seat is NOT IN CORRECTLY, which defeats the whole purpose of a car seat.

I bought this car seat in 2003 for my son, who was just turning one. It was easy to install, I do not have latch, so i used the seat belt. I love the recline option, his little head didnt slump forward. It is kinda a pain in the rear to take the cover off, but it's not to difficult. I have the hang of it now, and it only takes about 2-3 minutes to take it off completely. The only thing I dont like about it is the fact that the child has to be forward facing, it would be nice if it had a rear facing option. My daughter is 9 months old and too big for a infant carrier but not big enough for a forward facing car seat. So I'm not left with to many options. Overall I think its worth the $

We are pleased with this seat. We have it installed in a Toyota Matrix for our three year old son.
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br /We have found the seat to be very secure. We use both the lap belt and LATCH connections to secure it, and it is like a rock. The LATCH connections are very easy to install, at least on our car.
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br /Our son loves the cup holder...he also puts toys in it. The arm rests are kind of a wash...they are good for grabbing onto when he's climbing into the seat, but the seat is too large for him at this stage to actually rest his arms on them. Fortunately, you can adjust them to get them out of the way if you want.
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br /The only drawback to this seat is that it is pretty big. That makes it difficult if you are moving it from car to car. Our son doesn't seem to mind though...he seems to like the extra space.
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br /Like other reviewers, we've had trouble with the belts becoming twisted. This doesn't seem to be a safety issue though.
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br /The belt locking mechanism is good...our son had figured out how to unlock the Britax Roundabout mechanism that he previously was using and would sometimes do that while driving. He hasn't seemed to figure this one out though.
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br /All in all a good option.

We received this carseat when our son was 9 months old, he is now 17 months old and we still love this seat. He is above average in size, currently about 33 inches tall and 28 pounds at 17 months.
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br /We use the carseat in our 2003 Honda Civic, but we have also moved it into other vechiles without much trouble. I feel that the carseat is secure and safe. We've never had any difficulty with the harness or fitting the two pieces of the buckle together to secure him in the seat, even when he's not in the mood for a car ride.
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br /Our son enjoys the armrests and the cupholder features. The chair is positioned nicely so that his head doesn't flop forward when he falls asleep, and he looks pretty comfortable.

We needed another car seat for our 2year old daughter - 28 lbs, 37 inches tall. We currently have her in a Britax Marathon and love it! We are going to move our 6 month old into the Marathon, and we did a lot of research on a seat for our 2year old. Consumer Reports and just about every review on Babies R Us website raved about the Cosco Summit High Back Booster - We thought, great - good reviews, it's half the price of the Britax Marathon, and it's good up to 100 pounds. We thought this was the solution until we tested it with our toddler in the store. The buckle is difficult to put together, and the straps are impossible to tighten. Also, everything is made of cheap plastic! I was pulling the strap to tighten the shoulder harness so tight, the plastic surrounding this strap was almost breaking! Also, the seatbelt guides are very flimsy, and I would definatately not trust them to hold up in an accident. It was a complete waste of time fiddling around with this seat. Consumer Reports got it wrong, and apparantly the other people who "love" this seat have never had a Britax. We are getting a 2nd Britax Marathon - the seat is so sturdy, safe, and easy to use. At this point, there's nothing else on the market to compare!

Admittedly, this car seat received great reviews from Consumer Reports and it is supposed to be very safe in case of an accident. In fact, that is the primary reason I bought this particular seat. However, I can only assume that the testers did not actually try to get a child in and out of the seat, and they definitely did not drive that child a long distance. My son cries when he has sat in this seat for too long, because the padding is totally inadequate for more than a twenty-minute drive. Additionally, the puzzle buckle is difficult for friends and grandparents who haven't received prior instruction, and it is next to impossible for any child to put together. The straps are constantly getting twisted, so that I frequently have to spend several minutes fixing the problem--on a cold, windy day this is not a pleasant task to undertake! The strap tightening mechanism is also a pain because the straps only tighten in small increments, so that I have to tug on it again and again whenever the strap length needs changing (i.e., on a no-coat day).
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br /As for the extra features, the arm rests are fun for my son to play with, but every time I get him in and out of the car I have to put the arm rest up so that his coat or shirt does not snag on it. This has happened many times, leaving holes in a couple of his shirts. The head rest is so high up and so devoid of padding that we removed it entirely. The cup holders are so low down that they are unusable. And trying to remove the seat cover to wash it is next to impossible and requires removing the car seat from the car entirely.
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br /Regarding installation, I have to keep this car seat on the side of my vehicle, and it is very difficult to install this seat tightly using the shoulder strap belt. Also, the rear tether is virtually impossible to tighten (or to loosen once it is tight), with the end result that I absolutely hate having to remove the car seat from my car because it is so difficult to reinstall safely. I had a tough time removing it from my car today so that my son could use it on a class field trip, but now that it is out I am going to the store to purchase a new car seat today! Hooray!

I have had several seats so I think I am pretty good at judging a seat. We bought this seat for my daughter when she was 2. She is now 3 and is still in the five point harness. We have not used it as a belt positioning booster yet. I read the previous reviews and have to comment on the negative ones. Yes, getting the cover off to wash it is cumberson but I have had seats where the cover came off easily for cleaning and came off easily when strapped in the car! I have had to clean the Summit cover several times now and once you get the hang of it after two or three times, it's a breeze. The cover has held up excellent through all the washings too! I have no trouble installing the seat in a 94 Grand Voyager van or our 04 Mazda Protege. In the van we use the seat belts and in the Mazda we use the latch. Never had a problem whether the seat was reclined or not. Sure the base is big and hangs off the seat a little when reclined but my daughter is comfortable when she falls asleep. If you can recline the seat when it is fastened into the car, you don't have the seat belt tight enough! If you cannot recline it when it is buckled in, good for you, it's in properly and nice and tight. The only gripe I have about the seat is the cup holder; there should be one on each side so it can be used no matter what side of the car your seat is on but I guess it is useless anyway because if my daughter is propery restrained in her 5 point harness she cannot reach her cup in the cupholder. It's too low down. I would 100% recommend this seat though!

Like many others, we bought this seat due to the good review in Consumer Reports. Basically we really like it. There is nice padding in the seat (which not all seats have), and my daughter loves the armrests. We don't ordinarily have any trouble with the "puzzle" buckle on the crotch strap, or with straps twisting. However, I don't understand why Cosco used such an easy-to-undo chest buckle on this seat. My 4-year old, who has Down Syndrome, has absolutely no trouble at all undoing the chest buckle and getting out of her straps, regardless of how tight they are. Obviously, this is really unsafe! So many kids like to fiddle with their straps that I can't believe Cosco thought this design would be effective. The buckle on her old Evenflo seat was much more secure. I have complained to Cosco, to no avail, but maybe if others do too, they will do a recall on it.

The title says it all. I was apprehensive after buying the seat, before having it installed I read some consumer reviews and was really nervous. I took it to a child seat safety station to install it, and have not looked back.
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br /My daughter loves it and she enjoys the roominess. The straps have not twisted yet in almost six months or so, but her Evenflo one did all the time. The buckle was not hard to figure out. The only drawback is the light colored fabric, but one day I will take off the cover to wash it. I am seriously considering getting my younger daughter one when she is old enough.

I bought this seat after my reached the weight and height requirements. He was about 1 1/2 when we started using it. He's now going to be three and we still us it. The seat is sturdy enough, the car seat cover is easy to remove and comes clean easily. I have only two complaints about the seat...one is the size of the seat with the base. It's not an easy seat to get in and out of a car. The second complaint is that I had a hard time with the seat straps, they always were twisted. Overall this seat is good.Was it worth the money? I would problably say yes...we've had it along time, and have gotten our money out of it.

Like other reviews, I noticed the Consumer Reports evaluation of this seat. My wife had already purchased the seat to give our oldest daughter room to grow (she is now three). I had a terrible time with the straps twisting, the material just seemed to thin. With my schedule, I didn't have the time to untwist until I put her in the car. She often found the straps uncomfortable.
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br /To be fair to Consumer Reports, they only gave it a top rating as a booster seat. Of the ones that they tested, it performed the best as a booster, it held onto the seatbelt better than the rest.
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br /We are keeping it for use as a booster, but will probably look for a different brand for our youngest as the straps twist. Since my oldest loved to help buckling herself in, it was often difficult to accomplish. She got pretty good, but the twisted straps made the tension difficult to connect to the buckle without loosening every time.

I am amazed that this car seat passed safety inspections! I would give it ZERO stars, but the system will not accept less than one star. Maybe this car seat works just fine in other car models, but not either of ours. First of all, the base is so big that it would hang off the front of the seat (even in our SUV!). Forget about reclining it. That pushes it even further off the seat cushion. But the major problem with this seat is that the hole you feed the seat belt or LATCH through is higher up on the back of the car seat. This acts as an unbalanced fulcrum so that if you pull from the front of the car seat it slips forward and tilts back causing all straps to loosen. I read one review where someone else had the same problem, so I am not alone. Good ratings or no, this seat is back in the box and heading back to the store.

I am really happy with our purchase. My son was barely big enough to move out of an infant seat when we put him in the summit. I love the easy adjustalbe shoulder straps. I feel safe with the 5 point harness system. I love the reclining for long trips. I've also washed the cover multiple times and find it holding up to the task. I haven't had any accidents or near misses with this seat so I'm trusting consumer reports that it's safe.

I cannot rate this seat when used as a 5 point harness but it is totally awesome for older kids that still need a positioner. My son is 6 years old, weighs 80 pounds and is a little over 50 inches. He still needs a positioner but we couldn't find one that accomodated his large frame. This one does! It's roomy enough to be comfortable. The seat is wide and deep so the legs don't dangle. I never would have thought to purchase a convertible for my 6 year old but this seat has proved to be the best for big kids, IMO. It's a much better investment than the turbo booster or the Parkway - both of which are way smaller than this one. The only other booster I would have considered is the Komfort Kruiser but those are hard to find.
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br /Bottom line, if your kid is on the big side - test this booster before buying any other. This one should fit your kid the best!

It's holds up to daily wear tear very well. The bottom lock system is a bit tricky for inquisitive kids to figure out. Bottom line - we've had this car seat for about 3 years have just bought a second one for our second child. A great value!

We needed a new car seat for our 3 year old. He's growing out of the Britax Roundabout that has served us so well. I started doing research on booster car seats, figuring we'll use this for the next few years, and maybe it will be his last carseat. I love the Britax, but was concerned about the head-rest in the booster. It looked as though it closed the child's head in, and would limit his view out the window (I know, silly when thinking about safety.) I saw the Summit and it looked so much like his old Roundabout and it was a booster! It looked comfortable and safe without restricting his view. He tried it out before installation and said it was really comfortable. Sold! We still want to use the 5 point harness while we can, and because of this I couldn't install the seat in my pre-latch ('97 VW) laws car. So it went into our newer post-latch-law-car. Easiest installation ever! He loved it for our short rides around town. Then we took longer trips. It never fails - as soon as we hit one hour in the car, he complains of his leg falling asleep. Every time. I saw other reviews that mentioned the deeper seat and how their children's legs don't hang over the edge as in other seats. This has been a real problem for us. I'm in the market for a new car seat - most likley the Britax after reading the great reviews for it. Please, if you're considering this carseat, have your child sit in it first and check this out. [...] is a lot to spend for something you can't use!

Out of all the other car seats I've looked at or seen other families having this one stands out. Couple reasons. I can take it apart to clean it .It cleans real well too. We've had to clean up some nasty stuff and just like magic all clean. I've seen other kids asleep in there seats and unfortunately there head is in an uncomfortable position because they don't have the recline as part of there seat. My husband bought a cheaper seat to put in his truck and we found that the seat was low no recline, This summit with the recline puts height to the seat so my son can see out of the car better. Not too mention the saftey of this seat. I am very pleased with this seat.

I bought this seat for my 2 year old daughter, hoping it would be her last carseat since it can be used as a seatbelt booster and accomodates a larger child than some convertible boosters. It is comfortable and relatively easy to get her in/out. However, this seat is huge! It takes up more backseat than we anticipated. We used to be able to fit a small adult fairly comfortably in the center backseat between my kids' carseats. It's doable now, but not comfortable for more than a quick trip. Would probably be a great fitting seat for huskier kids. Also, the attached cupholder is out of my daughter's reach.

I have this car seat and I've had it for about a year and a half. I have to say that I hate the straps. They get so twisted and I have the hardest time untwisting them. It's very easy to tighten the straps if they aren't twisted. And it is very difficult to figure out how to snap the belts. Once you figure it out that you just lay one buckle on top of the other it's fine, but hard for grandparents to figure out. SOmetimes the red button sticks and doesn't allow the buckle to go in. You have to push the red button down and then release it then try again. It has been this way since about a month after I bought it.
br / Reclines very easy and I love that. We make frequent road trips and my son still falls asleep in the car and I can just reach back and recline him with one hand. Although his legs don't go very far over the edge and using this car seat in a Ford Expedition his legs get very cramped if he doesn't sit with them folded up. He is only 38 inches tall.
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br / My son is 5 so I will be buying a backless booster seat (maybe, still researching) and using this one for travel.
br /Because like I said, it is great for travelling.
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I like the car seat, however should the carseat become dirty, good luck in cleaning it. It's practically impossible to remove the covering, it's pretty much bolted in with screws. After my son got sick in the seat, I had to clean it with a scrub brush and rags.

i bought this car seat 6weeks ago..i love it!!! so does my granddaughter,,i babysit her everyday so i take her out alot,,,everything on this seat is so easy to use..on other seats it is a pain to raise the harness,,not with this seat,,just move the bar to what height you need,,you're done,,that simple,,and the leg strap is so easy to move to,,arm rests are great,,my granddaughter loves them,,she is almost 15months old.the buckle latch is a little tricky,,but once you figure it out,,it makes me feel she is safe..love it sooo much,,my daughter wants to get one too,,she has been looking,but no luck till she saw the one i bought for her daughter to use in my avalanche!! best car seat ever!!!!!!! love it!!! thanks for making it so easy to use.recline is wonderful..cup holder is a great idea!! my granddaughter,kaya,,just loves to put her sippie cup in it!! wouldn't buy any other car seat!! thanks for making it soo easy to use..as far as cleaning it,,just wipe clean with a damp cloth!!no need to remove it to clean it..thanks again!!lynn

I looked long and hard before I purchased a new carseat for my now 2 year old. I wanted something that would recline for long road trip naps and something that would grow with her and be the last car seat I would have to purchase. I am not happy with the recline feature. It doesn't recline far enough and her head tips over. We struggle the entire time she sleeps to keep her head propped up. The second problem I have with this carseat is the buckle system! What a joke! It takes me FOREVER to get the metal buckle assembled and latched and adjusted for whatever coat she is wearing and can be nearly impossible if she is squirmy or not wanting to get in it. It is easy enough to make bigger for heavy coats, but to adjust back down for light or no coat is impossible. Apparently this type of buckling system is what everyone is using because I am unable to find anything different in other brands. I guess I'll have to struggle through until she is big enough we don't have to use the harness and can use the car seatbelt.

Most reviewers comment on using this seat for kids 2 and older, has anyone used it for younger kids. The weight limit starts at 22lbs. - could you use this seat after the infant seat?

I absolutely hate this carseat. The only reason I purshased it was b/c consumer reports recommended it. I am all about safety when it comes to carseats. If I was ever in a car accident and my child sustained any injuries I need to know the carseat was correctly installed and my child was properly restrained or I would feel and be responsible.
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br /My car is not equipped with the latch system so I use the center lap belt and I can not get this carseat in tight nor my husband. It moves well over an inch from side to side. Even the tether strap is impossible to get tight. This carseat does not seem safe to me at all. I have read many of the other reviews and received some pointers on installation such as changing the recline position. I will definatly try these. But let me say this
br /NO CARSEAT SHOULD BE DIFFICULT TO INSTALL!!!!
br /I shouldn't have to do additional research to install this carseat.
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br /I also do not like the "puzzle" belt for belting my child in. What purpose does that serve other then a hassle. It's also hard to get the belt snug against my child. The carseat itself is huge nobody else has room to sit in the backseat of my honda civic with my child. The cupholder doesn't seem to be appropriatly placed nor the head rest. My child ends up falling asleep with her head next to the side of her body.
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br /BUY BRITAX!!!
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I bought this seat because Consumer Reports recommended it. However, apparently nobody at Consumer Reports has children because if they did they would not approve of this seat. It's difficult to install (which could be due to the seats in our SUV), it is too hard to line up the buckle to snap it in (who would design such a buckle?!? And that's when our daughter is sitting patiently- I can't imagine if she were throwing a fit or squirming around), and it's impossible to tighten the straps. We are very [...] when it comes to making sure that the seat is installed with a very tight fit (no slipping around on the seat) and not being able to get more than 2 fingers under the shoulder straps. It is impossible to do with this seat. I'm returning it and looking for a more user friendly seat!! Consumer Reports hasn't let us down until now!

You do not attach the base of this car seat to the vehicle. It does not
br /work like an infant seat. It would be difficult to take the base on and
br /off each time you moved the car seat. It would be very time consuming
br /and
br /would be pointless to do so.
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This seat has to be the most frustrating seat EVER created and I wish now that I had taken more time when I was choosing. The hassle I have with it is the clip on the seat belt, it is like a puzzle and is so annoying, my 5yr old gets stressed out every time she has to do as it takes such concentration and is just a total pain. I cannot tell you how many tears and stressed out times we have had trying to get her into this seat, the Graco I have in my other vehicle is such a breeze and she can clip herself in everytime without a fuss. The one star is ONLY for that it sits up higher allowing her to see out the window really nicely. DO NOT BUY THIS SEAT unless they have changed the clip on the belt by now.

I bought this seat for my 3 year old hoping that he would get more freedom than he had in his older car seat. Well he got his freedom alright. I could not keep him in the seat. The harness system is entirley way too easy for children to figure out and he did figure it out in 1 day. I had the same problem just using the belt and tether straps. He kept undoing the seat belt.br /
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br /Another issue. When I actually did have him in the seat the straps are a major pain... They twist on a daily basis and are a pain to fix. I also was unable to get the straps tight enough.br /
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br /I think the only way you can recline this seat is if it is not in your car. I have a mini-van and a suv and could not recline the seats.br /
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br /The only plus about this seat was that it is a nice looking seat. Looks don't save lives though.br /
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br /I ended up buying a incredibly inexpensive low back booster and my child hasn't got out of it yet.