The First Years True Fit Convertible carseat is the BEST Carseat I have ever seen! If I had seen it when my 3 1/2 year old was growing out of her infant carrier seat, I would have refused my FREE Britax Roundabouts and paid for two True Fits to replace them. I'm so amazed that the seat can go from a tiny infant to a 65 lb. 50 inch tall child!
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br / I did prefer the infant carseats that detach from a base and have a comfortable carrying handle until my child was too heavy to carry. It's nice to have a safe clean portable "bed" for the very tiny ones, but after that, the True Fit is the safest and best option!
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br /The seat has all the latest safety features plus a plush comfortable cover and padding. I love that the seat has side impact protection and that the company tests their products. My child is tall and very close to 40 inches 40 lbs. and she loves the seat. We also tried a friends 8 year old in the seat and she works well too! Love the easy adjustable harness! No more removing the seat and rethreading! YIPEE! I also like that the seat reclines a little - great for naps. One of best features is the built-in seatbelt locking clip. I love that it's under the seat and will work with any lap shoulder combo seatbelt. It was easy to get to thanks to the smart cover design!
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br /I have seen some negative comments about there not being enough crotch space. If you leave the infant padding in the seat and try to put a toddler in the seat, yes, it's tight. The directions weren't very clear about removing it. If you remove the extra pad for a larger child, the space is great, even for an 8 year old.
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br /It does take a few minutes to install the seat and it's heavy, but we have a The First Years Compass Premier Folding Adjustable Booster - Pacific Compass B510 booster seat as a second seat for moving from one vehicle to another for short trips. If we had had this seat as an option earlier, we would have purchased one for each vehicle. Divide the cost by 7 or 8 and compare it to some of your other yearly expenses!
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br /We also love the way that the straps can be pulled around the "wings" of the seat when unbuckling the child. They'll stay there nicely until it's time to get back in. No sticky velcro to rip your delicate tutus! The straps cushions are a nice feature, but would also like a crotch buckle pad.
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br /Don't like: The instructions could be better. Do not like the black area under the infant pad and the buckles. Prefer everything a lighter color, so it doesn't get so hot. We cover our seats with white towels to help. Light shades of tan or gray would be nice.
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br /Love: Comfortable, safe, side-impact tested, soft fabric cover, plush padding. 5 point harness to 50 inches or 65 lbs. Installs tight and works well in small vehicles. Easy to customize the fit without removing and rethreading the harness, multiple crotch strap positions. Built-in locking clip.
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br /Be sure to check out the demo at www.learningcurve.com
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I just received our seat yesterday and I LOVE IT!! has everything and it has a latch system that can even be used for rear-facing. My 4.5 month old smiled and was happy when we put her in it and my 4 year old sat in it to see how it would be for when she is older and she said it was very comfortable! I love everything about this seat.
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br /I encourage you though to read the instructions before trying to figure out where they store the latch system out and how to install the seat. It is an easy install and directions are great just make sure you read first! :)
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br /Since the headrest comes off for rear-facing it fits great in a backseat!!

..... was not having discovered this carseat in the first place. My wife and I did not realize that this would have been the only seat we ever needed. We started off with a Graco seat from the Meridian Collection. Positive side is that we had all matching gear. Negative side is that we had to go out and buy another seat. All in all this was easy to install and I am absolutely confident in it's security. Do not be dissuaded by a previous users post that she could push the seat up and back against the backseat of the car. Making mention that she thought the baby's face would get slammed into it in a head-on collision (she went with a different brand). Shoddy physics aside, she either installed the seat incorrectly or has stock in the brand she is claiming to have switched to, because I checked on this claim and it is completely false.
br /Lots of easy to use adjsutments... I especially liked the idiot-proof harness strap adjustment that the aforementioned poster/reviewer also could not get to work correctly :)
br /Great seat, great value... make it your first and last purchase.

As a mom of 3 young children, I've installed my fair share of carseats and booster seats over the years. This one is by far one of the easiest to install. It was quick and painless to get a very tight fit rearfacing in 2nd/middle row of our SUV.
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br /The whole 'removable headrest' thing is very deceiving, though. Once a child hits 22lbs or a certain height, the headrest is needed for rear facing. My 10 month old already needs it installed so it doesn't fit any better than other rear facing carseats we have. In fact, it fits worse. But we're keeping it because our old carseat we were using rear-facing is 5 years old (only 6 months left until the expiration date) and only goes rearfacing to 22lbs.
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br /The other issue I have is that there's no way a child can sit in this seat until they hit 65lbs. My 6 year old is 49 lbs and he tried to sit in it (just playing around - he's in his booster seat in the car) while it was in the family room when we took it out of the box. He could barely squeeze in and he's fairly average, if not small, for his age. Heck, even my almost-3-year-old was squished in it and she's only 37 lbs! Oh well... it'll get my youngest to be rear-facing until 18-24 months like we want and by then the Graco Nautilus will be freed up because the other daughter will be moving to a booster seat.
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br /Other than those 2 things, we love this seat. Easy to install, good price, comfortable for the baby, etc.

The First Years/Learning Curve Truefit is truly an awesome seat! The harness height goes from 10"-18" (with 4 total slots) and adjusts easily without removing the seat. It rear faces from 5-35lbs, and forward faces to 65lbs. It has lockoffs, so it installs easily with a seatbelt or the lower anchors-the locks offs are easy to use.
br / The seat has a removeable headrest for infants who are less than 22 lbs (and whose head is 1" from the top of the shell). This makes the seat easier to fit rear-facing. Once the child reaches 22+lbs, the headrest needs to be put on (and the child should be kept rear-facing until s/he reaches 35lbs or is within 1" of the top of the shell). Rear-facing is 4x safer than forward facing. My 2 year old son is still rear-facing and will be until he is either too heavy or too tall.
br / It's a comfortable seat with lots of EPP foam and padding. The Misty Morning pattern is very soft and cozy. My daughter, at 44", 42lbs, and a 16" torso, still fits, height wise, in this seat. She really liked it.
br / I have (or have had) lots of carseats. Among them, the Evenflo Triumph Advance, the Radian65, Evenflo Triumph V, Britax Regent, and Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe (Britax Marathon clone). The Truefit is easily one of my favorites.
br / The best carseat is one that fits your child, fits your budget, fits your vehicle, and will be installed correctly EVERY SINGLE TIME! Make sure to read the manual for any seat purchased and know how to install it correctly. And go to a seat check/call a tech if you have any questions.
br / My children's safety, in the car, is of prime importance to me. I can keep them safer by keeping them harnessed, in the safest seat/s I can afford, for as long as possible.

I researched for hours, days, weeks... for just the right car seat to fit the needs of my 5 1/2 month old little girl, who is over 100 percentile for weight and height, and had already outgrown her infant carrier seat. This seat is perfect. Although she is already too long to be able to use it with the head rest taken off, it is no bigger than any other convertible car seat that does not have that great option when head rest is attached. She was also too tall and big to still use the infant height insert, which is ok too, because even without it, she seems extremely comfortable in it. Even though it does not have multiple recline positions like others offer, when rear-faced, it reclines plenty. Never have a problem with her head flopping forward. She sleeps very well in it. The material is extremely soft and easily wiped clean, and was not difficult to install. You just really have to read the directions closely and kind of figure things out on your own as you go when the directions seem a bit unclear. I did have to use pool noodle to level the car seat, since it is a reclining bucket seat in the middle of the van and the seat angles, but you have to do that with numerous other car seats as well. I have that thing in there so tight, it doesn't budge. I can't say enough about the car seat- it is great for the price and the options. The seat is nice and deep, with steep sides, so I feel confident that she'll be safe in an accident if impacted from the side. Also love that when you loosen the harness straps completely when taking her out, that they can then fit over the top sides of the car seat so that they are then out of the way until you put her back in, then you can pull them down and back over her to buckle and tighten. Also love that I can keep her rearfacing until 35lbs. I would recommend this to anyone I know with a newborn/infant. I think that it would work great with newborn rearfacing with the headrest off and insert in since it is very plush and seems like it would be comfortable and fit the infant well and not be too spacious and big for a newborn-6 months.

I am so glad that I decided to buy this seat for my son. The material is so nice, very comfortable, durable, and very little or almost to none to assemble. Unlike the Radian 80 convertible car seat I bought for my son earlier it was a waste of money. It is not comfortable and when you put the seat in forward facing there is no 45 degree angle to support his back. Very bad posture. It cost me $250 although I didn't buy it from Amazon at the time. I saw other reviewers raving about how good the Radian 80 convertible seat made by sunshine but it is horrible. The only one good thing about it, that is it could fold when you travel. Poor instructions and assembly. It is confusing to follow and manual. Don't waste your money on the Radian 80 by sunshine convertible seat. THIS IS THE SEAT THAT YOU SHOULD BUY FOR YOUR KIDS. TRUST ME YOU WON'T REGRET IT. I chose the blue/black color. I love it...What makes me more happier than seeing my son enjoys this seat...

I looked around for weeks and narrowed it down to this and one other seat. I was able to go see the other seat in a store, but this one was only available online. I didn't really like the one at the store so I took a chance and ordered this one. I'm SOOO glad I did!!! I absolutely love it!! It's so soft and comfy, my 10 month old looks so happy in it. She sleeps in it very comfortably and she has plenty of room. I have it rear facing with the headrest and it fits fine in my suv, if I had a compact car it might not fit that great with the headrest. I have no complaints, except it was a little difficult to install, but not horrible, and I have to be very careful buckling it not to pinch her chubby legs. I highly recommend this seat!!!!

I really like this seat and so does my 15 month old. The seat has nice padding and seems comfortable. The only negative is that the seat doesn't recline and so my son's head flops forward when he falls asleep. It was easy to install with clear directions.

The buckle to loosen the shoulder straps and the strap to tighten them is slightly under the seat. This made it impossible to access when put in my car in the rear facing position because the front of the car seat is snug against the back of the car (this blocking access to the buckle and strap). You'll notice on other car seats this device is usually further up. I had to return it because it was unusable for me.

We love this seat! It was very easy for my husband to put in our car with just a few minor adjustments it was just the way the instructions said it should be. It is very plush and my daughter seems quite comfy in it. We bought a wedge to make it lean back instead of using a towel or pool noodle which were recommended. The wedge works great and her head no longer slumps forward but the seat is still in the position it needs to be for safety. We are very happy we purchased this seat!

I love this car seat. It seems so comfortable. My almost 5 month old fits really well, and I know she has lots of room to grow. I really like that the top comes off, so you can still have that extra room when the seat is rear facing to push your seat back.
br /However, my one drawback is that the seat is a lot wider than I had thought it would be. Since I have this seat and my 4-1/2 year old's booster seat in my car, I cannot put them side by side. The seat is too wide in my car (Subaru Forester) to put in the middle of the back seat and still fit in the booster next to it. So instead I have one seat on each side of the car.
br /All that aside, I would not trade this car seat for another. I'm very pleased with it.

Just purchased this seat in Casino (gray) and it's comfy and low profile. It's easy to lug around with a handle behind the head rest. Installation was a breeze, I got a tight fit in under a couple of minutes - the lock offs are great! No need to re-thread the harness for kids of different sizes (I have a daycare). I like the microfiber cover, next to leather it's the most stain resistant fabric! I really wanted a Britax, but am much happier with this choice: This has side impact protection, and the base of the seat doesn't have a design that diggs into my leather seats, and I paid less. I like other products that The First Years makes, and this one is great quality too!

After much research and hemming and hawing we ended up with these carseats for the duration -
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br /I just love it -the removable headrest makes it a comfy fit while they are at a 45deg angle, the built-in lock-offs are awesome, it's RF till 35 lbs, the harness height adjustment is super easy, and the cover comes off without having to rethread the straps. It wasn't too expensive, was highly reviewed on the carseat forum by CPS Techs.
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br /I just had to wash DD's seat yesterday and the cover came off in less than 60 secs and went on about as fast without me even needing the manual!!
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br /It does need a rolled up towel to get the 45deg angle -but many other seats do, and it stayed rock solid for me. I haven't had any problems adjusting the straps either. I would and do recommend this seat to everyone.

i would love to give this seat five starts but i am disappointed that the buckle only has two positions and the second doesn't provide a lot of depth...i'm sure some children will be too squished in this area before they even come close the the height or weight maximums. i also wish it had a belly pad like some other car seats on the market that protect children from the buckles.
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br /but other than those two details, which are minor in comparison to all the awesome things about this seat, i love it!
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br /my son can sit cross legged or with his legs splayed out as if he were in a comfy papasan chair. the cupholder is awesome, as is the low-profile...he's not so high up as in his marathon, which is great in my small car. the removeable headrest for RF is a neat idea (though it doesn't tether in the RF position so i'm not sure i'd use it RFing if my child was small enough) and the harness height is great.
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br /i love the infant insert and height pad, but again, my child isn't small enough for us to use them. he is almost 2 1/2 and is in the 3rd slot with lots of growing room. his head is well below the headrest, though, which means he will be protected by the back of this carseat much longer than that of a marathon - that's another reason i love this so. he's also in slot 3 on the MA but only has about 2 or 3" between the top of his head and the top of the carseat - i know children can sit in a seat until the top of the ears reach the top of the seat but having their heads completed supported by the child restraint seems so much safer to me.
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br /we have the casino (gray) and want another but i can't decide on a cover yet and i'm waiting to see if learning curve/compass will make some minor improvements on the design.

Great seat. Very solid, easy to install. Good padding, good fit. A big seat though, barely fits in the back seat of our Chrysler Pacifica in the rear facing position. It will not fit in the seat if we use the optional headrest extension in the rear facing position - but our daughter is still a little too short to require it. Hopefully we can go to forward facing before she requires the head rest. Also, great shipping from Amazon.com!

This car seat is very plush and comfortable. I like the recline feature so the baby can nap without her head falling forward. It fits well in my Mazda 6 (4 door) mid size sedan.
br /Received it within two days from Amazon though did not pay for 2 day shipping. Received free super saver shipping, which is a real bonus.
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My daughter used to scream in the car, she HATED it! Finally we broke down and bought this carseat, we got it on sale on amazon and took advantage of the trial prime membership to get the free shipping. Now I'm not going to lie and say my daughter is as happy as a clam in her new carseat but she is happier than before. In her old infant seat (a Graco Snugride) she would never fall asleep but now if she's tired and has a full tummy she sleeps very soundly in this new seat!
br /Also, the safety features are amazing and the fabric is so pretty! I wish I would have gotten this seat for my son as well, but he already has a convertable chair. I love the huge side wings and how the frame of the seat is coated in the same stuff they put inside of bike helmets.
br /I love the locking clip that holds the chair to the seat belt too. If you are looking for a seat that is easy to move from car to car I'll have to tell you this is not it but only because of the safty features which I think makes it worth the extra time it takes to move it. My sons chair you just slide the belt through the back of the seat but with this chair you send it though a special track and then it clips in place.
br /My sons chair did not do well rear faceing because it was tippy. This chair stays in place perfectly and also is reclined very well whereas many other convertables seem to sit the child up to much so when they fall asleep their head falls forward. The chair looks big but it fits very well rear facing in our car too which is another problem we had with my son chair. The back head rest comes off of this chair makeing it a perfect fit! My sons carseat is an Alpha Omega Elite and it is rated really well by others and I also really like it, untill I compare it with this seat! I have never owned a Britax but I can't imagine it being better than The First Years True Fit!
br /I would definatley recomend this chair to anyone!

I agree with some other comments that this seat was difficult to install. It took a while to get the latches secured properly and I did have to use a rolled-up towel to level the seat. Other than that, I really like the car seat. My son happened to throw-up in the seat just a few days after I got it, but I was able to unsnap the lining and wash everything just like new!
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br /I haven't turned the seat facing forward yet, but it looks like there is plenty of room for a growing child. Very soft, padded materials and convenient adjustable strap system (you don't have to unhook the harness to adjust it).
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br /If you find that one strap on the harness is tighter than the other, pull the looser strap a little bit. Both straps are part of the same belt, so you can adjust it by pulling either side.

I haven't had this car seat long, but I really like it. We have a Toyota Corolla, so we had to push the front seats up pretty far because the seat is big and reclines back for rear-facing, but it installed very tightly. We didn't have to fight with it much to get it to install the tightest it would go with the LATCH system. One thing that I think everyone should know, though--the latches that you lock once you thread through the LATCH or seatbelt don't lock until you've tightened them. My husband and I were looking at it, and were worried that the seat was defective because the latches weren't locking before we installed it in the car! The straps, also, are somewhat difficult to adjust once the seat is installed, but I think that's a small price for the peace of mind I have, knowing that she's strapped in tight, and if (God forbid) we were in an accident, the padding in the seat would keep her well-protected. The price was great too. I know she's going to be in it for a long time, but I still can't justify paying $300 for a car seat, especially when we paid $170 for this one, and it keeps her just as safe, and is about as easy to use as a more expensive one. I'd definitely recommend this seat.

Great, easy , comfy car seat. My 13 month old, 20 pounder loves riding in his new seat. He can sit high enough in this seat to see out the window and that keeps him easily entertained. He no longer screams when getting buckled in and is so comfortable that he just about always falls asleep. So easy to install, especially with the latch system. Highly recommended after a lot of research for safety and money.

we have bought this seat for our 7 months old as he has grown out of his first seat. He has more room in this one and definitely likes this seat much better. the quality of the seat is very good. Once we figured out how to use it the handling is not bad either.
br /However the seat requires a certain learning curve as the instructions are not as clear as they need to be, this make the installation hard at first, but after 4 or 5 times it works good. We are using both the latches in one car and the seat belt in another and have found that the latches are way easier to use with this seat that the regular seat belt. Also the adjustment of the (childs) seat belt is not explained very well and again it took us some time to figure out how to properly adjust the seat belt (one site usually was too tight while the other was too loose).
br /Another thing we noticed is that the seat is very big, if you (like we) have to use the additional head rest with the rear facing position a large car is definitely a plus.

We ordered this car seat for our (large) 4-month old because he had almost reached the weight limit on his infant car seat. It is wonderful! First of all, VERY affordable especially compared to other similar car seats. The interior is very plush and he loves napping in the car now- YAY! The five-point harness is easy to use and adjusts easily as he grows (no re-threading of the straps). Once he is a little taller there is a headrest that can be added. Also, once he can face forward the seat goes up to 65 pounds! So, we won't need a new car seat for a long time. Love, love, love this car seat!

I have used two infant car seats, a convertible seat, forward facing and now this First Years True Fit Convertible. I decided on this seat because I found it rated highly on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website ([...])
br /and then from the other consumer reviews on this site. I never thought I'd leave the Britax brand, but I am glad I made the leap.
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br /I love this car seat for my 24 lb 18 month old and here's why:
br / Once installed, which was very easy to do, it is so secure. It doesn't jiggle around from side to side or up and down. I am using it forward facing with the anchor on top.
br /Good recline. My son is able to fall asleep in the seat with his head back or resting against the side. Not to say he doesn't completely pass out with his head flopped forward. Not sure it's because of the seat though.
br /Comfort. This seat has more padding for safety and comfort than any other car seat we've owned. I feel really good about my son being in it during our many long trips.
br /It just looks good. I like the fabric and the color scheme. It has mesh and my son never comes out of it a sweaty mess like he did in other car seats.
br /I like this car seat so much that when my 5 month old outgrows his car seat I am going to buy another one of these True Fit Convertibles for him. I highly recommend it and you can't beat that price.

By far one of the best seats on the market today!! Was very easy to install with LATCH or seatbelt. Perfect seat to keep your little one rearfacing longer. My 27mth old loves all the room he has rearfacing in his True Fit and it fit my 4.5yr, 41lb son wonderful Forward facing. He has tons of growing room in it too! I give it 2 thumbs up!!

We are very pleased with this car seat for many reasons. The material is so soft and the padding is done very well. My 2-year old daughter loves the comfort of this seat and almost always has a big grin on her face as soon as she sits down in the seat. We have a Britax Decathalon in our other car, and we are happy with that one as well; however, this car seat is just as easy to install, comfortable, and easier to adjust than the Britax. The First Years True Fit is a true value and exceptional find.

This carseat is great. I wish I had bought this car seat first, instead of investing in the car seat/infant carrier system first, as you can use this one from birth on up until they are ready for a booster seat. It is easy to install and remove, using the latch system in my car, and very easy to adapt to my son's needs. Versatile and rugged!

Very HAPPY WITH THIS CAR SEAT. vERY STURDY AND CUSHIONED. vERY EASY TO STRAP TO METAL HOOKS IN CAR. HIGH QUALITY SEAT!! wAY BETTER THAN BRAND NAMES fITS INTO MY CORROLA AND THE ARMADA. i LIKE THE REMOVAL HEAD REST. A MUST

My Jeep doesn't have a latch system. Because of the locking system, I challenge anyone to get this car seat in any tighter. It was a little tricky to figure out, but now that I know how to use it, I feel great knowing that my kids are safe. I bought 2 of these. It is for my 12 month old and 5 year old. They accomodate both kids sizes.

I love this seat I looked at many seats and I'm very happy with this one why pay extra money for a name My daughter looks very comfy in this seat very easy to adjust and install I only wish I would have bought this seat be for she was born and not have waited so long.

This is a very poorly designed car seat for installation purposes (Both rear and forward facing). The seat buckle gets in the way from securing the seatbelt strap to the car seat which doesn't allow you to tighten the car seat as well as you should be able to making it loose and unsafe. This holds true for my Wife's cavalier, my grandprix, my Mom's pontiac montana minivan, and my mother-in-law's jeep liberty. The locks that secure the seatbelt strap to the carseat are also at an angle and are not parallel with how the seatbelt runs through the carseat which means you have to use some force to secure the seatbelt strap to the carseat. This makes it difficult to tighten the carseat properly and makes it difficult to install. Other then installation, my 9 month old likes the carseat and seems pretty comfortable in it. We bought a Britax before this one which was a lot easier to install but my daughter cried the entire time she was in it so we got this one instead. So I would recommend this carseat if you never have to reinstall it once it's in your car.

This is a good functioning car seat and my son loves it. I wish I would have bought this when he was an infant and could have used it all the way through.

I love the easy off padding! My little guy got the padding dirty and I just whisked it off and washed it without an issue. I did have a problem because his mess got into the harness release button which needed a q-tip to clean. But that isn't the seats' fault. My only other problem is the harness release only completely releases one side of the harness. It wasn't a serious problem since I can get him in, but he would have been more comfy if I could release it a bit further THEN tighten it. I probably have an installation issue since the other side works ok. Since I removed some of the extra padding it is less of an issue. Could be I was coddling him by keeping the extra pads in.
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br /It fits fine in my RAV-4 on the passenger side. I still have him backward facing and my 6'1" husband can fit fine in the front. Yeah, he doesn't drive unless he has to, but he sure can complain about my driving...

I am a mom of two and have been shopping for car seats for awhile. I wanted a car seat for my baby that was out growing her infant car seat. I wanted something that would go the distance; keep her rear facing until at least 18 months, and also would keep her in a 5 point harness longer than the average 40 lbs. This seat caught my attention because of the removable headrest for a better fit rear facing in average size cars. But I didn't know that when you read the manual it says :
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br /Important Note!!
br /For rear-facing use without the headrest, maximum weight is 22 lbs, and the child's head must be 1" below the top of the seat. With the headrest, the maximum weight is 35 lbs, and the head must be 1" below the top of the seat.
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br /My daughter is now 13 months old and weighs 22 1/2 lbs so in order to keep her rear facing, which I hope to do as long as she will allow, I will have to put on the headrest and then it doesn't fit any better in our car that any other car seat. I'm going to get another Radian 80 for my 1 year old. We bought one for my 3 year old when she outgrew her Britax roundabout and the Radian is solid.
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My son and I absolutely love this car seat!! It is so easy to handle.

Because this car seat perches on top of a base, you must fill in the gap between the base and seatback with either a rolled-up towel, which shifts, or a waternoodle, which gets squished down over time. I found the latch extremely hard to fully tighten because of a lip in the plastic base, which overlaps where my hand needed to be to tighten the latch straps. So i had to pull the tightening belt off to the side, from which position it refused to tighten. From the front seat, I could push the back of the carseat (in the rear-facing position) so that it would hit the seatback in the back seat. If I can easily do this with my hand, wouldn't baby be slammed face-first into the back seat's seatback in a head-on collision? I got a Sunshine Kids after this and it fastened so tightly and securely in the rear-facing position, I wonder how any baby is safe in a different seat.