Welcome to my World!: Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Car Seat Review

Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Car Seat offers 3 modes of use for an infant, young baby or toddler.. The Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Car Seat can be used in the rear-facing position for an infant or the forward facing position with a 5-point harness for an older baby and it converts to a belt-positioning booster for a toddler. The ProTech EPP energy absorbing foam makes the seat extra safe. The Quickfit harness system easily adjusts from the front without rethreading. The infant head support and 3 position recline is an essential for baby's comfort and support. Removable cup holder keeps beverage close to child. The 4-position adjustable headrest grows with your child. The vehicle seat belt can be correctly positioned across your child with the 2-position belt positioning guides. Pivoting armrests make getting in and out of the car seat easy. The car seat pad is removable for easy cleaning. Appropriate for use *from birth through toddler for a child between 19 and 52" in height *in the rear-facing position for a child weighing between 5-35 pounds *in the forward-facing position for a child weighing between 22-40 pounds *as a belt positioning booster seat for a child weighing between 40-100 pounds.

Product Features

Color: Lamont

3 modes of use: rear facing 5-35 pounds; forward facing 22-40 pounds; belt positioning booster 40-100 pounds
Quickfit harness system allows you to adjust your child from the front in one easy step
Epp energy absorbing foam
Multi-positon recline with pivoting armrests
Removable cup holder

Rear facing car seat - you CAN install it rear facing!!!

Okay....so all of these reviews make it seem impossible to install rear-facing. However, I'm here to tell you it's not.

First, let me tell you my little story of installation! I first tried installing the Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite car seat rear-facing in my 2004 Mazda 3 using the LATCH system. I followed the instructions to the letter and also used one regular-size towel rolled up underneath it. I thought I had it in there pretty good, but I asked my husband to take a look to see if he could get it a little tighter since it seemed to move a little side to side. We both agreed that it was a little too loose and there was still quite a bit of open space underneath the car seat, which caused additional wiggle room for the car seat to move. We also couldn't seem to get the darn thing level AND tight at the same time.

We took a break from my car and my husband starting working on installing the same car seat in his 2003 GMC pickup, again using the LATCH system. (We bought two identical car seats.) He used one towel underneath, but he absolutely couldn't get it level with the ground and tight at the same time! As he pulled the seat tighter, the seat kept moving up to a sitting position rather than reclined. In fact, he pulled the straps so tight, we couldn't get the darn thing OUT either! The locking mechanism gets jammed if you pull it too tight. Thank goodness we were able to get the towel out from underneath and we detached the base from the car seat (while it was still installed in the truck), which gave us enough room to unhook the car seat from the pickup's LATCH hooks.

So, after about an hour or more of messing around with the car seat and cussing up a storm, we decided to take a break and I did a little research online. I found a video on Safety 1st's website about how to install a rear facing car seat and I also checked out several reviews to see if anyone had advice.

After watching the video, reading the instructions several more times and reading several reviews, I decided to tackle it again. First, ***I removed the base from the car seat*** and used a rolled up bath sheet(a big oversized towel similar to the one used in the video) to put underneath the car seat. The secret is to REMOVE THE BASE!!! It doesn't affect the safety at all and allows for a MUCH better fit when rear-facing!!! It took me all of 5 minutes to get the car seat secured rear-facing in my Mazda 3. And, the bath towel just basically fills the open space right underneath the lower section of the car seat. The car seat really doesn't sit on the towel at all. I did it just like the video shows and it is a secure fit. Another secret I learned from another review is to put your knee down in the car seat where the child's sits and also push straight down hard on the top of the car seat as you pull the straps tight. This will help keep it level with the ground as you're pulling it tight.

I strongly urge you to watch the video and be patient. It was a heck of a lot easier than I thought originally and all it took was for me to step away for a little while and come back to it. Five minutes, literally, to install this thing without the base attached. Give it a try! This car seat is worth it and is very secure for my 10-month old!

Good luck and best wishes to you!

Welcome to my World!

Tuesday, 11 December 2012

Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Car Seat Review

Product Features

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