Evenflo Portabout - Does it totally suck?

Hi there,

I have an Evenflo Portabout carseat for my baby expected at the end of April. I just did a search and found some stuff on this site indicating they are really cheap, and can flip out of their bases?? Is this the case? How do they rate in crash tests apart from that issue? I'm asking that as the flipping thing seems to be installed with LATCH and I will be using a seatbelt installation - does that make it safer?

I'm wondering if I should pitch this thing and get another seat. I just ironically spent my carseat budget on an Evenflo Triumph Advance for my 4 year old so this is kinda bad timing. But if it's a piece of crap seat I want to know that.

A friend may give me a seat (I would know the history for sure for sure) but if not any advice on a good bucket seat for safety and budget? A high weight limit is not a priority as I will be moving my infant to the Evenflo Triumph Advance when s/he outgrows the bucket, and my DD up either to a high backed booster or the Nautilus (which will hopefully be available in Canada by then).

Were you, perhaps, reading Consumer Reports results?

Take a look:
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thecheckout/2007/01/consumer_reports_retracts_car.html
http://orangecounty.injuryboard.com...er-reports-retracts-infant-car-seat-study.php

There are more where those came from...

The Portabout isn't a *favourite* seat, but as long as it isn't expired, has not been involved in a crash, hasn't been recalled, fits well in your vehicle, fits your child well, etc....it would be hard for anyone to recommend you replace it, especially for 5 or 6 months of use!

-Nicole.

Thanks for your response! Those articles really clarified the situation, thank you. Testing at 70 mph is really different than 38, obviously, and yeah it does render the results pretty invalid IMO.

The trouble is that I don't see anything that conclusively proves the Portabout *won't* come out of the base at 38 mph? (which is like, what, 80 km?). I would like to know that. And, are there other safety issues related to the Portabout besides this study, or no?

I don't want to blow the bank here, but OTOH this is my newborn we're talking about. It's really hard to know what to do, the data strikes me as confusing.

Unregistered said:

The trouble is that I don't see anything that conclusively proves the Portabout *won't* come out of the base at 38 mph? (which is like, what, 80 km?). I would like to know that.

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38mph is 61km/hr

All seats sold in Canada have to pass the same tests in order to be sold here so they are all considered safe. There are seats that are more of a base model and others that are more deluxe but essentially they are all safe just have different features.

As long as your seat isn't expired or recalled and it installs in your vehicle properly, fits your child and will be used correctly every time you use it then it is okay to keep using it.

Jewels said:

38mph is 61km/hr

All seats sold in Canada have to pass the same tests in order to be sold here so they are all considered safe. There are seats that are more of a base model and others that are more deluxe but essentially they are all safe just have different features.

As long as your seat isn't expired or recalled and it installs in your vehicle properly, fits your child and will be used correctly every time you use it then it is okay to keep using it.

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Yeah... I'm not feeling convinced! LOL! And I wish I was. If someone could say to me, 'Oh the CR test was disproven and here is another set of tests that proves xyz that the seat is safe, and it's a decent seat otherwise so go ahead and use it. in fact i have one for my infant' well I would love to hear that. Otherwise i think this thing is gonna see my trash bin on garbage day...

If your seat didn't meet crash test requirements, it would have been recalled by now. However--there's something to be said for those seats that DID pass those flawed CR tests!

-Nicole.

Unregistered said:

Yeah... I'm not feeling convinced! LOL! And I wish I was. If someone could say to me, 'Oh the CR test was disproven and here is another set of tests that proves xyz that the seat is safe, and it's a decent seat otherwise so go ahead and use it. in fact i have one for my infant' well I would love to hear that. Otherwise i think this thing is gonna see my trash bin on garbage day...

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Unfortunately crash test results aren't released so we don't know what seats pass with flying colours and which ones don't or which ones barely pass.

CR tested 12 seats and reported that 10 failed and flew off their bases. They didn't say which seats flew off their bases other then the Evenflo Discovery seat but they did say that 10 failed and flew off their bases which leads me to believe that the Discovery wasn't the only one that did this. CR did pull there results because their testing was done at a higher speed then what actual testing is done at.

I don't have a Evenflo seat but I have friends who still used and currently use their Portabout seats after the CR results came out. If using this seat is going to cause you stress and you just don't have faith in it then I would just replace it but that is up to you.

The portabout seat test that was reported in CR was actually from the 2004 infant seat tests that were done. It only happened when using LATCH, and now that I think about it, I wonder if they had a recalled seat and hadn't corrected the LATCH strap routing - which is what the recall was for...

I used a portabout 5 for my dd. I had difficulty with adjusting the straps, but it was a back adjust... It also was very hard to release from the base sometimes because the mechanism just seemed finicky that if you didn't lift just the right way only half the seat would release from the base, but we used it until we switched her to a convertible.

We did get a snugride for ds - mostly because we'd had some difficulty installing the port-about, and because we wanted a seat the handle could be left up in the car since we would now have 2 seats in the car. I also wanted a front adjust seat.

If the portabout is a 3 pt harness, I'd be inclined to replace it more for that reason than for the brand. If it's a 5pt, I think it's really more a question of whether you want to or not, and whether your budget can handle it. I was aware of the CR test saying the seat had come off it's base in one of their tests. I still installed it with the base & LATCH.

The good thing about the portabout, is that while it's stated height limit is 26", it has a tall shell and will last kids height wise a little longer than the snugride.

My other twocents about the testing, FWIW, is that given how the seat was finicky to remove from the base when you were trying to, I have a really hard time imagining it flying off the base unless it wasn't connected properly to begin with. The 2004 CR tests were never closely evaluated the same way as the 2007 ones because there weren't any real panicking results. The not knowing testing methods and even being able to confirm if the seats were installed properly was an even bigger issue then than it has been recently.

Combine that with the fact that it's possible the seat(s) they used had been recalled for a LATCH strap routing issue, I wouldn't replace the seat on that issue alone. I much preferred the front adjust snugride and SS1, but I don't believe in any way that using the portabout again would've put my ds in danger. :twocents:

Thanks for the responses everyone! It sounds like this seat probably isn't the end of the world, but I don't think I can deal with putting my newborn in it knowing they flied off the base in (faulty) testing and not having conclusive evidence that they don't fly off the base under normal testing conditions.

Luckily my friend has a Peg Perego seat she is going to give me, so I don't have to be concerned about overdoing the budget.

Unregistered said:

Thanks for the responses everyone! It sounds like this seat probably isn't the end of the world, but I don't think I can deal with putting my newborn in it knowing they flied off the base in (faulty) testing and not having conclusive evidence that they don't fly off the base under normal testing conditions.

Luckily my friend has a Peg Perego seat she is going to give me, so I don't have to be concerned about overdoing the budget.

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As long as your little one fits the seat and you can get a good install in your vehicle than the peg is fine. Also make sure it's not expired, because peg perego seats expire 5yrs from date of manufacture.

FWIW, I can 100% absolutely guarantee that any infant seat could fly off it's base if it's not a) connected correctly or b) has a recall that hasn't been addressed. The only way to avoid any chance of an infant seat leaving the base is to not use the base at all. And really, the increased likelihood that the seat is going to be installed incorrectly if it's constantly having to be reinstalled means that a child is at more risk not using the base than the minimal risk of the seat leaving the base in a crash. Incorrect installations happen all the time, infant seats flying off of bases don't.

I also just want to remind that the portabout was from 2004 testing and not the 2007 flawed side impact testing. 2004 was just a standard test - the thing is we just can't rely on consumer reports because of not knowing if a seat has been misused or otherwise installed correctly. And any seat that is installed incorrectly has potential to fail catastrophically.

That is what makes the CR tests just not reliable. Just because one passed and one failed doesn't mean that the one that passed is safer than the other - especially if there are other issues.

(2004 infant seat testing focused on LATCH installed bases. The LATCH routing recall affected all of the portabout seat bases up until september 2004. So if that hadn't been addressed, there's a high likelihood that contributed to the seat flying off the base - take a recalled seat and don't fix it and you're more likely to have failure...)

I'm not saying the portabout seat is the best in the world, but it's NOT dangerous. And I wouldn't give a 2nd thought to it flying off the base considering who the agency doing the testing was and the fact that the model tested was likely recalled - and possibly even tested before the recall was released.... the results just aren't reliable period. There is zero reason to believe that the portabout would be more likely to separate from it's base, there's just no proof at this time aside from a single test done by consumer reports. :twocents:

I just wanted to add that there is conclusive evidence that they don't fly off the base in normal testing conditions because Transport Canada performs crash testing before a seat is ever approved for sale in Canada, and then does spot checks where seats are purchased at retailers and crash tested are done for ongoing compliance testing. If seats were separating from the base in compliance testing, there would be a recall issued. :thumbsup:

snowbird25ca said:

I used a portabout 5 for my dd. I had difficulty with adjusting the straps, but it was a back adjust... It also was very hard to release from the base sometimes because the mechanism just seemed finicky that if you didn't lift just the right way only half the seat would release from the base, but we used it until we switched her to a convertible.

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This is the saame experience I had. I never liked the seat much, but when used properly, it is a safe seat.

I just wanted to pop in here to make a quick comment regarding the Evenflo Portabout. The base on this seat has a major design flaw that everyone should be aware of.

If you flip the base over you'll see 2 small metal springs (one on each side) that engage black plastic tabs. The black tabs are what help connect the carrier to the base so the springs serve a very important function. Unfortunately, the springs are not encased behind a barrier or protected in any way. You can pop them out with your finger fairly easily. If one spring is accidentally dislodged and missing you will still hear the carrier "click" into the base but only one side will actually be locked in.

I discovered this issue accidentally when inspecting a Portabout we had replaced at a check event for having unknown history. I'm sure the parents who had been using the seat had no idea that one spring was missing and the seat was only locking on one side of the base. TBH, if the seat hadn't needed to be replaced, I doubt that the Techs working on it would have realized this either (which is really scary). I did reported the problem to Evenflo (whose solution was to offer me a new base) and I filed an official defect report with NHTSA. The Portabout was eventually replaced by the Embrace which doesn't have the same issues.

The point here is if you ever use a Portabout, or come across one at a check, flip the base over to make sure both springs are in their place.

Kecia

That is very scary.

Thanks for the tip Kecia!

So... is it safer to use infant seats without the base? Assuming you install it once, correctly, and leave it in there?

Unregistered said:

So... is it safer to use infant seats without the base? Assuming you install it once, correctly, and leave it in there?

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Well, if your concern is the seat separating from the base, then yes, it's safer to install it without the base from that standpoint.

Infant seats, at least the ones that can be installed without a base, have to pass standards both with and without the base. I believe I've read that seats test better without a base, but when it comes to a couple degrees of downward rotation vs. proper use, it's easy to weigh in in favor of using the base.

Infant seats are often much harder to install without a base, and putting a newborn in and out with a seatbelt routed over their lap isn't the easiest. Not to mention that some carriers can only be installed with the base.

My advice, if you'd consider installing an infant carrier and just leaving it, is to go buy a convertible seat and just use it from birth. If you're not going to use the seat as a carrier, then a convertible is just as good an option as the carrier provided you get one that will fit a small baby well. The Evenflo Triumph Advance and Radian do a good job, and I think the Scenera does an ok job too. If you're going with a convertible from birth though, I'd likely go the evenflo triumph advance route because it takes the least amount of front to back space when installed at the newborn recline.

The point of my earlier post hadn't been to just skip using the base all together, it had been to say that any seat with a base has that potential problem, but yet we don't hear about it happening all the time. My point was really just that it didn't matter what brand you had, with the wrong conditions of misuse and/or recall, separation could happen, and that for that reason, the CR test just can't be used as any type of reliable info when it comes to the portabout coming off the base - because it could've happened to another brand too if the right or wrong conditions had been present...

Anyways, if you're concerned about the base issue and not planning to use the seat as a carrier, I'd recommend buying a convertible seat and using it from birth. Then you'll have it in the car and you'll also be able to buckle baby in easily. Trying to put a newborn into a carrier that's already installed is just not going to be easy, and I'd place money that it'd be hard to get kiddo placed and the harness adjusted properly every time. Newborns get into little positions and it can be somewhat time consuming making sure the harness is in the right position even when they're right in front of you in the house. I can't imagine adding a vehicle seatbelt that you had to avoid into the mix...

Thanks for that info Kecia. Too bad I don't have my portabout bases anymore to look at. Although I don't think I've ever seen one at a check here now that I think about it.

One point about installing with or without a base..

Whereas yes, installing your seat (properly) without a base is actually preferable (fewer points of failure), you also need to balance this with the fact that if a seat is installed each and every time you go in the car, that increases the chance of error during the installation. Not only are you more rushed, or perhaps tired, but you could also become distracted because the installation seemingly becomes a routine task. Who hasn't missed a step in their morning routine, the same routine they'd had for years? Or forgotten an ingredient in a recipe they'd made a thousand times? It does happen. Therefore the convenience of bases, although potentially a compromise in safety, can be both a blessing and a curse.

Were it my child and my seat, I would consider going baseless. Were it one of my non-CPS savvy friends I'd stick with the base.

-Nicole.

With this particular seat that might actually be a decent option if you can get a good, tight installation. I say that because the Portabout has a unique belt path when installed without the base. In this case, the seatbelt actually gets routed under the child's legs which would make it easy to get the baby in and out.

I've never tried to install a Portabout without the base so I cannot comment on how easy or difficult it may be to achieve a good, solid installation without the base. With that said, if you can get the seat installed tightly, at the correct angle for a newborn and leave it there - I don't see any reason why you shouldn't consider that as an option. It would certainly eliminate any possibility of the seat detaching from the base in a crash but you would lose the convenience of using the seat as a carrier.

Generally speaking, I don't consider infant seats to be "safer" when used without the base (and some seats like the Evenflo Embrace and the original Peg Viaggio are required to be used with the base at all times) but there is definitely one less "link" if the seat is installed directly to the vehicle. However, most parents don't properly install the infant seat each and every time they put it into the vehicle, so installing a base properly once makes it more likely that the child will be protected if a crash should occur.

Kecia

Kecia said:

With this particular seat that might actually be a decent option if you can get a good, tight installation. I say that because the Portabout has a unique belt path when installed without the base. In this case, the seatbelt actually gets routed under the child's legs which would make it easy to get the baby in and out.

I've never tried to install a Portabout without the base so I cannot comment on how easy or difficult it may be to achieve a good, solid installation without the base.
Kecia

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:yeahthat: I agree that the Portabout might be a good option for installing baseless and leaving it in the car, especially since there are few convertibles that truly fit a newborn well. I didn't have any trouble installing it baseless in my 1998 Escort center position (lap belt) but haven't installed it baseless in other vehicles. I think you might need noodles or a tightly rolled towel to get the right recline, but I think it might install relatively easily.

I still have one Portabout and at least one base, so I will check on the spring thing. How scary! If I find the problem you mentioned, I will also report it to NHTSA.