Graco Smartseat Q&A

Yoshi · Jan 9, 2011

HEVY said:
How come the harness is so far from his stomach?

I think it may be because of the recline issue- since that forces the child's body to sit deeper in the seat the harness isn't flat against the body.
I think theseat looks all wrong pushing his head forward. It looks like it hurts his neck by forcing his chin down

SafeDad · Jan 9, 2011

I did have it in the upright position with only a slight recline on the vehicle seat back, but he was still a bit more reclined that in the Frontier. It's not unlike the recine inherent in the MyRide 65. Overall, I like the SmartSeat, but I will be interested to see how it compares with the Evenflo Symphony (I think Kecia has one).

Athena · Jan 9, 2011

LISmama810 said:
My understanding is that with this seat, LATCH is on the base, which must be removed for booster use. It's not a matter of exceeding LATCH limits.

Ah, got it. Thanks!

Pixels said:
The Nautilus can be lower anchored, top tethered, or full-LATCHed in booster mode. If it was LATCHed, there would be no additional weight on the child.

The Smartseat can't be lower anchored in booster mode (since lower anchors are on the base, which is not used in booster mode). I don't know if it can be top tethered or not. Darren?

Thanks for the clarification about the Nauti. That's a relief.

Kat_Momof3 · Jan 10, 2011

a few questions/thoughts after seeing the new videos.

1. WOW that sucker does sit up REALLY high for a forward facing seat... was Jonathon able to get in it on his own?

2. That seat is REALLY reclined for a forward facing seat, but I suppose that helps with the headrest pushing his head forward... still, what did you (and/or Jonathon) think about that?

3. The shoulder pads - I think they were supposed to be removed at 40lbs... you might want to add a disclaimer in the review about that.

4. Booster mode - forget kids having trouble buckling... if you'd been standing on the other side (like most parents would) to buckle him/help him, I wonder how much harder it would have been for YOU to find the female buckle.

And one last thought... Jonathon is totally precocious and adorable... you can just tell his feelings about demonstrating this very very pink seat. I hope he was thoroughly rewarded for his efforts.

SafeDad · Jan 10, 2011

Kat_Momof3 said:
a few questions/thoughts after seeing the new videos.

1. WOW that sucker does sit up REALLY high for a forward facing seat... was Jonathon able to get in it on his own?

2. That seat is REALLY reclined for a forward facing seat, but I suppose that helps with the headrest pushing his head forward... still, what did you (and/or Jonathon) think about that?

3. The shoulder pads - I think they were supposed to be removed at 40lbs... you might want to add a disclaimer in the review about that.

4. Booster mode - forget kids having trouble buckling... if you'd been standing on the other side (like most parents would) to buckle him/help him, I wonder how much harder it would have been for YOU to find the female buckle.

And one last thought... Jonathon is totally precocious and adorable... you can just tell his feelings about demonstrating this very very pink seat. I hope he was thoroughly rewarded for his efforts.

1. Yes, but it might be difficult front or rear facing for a toddler

2. It does not have a very upright setting in rear or front facing use. This may or may not be an issue for some kids, I can't really say based on our limited use.

3. Whoops! You're right I totally forgot, though it is mentioned in the preview and will be mentioned in my summary and Kecia's full review as well. Thanks!

4. Being so wide and with the sides lifting up the lap belt a bit, I'd say there are a number of boosters and combination seats that may tend to fit better and are easier to buckle. I will leave it to Kecia to compare to other 3-in-1 models.

mimieliza · Jan 10, 2011

Based on your review, here is what I like about this seat:

-EASY installation for parents who are not car seat savvy
I remember my shock when I first moved from the Graco Safeseat (amazingly simple, secure installation) to installing a RFing Britax with seat belt (which is actually one of the easier RFing seat belt installs, I have now found). The SmartSeat allows parents to become familiar with ONE, very simple installation method.

-Parents seem to looooove the "only seat you'll ever need" hook, as evidenced by the popularity of the horrible Dorrel 3-in-1s.

-Separate base for additional cars - parents who feel uncomfortable installing convertible seats should be delighted by this. Heck, I would be delighted by this if my child was transported regularly by a non-parent. I could install the very simple base installation (and show the care provider how to do it, with relative confidence that they could do it correctly). Then when dropping off my child, I would only have to leave the car seat rather than having to take the time to install it. I made the mistake once of NOT installing my child's car seat for her baby sitter, and returned to find it installed FFing with the LATCH straps through the RFing belt path.

-Due to the ease-of-use, I would whole-heartedly endorse this seat for a parent with a typical level of car seat savvy. I just think there is a much higher likelihood that this seat will be installed and used PROPERLY, every time.

However, I do not think this seat will really be that attractive for most c-s.org parents for a number of reasons:

-Not good for a newborn, which kind of defeats the "only seat you'll need" angle

-Seems like RFing limits will be low, due to the restriction on the harness slots that can be used RFing

-Makes a heavy and awkward booster, with questionable belt fit

So for those of us who are car-seat-geeky enough to actually ENJOY buying new seats and ENJOY installing and re-installing our car seats correctly, we wouldn't really get much out of this $300 seat.

Kat_Momof3 · Jan 10, 2011

that was quick! lol.... thanks... that's what I figured... sigh... if only they had a way to put it in baseless forward facing (I don't mind high up for rearfacing... I'm tall and tend to prefer it).

I'd probably never opt to use it as a booster, though... that heavy of a seat... not latched OR tethered (I'd have settled for tethered)... just doesn't make me very keen when I know there are so many other lightweight options that don't cost much.

SafeDad · Jan 10, 2011

mimieliza said:
Based on your review, here is what I like about this seat:

-EASY installation for parents who are not car seat savvy
I remember my shock when I first moved from the Graco Safeseat (amazingly simple, secure installation) to installing a RFing Britax with seat belt (which is actually one of the easier RFing seat belt installs, I have now found). The SmartSeat allows parents to become familiar with ONE, very simple installation method.

-Parents seem to looooove the "only seat you'll ever need" hook, as evidenced by the popularity of the horrible Dorrel 3-in-1s.

-Separate base for additional cars - parents who feel uncomfortable installing convertible seats should be delighted by this. Heck, I would be delighted by this if my child was transported regularly by a non-parent. I could install the very simple base installation (and show the care provider how to do it, with relative confidence that they could do it correctly). Then when dropping off my child, I would only have to leave the car seat rather than having to take the time to install it. I made the mistake once of NOT installing my child's car seat for her baby sitter, and returned to find it installed FFing with the LATCH straps through the RFing belt path.

-Due to the ease-of-use, I would whole-heartedly endorse this seat for a parent with a typical level of car seat savvy. I just think there is a much higher likelihood that this seat will be installed and used PROPERLY, every time.

However, I do not think this seat will really be that attractive for most c-s.org parents for a number of reasons:

-Not good for a newborn, which kind of defeats the "only seat you'll need" angle

-Seems like RFing limits will be low, due to the restriction on the harness slots that can be used RFing

-Makes a heavy and awkward booster, with questionable belt fit

So for those of us who are car-seat-geeky enough to actually ENJOY buying new seats and ENJOY installing and re-installing our car seats correctly, we wouldn't really get much out of this $300 seat.

I was just coming to write a quick summary, as brookity and JOII just left after supplying some RF models for photos (coming later). Your summary is pretty much what I was going to write; I think you hit all the main points! I'll just re-hash some of it

The base is lovely and installs easily with seatbelt or LATCH, despite a short attachment on one side and the hook connectors. I mean, you can see how I installed it with one hand using seatbelt and LATCH and had a solid install in about a minute or so. This feature alone may make it worth it for parents who don't like installing a typical convertible seat.

It is large and heavy, due to the steel re-inforcement needed for the base/seat system. As such, it is very wide and also takes up a lot of room both rear and forward facing. This may not be an issue in vans and larger vehicles, but could well be a problem on 2-door and compact cars.

It works well as a convertible overall. The 17.5" harness height is relatively good for a 3-in-1 product. The main drawback is that it doesn't fit newborns well, like many convertibles. Rear-facing height limits are decent, but certainly not among those models with higher limits. The recline feature is great and works well even when installed, but it doesn't offer a very upright setting in either forward or rear facing mode.

As a booster, I suspect it will work OK for bigger kids though it may not go quite tall enough to get some to where they pass the 5-step test. For kids near the lower booster limit (3 years, 30 pounds), it probably will result in a marginal lap belt fit due to the belt path. I defer to Kecia's full review on this, as she will try it in more vehicles and compare to other models.

SafeDad · Jan 10, 2011

Video of recline added to the second post with video links. Hopefully brookity and JOII will post some photos of rear-facing soon!

brookity · Jan 10, 2011

I resized the pics in photobucket but apparently it has caught up yet!

Here are the long awaited RF pictures.

DD is 4.5 yo, 30 lbs. and about 43 inches tall. The headrest is on the highest setting and she has quite a bit of growing room BUT she has a short torso. The seat was pretty reclined even in the most upright position and the leg room wasn't too bad.

In FF mode she is on the second from the top setting. I don't think we got a picture of her with the harness at the highest setting but she definitely has years before she outgrows it. I didn't like how high it sits FF. Even with my front seat pushed all the way up, she would have had very little leg room. But, I am used to the Radian so that may be a factor.

I did not like her in booster mode at all. She just barely meets the minimums for weight but the lap belt fit was not ideal. For reference, she fits perfectly in the Turbobooster. Also, the shoulder belt was really close to her neck. It was also difficult to buckle because the seat is so wide. I wouldn't want to do it on a daily basis.

Overall, I thought the Smartseat was pretty cool. Thanks, Darren, for giving us the chance to try it out!

chelsey · Jan 10, 2011

wow it's very recline-I don't think it's good for older kids.
The only + I see is the leg room.
and your Dd is so cute

Spam · Jan 10, 2011

Thanks for the pics Brookity, your dd is so cute

It looks like it takes up a ton of front to back space. The legroom looks decent though, but man it's so reclined

Looks like it pushes her head forward too.

BabyKaykes · Jan 10, 2011

Holy legroom!

Actually, the more I see of the seat, the more I like it. She looks great RF, but she looks so uncomfy FF. They definitely have an issue with that headrest. It looks worse than the GN. However, for what the seat is, I think they have a good one on their hands. I still want one....

This is definitely a seat for a van or large SUV. Or to be used in the center seat of a car where no other seat needs to go next to it.

Sent from my iPhone using Car-Seat.Org

LISmama810 · Jan 10, 2011

That is lots of legroom! I'd be curious to see a photo of it RF without a kid in it. Would a child be able to get a foot wedged in there?

mimieliza · Jan 10, 2011

DD is 4.5 yo, 30 lbs. and about 43 inches tall. The headrest is on the highest setting and she has quite a bit of growing room BUT she has a short torso. The seat was pretty reclined even in the most upright position and the leg room wasn't too bad.

When you say the headrest was on the highest setting, is that the highest setting allowed for rear-facing?

brookity · Jan 10, 2011

mimieliza said:
When you say the headrest was on the highest setting, is that the highest setting allowed for rear-facing?

Darren will have to confirm but I am pretty sure that he said it was on the highest allowable setting for rear facing.

JOII · Jan 10, 2011

Here are my pics.

Isabel is 14 months, 21lbs and 30" or so. She is longer in the torso and is on the same height adjustment as the big girls were in the seat for RF.

She looked great in it. I probably could have moved the straps down a slot (assuming this seat still follows that AT OR BELOW rule (not just AT)) to center the head rest better with her head.

Ilana just turned three (12.10) and is 34lbs and 36" or so. I think she is about 10% height 90% weight, so short and sturdy

She regularly rides RF.

In the RF picture you can tell she has LOADS of leg room. Much more so than in her Radian, but the recline angle comes into play there.

FF it does not push her head forward as much as I thought it would from looking at Darren's pictures of Jonathan. I dont like where the headrest hits her, though Darren showed no concern. I dont know if she can comfortably bend her knees FFing. The seat slopes downwards because of the angle it sits at. It seemed a bit awkward. She had no problems climbing in, which surprised me, but did have issues getting out, I had to pull her forwards for her to get out of it herself.

I thought the seat overall was very nice. I think they worked really hard on all the base components. Its VERY different from an infant seat/base, so I personally did not see a need for concern in that regard. It did seem a bit awkward to me though. Its not as easy as it seems. Its heavy, and wide, and to switch it from RF to FF it was hard, even in the Envoy, I cant imagine trying in a small sedan, it would take a lot of fancy maneuvering. It seemed slightly uncomfortable FF as well, but that it probably gonna depend on the build of the child. Booster mode didn't seem like it would fit littles well either. I liked it RF a lot, the increased angle didnt bother me, or the girls.

Thanks for having us Darin! It was great fun!

JOII · Jan 10, 2011

LISmama810 said:
That is lots of legroom! I'd be curious to see a photo of it RF without a kid in it. Would a child be able to get a foot wedged in there?

I dont know if Darren has one but you can see the front very well in my picture of my littlest. I hadn't thought of that looking over the seat but I actually could see that happening.

Kat_Momof3 · Jan 10, 2011

thanks to you guys who posted additional pics... and to Darren for pretty much hosting a Graco SmartSeat Party! Wish I could have been there with Ruthie (who would be too tall for the top harness slot and give an indication of how booster fits at that point... but I may have to go play carseats at TRU around her birthday in March

)

I'm not liking where the headrest ends up when the kiddo is ff or in booster mode for brookity's little girl... it seems you need a longer neck and bigger head (like Jonathon) for it to be a comfy fit.

For those who don't like the headrest in the Nauti for the same fit for their kids, I think it will be moreso with this seat.

And I agree... booster fit was BARELY okay... I'd even say poor for the lapbelt... though I don't think any of US would use it as a booster with such a small child.

I'm really NOT digging the recline (even at most upright) for older rearfacing kids... I'm sure the steel and weight of the seat would help SOME in preventing overrecline... but it just doesn't look comfy to me (maybe just being used to kids who like to be more upright when rearfacing, more along the 30* mark... and it's hard to tell for sure the angle, with the design of the seat.

I think my main concern is forward facing, though... the seat takes up a LOT of space... and I worry about broken legs in crashes in vehicles without tons of space between rows of seating. I know this is just a "best seat being the one that fits your car, your child, etc.", but as we know, the masses are in LOVE with all-in-one seats... and I can see them squeezing it in their back seats rearfacing, flipping it so they can push back their front seats at 1yr old, and well, you get the drift.

SafeDad · Jan 10, 2011

brookity said:
Darren will have to confirm but I am pretty sure that he said it was on the highest allowable setting for rear facing.

Initially, it was in the third setting, highest for rear-facing. So that would apply to when Morgan was in it. After that, it may have been adjusted up or down I don't know

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