Graco SMart Seat- pic heavy

Someone loaned me a GSS. So, I got to play. Sofi hates it. I'm not a huge fan. I DO like how easy it is to go from RF to FF mode.

Sofi RF on the 5th recline. Too upright according to the bubble. But oh how I wish this could be used.


Sofi RF in the 2nd recline


Bubble for 2nd recline


Sofi RF in the 1st recline


Bubble for 1st recline


RF height room. She has 1.5-1.75 inches above her head. I think in the My Ride she had at least 2 inches.


Sofi forward facing


Sofi on the 4th slot. You can see the headrest looks good here, but the harness is below her shoulders


Close up of the harness, just barely below her shoulders on the 4th slot


Sofi on the 5th slot, where she needs to use it


Sofi in booster mode, 5th slot


Amanda just turned 4 years and weighs 40 pounds. She's 41 inches, about the same torso height as Sofi.
Booster mode on the 5th slot. The lap belt was actually placed well, it's hard to tell in the pics.


Amanda on the top (6th) slot to show growing room.


To show overall height, next to the Complete Air


To show overall height, next to the Nautilus


locking mechanism in next post.

Here is 1 of the 4 metal bars on the seat. It is out, in the locked position.


Here is that same metal bar, in the unlocked position. It's pulled into the seat shell.


This picture shows 2 of the 4 metal bars.


This shows 2 of the 4 guides that the metal bars go into. The guide is so long, so it can change recline without being taken off the base.


This is 1 of the 2 lock knobs. There is 1 on each side of teh seat, and the must be pushed in and turned at the same time to unlock. You can't see it in the pic, but there is a pic of an open lock, and a closed lock so you know which way to turn.


Here is a lock flag in the unlocked position. When the knobs are turned, the flag pops up (or down).



Here is a lock flag in the locked position.



This is just to show the beltpath. It is incompatible with latch in the center seat of my 8 passenger 2008 Sienna. The latch just can't get tight enough.

Is there a gap in the padding when on the highest setting

njkj said:

Is there a gap in the padding when on the highest setting

Click to expand...

Not the OP here, but no, there's no gap. The padding actually unsnaps and becomes long enough to cover the entire seat, it just wasn't unsnapped in that photo.

MissAllyLou said:

Not the OP here, but no, there's no gap. The padding actually unsnaps and becomes long enough to cover the entire seat, it just wasn't unsnapped in that photo.

Click to expand...

:yeahthat: I forgot to unfold it in some pics. It folds so it's not too long for the lowest slot.

I'm really angry at Dorel these days... but SIGH... this just makes me more in love with the Complete Air (DANG YOU DOREL... can't you improve yourselves so we can just judge you buy this seat?)

and when we were discussing the headrest before... you see what I mean about the Nauti being better with the slots being near the headrest?

I love the Nauti...

I'm just not loving the ss... I like it... just think it needs some tweaking.

I can see how this would be ideal for someone who needs something for a variety of kids - foster parents, daycare providers, nannies, grandparents... But I'm having trouble loving it, myself. I did play with it a little at BRU the other day, and it just didn't wow me.

you know.. I am actually not a fan either, I played with it at BRU and was not that excited by it.. this was a few weeks back.. It is a great idea.. but I don't like how reclined it was.. I guess it just isn't the seat for us

I had a 6 year old in it today. She seems to have as much growing room as she does in the Complete Air (she's outgrown the EFTA). She liked it. She can buckle herself- even the crotch buckle that I have a hard time with.

I still don't like how much it moves when a child climbs in and out.

Was Sofi able to tell you why she didn't like it?

Susan

Mama Jo said:

I can see how this would be ideal for someone who needs something for a variety of kids - foster parents, daycare providers, nannies, grandparents... But I'm having trouble loving it, myself. I did play with it a little at BRU the other day, and it just didn't wow me.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm a daycare provider and I'm having a hard time with the idea of loving it as well. My verdict is still out.

SusanMae said:

Was Sofi able to tell you why she didn't like it?

Susan

Click to expand...

All she says is it's not comfortable. She has never thrown a fit over any seat, but this one she throws a fit each time I tell her to ride in it.

More info. Sorry, no pics because I didn't obtain permission to post their pics.

Yesterday, I sat a 8 year old (80ish pounds) child in it. And a 6 year old (42-44 pounds) in it in booster mode. The 6 year old liked it. The 8 year old did not. But I think her issue was she's not used to a HBB. She's been riding in a backless for years now. She said it was too confining (as she said about the Turbo booster I had her sit in too). She was right *at* the height limit for both the GSS and the Tubro boosters. The 6 year old was on the 5th booster height in the GSS, even though she needed the 6th harness slot.

Sofi was riding in it fine today. A half hour into the ride she started complaing she wasn't comfy. I looked and she seemed to be sitting weird. The angle of the seat (most upright, FF) let her body curve in recline, but then the headrest pushed her head forward a little. So even to me it looked uncomfortable. Maybe that's been her issue?