Whuh? Can the Baby Trend PROtect not be installed without towel/noodles?

So I was checking out the new Baby Trend version of the True Fit today.

It has three recline positions for RF and I was pretty impressed by how compact it was next to the Milestone.



But then I got down on the ground to look at the bubble level and it was way too upright. I had to tilt the seat back so that the front was a couple inches off the ground to get the bubble in the right place.





This didn't initially concern me all that much, since it was in the most upright position, but I thought it was unusual, since usually seats are more reclined when on the flat floor of Target than they would be in most vehicles -- where the knees are typically a little higher than the butt area of the seat.

But then I put the seat on the *most* reclined setting and it *still* required that I lift the front of the seat up in order to be reclined enough.





I hope those pictures make some sense...

Anyway, does this mean that this convertible basically requires the use of extra angle adjustment? I double checked with the manual and it looks like the bubble is indeed supposed to be between the hash marks... Do I have my geometry on this mixed up? Are there vehicle seats that are angled to work with this seat? (In other words, vehicle seats that are higher at the butt and sloped down to the knees?)


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I'm trying so hard to remember which angle I always have to lift seats to prove to parents that they are more upright than infant seats while still having the correct recline... I think you're right, I lift the back of the seat up, and this is backwards, I don't have to lift the front of the seat up to get it reclined enough.
But if it's anything like the old model, Heather didn't need noodles...? http://carseatblog.com/3054/the-first-years-true-fit-premier-c670-review-very-nice/

Does it not have the foot underneath you flip forward or back for rear or forward facing?

rachelandtyke said:

Does it not have the foot underneath you flip forward or back for rear or forward facing?

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No, it has a 5 position base. Positions 1, 2 and 3 are for RF and positions 4 and 5 are for FF. All positions were too upright for the bubble level when the base was placed on the flat floor.


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Nedra said:

No, it has a 5 position base. Positions 1, 2 and 3 are for RF and positions 4 and 5 are for FF. All positions were too upright for the bubble level when the base was placed on the flat floor.


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Interesting! I can't wait to see how it works in a car, sounds so different from the old model.

I always had to use a noodle or towel with my TF, and isn't this seat based off the TF? I could be remembering wrong.

Keeyamah said:

I always had to use a noodle or towel with my TF, and isn't this seat based off the TF? I could be remembering wrong.

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It's based on the True Fit, but since it has 3 recline positions for rear-facing, I had assumed that they would all be usable -- at least on a flat surface. What's the point of more than one recline if all three of them are still too upright to be allowed?

If Baby Trend intends for the seat to be allowed to be more upright when used with an older child, then I guess I understand the reason for having more recline options. But if all kids are supposed to be reclined according to the bubble level (which is my understanding from the manual), then I can't foresee a vehicle seat that would allow any installation except level 1 plus pool noodles/towel, which makes having multiple reclines pretty pointless.


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joolsplus3 said:

Interesting! I can't wait to see how it works in a car, sounds so different from the old model.

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Me too! I really am very curious as to whether it will make a difference when installing on squishy seats versus "installing" on the floor of a store.


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I had to use towels for my TF in a CR-V. I hated that seat so so much.

Nedra said:

It's based on the True Fit, but since it has 3 recline positions for rear-facing, I had assumed that they would all be usable -- at least on a flat surface. What's the point of more than one recline if all three of them are still too upright to be allowed?

If Baby Trend intends for the seat to be allowed to be more upright when used with an older child, then I guess I understand the reason for having more recline options. But if all kids are supposed to be reclined according to the bubble level (which is my understanding from the manual), then I can't foresee a vehicle seat that would allow any installation except level 1 plus pool noodles/towel, which makes having multiple reclines pretty pointless.


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True, true. We'll just have to see how it works out in real life usage kinda stuff