So how easy are the EFTA to tighten when RF?

BudgieStew

New member

• Feb 26, 2008

• #1

I have yet to see one in person.So anyone who has played with one or owns one its would so nice if you could help me out.

DD uses a Eddie Bauer 3\1 in my MIL's van and I thought I was happy with it as a secondary seat.
But then MIL picked us up the other day it was a struggle to get the straps tight enough and if I have trouble MIL must have been having trouble.
Mil has weak hands and since its RF its hard to get in there and reef at it. MIL is not up to that.
I want the seats in her van to be the easiest to use as possible.

TBH the only reason I have been holding onto this seat is because it has the 35lb RF limit.

So I am wondering if the EFTA would be a good replacement for her secondary seat.

My other option would be to hold off until the rumored BLVD makes it debut and put that in MIL van. But meanwhile I have MIL transporting her in a seat that might not be snug.

I wonder if the BLVD is easier to adjust then the EFTA or the same. Any one know?

Or maybe I could replace that seat with the EFTA now and get the BLVD laterand put which ever its easiest in her van and keep the other for her seat in DH car. Hmmmm

On that note all the EFTA are the covers sold at Sears and TRU the same cover? Black Ice. I don't think I don't think I love the brown at Walmart and would most likely order from Sears or more likely TRU since they will deliver to my house.

 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor

• Feb 26, 2008

• #2

Sears & BRU covers are identical & are much nicer IMO than the wal-mart cover.

In terms of adjusting, depends on the contours of her vehicle seat. Are her seats really sculpted on the sides? Relatively flat seatback or just slight sculpting and the seat will be super easy to tighten and adjust the harness. The red tabs are stiffer to press the first little while, but they do get easier to press over time and if you used it in your car for the first while then that would "break them in" so to speak before putting it in the van.

I much prefer the EFTA over the MA rf'ing. I have a side pic of it that's not the clearest because I was trying to take it in the dark:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y194/snowbird25ca/Carseats 2/DSC00438.jpg

Here's a pic of the seat itself, I have since reinstalled the seat to recline it ever so slightly more and the knobs are easier to access now even though they weren't bad before.

I'll try and take some pic's when I go out in a bit so you can get a closer view. Daylight is always helpful for taking pictures...

And for comparison, the sculpting of my backseats outboard is like this: (shows bottom, the side sculpting increases further up, but you can kind of put this picture and the pic of the installed seat together to get an idea of what the scultping is like and how the knobs end up being positioned.)

 

BudgieStew

New member

• Feb 26, 2008

• #3

I believe the seat backs are flat. So it should be fairly easy for her to adjust. Cool.


Thanks you for the pictures.

 

Last edited: Feb 26, 2008

An Aurora

Senior Community Member

• Feb 26, 2008

• #4

We have an EFTA (the Target pattern--it's actually a nice brown). We have it RF and our DD has been riding in it. Her Radian is FF and she climbs over it to get in the RF EFTA. Anyway, it is a little tricky to tighten it now that the FF Radian is next to it. Really our only solution is to put the Radian in the 3rd row, which isn't that big of a deal. I actually prefer to have DD1 in the 3rd row alone because she tends to pick on DD2. When there is not a seat installed next to it, the EFTA is very easy to tighten.

 

BudgieStew

New member

• Feb 26, 2008

• #5

I think I am sold on the EFTA If I get the gumption up I will try and get to our local Walmart sometime this week and see if there are any in stock that I can play with. I am a timid driver and avoid going into town.

It will be installed passenger side of a bench seat with a seatbelt. A FF Radian is installed on the other side.

But will have to wait a few weeks before I order it. Darn it I need instant gratification.
And I want the Sandbox cover..boo hoo. An one know if they sell just the covers and I could finagle one up from the U.S. I am such a cover addict.

 

A

amy_6405

New member

• Feb 27, 2008

• #6

We just got the EFTA in Sandbox over the weekend and love it! I have a 2004 Impala and it is super easy to tighten the harness RFing.

In regards to ordering the cover by itself, if you go to the parts replacement area on Evenflo's website and type in the model number for the Sandbox, you can order just the cover and the pad set...my model number is 3801801 HTH!

 

BudgieStew

New member

• Feb 27, 2008

• #7

Thanks....Evenflo most likely would not ship a U.S cover to Canada(lanquage laws)but I am in the process of working on getting a U.S mailing address.

I am super excited about getting a new seat. Not sure DH will be as excited

 

S

Synchro246

New member

• Feb 27, 2008

• #8

BudgieStew said:

I wonder if the BLVD is easier to adjust then the EFTA or the same. Any one know?

Or maybe I could replace that seat with the EFTA now and get the BLVD laterand put which ever its easiest in her van and keep the other for her seat in DH car. Hmmmm

Click to expand...

I LOVE the sandbox cover.
I do think, for my van, that the EFTA is impossible to adjust when it's RF (also it's no fun to install). The BV is much easier to adjust and install IMO.
I have a very love-hate relationship with my EFTA.

 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor

• Feb 28, 2008

• #9

I was also really disappointed to not see the sandbox cover show up in Canada, but the black ice one is very soft and plush - plush like a britax almost. :thumbsup:

 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member

• Feb 28, 2008

• #10

It's going to be really, really hard to tighten if it will be installed between 2 FF Radians. I have it between a RF MA and a FF Radian, and I have to climb into the Radian and squeeze my hand down between the EFTA & Radian and tighten it a smidge at a time.

 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor

• Feb 28, 2008

• #11

An Aurora said:

It's going to be really, really hard to tighten if it will be installed between 2 FF Radians. I have it between a RF MA and a FF Radian, and I have to climb into the Radian and squeeze my hand down between the EFTA & Radian and tighten it a smidge at a time.

Click to expand...

I think this could depend also on the recline of the EFTA though, because the positioning of the knobs is lower or higher depending on how upright you have the seat. :thumbsup:

 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member

• Feb 28, 2008

• #12

snowbird25ca said:

I think this could depend also on the recline of the EFTA though, because the positioning of the knobs is lower or higher depending on how upright you have the seat. :thumbsup:

Click to expand...

That's true I'm sure, and of course it would depend on the vehicle itself too. Ours is pretty upright.

 

BudgieStew

New member

• Feb 28, 2008

• #13

A Radian will only be on one side and there will be enough space on that side to reach over and adjust...they are not that close together.

 

BudgieStew

New member

• Feb 28, 2008

• #14

I did the drive to Walmart today and sadly there was not one in stock or even on display.
So I guess the first time I will get to play with it is when I buy it.

 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor

• Feb 28, 2008

• #15

BudgieStew said:

I did the drive to Walmart today and sadly there was not one in stock or even on display.
So I guess the first time I will get to play with it is when I buy it.

Click to expand...

Aww, that's too bad. Our Wal-mart had 3 in counting the display and the 2 available for sale were sold within the first week. I haven't been in in the last week or so, but prior to that they didn't have any new stock yet.

 

S

Synchro246

New member

• Feb 28, 2008

• #16

snowbird25ca said:

I was also really disappointed to not see the sandbox cover show up in Canada, but the black ice one is very soft and plush - plush like a britax almost. :thumbsup:

Click to expand...

I didn't notice I was in the Canadian issues forum Darn "new posts"

I guess my post up there about how much I *adore* my sandbox cover is a little "nana nana boo boo"

 

BudgieStew

New member

• Feb 29, 2008

• #17

That's OK.You can send me your Sandbox cover if it makes you feel better

I am sure I will survive with the Black Ice cover if I have to.

I was pleasantly surprised about how much I liked the Granite cover for the Radian. So you never know.But I do have my ways of getting what I want.

Anyway it's the seat that is the most important part not the cover.


You know I really wish the seat had been in Walmart.

I think I would have bought it. I spent more then the seat cost on just crap that I really do not need just by walking in the door.
I only went to buy some picture frames and look at the seat and came out with a cart full.

 

BudgieStew

New member

• Mar 4, 2008

• #18

So I finally saw one today at Sears. I like the seat.

It is so different from other seats, the back is all rounded moulded plastic..neat places to store the tether hooks and latch hooks etc.

I was not able get a good fit on her in the store since I was not sure how to adjust the straps to the right height and there was a sales lady glaring at us like no tomorrow.

But I found it super super easy to turn the knobs to tighten course this is not installed RF but I think my MIL could handle it better then the Eddie Bauer.

I have to say the cover was ugly, I don't like the way it looks when the fabric is brushed the wrong way. Maybe I need to see the brown one at Walmart to see which is the lesser of two evils.

DH was NOT impressed that I am planning on buying another car seat.

I just pointed out to him his Mother just spent another 120.00 plus taxes on a second snowsuit for DD just because the one I bought her has patches of black on it.
And BTW its size 24 months there is no way in heck she will be able to wear it next winter.

Maybe instead of freaking out about what color snowsuit my daughter is wearing she should devote a wee bit of that money on buying a car seat that she can use properly if she feels the need to spend some money.
That woman is sooo strange.