Thoughts on True Fit vs. EFTA

I had a chance to try my kids in the True Fit at Zeller's today, and then got to play with the install a little later on. (Thanks Shauna. )

Here's my thoughts on the seats:

• Overall the True Fit is a really nice seat and seems very well made.
• The side wings are very deep and the advertisement for side impact protection seems very well justified.
• It has lots of EPP foam - it's not superior to the EFTA in this regard because the EFTA also has tons of foam.
• Adjusting the harness height is very easy. As for the holes in the cover, I'm not super keen on them, but I imagine it's something you get used to. The holes on the cover seemed to affect the straps less on Shauna's seat than they did on the seat in the store.
• The adjuster is really stiff, but I suspect it'll loosen up more over time.
• Both my kids fit well in the seat with tons of growing room. Dd was about 1" below position 3 while she is just above the 2nd from top slot in the MA. So harness height wise - uninstalled anyways, it fits her similar to the Radian.
• The lock-offs are nice, although the rf'ing ones are finicky when using a seatbelt and installing the seat at the full 45* angle. This may be something that becomes easier with repeated installs, or it could vary from vehicle to vehicle. I'll reserve full judgment on that until I've tried it in more vehicles.
• LATCH install is very easy.
• The infant insert is very padded and I can see how it would allow most newborns to fit the seat. It also looks very cozy and supportive, so this truly seems like a good option for parents who want to skip the infant seat.
• The buckle tongs are narrow, and I found when adjusting the harness on the kids it was a little difficult tightening initially. I think after the harness is adjusted the first time though, it will be handy having the buckles stay in place.
• The adjuster is smoother to pull on than the MA and the Radian. It's not perfectly smooth either, but it's not truly a ratcheting mechanism in the same manner as the other 2 seats. It is very hard to access rf'ing when the seat is more upright though - and I have fairly small fingers. In vehicles with side bolsters I don't think this would be a challenge, but vehicles with perfectly flat backseats may end up either not loosening the harness, or else installing the seat more reclined just to access the adjuster easily.
• The red line on the seat definitely seems to recline the seat past 45* if it were to be level with the ground. Even with a newborn I'd be comfortable using it with the line not completely level to ground.

I think I prefer the TF over the MA and the Radian, but still like the EFTA a tiny bit more than the TF. This may be partially because the knobs make it easy to tighten, and partially because I like having the straps level with the shoulders.

Quality wise both seats are well made, have tons of EPP foam, and are just generally very sturdy seats. Things that would make me pick a TF over the EFTA would be the higher weight limit ff'ing and the 35lb rf'ing limit. (You guys in the US have the 35lb rf'ing limit on the EFTA, while we have only a 30lb limit on our EFTA in Canada.) The lock-offs give it a very slight edge over the EFTA, although I have found a locking clip to be very easy to use with the EFTA due to the belt paths being a good distance above the seat.

In the end I'd say it comes down to adjusting the harness - and the contouring of vehicle seats is going to be the biggest factor in that equation I think, and whether you need the higher weight limits/slightly higher top slots. I'd have difficulty picking one over the other if I had to buy a seat today, but assuming I was starting with no seats whatsoever, I'd probably pick the True Fit just for the higher weight limits.

I honestly don't think you can go wrong with either seat though - both are easy to adjust between kids and both fit my kids well. EFTA may get slightly higher marks in the ease of use department, but the TF balances that off with higher weight limits and slightly higher top slots.

So there's my thoughts.

Sorry, no pic's. Maybe next time I'm in Zeller's with the kids I'll bring my camera - assuming both kids are willing models again. :thumbsup:

Ooooh, thanks for the review. I'm considering both of these seats because dd is outgrowing the orig Triumph and is having major forward head slumpage in the Nautilus. She sleeps in the car a lot still, so I need something that won't push her head forward. There aren't any stores that carry the TF IRL around here. I may just order it from Target.

Kimberly

ETA: Yesterday Target had a 2-6 wait on all colors but Monet. DD wanted Casino, but I was gonna just get Monet to have it ASAP. Now they all show a 2-6 wait!! I can't wait any longer!!

Thanks for the opinions Trudy. One of these days DH is going to convince me to TTC again and those two seats are going to be what I'm looking at. I've thought about it very little, but right away I started leaning towards th TF. I have a 32lb 21 month old though!

proudmomofriley said:

Thanks for the opinions Trudy. One of these days DH is going to convince me to TTC again and those two seats are going to be what I'm looking at. I've thought about it very little, but right away I started leaning towards th TF. I have a 32lb 21 month old though!

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Yeah, totally understandable. Your not so little guy is big for his age - proportionately so. :thumbsup: It's still amazing how he fits the MA like my almost 4yr old.

Thanks for the info! We were deciding between those two too. We eventually got a True Fit. I really wanted a girly cover, and my dd is kind of chubby and has a short torso, so I thought the weight difference might matter for her.