Evenflo Symphony

Ice Princess · Sep 9, 2008

So dd and I were hanging out today and stopped by BBRus. They just got the seat in today. I am uploading pictures of it right now.

ETA:Okay, I am really not impressed with the seat. I was really happy when the EFTA was made to FF 50lbs. It encouraged parents to keep their kids in a 5pt harness longer. I feel the Symphony (SY) takes that a step back now. How ever it does RF to 35lbs and has a decent height for a shell.

The things that were cool about it. The front adjusting harness. The infiti straps like the EFTA. It was really comfy looking. I am not sure what the price was of the box and didnt have that kind of info quite yet. becuase he just pulled it out

The SY in FF postion next to the EFTA

Rear view of them togther

wendytthomas · Sep 9, 2008

Sweet! I was just at one of my BRUs today but they didn't have it yet. I did talk to a family who was walking around confused thinking it was ok to put their 10 month old from her peg bucket forward into a Boulevard. Talked them out of it.

Well, the forward, anyway. They may get the Boulevard.

Wendy

capeKO71 · Sep 9, 2008

What is the top harness height though... speaking from "average usage" I'm actually don't think it's horrible as long as it has nice tall top harness height and can get most kids to or past the age of 4. I wouldn't buy it for my kids, but I wouldn't be upset if I saw it at a seat check... if I could still harness a 3.5 year old in it with a little room to spare in height. of course a 50lb weight limit would make so much sense... but maybe they will change it with feedback.

Ice Princess · Sep 9, 2008

I wish I had more time to read the manual. The BBRus employee was looking at me strange and DD was getting anxious

. I want to know more about the sure latch.

TerisBoys · Sep 9, 2008

capeKO71 said:
What is the top harness height though... speaking from "average usage" I'm actually don't think it's horrible as long as it has nice tall top harness height and can get most kids to or past the age of 4. I wouldn't buy it for my kids, but I wouldn't be upset if I saw it at a seat check... if I could still harness a 3.5 year old in it with a little room to spare in height. of course a 50lb weight limit would make so much sense... but maybe they will change it with feedback.

It has 16" top slots - which IMO is very decent for a 40# seat.

MomToEliEm · Sep 9, 2008

TerisBoys said:
It has 16" top slots - which IMO is very decent for a 40# seat.

Though when you consider the Evenflo's current convertible seat has a taller harness 17.5", I would really have expected this seat to have at least matched that measurement. I am actually more likely to recommend the new version of the cosco alpha omega elite over the symphony since it at least has a 17" top harness height.

SafeDad · Sep 9, 2008

Sure LATCH is an attachment with a built-in retractor. So, you don't pull on straps. Basically, you put your weight into the seat and as you do, the retractor reels in the slack for you. It's very similar to the Safeguard Seat installation.

http://carseatblog.com/?p=161

snowbird25ca · Sep 10, 2008

MomToEliEm said:
Though when you consider the Evenflo's current convertible seat has a taller harness 17.5", I would really have expected this seat to have at least matched that measurement.

The EFTA has that height, but the Titan is much lower - more like 14" I believe it's been measured at.

And I think it's worth mentioning that the Symphony only has a 40lb weight limit whereas the EFTA has a 50lb limit - the extra height is most likely factored in to take the higher weight limit in to account with the EFTA. :thumbsup:

I find myself curious if it passes 50lbs top tethered but not untethered? I'm just thinking of the Generations/Chase/Traditions etc combo seats with the 40lb limits in the US but 47lb limits in Canada.

Or maybe they weren't trying for a higher weight due to the booster option? Who knows how long it's been in development - would be a nice question to know the answer to though.

fyrfightermomma · Sep 10, 2008

I think 16" is EXCELLENT for a 40 lb seat. Yes, the EFTA has higher harness heights, but it also has a higher weight limit. You need higher slots for more weight. This is only a 40 pound seat. It's a bummer, but 16" for a 40 lb seat is awesome. Try finding that on any other 40 lb seats.

And I know we all think it's strange that they came out with a 40 lb seat. I find it strange too. But remember...they are still all making 40 lb seats in other brands every day

Britax is a good example. The Diplomat has lower top slots than the MA. And it has a lower weight limit (40 vs 65 pounds). I didn't hear anyone jumping on how could they have come out with the Diplomat that's only a 40 lb seats and LOWER top slots than the MA (and the Symphony) when they already have higher weight seats. It fits a different niche.

You have to remember, as much as we don't like it, this is STILL a 40 lb seat. They are not going to put 17.5" top slots on a 40 lb seat. Most kids don't have super torsos. I think 16" is fine to get most kids to 40 lbs. And at 4 AND 40 as much as we don't like it, that is when 90% of the world starts using a booster.

In fact, I would consider this seat for myself. I don't need 17" top slots. That's over kill for me.

If they do change it a 50 lb seat I guess that doesn't really seal the deal for me. Now it would have low top slots for a 50 lb seats and probably wouldn't get most kids to 50 lbs. They have to redesign the seat to accomodate higher heights. I guess I don't see that happening. I see it like the Titan. The same shell and slots, heigher weight limit that doesn't matter because most kids will outgrow by height.

:twocents:

wendytthomas · Sep 10, 2008

Eviesmama said:
I think 16" is EXCELLENT for a 40 lb seat. Yes, the EFTA has higher harness heights, but it also has a higher weight limit. You need higher slots for more weight. This is only a 40 pound seat. It's a bummer, but 16" for a 40 lb seat is awesome. Try finding that on any other 40 lb seats.

Generations/Bolero, Chase, Cargo, Uptown, Avenue. Off the top of my head. Recaro Young Sport.

The problem is that Evenflo has done nothing new here. The Avenue came in and put a cushy seat with 16" top slots (I believe) in a $70 price range. Fantastic! Something as a direct price alternative to the Comfortsport. One padded step above the Scenera. The EFTA came in with a 50 pound weight, not as high, but enough to get most kids to a mature booster age and with a great tall harnessing system. The True Fit came out with high weight limits and top slots but with a new innovation on the headrest and harness adjustment. Both of these two seats came in in GREAT price ranges, where only the three in ones lived before.

This is just pieces cobbled together from Evenflo's past to make a seat that isn't needed. Heck, even Dorel is moving beyond the 35/40/100 pound three in one seats.

It's hard to get excited for this, IMO. We live in 2008. Forty pound seats are starting to fill a niche, not be the standard. This is like trying to get excited for the latest horse and buggy style to come out when you're standing next to a brand new Maserati. The horse and buggy may be very well made, and it'll last, but it's just so yesterday's news. Boring. There's nothing exciting about it, nothing to sing praises about. It's a seat.

Wendy

fyrfightermomma · Sep 10, 2008

wendytthomas said:
Generations/Bolero, Chase, Cargo, Uptown, Avenue. Off the top of my head. Recaro Young Sport.

The problem is that Evenflo has done nothing new here. The Avenue came in and put a cushy seat with 16" top slots (I believe) in a $70 price range. Fantastic! Something as a direct price alternative to the Comfortsport. One padded step above the Scenera. The EFTA came in with a 50 pound weight, not as high, but enough to get most kids to a mature booster age and with a great tall harnessing system. The True Fit came out with high weight limits and top slots but with a new innovation on the headrest and harness adjustment. Both of these two seats came in in GREAT price ranges, where only the three in ones lived before.

This is just pieces cobbled together from Evenflo's past to make a seat that isn't needed. Heck, even Dorel is moving beyond the 35/40/100 pound three in one seats.

It's hard to get excited for this, IMO. We live in 2008. Forty pound seats are starting to fill a niche, not be the standard. This is like trying to get excited for the latest horse and buggy style to come out when you're standing next to a brand new Maserati. The horse and buggy may be very well made, and it'll last, but it's just so yesterday's news. Boring. There's nothing exciting about it, nothing to sing praises about. It's a seat.

Wendy

Alright....you win.

I didn't think of it that way. I didn't even think that many had that high of harness heights. But hey....you learn something new every day.

I still don't understand the complaining about the harness height though when its a 40 lb seat. It's fine (and very comparable) to other 40 lb seats on the market. I think that's what I was trying to get at. That yes, it's not a high weight harness. But it is a fine harness height for a 40 lb seat...even though the seat isn't what many of us wanted.

arly1983 · Sep 10, 2008

I was hoping that this would be a more user friendly, easier to install, 50 lb limit seat with a decent booster that could be in competition with the new AOE.

Right now, the new AOE is the only 3 in 1 we can recommend for ERFing and EHing, though the booster is not good and it isn't the easiest for some people to install.

I was hoping evenflo would do something innovative.

NannyMom · Sep 10, 2008

Because of the SureLATCH, they could only get it to pass tests to 40 pounds. They felt the SL would help with misuse issues. THey are still working on getting it to 50 pounds.

snowbird25ca said:
The EFTA has that height, but the Titan is much lower - more like 14" I believe it's been measured at.

And I think it's worth mentioning that the Symphony only has a 40lb weight limit whereas the EFTA has a 50lb limit - the extra height is most likely factored in to take the higher weight limit in to account with the EFTA. :thumbsup:

I find myself curious if it passes 50lbs top tethered but not untethered? I'm just thinking of the Generations/Chase/Traditions etc combo seats with the 40lb limits in the US but 47lb limits in Canada.

Or maybe they weren't trying for a higher weight due to the booster option? Who knows how long it's been in development - would be a nice question to know the answer to though.

BookMama · Sep 10, 2008

NannyMom said:
Because of the SureLATCH, they could only get it to pass tests to 40 pounds.

That doesn't make much sense to me, since they could simply consider the LATCH limit to be 40 lbs, and then require a seat belt installation after 40 lbs. I can't figure out how the SureLATCH would affect the weight limit for a seat belt installation.

(Not necessarily doubting that Evenflo told you this, as you stated in another thread, just saying that it doesn't make sense.)

Wineaux · Sep 10, 2008

Well, it sounds like they don't want this seat installed anyway other than LATCH. Err... SafeLATCH. So if that's your ultimate goal, then why even bother testing it at a higher weight limit with a L/S install?

Kat_Momof3 · Sep 10, 2008

Ice Princess said:
So dd and I were hanging out today and stopped by BBRus. They just got the seat in today. I am uploading pictures of it right now.

ETA:Okay, I am really not impressed with the seat. I was really happy when the EFTA was made to FF 50lbs. It encouraged parents to keep their kids in a 5pt harness longer. I feel the Symphony (SY) takes that a step back now. How ever it does RF to 35lbs and has a decent height for a shell.

The things that were cool about it. The front adjusting harness. The infiti straps like the EFTA. It was really comfy looking. I am not sure what the price was of the box and didnt have that kind of info quite yet. becuase he just pulled it out

Okay... what is with that line that "has to be parallel to the ground" when the seat is rf. look at that angle... I mean, it's a good guide if your seats slant, but what if they are flat?? Will it make the seat be overreclined?

On the subject of harness heights... let's remember that the Evenflo Triumph (the ORIGINAL) had 16" top slots... the shell could have been longer for long torso babies, but otherwise, it has been a great 40lb limit seat.

I don't get the point of this seat, honestly, unless it has a good 50lb weight limit.

Also (and I just emailed the question to Evenflo)... anyone know the lifespan of this yet? Evenflo on the new setup still says 6yrs for seats on their website.

And the reason we are picking at this seat and not at the 40lb britax seats is the same reason we pick on the AO's... if you're going to try to do it all, do it all WELL... rf to a good weight (30-35lbs), ff to a good weight (50-80lbs), and then booster well (open guides, placing the belt correctly).

to cost so much more, and while the new latch concept is GREAT (it could have been added to a higher priced EFTA, though), I just don't see myself recommending it to the masses.

ffpmcps · Sep 10, 2008

I had a chance to play with this seat today at BRU. Wasn't planned though, so I didn't have a camera or tape measure.

The SureLATCH was interesting. I had not played with any seats with anything similar before, so it was new to me. The test car seat bench at my BRU is very worn out and rickity, so I was hard to tell how tight I got the install with the LATCH. I will say that it was a total PITA to switch the LATCH from FF install position which it was already in, to the RF position. It took me at least 10 min. Had to remove the cover, it was still very difficult to get the very large LATCH connectors switched over :thumbsdown:

Overall it was a "nice" seat as far as general parents will look at it, soft, well padded, etc. However I feel it was very over priced for what you get. It was $199 at the store I was at.

Andrea

scatterbunny · Sep 10, 2008

All seats in the US must pass testing installed with only a lapbelt, so limiting this seat to 40# harnessed solely due to the unique LATCH system is unlikely, IMO.

diaperjoys · Sep 12, 2008

I was at BRU looking for a True Fit today (which they didn't have), but I saw the Symphony and tried my 2yo in it (he'll be 3 in 4 months). He's close to the 33 lb. rf weight limit in his MA, so I thought I'd try it as an option that might take him to 35 lbs.

It installed fairly well in my car (Suburban), and the rf beltpath was a cinch to figure out. The seat felt realy solid, and I liked it alot...and I don't LIKE evenflo seats, as a general rule. I especially like the sliding headrest feature, and the fact that there are no annoying knobs for tightening the harness.

HOWEVER, the manual states there has to be 1" of shell above the childs head, and that the 1" must be measured with the sliding headrest in the lowest position. I thought it was in the lowest setting when it was in the store and found I was wrong once I got it to the car - the was one notch lower. Anyway, I buckled it in and and he's already EVEN with the top of the shell. I was measuring perpendicular to the seat back, not parallel to the ground.

So this seat is out of the running for him.

fwiw...

thepeach80 · Sep 19, 2008

I played w/ it today too. I really think the harness height is more like 17", just guessing from having Evan sit in it w/out the padding. It was really high and it would work great if you have a 30#, 36" 4yo like I do.

Not so great for a child like AJ who hit 40# right before 4. The lady at BRU told me it's a pitb to get the base off to use it in booster mode though, she said it took 2 of them. It really did creep me out though how much it looked like a GN.

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