Patriot201
Car-Seat.org Ambassador
The First Years Via is an infant carseat (rear-facing ONLY) intended for children from 4 to 22 pounds and 30" in height or less.
THE BASE
The Via uses a separate base into which the seat snaps for use in the car.
THE VIA MUST BE USED WITH A BASE. It cannot be used without the base.
The Via base can use installed using either LATCH (lower anchors only) or the vehicle's seatbelt (never at the same time).
The height of the Via base is easily adjustable. There is a yellow "knob" on the front of the base that allows the base to be adjusted so that the angle is correct.
There is a level indicator on the side of the base to indicate whether the angle of the seat is correct in the vehicle.
The seat is removed from the base by pulling on a read handle on the top of the seat.
THE SEAT
The Harness
The Via has a no-rethread-5-point harness that is easily adjustable.
There are two harness heights and the harness height is adjusted with a yellow knob on the back of the seat. The lower harness height is VERY low and would probably only fit preemies, newborns, and very small babies.
The tension of the harness is adjusted using the front harness adjuster.
The harness chest clip is easy to use and features a diagram showing the user that the clip should be at chest-level.
The harness comes with two covers to help reduce chafing. They velcro onto the harness, so they are easily removable.
The Canopy
The Via's canopy is fairly nice. It snaps onto the back of the seat, but can be unsnapped to be fully rotated to block the sun. It stays up well and provides good coverage.
The Handle
The Via's handle is the best I have used. It is an aluminum handle with a nice shape and great padding. There are two "windows" on the top of the handle into which a caregiver can snap emergency information, a family photo, or whatever he/she wants, I suppose.
The handle adjusts to five different positions. Position A (fully upright) can only be used for carrying the seat (NOT in the vehicle). Positions B, C, D, and E are acceptable for use in the car.
The Seat Pad/Head Bolster
The seat comes with a head bolster that is velcroed around the harness (so it is easy to remove). It is shaped like two mini pillows with a thin connection, and it does provide some support to babies' heads. Very small babies will probably still need rolled towels on the side of the head bolster, though, in order to have adequate support.
The seat pad is very well-padded. It snaps onto the seat itself, which keeps it on the seat with no slipping. The pad is easy to remove due to the "Easy Off pad flaps" on the seat.
The seat pad can be hand-washed.
The seat pad on my seat (Cappuccino) is slightly textured and not a plush or standard cotton cover. It is easy to clean and seems comfortable for little ones.
The "guts"
The entire seat is lined with EPS foam and then there is also a "comfort foam" insert down the center of the seat. In addition, there is padding in the seat pad.
OTHER INFORMATION:
Carrying Comfort-- The seat is lightweight and comfortable to carry. Of the infant seats I have used, this is the most comfortable one I have used.
Installation-- I installed this seat in three different vehicles, using LATCH in some vehicles and the vehicle seatbelt in other installations (use LATCH or the seatbelt, not both), and had no difficulty whatsoever.
"Extras"--
PICTURES are coming-- I am having technology issues.
THE BASE
The Via uses a separate base into which the seat snaps for use in the car.
THE VIA MUST BE USED WITH A BASE. It cannot be used without the base.
The Via base can use installed using either LATCH (lower anchors only) or the vehicle's seatbelt (never at the same time).
- The LATCH connectors on the Via are the IMMI-style (as used on Britax, Safeguard, and other brand seats). They are conveniently located in the front of the base and they store in the base for easy storage.
- When installing the base using the vehicle's seatbelt, the seatbelt is threaded through a built-in lockoff on the front of the base. The lockoff is easy-to-use but also has a very tight hold on the belt.
The height of the Via base is easily adjustable. There is a yellow "knob" on the front of the base that allows the base to be adjusted so that the angle is correct.
There is a level indicator on the side of the base to indicate whether the angle of the seat is correct in the vehicle.
The seat is removed from the base by pulling on a read handle on the top of the seat.
THE SEAT
The Harness
The Via has a no-rethread-5-point harness that is easily adjustable.
There are two harness heights and the harness height is adjusted with a yellow knob on the back of the seat. The lower harness height is VERY low and would probably only fit preemies, newborns, and very small babies.
The tension of the harness is adjusted using the front harness adjuster.
The harness chest clip is easy to use and features a diagram showing the user that the clip should be at chest-level.
The harness comes with two covers to help reduce chafing. They velcro onto the harness, so they are easily removable.
The Canopy
The Via's canopy is fairly nice. It snaps onto the back of the seat, but can be unsnapped to be fully rotated to block the sun. It stays up well and provides good coverage.
The Handle
The Via's handle is the best I have used. It is an aluminum handle with a nice shape and great padding. There are two "windows" on the top of the handle into which a caregiver can snap emergency information, a family photo, or whatever he/she wants, I suppose.
The handle adjusts to five different positions. Position A (fully upright) can only be used for carrying the seat (NOT in the vehicle). Positions B, C, D, and E are acceptable for use in the car.
The Seat Pad/Head Bolster
The seat comes with a head bolster that is velcroed around the harness (so it is easy to remove). It is shaped like two mini pillows with a thin connection, and it does provide some support to babies' heads. Very small babies will probably still need rolled towels on the side of the head bolster, though, in order to have adequate support.
The seat pad is very well-padded. It snaps onto the seat itself, which keeps it on the seat with no slipping. The pad is easy to remove due to the "Easy Off pad flaps" on the seat.
The seat pad can be hand-washed.
The seat pad on my seat (Cappuccino) is slightly textured and not a plush or standard cotton cover. It is easy to clean and seems comfortable for little ones.
The "guts"
The entire seat is lined with EPS foam and then there is also a "comfort foam" insert down the center of the seat. In addition, there is padding in the seat pad.
OTHER INFORMATION:
Carrying Comfort-- The seat is lightweight and comfortable to carry. Of the infant seats I have used, this is the most comfortable one I have used.
Installation-- I installed this seat in three different vehicles, using LATCH in some vehicles and the vehicle seatbelt in other installations (use LATCH or the seatbelt, not both), and had no difficulty whatsoever.
"Extras"--
- There are two yellow rubber strips on the bottom of the seat to help with traction.
- There is a nice storage slot on the bottom of the seat for storage of the instruction manual.
- The seat has a SEVEN-YEAR life, clearly marked with stickers on the seat.
PICTURES are coming-- I am having technology issues.
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