Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe Convertible Car Seat

mmcphee

New member
This is definitely my new favorite car seat. This seat is based on the Britax Marathon but with only a 55 lb forward facing weight limit, but the same 33 lb rear facing limit. It is super easy to install with seat belts and my 3 year old is very comfortable in it. I highly recommend this seat!

Please see my full review:

HTML:
http://www.epinions.com/content_261928619652
 
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KateZC

New member
Well, I certainly did not have the same experience. I was so excited when my FP Safe Voyage Deluxe Seats came (I could not find them in ANY stores, so I purchased online).

Well, the excitement faded quickly.

1. The straps are extremely difficult to re-route. It took me FOREVER and my fingers/cuticles were all torn up afterwards. I felt that it was because of the way the fabric/cover is on. It is not very tight and there is lots of space between the fabric slots (which are very small to begin with) and the shell slots. Thankfully this is not something you do often (change the harness height).

2. My main issue is that the LATCH strap is extremely short, making it impossible to install in the captain seats of my Mazda MPV. I tried for a very long time over the course of two days. I could not get the seat installed with LATCH. There was not enough play room in the strap length. Yes, I could use the seatbelt, but I should be able to use LATCH and I can't. I just don't see how this seat (two of them) is going to work for us.

3. This one is my fault: No cupholder. Big issue when on trips. But I should have noticed that.

This is just my take on the seat. I was so wanting this seat to be "the one" for us for the next several years. Now I am not so sure...

Kate
 

tjham

New member
I love mine! I bought it right before picking my granddaughter at kindergarten. I changed the harness straps quickly with the seat sitting on the sidewalk outside the school, then installed it. I don't remember it being a problem. I use a Siderider from OneStepAhead.com. It is a mesh basket that clips to the side.
 

tjham

New member
I like the mesh clip-on holder from OneStepAhead called the SideRider.

http://www.onestepahead.com/product/...08781/117.html

It is an add-on but lots of techs say it's OK to use because it is soft. They come in a 2 pk. I bought 4. I have one each on my Bolero, Marathon, Chase and Scenera. It can hold a sippy cup and a bag of snacks, or a few little toys.

The clips are really hard to open. Have a butter knife handy! I had a hard time attaching the clips to the fabric so I pinned 2 diaper safety pins to the areas I wanted the clips to go and attached the clips to the pins. But now that they are on, they are on tight and good to go!
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
Well, I certainly did not have the same experience. I was so excited when my FP Safe Voyage Deluxe Seats came (I could not find them in ANY stores, so I purchased online).

Well, the excitement faded quickly.

1. The straps are extremely difficult to re-route. It took me FOREVER and my fingers/cuticles were all torn up afterwards. I felt that it was because of the way the fabric/cover is on. It is not very tight and there is lots of space between the fabric slots (which are very small to begin with) and the shell slots. Thankfully this is not something you do often (change the harness height).

2. My main issue is that the LATCH strap is extremely short, making it impossible to install in the captain seats of my Mazda MPV. I tried for a very long time over the course of two days. I could not get the seat installed with LATCH. There was not enough play room in the strap length. Yes, I could use the seatbelt, but I should be able to use LATCH and I can't. I just don't see how this seat (two of them) is going to work for us.

3. This one is my fault: No cupholder. Big issue when on trips. But I should have noticed that.

This is just my take on the seat. I was so wanting this seat to be "the one" for us for the next several years. Now I am not so sure...

Kate



It's hard to imagine the LATCH strap being too short if it's in the correct belt path. Perhaps it came in the rearfacing belt path and needs to be moved to the front facing belt path. Is there any clear picture in the manual or a sticker on the side of the seat showing the LATCH in the proper belt path for reference?

Yeah, I've never met a seat that's really easy to rethread the harness except for the Regent...all those slots are narrow, and I usually get something wrong every time (different cover from the seat shell slots, duh, lol).

Love the Side Rider for our Marathon...Britax/Fisher Price don't seem to like to add extra (and possibly dangerous, as they can hold projectiles or even become projectiles) features to a seat that don't enhance the safety or ease of use of the seat.


Hope it works out for you, otherwise.

:)
 

KateZC

New member
Thanks for the suggestions on the siderider. I will definitely check that out. I will also check that the LATCH strap is in the right belt path. I read the instructions pretty clearly, but will go back over again. I certainly may have missed something.

Thanks for your help! Maybe all is not lost for my two new seats! :)
 
C

chirosports

Guest
Does anyone know the difference b/t FPSV Deluxe and FPSV EX? I notice online that there is about a $20-30 difference.

Thanks.

WIll
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
the Safe Voyage Delux is based off the Marathon and has a 55 lbs FF limit. The other model is based off the Roundabout and has a 40 lbs FF limit.
 

hapahaole

New member
Does anyone know if you can use a Britax Marathon cover on the Fisher Price seat? I love how soft most of the Britax covers are compared to the FP one. Just curious...

Thanks!
hapa
 

Melanie

New member
Does anyone know where I can see this seat in person? I've tried Target & Babies R Us with no luck. This seems like a great alternative to a Marathon, but I really hate ordering it sight unseen.
 

hapahaole

New member
Our Babies R Us has them. You might want to call around to some of the more specialty baby stores or ask BRU if they're going to start carrying them.
 
B

busybusymomma

Guest
I bought a FPSV Dlx in Sept 06 and we are using it for our now 3.5yo son. It is a fantastic seat. VERY easy to install and user friendly and I think he'll be able to stay in it until he mature enough for a booster seat. I had no issues adjusting the strap height and it was incredibly easy to install- the first try. I had my installation checked by a tech and we passed with flying colors. His previous seat was a Fisher Price Safe Embrace, which we loved and I'm so glad we were able to find an affordable alternative to the Britax seats. :D

It's time to retire my infant daughter's FPSE and I plan to buy another Safe Voyage for her as well. :D
 

trailrunnermom

New member
We purchased a FPSVD in February from albeebaby.com. The DOM on this seat is July 2006. They don't seem to be producing the seat now (in '07), but '06 models are still available from several online retailers. Hopefully FP/Britax will be making more of these.

Why we bought this seat for our 38-month-old son (38 lbs., 39" tall): We needed a higher-weight harness seat for him for our 2nd car (and for use in his aunt's car, friends' cars, etc.) He's in a Radian 65 in our main vehicle. My choice was between the Cosco Apex 65 and the FPSVD (FF to 55 lbs), since I didn't want to spend too much for a seat that would only be used once or twice each week.

I chose the FPSVD because it's relatively lightweight and it's easy to install. So far I've installed it in a '99 Subaru sedan and a '96 Honda Accord...all that was required for a tight install was a few twists of the seatbelt stalk. It's also very easy to buckle the child (important feature since his dad and his aunt aren't quite as familiar with carseats as I am). Also, the buckle and chest clip on the FPSVD are easier for me to open than the ones on the Apex. Neither the FP nor the Apex gives the child much room at the crotch buckle location (also true for the Radian 65), but I think they're designed to be this way so that the child has to sit up straight and back against the seat.

The FPSVD sits up much higher than the Apex...this was okay because I knew I would be installing it in sedans. However, in an SUV or van, it would be easier for the child to climb into the Apex by themselves since it sits lower.

The FPSVD harness straps are easy to adjust higher or lower if I pull the cover aside so I can see what I'm doing.

Other things I like about the seat: It's a convertible, so if needed, I can use it RF or FF for either of my two great-nieces (one age 3 months, and the other, 2 years). But yet, it doesn't look too babyish, so I don't think my son will mind riding in it...he will probably outgrow it right about the time he realizes it's not a booster seat. His 5-1/2 year old brother would still just fit in the FPSVD, so I know we'll get at least two more years of being able to keep the 3-y.o. in a 5-pt. harness in all cars. (And by then, his brother will be ready to move out of the Britax Husky and pass it down to him.)

The cover of the FPSVD isn't as plush (or cute or colorful) as the Britax Marathon covers, but overall, it's a good seat for the price that will last most children (except those with long torsos) up to a size where they could probably ride safely in a belt-positioning booster. For longer 5-pt. harnessing, the next step up would be a Britax Regent. (The Radian goes up to 65 lbs, but the harness heights seem to be about the same as the FPSVD...maybe 1/2" higher at most.)
 

nurse_reedle

New member
We were all for the FP until we saw one in person. We did NOT like it at all. The base is horribly flimsy, and I am sure that if it broke, the carseat would be no good. My dh almost broke it while it was on the display, and he did nothing but lean it back and then back up again! The padding has MUCH to be desired for in a $150 carseat. I would actally choose an Uptown over that seat. The FP also sits alot more upright than the Marathon does. I don't know why that is, but we compared them side by side.
 

Simplysomething

New member
HTML:
http://www.epinions.com/content_261928619652

What I find really funny is that I just read this review---and was going to come here to ask if what the posters here thought of it. lol (I googled fisher price safe voyage deluxe, and the review was the first one that popped up)

Based on what has been said in this review AND by the experts on this site...I want one now. The covers may be ugly in comparison to the Britax seats, but I have a Scenera. Which is the epitome of ugly.

I would like more information regarding the HUGS and a recall on a much earlier seat, it's mentioned further down in the article, in the comparison between the MA and the FPSVDX. I'm just interested, it has no factor in the seat I purchase after DS2 outgrows the scenera.
 

trailrunnermom

New member
Update as of 3/20/07 to my original review above: I installed the FPSVD for our 2+ hour trip last weekend for DS#2 (3 yrs 4 mos., 37.5 lbs, 39"). He rode in the 2nd row captain's chair in our Odyssey. The LATCH install was very easy. He seemed very comfortable in the seat and slept a fair amount.

However, the one problem with sleeping in the FPSVD is that it doesn't have a lot of recline FF, plus the side material is slick, so every time we braked, his head would fall forward. Traffic was heavy --stop-and-go on the highway--so I was constantly pushing his head back up (Note: I was riding, not driving.) :) (Without the stop-and-go, he was able to keep his head back okay.)

I think it might have been a little better if he rode in his Radian because the material isn't so slippery. But with the way we had to constantly slow down/stop, he probably would have had the same problem even in the Radian.
 

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