Chicco Nextfit or Evenflo Symphony DLX for newborn?

baker9903

New member
I have a 2002 Ford Focus. My four year old son has had the symphony since he was about 10 months old. I'm perfectly happy with this seat (in fact, he was in a high speed accident as a young toddler and was not hurt at all, despite all vehicles being totaled and all other passengers/drivers being transported with injuries - ER docs credited him being properly buckled into a properly installed seat).

I am due soon with baby #2. I would like to skip the infant bucket and go straight to a convertible seat.

I am considering both the Symphony and the Chicco Nextfit. I've read that the Nextfit fits newborns really well. But I love the surelatch install of the Symphony. Which seat is easier to install? Which seat fits newborns better? What else should I consider?
 
ADS

tesslouise

New member
I haven't used a Symphony. We had an Evenflo Triumph Advance and it installed beautifully (at a nice angle, easy to adjust harness with knob) in our 2007 Ford Focus. It installed badly in our Mazda5 (harness knob was squished into seat back and difficult to access). If the Symphony is similar it should fit well in your car.

We have a NextFit now in our Mazda5 for DD2. I find it difficult to get her in and out and I have to loosen and tighten the harness every time. I can't imagine what a pain that would be with a newborn. But the seat is well liked by other people. So I'd try it in your car if you can.
 

seb3244

New member
I haven't used a Symphony. We had an Evenflo Triumph Advance and it installed beautifully (at a nice angle, easy to adjust harness with knob) in our 2007 Ford Focus. It installed badly in our Mazda5 (harness knob was squished into seat back and difficult to access). If the Symphony is similar it should fit well in your car. We have a NextFit now in our Mazda5 for DD2. I find it difficult to get her in and out and I have to loosen and tighten the harness every time. I can't imagine what a pain that would be with a newborn. But the seat is well liked by other people. So I'd try it in your car if you can.

I haven't ever tried the symphony but I do have a nextfit. I love it but agree that it is hard (in some cars) to push the button with one hand and pull the harness to loosen with the other. Over all a really nice seat and you can rear face a really long time in it. (Just bought one for my niece who is one:)

What age do you plan to rear face your new baby to? That may help others to give an opinion.

Also I am so glad to hear your child was okay in a crash. Good job good job for buckling him in perfect! I am curious though how many months was your child at the time of the crash & was he forward facing or rear facing?

Oh and congrats on the upcoming arrival of your 2nd baby!! So exciting!
 

baker9903

New member
I plan to rearface the new baby until he grows out of the seat and we are forced to turn him around. I did the same with my first son - he was past his third birthday when we flipped him and that was only because he had grown too tall.

My son was about 11 months old and still rearfacing when the accident happened. He was in the Symphony and we bought another Symphony to replace it.

I'm leaning towards the NextFit because reviews say it fits newborns really well (I have small babies). Reviews also say the NextFit is an easy install. I've loved the simplicity of the Symphony install over the last 3+ years.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
Nextfit tends to fit newborns better and lasts much longer rearfacing. It's also got super deep sides that might be incredibly challenging to load a toddler into in your car (even forward facing, there's one mom here who just has her kid crawl from the front seat, it's sooo deep to crawl around those sides!). Symphony has a super far-out crotch strap, and even with the padding might be kind of a poor fit with a newborn (how many rolled washcloths do you want to put in front of the crotch strap...it could be a couple, lol), and a fairly short rearfacing limit (37", slightly shorter than an average 3 year old).
So...have you though about the Graco 4 Ever? Fits newborns well, lower sides for easier loading, easy to get a good recline in even a regular car. Or MySize 65 is also a very nice long lasting compact choice.
Even a Britax (any of the, the click tight Boulevard has a VERY high height limit, probably longer than you need, like a 6 year old, but they have nowhere to put their legs, lol) will fit in your car and work for a newborn without having challengingly deep sides.

Anyway, just some things to think about! Congratulations on the new baby :)
 

seb3244

New member
I plan to rearface the new baby until he grows out of the seat and we are forced to turn him around. I did the same with my first son - he was past his third birthday when we flipped him and that was only because he had grown too tall. My son was about 11 months old and still rearfacing when the accident happened. He was in the Symphony and we bought another Symphony to replace it. I'm leaning towards the NextFit because reviews say it fits newborns really well (I have small babies). Reviews also say the NextFit is an easy install. I've loved the simplicity of the Symphony install over the last 3+ years.

That is so wonderful that you rear faced your son for so long and miraculous that he was unharmed in the accident! And also that you plan to rear face your new baby until he outgrows his convertible seat! I think you will really love the nextfit :)
 

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