2008 Child Safety Seat Ease of Use Ratings

 

Are All Seats Safe?
All car seats rated by NHTSA meet Federal Safety Standards & strict crash performance standards. While all rated seats are safe, they do differ in their ease of use in four basic catagories:

 

Evaluation of Instructions

Vehicle Installation Features

Evaluation of Labels

Securing the Child

 

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Alpha Luxe Echelon (FF)

 

Alpha Luxe Echelon (FF)

 

Manufacturer  /  Model NameAlpha Luxe Echelon (FF)
Model Number  /  Manufacture Date22799-MER  /  Dec 22, 2007
Harness Type5-pt
Weight  /  Height22-40lb/34"-43"
Evaluation of Labels1 stars
No picture of child properly restrained in seat. Tether is not labeled in illustrations. No indication of correct harness slot height is given. Labels do not remind caregiver to tighten LATCH belt.
Evaluation of Instructions1 stars
Instruction manual storage is difficult to find and/or use. All methods of installation are not labeled. Warning that the safest place is the rear seat is buried in a bulleted list. Names on manual/on labels do not match. Additional sizing information is scattered throughout the manual.
Securing the Child2 stars
The harness clip is not labeled with placement instructions. A headhugger or body pillow covers the harness slots. Harness must be rethread to adjust. Multiple actions are required to convert the seat to this mode of use; the caregiver must read the instructions. Loose parts are generated when disassembling for cleaning.
Installation Features4 stars
Lower attachments require twisting to remove from the vehicle. No storage system exists for LATCH/tether.
Overall Ease of Use Rating2 stars

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