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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Safety 1st Uptown (RF)

 

Safety 1st Uptown (RF)

 

Manufacturer  /  Model NameSafety 1st Uptown (RF)
Model Number  /  Manufacture Date22-475-BVL  /  Jun 12, 2007
Harness Type5-pt
Weight  /  Height5-35lb/19"-36"
Evaluation of Labels1 stars
No picture of child in child restraint. No additional harness slot height adjustment information. Belt routing path is only labeled on one side. Labels do not remind user to tighten LATCH.
Evaluation of Instructions1 stars
Manual was loose in the box. Manual storage is difficult to find and use. No picture of child in the child restraint. Airbag warning is buried in a bulleted list. The manual does not remind the user to tighten the LATCH belt. Names in manual and on seat do not match.
Securing the Child2 stars
Harness clip is not labeled. Harness system is difficult to reach and adjust. There is a head hugger or body pillow blocking the harness slots from being visible. The harness must be rethread for child's growth. Multiple actions are required to convert the seat to rear-facing, which must be followed in the manual. Loose parts exist when disassembling for cleaning.
Installation Features1 stars
Interference is possible between a seat component and the belt routing system. There are not three levels of built-in recline available. Twisting is required to remove the LATCH attachments from the lower anchors in the vehicle. No label to denote LATCH storage.
Overall Ease of Use Rating1 stars

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