Evenflo Triumph Advance Vs Evenflo Symphony 65
“What is the difference between the Evenflo Triumph Advance car seat and the Evenflo Symphony 65?”
The Evenflo Triumph Advance has been a favorite car seat of many parents for several years, and the Symphony 65, its newer cousin, has some similar features and safety advantages, which I’ll outline below:
The similarities between the Evenflo Triumph Advance and the Evenflo Symphony 65: (To read about the differences between these convertible car seats, scroll down this page.)
- Both car seats feature Evenflo’s Infinite Slide system for the harness, which means you can get a perfect harness height every time without ever re-threading the harness.
- Both seats have a system where the harness is tightened in its width. (Unlike most other seats where the harness is tightened at the top or bottom.)
- The harness is not removable for washing on either seat.
- Both convertible car seats are rated until 35 lbs. in the rear-facing position, or when the child’s head reaches one inch from the edge of the seat’s shell.
- The tallest harness height is about 16 inches on both the Triumph Advance and the Symphony 65 car seats.
- Both seats come with infant pillows and head supports.
- Neither seat comes with strap covers.
The differences between the Evenflo Triumph Advance and the Evenflo Symphony 65:
- The Symphony 65 has an eight year product expiration, while the Triumph Advance expires 6 years after it was manufactured.
- The Triumph Advance has knobs on the sides for tightening its harness, while the Symphony 65 has a center front adjuster strap.
- Weight limits for forward facing: The Symphony 65 is rated until the child is 65 lbs, and the Triumph Advance is rated until 50 lbs. However, because they both have similar shoulder height harness straps, it is very likely that the majority of children will outgrow both seats at the same time due to height, rather than weight. (The exception being a very chunky child.)
- The Symphony 65 can be used as a belt-positioning booster after your child has outgrown the 5-point harness mode; while the Triumph Advance cannot be used as a booster seat.
- The Symphony has 3 “recline†positions (fully reclined, semi-reclined and upright) but there are rules involved:
- When installed rear-facing (5-35 lbs) you MUST use the fully reclined (#1) position
- When installed forward-facing for a child weighing between 20-40 lbs you may use either the semi-reclined (#2) position OR the fully upright (#3) position
- When installed forward-facing for a child weighing between 40-65 lbs you MUST use the fully upright (#3) position
- When used with vehicle’s lap/shoulder belt as a belt positioning booster you MUST use the fully upright (#3) position
- The Triumph Advance also has 3 “recline†positions but with different rules:
- When installed rear-facing (5-35 lbs) you MUST use the fully reclined (#1) position
- When installed forward-facing for a child weighing between 20-50 lbs you may use either the semi-reclined (#2) position OR the fully upright (#3) position
- To clarify, neither seat can be switched back and forth between upright and reclined once it’s installed. Unfortunately, I think many parents mistakenly believe that this is a feature of a car seat with different recline setting but that is rarely ever the case. You cannot just reach back and recline the seat when a forward-facing child falls asleep in either of these seats. In order to switch from the fully upright to the semi-reclined position (assuming the child meets the criteria to use either), you would need to remove the child and re-install the seat into your vehicle .
- The crotch strap length is longer on the Symphony 65 than the Triumph Avance.
- “Footprint†of base: The seat bases are shaped differently and this could make a big difference in installation in certain cars. The Triumph Advance footprint is wider and has a square, boxy shape. It measures 14″ across, while the Symphony 65′s base is contoured and more narrow near the forward-facing beltpath which could make a big difference in smaller vehicles or very narrow center seating positions when the seat is installed forward-facing. The narrow end of the base measures 11″ across.
Conclusion: All in all, both the Symphony 65 and the Triumph Advance are excellent car seats. Like all other car seats, there are pros and cons to each and it’s really up to the user to prioritize which features are most important for her particular situation. The best thing to do is to keep the box and the receipt until you know it fits for your child and vehicle.
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Great info to help me in my quest to choose a seat, thanks!
You’re welcome; I know what a confusing decision finding the right car seat can be!
Thank you so much for this article! I have been sitting here for what seems like hours trying to compare the two. So nice to have it layed out like this!
You’re quite welcome, Erin, I know how confusing the car seat research process can be!
According to the toyrus website, the Evenflo Triumph Advance LX is rated up to 65lbs forward facing. Is this correct?
Hi Rachael,
The Evenflo Triumph Advance LX is rated until 50 lbs. forward facing.
The Evenflo Triumph 65 is rated until 65 lbs. forward facing. The Triumph 65 is extremely similar to the Advance, with the notable exception of the increased weight limit. Evenflo will be replacing the manufacture of the Triumph Advance with the production of the Triumph 65 in coming productions of their car seats.
In fact, when you go to this page on Amazon, you will notice that they tell you that there is a newer model available which leads to the Triumph 65! (Although the Triumph Advance will still be sold for another year or two, according to the Evenflo rep I spoke with.)
We have a small chevy Aveo and a child who will need to be rear-facing for about another year. In my research for a car seat that would fit in our small car, someone recommended the Evenflo Triumph Advance. You seemed to indicate that the Symphony might be a better choice? Or do you happen to know of another seat that would work better?
Hi Sunny,
The Evenflo Triumph Advance and the Evenflo Symphony 65 are similarly sized. In some cases, it is slightly easier to fit the Symphony into a small car. Will you have other car seats installed in the same row in your car? If so, you may want to consider the Britax car seats, as they ‘puzzle’ together more easily than other brands.
All convertible car seats are large and bulky. If you plan to have just one car seat in that row, then either one will fit into your car just as well.
I am looking for a carseat that can recline while forward facing. My daughter has special needs and chokes when fully upright. As far as I can find online Evenflow is the only one with a carseat that can recline while forward facing, is that right? Or is there a better option for us?
Hi Mindy,
I’m unsure of the exact angles of the reclines allowed while forward facing. This site should be a help as it is dedicated to special needs products: http://www.adaptivemall.com/safetycarseats1.html Good luck!
You noted that the harness is not removable or washing on either carseat, but I did not necessarily see that any other seat reviews detailed that as a feature. Is a removeable harness common?
Common is a matter of subjectivity — what budget are you looking at? Sunshine Radians have removable harnesses, as does the True Fit (continuous threaded harness means it’s not bolted in and should be removable) and various Britax car seats. But these are usually in a higher price bracket than the Triumph. The MyRide seems to have one based on their manual (where they inform you how to get a new one to replace it if need be), but I have yet to find someone who successfully removed one and put it back in.
We have a Graco My Ride 65 and it is a fairly reclined seat even in front facing. Definitely straight upright. You may want to check it out!
Love the info on this website, thanks! I was wondering how either of these seats (and any of the Evenflo seats) holds newborns? I didn’t see this in your review. Also, is there a newer version of the Triumph Advance? is it the LX or DLX?
Thanks!
Both the Triumph Advance and the Symphony 65 should fit most average or larger newborns well. A newborn on the smaller side may be more difficult to get a snug fit. A 20″ baby will generally fit with the lowest harness at 8″ on either seat.
The Triumph Advance had the highest crash test ratings according to Consumer Reports. (They did not test the Symphony 65.) Do you know if there have been crash tests done on the Symphony 65 e3 and how did it compare with the Triumph Advance?
Hi Lyn,
No, I have not seen that Consumer Reports has published testing of the Symphony at all.
Just wanted to say thank you for this website and all the work you have put into it…it is so nice to have things explained and laid out, and it is cutting all my research time in half! Thank you!