Safety 1st Complete Air Convertible Car Seat Reviews
I recently had the opportunity to check out the Safety First Complete Air and see if it was a car seat that would suit my purposes. I was pleasantly surprised at how many features this seat had.
Read the rest of the Safety 1st Complete Air Convertible Car Seat Review:
Table of Contents (click ahead!)
Safety and Installation
Comfort
Dimensions
Strap Adjustment
Maintenance
Pros and Cons
Video
Customer Reviews
Safety and Installation
The Complete Air’s innovative technology assures you it keeps safety in the highest regard. The manufacturers didn’t settle for now standard safety features like EPS foam, but added in features like air filled pillows from the neck up to cushion your baby’s head. When compressed, the air gets released through tiny holes in the cushions and delays impact of the head during a collision, which thereby results in less momentum on impact. This feature falls under the “side impact protection†(SIP) category that is gaining popularity in the higher end car seats and was the first to be tested by the new “intruding door†side-impact crash test.
The LATCH system in the Complete Air uses push button connectors which are easier to snap in and remove than clip-style connectors. Getting a tight install is a bit trickier than in some other car seats as it’s hard to get a good angle due to the lack of slot for the extra slack in the belt, but once you get the seat installed, you know it’s in well. Of course, one of the two most important safety aspects of using carseats is that it’s properly installed. Some have found that the best way to install the seat is to temporarily remove some of the seat cover to get the belt in tight. Do note that when installing rear facing, especially for an infant, you may need to use at least one pool noodle to get the proper 45 degree recline angle (for children who can hold up their heads, 30 degrees is sufficient). The color coded manual does a good job walking you through the installation, so you can rest assured you can do it right.
When compared with the True Fit car seat, note the True Fit has built in lock-offs, which is nice for those who don’t have LATCH, while this seat does not.
The second most important aspect in terms of safety is that it fits your child well. The Complete Air has one of the highest weight limits and height limits for rear facing children, and with this in mind, you can be assured your child will be properly constrained in the safest position, rear facing, for a long time to come.
Another plus is that it is FAA approved for aircraft use; no need to sacrifice safety when flying.
Comfort
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Comfort wise, this is one of the best seats on the market. It’s spacious and provides ample room for a growing child, even rear facing. The air pillows on the side provide for a comfy headrest when dozing off for a nap in the car. The fabric is more breathable than in many comparable seats, and the seat feels quite padded.
Dimensions
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The specs of the Complete Air are as follows:
It rear faces from 5 to 40 lbs or 19″ to 40″, though it’s really better for babies a drop larger than small newborn size.
It forward faces from 22 to 50 lbs, starting at about 34″. Not the biggest FF limit on the market, but there is the option for a 65 lb model as well.
Depth of the seat is 12 inches.
The width of the seat is 17 inches.
Seat height ranges form 10.5 to 17 inches.
Height of seat back is 27 inches.
Some with small cars find that the seat is too large to install comfortably rear facing, as it forces the front seats to move more forward. This is dependent on the vehicle and angle of installation (as a newborn needs a deeper recline than an older child). This is a common problem, unfortunately, with many of the car seats on the market for extended rear-facing functionality. Compared to other popular seats like the Sunshine Radian — which has recently been renamed Diono, though, the Complete Air actually provides the front seats with more space.
Strap Adjustment
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The Complete Air is a breeze to adjust to accommodate your growing child or use for multiple children with its height adjustment lever system. There is no need to uninstall and reinstall the seat to re-thread the harness at the correct shoulder slots, you just twist the tabs at the top to adjust the height. When rear-facing, it’s relatively easy to access the harness tail to tighten, without it getting trapped between the car seat and seat of the vehicle. The crotch strap is a nice length and should fit bigger children easily.
Maintenance
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The seat cover on the Complete Air is removable and hand washable, but not as easy to put on and take off as some others. The pad by the headrest can not be removed. That being said, the colors are well suited to hide most stains and blend in well with most car interiors. When the seat is not installed, the cover is easier to replace than when it’s latched in. One of the features of this seat is that it has a cup holder, and if you take advantage of this, you will have fewer spills to worry about.
Pros and Cons
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Pros: Great rear facing limits, compared to other car seats that require you to use the seat forward-facing at much lower weights.
Pros: Excellent safety features when used in both the forward and rear-facing positions.
Pros: Extremely comfortable for babies, toddlers, and preschool children.
Pros: No-rethread harness, which allows you to adjust the harness height without uninstalling and then reinstalling the whole car seat.
Pros:
Push-button LATCH connectors make it simple to install this car seat safely.
Pros:
Can be found at good mid-range prices.
Cons: Awkward rear-facing installation of this car seat.
Cons: Big and bulky, like all convertible car seats which are designed for many years of use.
Cons: Cover is not so easy to remove for washing.
Video
Customer Reviews
“We are using this as a rear facing seat in our sedan, Chevy Malibu, and it fits very well. Yes, it is a big car seat, as all convertibles are, but safety is my first priority, so I don’t really mind the bulk. I am really glad that we can keep the seat rear facing up to 40 lbs, now that the AAP’s new recommendation is to wait till age 2 to ride forward facing, this seat is a good choice.
My toddler fall asleep easily, and seems very comfortable in this seat.
The cup holder isn’t pictured, but there is a detachable one in the box. The material is easy to remove and throw in the washing machine when it gets dirty.
My husband set this up in less than ten minutes.. If you are going to use it rear facing, you do need a rolled up towel or pool noodle underneath (this is clear in the instruction booklet).” (read more here: Safety 1st Complete Air Car Seat Reviews)
“I can highly recommend this seat after we were in a motor vehicle accident going 40MPH. My airbag deployed, the car is totaled. After the crash, I thought about the baby with horror, and I turned around, and she was totally fine! Not even a cry! We had the seat rear-facing, and she is fourteen months old, so I’m grateful that it was rear-facing even though one can turn babies to face forward at a year; it’s much safer to stay rear-facing as long as possible.
I was also very pleased that Safety 1st has a policy to replace any car seat that was in an accident, and they study the old one for their testing. If you’re concerned about your baby’s safety, don’t hesitate to order this car seat.
(read more here: Safety 1st Complete Air Car Seat Reviews)
Amazon Rating: 3.9 Stars
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To see how this Safety 1st Complete Air car seat compares to other car seats, check out our complete car seat reviews here!
All in all, when compared to other seats in its class, you know you’re getting an extremely safe seat for a decent price that won’t sacrifice your child’s comfort when you purchase the Complete Air.