I’m almost to the half-way point and I’m starting to think about what I need to do to prepare for baby number 2. This time is so much different than the first. My pregnancy is going so well (thankfully). I am educated and experienced and much more relaxed about the entire process. I know what to expect (for the most part anyway). I remember at one point during my first pregnancy spending hours on end researching baby products. I have to admit…I spared no expense with my son. I wanted to safest, greenest, and hippest (is that a word) products for my son. And when it came down to choosing a car seat, that is exactly what I purchased. I read the Consumer Reports, talked to my friends with children and then made my decision. That was two years ago.
We live in Southern California which means we drive everywhere. The traffic is bad and there are a lot of accidents. Fortunately, apart from a small fender bender I had when I was pregnant with my son, we’ve managed to escape a serious accident. But, with driving comes that risk. I want to protect my children with the safest car seat available. Here is a little statistical information I received, courtesy of Safety 1st:
Side impact crashes have dramatically increased over the past two decades and are, today, the deadliest kind of crashes for children. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the vast majority of these fatalities are due to head trauma.
Right before BlogHer, I told you about a brand new car seat on the market from Safety 1st called Complete Air with Air Protect. It’s really unlike any car seat available on the market. Dorel Juvenile Group, Inc (one of the nation’s largest juvenile products manufacturer) developed the Complete Air with Air Protect convertible car seat to keep children safe and protect against deadly side impact collisions. Air Protect is “the most innovative and groundbreaking safety technology ever offered in a car seat and was developed in conjunction with Kettering University’s renowned Crash Safety Center.”
I had a chance to see it up close and personal in Chicago and spent some time asking all of my pressing questions to the gals representing the company. And then about a week after I got home, I received one in the mail! My very first impression of the car seat was that it looked comfortable and more importantly it looked safe. Choosing a car seat is not an easy decision. There are a number of factors to consider. I, for one, don’t really care a lot about the way a car seat looks. It’s not that I don’t like stylish, fashionable baby items. But, when it comes to safety, I’d rather pick one highly rated than one that makes a fashion statement. The interesting thing about car seats is that they’re not all made the same way.
For starters, there are several different types of car seats (infant, convertible, booster). The Complete Air is a convertible car seat and accommodates infants 5 to 40 pounds rear-facing and toddlers 22 to 50 pounds forward facing (I can actually keep my son rear-facing, which is the safest way to ride!). In other words, this is the only car seat you’d ever need (presuming your baby is born at or over 5 pounds). I have my toddler in this seat right now (we moved our other convertible seat into my husband’s car). My husband installed it and said it was simple and straightforward. I’m almost 5 months pregnant so I figured it may be better for him to do it so he could get it in there nice and secure. We have the LATCH system in our car which makes installing car seats with this capability an easy task. It’s just one click with LATCH. I should tell you that each parent should know how to install a car seat properly. You never know when a car is going to break down and you’ll need to install the car seat in a different car (this just happened to me about a week ago). If you are a first-time parent and you’re not certain you’ve installed your car seat correctly, visit SeatCheck.org for a free inspection.
As far as safety is concerned…the only true way to prove to you that this car seat does what it says is to test it in an accident. I’ll leave that to the experts. But I will tell you a little more about the innovative technology behind this car seat.
Through the precise release of air, Air Protect compresses and shields children from side impact intrusion and immediately reduces crash forces where it’s needed most – around the child’s head. Air Protect does this by extending ride-down, the amount of time it takes to slow a child’s movement in a crash.
If you’ve ever seen an air bag deployed, you know that the goal is to prevent your head from being injured, should it be forced forward into the steering wheel or dashboard. The technology reminds me a bit of an air bag, except nothing is deployed (meaning, it’s always present). If you were to look at the headrest part of the car seat, it feels like a pillow designed to absorb impact in a crash so that a child’s head/neck are not injured. I think watching the video is the best way to truly see the technology behind this car seat:
According to the company, car seats with the Air Protect technology saw “the reduction of crash forces to the child’s head by up to 30%, an improvement in neck loads by up to 30%, and the reduction of head and neck rotation by up to 50%.”
The car seat’s design is very simple but sleek. We received the McKenna design (black/gray) which is very gender neutral. It also comes in Harvest (brown/orange). One of the first things I noticed about how my son sits in the car seat, was that he appears to be more reclined in the seat then he did with our other car seat. I actually like this because when he falls asleep, his head doesn’t hang over or to the side. That was always something I didn’t like about the “other” car seat we have. I do wonder how an infant’s head would hold up once asleep in this car seat. I’ll let you know when he/she is born.
The car seat includes the QuickFit Harness System which means you can adjust it from the front (versus the back). The only small thing I noticed is that it’s a little difficult to clip in and out. I guess that’s a good thing since my son almost figured out how to get out of his previous car seat (the one in my husband’s car). It also has an adjustable headrest so that the car seat grows with your child. I haven’t seen this feature on a car seat so I was very impressed (again!).
Overall, I’m satisfied and confident that this car seat will protect my child, in the event of a collision. I appreciate the research and testing that went behind it’s innovation.
The Complete Air Convertible Car Seat with Air Protect retails for $249.99 and is available at Toys R Us and Babies R Us.
The car seat was provided by Safety 1st and Toys R Us for this review.
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Love this seat! Your son is a cutie! That said, the complete air rearfaces to 40 pounds not 35 pounds. Your son probally could still rearface in this seat. 🙂
A great review! Too many parents only look at style when choosing a car seat, when there are so many other, more important features to look at. I love this seat and the fact that my almost 4 year old still fits in it rear-facing with tons of room to grow! The seat actually goes to 40lb rear-facing, a great thing to know for those that are open to the extreme safety benefits of rear-facing beyond the minimums, as the AAP now recommends rear-facing to the limits of the seat, and has done away with that horrid 1year and 20lb recommendation. Kudos to Dorel for going above and beyond!
Forgot to mention. I think you need to move up the straps. They need to be at or just above for forward facing. 🙂
I wrote a story about this car seat awhile back. Do you think it’s a good investment? Is the new technology safer in your opinion? Don’t know if you reviewed this (and got it free) or not, or if you just purchased it.
Thanks!!
Very good review. Your son looks cute too! Thanks for sharing this.