Chicco NextFit Convertible Car Seat

By Published On: April 17th, 2013

The car seat carrier was getting heavier and heavier. The […]

Chicco-NextFit-Infiniti_360The car seat carrier was getting heavier and heavier. The baby was getting taller and taller. We knew it was only a matter of time before our click-n-lock days were over. I could feel the anxiety creeping in when I thought back to our baby registering ordeal (circling the baby stores under fluorescent lighting … the dizzying number of choices) and decided we would stick with our infant car seat brand. Chicco NextFit, here we come!
The Chicco NextFit Convertible Car Seat was ready right out of the box—mostly. I was a little overwhelmed by the straps. (Disclaimer: Both my husband and I drive older cars. We do not use the LATCH system to secure our car seats. Those instructions are here.) Then, I realized there were storage compartments for the LATCH straps. Great idea. I folded them and tucked them away. The instructions for installation using the vehicle belt were pretty clear. You must install the seat on level ground to use the incorporated levels correctly. This was not a problem for us but may be for hill parkers. At first I wasn’t sure I had the lock-off position correct, but it was simple once tightened. It seemed as easy as our previous seat. The level bubbles and clear reclining position indicator were helpful in letting me know the seat was installed properly.
The NextFit has plenty of useful features including a quick strap tightener, a 6-position head rest which works to keep the shoulder straps at the correct height, and a 9-position recline/leveling system which is designed to work in a variety of vehicles. Although we did not use it, an exclusive SuperCinch™ LATCH Tightener is available to help achieve a tight and secure fit with less effort.
The weight recommendations for the NextFit are 5 lbs. to 40 lbs. for rear-facing and 22 lbs. to 65 lbs. for forward-facing. Chicco also recommends that forward-facing children be less than  50″ tall and at least one year old. An infant insert is included for babies between 5 and 11 lbs. A cup holder is also included which can be attached on either side of the seat.
The NextFit is available in five fashions. There are no bold color combinations here. The styles are understated with sporty names like Infiniti, Mystique, Gemini and Intrigue. It felt like our daughter should be wearing leather driving gloves or something. The infant insert and seat pad are easy to remove and machine washable.
I highly recommend the NextFit convertible car seat. Our daughter seems comfortable in it and it will grow with us. The safety features and ease of use make this seat a sound choice. Any family who takes full advantage of the fit range (from infant insert to forward-facing mode) and features will benefit greatly.
Price: $300
To buy: toysrus.com