I originally bought this car seat through Amazon Prime Day for $90 last year. I now like it so much that I just purchased another one for my mom's vehicle. After installing (which is incredibly easy to do) the car seat in my Jeep Grand Cherokee, I was initially very concerned. The 1st position recline on the seat isn't great. As seen in the first picture, the lowest recline position is still very upright. My daughter's head would constantly fall forward when she fell asleep. The seat is also very large and makes it slightly more difficult for my husband to drive my SUV as he can't re-position the drivers seat all the way back like he prefers (he is 6"1"). For these reasons I decided to do some research into another car seat that would fit our needs. I wanted something more compact and that had at least a 6 position recline option.
After a lot of research I decided on the ever popular and much more expensive Graco 4ever 4-in-1 ($240). With thousands of positive reviews and nearly five stars, I thought for sure this would be a winner. I was wrong. Although the Graco offers many positive features such as, 6 position recline (my daughter's head never fell forward when asleep in the 1st position recline), compact (my husband could easily drive my SUV), 10 position headrest and harness length (would easily grow with our child), easy to clean material, lightweight (would be easy to travel with), and great weight range (4-120 lbs.). The major issues I have with the Graco is twofold, the cup holders would pop out every single time I took my daughter out of the seat or put her in. Every.time. It is seriously annoying. But, the major issue was that the headrest would shake uncontrollably when my daughter wasn't in the seat. After looking at every option to fix the problem the only thing that solved it was to either put weight on the seat (setting something on it when she wasn't in the vehicle) or adjusting the headrest all the way down in its first position, which meant that every time I put her in the car I would have to readjust the headrest, harness and buckles. What should be a two minute process of getting my daughter safely secured turned into a several minute process. I knew there was no way that I could deal with this every day, so I wanted to see if I could somehow make the Evenflo work. I really liked everything about the seat except for the recline.
After some adjusting using a pool noodle and a towel placed at the very front of the seat closest to the seat back, it finally worked. The recline is perfect and my daughter's head no longer falls forward when she's snoozing (as seen in the second picture). If you're willing to adjust a little, the Evenflo Symphony Elite really is a wonderful option. Plus it's much more affordable!
Pros:
-Heavy duty (this is a pro for me, but may be a con for others). This seat is large and in charge. You need to be aware that this car seat is big and does take up a lot of room, so it may not work in a compact vehicle. But, I really do love the size. She is incredibly comfortable in the seat.
-Material. The material of the seat is soft and plush. I live in the midwest (where it gets very hot during the summer) and my vehicle sits in full sun all day. The material never gets hot to the touch and I would be comfortable placing my daughter in the seat without first cooling the car down.
-Cup holders. Cup holders are permanent with a stretchy fabric for any size cup or snack. Makes it very versatile.
-Safety. The seat hits all the major safety marks (but, really, they all do nowadays)
-Headrest and harness. Super easy to adjust even when she is sitting in the seat.
-Weight range is awesome. 5-110 lbs. Will easily grow with my little one.
-Installation. Incredibly easy. It took my husband all of one minute (once we got the pool noodle and towel in place) to install the car seat using using the latch connectors.
-Cost. It's $170 in comparison to other much more expensive seats currently on the market and definitely fits the bill with all the wonderful features.
Cons:
-Recline. I've addressed this already and was the major reason for looking for another seat. If you're willing to adjust a little, the issue can be solved.
-Size. The seat is large. Will not fit in all vehicles comfortably. I decided that my husband would just have to deal with the re-positioning of the driver's seat. All the other positives really outweigh this one negative.
Overall, after some adjustments, I am so happy with this seat. It really does fit all of our needs and my little lady, who hated her infant seat (which is why we transitioned her at six months into a convertible seat) finally likes riding in the car. This seat really does offer so much and considering there are much more expensive seats on the market, you really do get a bang for your buck. I am positive that this seat will grow nicely with her. I highly recommend the Evenflo Symphony Elite!
| Product Dimensions | 30 x 20 x 20 inches |
|---|---|
| Item model number | 34631038 |
| Minimum weight recommendation | 5 Pounds |
| Maximum weight recommendation | 110 Pounds |
| Maximum height recommendation | 57 Inches |
| Material Type | Foam |
| Care instructions | DO NOT lubricate or immerse in water any part of this child restraint, unless rinsing is permitted Plastic and metal parts may be wiped clean with mild soap and water and dried with a soft cloth. Do not use abrasive cleaners or solvents. Take care not to damage any labels. The harness can be wiped clean with mild soap and water. Allow harness to air dry. Machine wash the seat pad separately in cold water, delicate cycle. Tumble dry 10 to 15 minutes on low heat. |
| Number Of Items | 1 |
| Style | Symphony Elite |
| Number of reclining positions | 5 |
| Batteries required | No |
| Orientation | Rear Facing |
| Rear-facing minimum child weight | 5 Pounds |
| Rear-facing maximum child weight | 40 Pounds |
| Forward-facing minimum child weight | 22 Pounds |
| Forward-facing maximum child weight | 65 Pounds |
| Harness type | 5-Point |
| Item Weight | 21 pounds |
