The First Years True Fit Premier Rebound Convertible Car Seat Review & Giveaway

First, the facts…….

“Recently awarded a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 5-Star Ease of Use rating, The First Years True Fit Rebound is the only convertible car seat that offers the Rebound Energy Management System.  Managing Rebound Energy helps reduce the chance for broken bones in the legs, hips and waist that can be significant in a violent crash. The True Fit Rebound also features a multi-position recline in BOTH the Forward and Rear Facing positions.  The True Fit Rebound is the only convertible car seat that offers multiple recline positions in a rear facing installation.” SRP: $269.99

“Looking for a car seat that is easy to install? Did you know if you have a seat that is easier to install there is less of a chance that it will be installed incorrectly? The True Fit Convertible Car Seats have all been awarded high “Ease of Use” ratings from the National Highway Transportation Administration, NHTSA for short. What does that mean? That after reviewing our seats, our labels, and our instructions it was determined our seats were Easy To Use! The True Fit Premier Rebound (model C670) was awarded Five Stars in both the rear- and forward-facing modes, the maximum awarded by NHTSA.”

The 5-star ratings by NHTSA are for the seats’ ease-of-use pertaining to:

The True Fit is one of the most known names in convertible child car seats. This car seat can be used from infancy in rear-facing position all the way up to toddlerhood in the forward-facing position. Buying a convertible car seat is such a great way to get your moneys worth. In other words, you are buying just one car seat and its growing with your child instead of trading up due to height and weight restrictions like most other car seats. You can use this car seat until your child is ready for a booster seat. The True Fit is rated for kids 5 to 65 lbs and up to 50 inches.

This was really a great car seat for me to review due to me having 3 small children (different ages and sizes) I was able to convert it in every way possible to let all 3 of my boys try it out.

I decided to go from oldest to youngest in testing this car seat out with my boys, using it a few days each. Right when we opened the box the fun started, the boys were all so excited and already arguing about who would get to try it out first. So we walked out to the garage (very light by the way, I kid you not I had my 7 month old in one arm and the car seat in the other) and began to strap the car seat into the place. Upon strapping it in I did find it surprisingly easy. There’s no need to use a difficult locking clip when you’re securing the seat with a lap belt. The True Fit has a built-in “auto/latch belt clamp” on both sides that you thread the belt through and lock down.

First up was my almost 3yr old (34months) Jordon who is very tall for his age and a bit broad, he fit in it just fine with room to spare and this is with all the extra comfy padding provided still in the car seat. I did have to of course move the shoulder straps up all the way to accommodate for his height and it was way way way too easy. I never once had to pull the straps out and re-loop them, there are levers on the sides of the seat that you simply raise and lower to adjust to the desired height…. I LOVE THIS FEATURE!!  I also had to install the provided headrest(simply slip it into the slots on top of the car seat itself). Jordon sits in the 3^rd row seat in our SUV, this car seat fit well in this space and I found that he still had ample leg room away from the seat in front of him. We had Jordon in this seat for a few days and he really seemed to love it and threw a fit when his turn was over!

The yellow piece you see here is the height adjustment lever

Side Note- His current car seat tops out with a child height of 40 inches. Since The True Fit comes with a head rest extension, it works for kids up to 50 inches tall.

**In forward facing mode, the True Fit requires a top tether, part of the latch system that exists in all new US vehicles since 2002. (The manual states “Use top tether in all forward facing installations.”). If you have an older car, you’ll need to have a top tether installed.**

Next I put Korbin (29lbs slender, 22months old) in The True Fit Premier car seat. I never had to remove the car seat to adjust the shoulder straps. As I said before it’s very easy, simply grab a knob on each side of the seat, retract and slide them up or down. Korbin had his shoulder straps two from the top and this worked out perfect for him. Now as far as the size of this car seat goes, its wider than our other car seats but not so much that I cant fit two more car seats on the same bench seat in the car. Having to fit 3 car seats in the car this is something I look for. I can fit an infant seat with the base, a toddler seat and the First Years True Fit all together side by side with no problem. We decided to try it this time without all the extra provided padding and he still seemed to be very comfy. The deep side wings provided an ultra plush pillow for his head (he is my little napper, never misses one lol) Every time he fell asleep he had somewhere for his head to fall, unlike his current Evenflo seat. The sides of the True Fit are very generous in size and potentially provide more coverage in the event of a side-impact collision.

Last but not least I put my youngest son Gavin (7months, 20lbs) in the True Fit Premier Rebound. So we returned all the padding to the seat, removed the headrest and this time I was so much faster at installing the car seat (third time lol). I did of course have to turn it to a rear facing car seat for the baby. Now  The seat should be positioned at a 45 degree angle when rear-facing, sometimes easier said than done but with  A “recline foot” plastic flipper underneath the seat, it assists with this goal. Flip it forward or backward for rear or forward-facing mode. It’s much handier than using towels to gain that extra height!  A red level indicator sticker on both sides of the seat helps you judge whether the seat is at 45 degrees. If the red line is parallel to the ground then VIOLA you have successfully positioned the True Fit as suggested!! This feature helped immensely. Gavin snuggles quite well in this seat. He just sits and gazes happily at his surroundings. It’s reassuring to know that he’ll likely be using this same seat when he’s Jordons age.

Here you can see the recline foot (red) and the detachable headrest

Other Great Features of The First Years Tru Fit Rebound Convertible Car Seat

-Some seats have buckle prongs that you hook together like puzzle pieces before inserting them into the buckle lock (we have TWO of these now ugh). They are the most annoying thing in the world to me. The True Fit has the harness latch….. two prongs that individually get inserted into the buckle lock, like an infant car seat.

- Cup holder! Okay, it’s ordinary, but removable and attachable on either side of the seat. This feature allows you to easily remove for cleaning (A+ feature in my book). The holder opening is wide enough to accommodate even the large-handled sippy cups

- Crotch adjuster! The bottom portion of the harness has two possible positions forward and back. In other words, back for an infant and forward as your child’s girth increases.

- Loosen the harness by lifting a lever at the front of the seat, and pulling the harness outward from the shoulders. Or, tighten the harness by pulling the excess harness strap.

Clean up!! Moms, no worries here when your infant or toddler has an accident, spilled drink or whatever else may end up in his seat, clean up is a SNAP! The True Fit fabric is attached with just a few snaps and elastic loops to make it easy to disassemble and reassemble for cleaning.

Officially, you “hand wash in cool water with mild detergent and hang to dry. DO NOT machine wash or dry in a dryer.”

Final Praise

By all appearances The True Fit Premier Rebound is comfy, plush and cushiony. It has multiple layers of lush padding. They don’t build driver’s seats like this because you’d fall asleep at the wheel. Most Convertible car seats are so big and heavy, but this one is not. I would with out a doubt buy the True Fit over any other car seat we have tried throughout the years it has all the bells and whistles and has proven to be an overall FANTASTIC CAR SEAT!!!

Size Specifications

• Rear-facing without headrest extension: 5 to 22lbs (2.3 to 10kg).
• Rear-facing with headrest extension: 5 to 35lbs (2.3 to 15.88kg) and head is 1 inch below top of seat.
• Forward facing: 23 to 65 lbs (10.42 to 29kg) and a height of 50
  inches or less and at least 1-year-old. Car must have a top tether.
• Dimensions: (LxWxH / WT): 24.00 ” x 19.50 ” x 27.50 ” / 19.25 lbs.

Learning Curve  is offering  1 lucky MommyPR reader a chance to WIN their very own Tru FitPremier Rebound Car Seat

Win It

Mandatory Entry:

1. Visit Learning Curve and tell me which other items you would like to have or see featured on MommyPR.

Open to US residents only

Contest ends 11:59 pm Pacific Time on 3/17/2010

See Contest Rules for More Entries

There you have it – lot’s of ways to enter so please help us get the word out and good luck!!!!

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