Safety 1st Chart Air 65 Convertible Car Seat (Review & Giveaway)

When it comes to our children's safety, we want the best products for them, especially when it comes to car seat safety. When I was 8 months pregnant with my now 9 month old son, my daughter (at the time 3 years old) and I got T-boned and was in a car accident. Thankfully it was not a major accident and we were all ok. I did have little complications with my pregnancy from then on out, but ever since that moment especially, I have had only ever wanted the best car seats and safety for my children. Safety 1st was the brand of my son's infant car seat (which I absolutely loved) and I know without a doubt that I can trust the Safety 1st brand.

I was sent the Safety 1st Chart Air 65 Convertible Car Seat to review

Description:
Chart a course to safety with the Chart Air 65 Convertible Car Seat by Safety 1^st with Air Protect Advanced Side Impact Protection. With a rear-facing weight range of 5-40 pounds, you're able to keep your child rear-facing longer. In forward-facing mode, this convertible car seat allows you to keep your child in a 5-point harness all the way up to 65 pounds. Featuring up-to-date designs, the Chart Air car seat is stylish as well as safe.

 Features:

• Rear-facing: 5-40 pounds
• Forward-facing in harness 22-65 pounds
• Air Protect^® Advanced Side Impact Technology shields head and immediately reduces side impact forces through the precise release of air.
• Adjustable headrest grows with your child 
• Five Point harness with up-front adjustment  
• Five harness heights and three buckle locations for proper occupant fit
• Removable cup holder
• Lumbar body pillows 
• MSRP: $139.99 available in 2012 at Specialty Retailers and Target.com

Here is a close up view of the "Stone Cutter" fabric pattern and colors:

{Also available in "Yardley"}

Let's talk about the Air Protect Technology that is found in this Safety 1st car seat. Air Protect® Technology is the most innovative safety feature ever offered in a car seat. The technology protects our children at their most vulnerable -- the head. Take a look a look at this 30 second video to get a better understanding of Air Protect.

I love all the extra padding in this car seat. There are 2 extra body pillows that go beside the hips of your baby/toddler. There is also a light padded cushion that your baby/toddler sits on. All of these are removable which is great if you need to wash them, or as your child grows and you want to remove them to make more room for your child.

Here is my son in his new car seat, before we installed it in the car:

Loving his lip in this picture! I think he was confused 

to why he was in his car seat, but not in the car! haha

There are 3 different buckle positions (the bottom one that goes between the legs) that you can choose which position is best as your child grows. My 9 month rear facing child has it in the 1st position (closest to him). There are 5 different harness slots which are the ones that go at your child's shoulders. This is great and is a must have for as your child grows and you need to change the height of the harness straps to keep your child safe and comfortable. My son is tall for his age (95th percentile) and I have his harness straps at the 2nd level (2nd from the bottom up). As you move the harness straps higher as your child grows, you will also raise the headrest bar in the back, which raises the headrest surrounding and protecting your child's head.

The straps and buckles are all easy to change slots. You will need to take the car seat out of your car when changing the buckle position and height of the harness straps along with the headrest bar.
There is a cup holder that I am currently not using since my son doesn't really need to have a drink in the car yet. I did attach it easily and it also came off easily.  Once we turn my son around to be forward facing I'll add the cup holder and that will be nice to have; won't have my son's sippy cup flying/rolling around in the car, or dripping in my son's lap or the car seat.

Installing the car seat whether rear facing or forward facing seems to be pretty standard and like most car seats. I have mine rear facing as my son is still 9 months old. It was very easy to do using the latch system (you can also use the seat belt instead of the latch system). The way the car seat sits in our car I don't need to use a pool noodle or towel underneath to prop up the front to angle it leaning back more, which I like! I had to use a pool noodle with my daughter when she was in a convertible car seat and that was annoying to me.  Again, it may differ with different vehicles as all back seats are not the same angled.

REAR FACING {5-40 POUNDS}

FORWARD FACING {22-65 POUNDS}

The car seat in general does seem to be bigger than the average size convertible car seat, although I know convertible car seats look to be getting bigger anyway. We drive a Nissan Sentra and with our daughter in highback booster seat there is still room in between them. I did have to move the passenger seat up one notch more then where we did have it before, which is not a big deal. This would be perfect to have in the middle of our car if we didn't need to have another car seat (highback booster), but it still works fine.

He looks so comfortable to me :)

Installing car seats into your vehicle can sometimes be pretty tricky. You can read here for some great convertible car seat instillation tips. 

I'm very impressed with the Safety 1st Chart Air 65 Convertible Car Seat! I love the colors, they go well with the interior of our car. I know that I can be confident with my son being safe in this car seat, heaven forbid we do get into a car accident. 

Buy It: You can go to The Safety 1st Website and buy your own Chart Air 65 Convertible Car Seat for $139.99 or at Target.com, Amazon.com or Babies"R"Us

Win It: Enter to win a Safety 1st Chart Air 65 Convertible Car Seat by entering through the Rafflecopter below. Open to US residents ages 18+  Giveaway ends on 3/11 at Midnight.

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a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I received the car seat mentioned in the post for free in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and many differ from those of yours. This blog is not responsible for prize shipment to giveaway winner.