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Main Differences Between Evenflo Chase vs Evenflo Maestro
The Main Differences Between the Evenflo Chase vs Evenflo Maestro are:
- Evenflo Chase provides a five-point safety harness used up to 40 pounds, whereas Maestro keeps your child in the harness until they reach 65 pounds
- Evenflo Chase is a little slimmer, whereas Maestro has elastic band cup holders to accommodate all different sizes of sippy cups and water bottles.
- Evenflo Chase is a little bit cheaper than Maestro.
Sometimes, when you compare two baby products, it’s a little easier than you might think, especially if they come from two entirely different brands. But when you have two booster car seats from Evenflo, it can be a little more tricky, if only because you have to expect that they will be quite similar.
And the main differences between the Evenflo Chase vs Evenflo Maestro can be hard to see right off the bat. They are both designed for children from 22-110 pounds and transition from a five-point safety harness buckle to a belt-positioning booster. But, as to be expected, there are differences that you can’t really ignore once you look at them both a little more closely.
The Evenflo Chase, for example, is nearly half the cost of the Maestro despite offering a lot of the same qualities. On the flip side, however, kids in the Mestro can use the harness in the Maestro from 22-65 pounds, whereas the harness for the Chase tops out at 40 pounds. This can potentially provide a safer harness for your child for longer and for some parents, that may be worth the extra cost.
They do both have convenient double cup holders built-in, but the cup holders on the Maestro also have elastic bands to allow for larger sippy cups, snacks, or toys and fewer limitations of the hard plastic of the cup holders of the Chase. It’s not a huge deal for most parents and kids, but it’s another aspect of each booster car seat that makes them a little different from each other.
At their core, both the Evenflo Maestro and Evenflo Chase are designed with your child’s safety and comfort in mind and of course, those are the things that matter the most. But once you have established that they possess those, you are going to want to decide what other qualities both booster car seats have that your little one needs the most.
Evenflo Chase Car Seat
Some of the clear benefits of the Evenflo Chase Car Seat are that it is not only slightly slimmer than the Maestro, but it is also more lightweight. At just 11 pounds, it is airplane ready, so it’s a little easier to travel with. This is a value at almost any price because traveling with a high-back booster car seat isn’t the easiest thing in the world.
It has four different harness positions and two crotch buckle positions to grow with your child and keep him or her comfortable as they get older and bigger. This makes using the five-point safety harness a little easier for larger toddlers as they grow, but eventually, they can transition to your car’s seat belt threaded through the car seat to secure them each time.
It has been side impact tested and designed to withstand double the amount of structural damage in the event of a crash. That’s also kind of a big deal since safety is always key when it comes to car seats and booster car seats. To clean the seat pad, you can easily remove it from the actual seat and clean it in the washer. The harness, however, should simply be wiped clean.
But overall, it’s not too much of a chore to get and keep the car seat clean as your child grows and makes mess after mess.
Features
- Safety: It is made with ample side impact protection and has been engineered to be twice as durable as necessary in the event of a crash.
- Child Weight Range: Children can use the five-point safety harness from 22-65 pounds and then transition to the belt-positioning stage from 40-110 pounds.
- Has This Item Been Recalled?: There was a 2014 recall on some Evenflo Chase harnesses.
- Full Review: Evenflo Chase Review
Pros
- It’s slim enough to fit up to three Evenflo Chase boosters in the back seat of some cars.
- It’s also so lightweight that moving it between cars is as simple as possible.
- The crotch buckle can be adjusted, which is one of the main issues parents typically find with booster car seats.
- It’s made with a lot of comfortable and safe padding to keep your child supported from the time they first graduate to the booster up until they grow out of it.
- Unlike some other booster car seats, the fabric on this one is breathable and typically won’t overheat your little one.
Cons
- It can be used for less time with the five-point safety harness.
- While it is a slim booster seat, some parents might feel it is almost too small for older children who still need a high-back booster car seat.
- There aren’t any recline options and for younger toddlers who first transition to the booster, this can be a problem.
Evenflo Maestro Car Seat
The Evenflo Maestro Car Seat is another high-back booster designed to grow with your child and at first glance, it might look identical to the Evenflo Chase. But when you look a little closer, you will see that there are plenty of benefits to the Maestro too.
Like the fact that children can use the five-point harness mode for longer with this one and its versatile elastic band cup holders. It is also made to exceed the federal safety standards by being two times as safe for little ones in the event of a car crash. And since it is made to grow with your child, there are four different shoulder strap positions so you can continue to adjust the booster car seat as your child grows and develops.
It’s also made with plenty of cushions to keep your child comfortable, but not so much that they feel overheated when sitting in the booster car seat for long periods of time on long car rides.
It is on the heavier and bulkier side when compared to the Chase, but the Maestro does offer an upfront harness adjustment, which is plenty convenient, and a shoulder belt guide to help you get your child secured in the seat right every time.
Features
- Safety: It has side impact protection and is designed to exceed the federal safety standards with double the amount of safety reinforcements.
- Child Weight Range: Children can use the five-point harness from 22-65 pounds and the belt-positioning booster option from 40-110 pounds.
- Has This Item Been Recalled?: There was a 2014 recall on some Evenflo Maestro harnesses.
- Full Review: Evenflo Maestro Review
Pros
- With this one, your child can use the five-point safety harness for longer.
- It’s a little heavier and bulkier, but that just means that it is more likely to act as a strong defense for your child when buckled in.
- It’s also super easy to install in different cars.
- If you need to wash the seat cover, you can easily remove and machine wash it.
- There is plenty of padding to keep little ones comfortable at all times.
Cons
- It can be a little difficult to properly tighten the safety straps.
- The booster can be a little large for some cars.
- Unlike some other similar booster car seats, the Maestro doesn’t come with shoulder padding.
The Verdict: Evenflo Chase or Maestro?
Both the Evenflo Chase and Evenflo Maestro are solid options if you need a high-back booster car seat. But when the Maestro’s biggest difference is its longevity in using the five-point harness, that’s not necessarily enough to make it the stronger option.
So when it’s all said and done, the Evenflo Chase is the one to go with here. It has nearly all of the same features and benefits as the Maestro but for almost half the price.
Since this will be the last car seat you need for your child, it’s important for some parents that they don’t break the bank with yet another car seat. The Evenflo Chase is safe for children from 22-110 pounds, which makes it one you can use for literal years, and it has been designed to be as safe as possible.
Plus, it’s so lightweight and airplane-friendly that traveling with it is strangely simple. The Evenflo Maestro isn’t a bad choice by any means, but the Evenflo Chase is the way to go.
Evenflo Chase vs Evenflo Maestro: Final Thoughts
You won’t be making the wrong choice, so to speak, if you choose to go with the Evenflo Maestro instead of the Evenflo Chase booster car seat. Both are indeed solid options for any family.
But the goal here is to figure out the main differences between the Evenflo Chase vs. Evenflo Maestro and in order to do that, you have to admit where they each come up short. And after looking at every aspect of these two booster seats, the Evenflo Chase is the clear option.
