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Car seat shopping can be an overwhelming task. When I was pregnant with my first, I naively went into a big box store thinking I would “pick up” a car seat. It was just another item on my “Getting Ready for Baby” list, and I figured this store would surely have what I needed.
After spending an hour reading tiny words on the sales tags that accompanied the 30-plus seats in the store, I gave up and headed home. What kind of parent was I going to be if I couldn’t even pick out a car seat? Does it have to cost a fortune to be the safest option?
It’s hard, especially as a new parent because you certainly want your child to be safe; but at the same time, you don’t want to take out a loan to cover the cost of a car seat.
The SureRide can be used in both rear-facing and forward-facing directions making it a practical option for parents looking for a long-lasting car seat. The SureRide is praised for having one of the broadest harness adjustment ranges among convertibles (six total) allowing you to keep your child harnessed longer.
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Evenflo SureRide DLX
Thankfully, you can buy the best seat without emptying your bank account, when you purchase the Evenflo SureRide DLX.
Since that fruitless journey to the land of car seats, I have had three babies in four years. This means I have a lot of experience wrangling car seats and I’m here to introduce you to one of the better ones: the made-in-the-U.S.A. Evenflo SureRide DLX. My review is based on online reviews of actual customers that purchased the seat, and industry experts who have reviewed it.
Let’s start by first going over some features:
SureRide DLX Features
- Holds a rear-facing infant from 5-40 lbs. (height 19-40 inches) and a forward-facing toddler from 22-65 lbs. (height: 28-54 inches).
- Meets or exceeds the Federal Safety Standards.
- It has six strap positions to ensure the child is properly restrained as they grow.
- It comes equipped with a removable pillow and a seat pad made of energy-absorbing foam to keep kids comfortable.
- Features a removable cup holder.
- Available in a variety of attractive colors.
You Get More for Your Money with SureRide DLX
After reading those features, you may wonder how one seat can hold a five-pound newborn and a 65- pound toddler, which makes this a great infant and toddler car seat. The six shoulder strap positions and two crotch buckle positions allow it to accommodate children as they grow, and the upfront harness adjustment and buckle release make it convenient for easy adjustments.
The straps and harness allow you to customize the perfect fit for your child at every age. Instead of buying a new car set every time they meet a new milestone, the SureRide DLX gives you options to accommodate their growth.
Now let’s look at the ages and stages of children in the SureRide DLX. This will help us all get a better understanding of how extended-use convertible car seats work, and how a child can use the same one from birth to booster.
Newborns
My 2-Cents: When my kids were newborns I was uncomfortable when their heads would drop to the side like this; especially when I saw it through the rear-view mirror while driving. The reality is, they were fine.
If it concerns you, ask your doctor, and they will probably say to either buy padded inserts or roll up small blankets to help stabilize their head and keep it upright, which is what my doctor told me.
Evenflo included this extra padding to help cradle newborns and infants in this extended-use seat. Do you see that strap hanging in the front? That is the harness adjustment that you pull to make sure the harness is tight enough for your baby. In my opinion, one of the best features of a car seat.
Each time your child pops into the seat for a ride, this harness makes sure it’s a tight fit. If they have a bulky jacket on you can give them a little extra space for comfort, or if they’ve outgrown their current strap setting, it helps ease up the tension until you can properly move the shoulder straps (we’ll get into that later).
Infant
My 2-cents: I was never a fan of rear-facing seats when my kids were infants. I could never get a mirror to stay in the right spot on their headrest so I could see their faces in my rear-view mirror. I also thought the position of the seat seemed a bit awkward.
It didn’t matter whether I liked it or not; the fact is kids between 5-40 lbs. are much safer in a vehicle riding this way than the front-facing alternative. In the worst-case scenario of a car accident, they are in a better position to absorb the impact of the crash which minimizes their risk of injury or death.
In fact, a study in the Journal of Injury Prevention found that children under the age of two are 75 percent less likely to die or be severely injured in a crash if they are rear-facing.
Evenflo designed the SureRide DLX convertible car seat to allow your child to remain rear-facing, longer. Many reviewers of the Evenflo DLX praised the seat for easy rear-facing installation and for providing a comfortable ride for their kids.
Online reviewers were mixed when it came to using the SureRide in the rear-facing position. Some said it was ideal for kids who needed more time rear-facing, giving them the comfort they needed. Others said the seat was a little larger than anticipated, taking up some of the middle seat areas in smaller cars. Most agreed the seat did not impact the comfort of the front seat passengers.
Toddlers
Many parents of toddlers sang the praises of the Evenflo SureRide for providing a comfortable ride for their toddlers mainly because of this:
Since the SureRide offers the broadest range of harness adjustments available, there are more options to keep your child secure, safe, and comfortable while they require a car seat, and on the bonus side, it’s very easy to install so you will not have to watch hours of tutorials on how to do it yourself.
The Significance of the Six Slots
Here is where I’ll get into the importance of these six slots and the harness. When I spoke about newborns, I said how vital it is to have the adjustable harness option to secure smaller babies in the seat. This feature is a must-have for any car seat to customize a tight fit.
My 2-cents: With three kids under four years old, I didn’t have a lot of time for car seat adjustments. What’s great about these straps is it doesn’t take a long time to switch them up or down.
All you do is remove the pad, slip the strap through the back opening, and re-insert it into the next desired opening. It takes minutes, and you can do it on the fly if necessary (I’ve done so several times). Once the straps are in the right slots, you can adjust the tension using the adjustable harness to tighten the straps once you buckle the child in the seat.
The SureRide can be used in both rear-facing and forward-facing directions making it a practical option for parents looking for a long-lasting car seat. The SureRide is praised for having one of the broadest harness adjustment ranges among convertibles (six total) allowing you to keep your child harnessed longer.
Ride Safely with SureRide DLX
Evenflo as a company has over 40 years of experience manufacturing car seats. Safety is their top concern, with their website saying this:
Our team has always been committed to a quest for excellence. To the Evenflo family, nothing is more important than the safety, well-being, and development of children. We work persistently to innovate and deliver to you best-in-class infant care and juvenile products.
When I first read that I thought, yeah sure—you just want my business! A car seat company would be foolish not to say they are concerned about safety if they want to appeal to their audience. It turns out, they do go the extra mile to ensure their car seats are as safe as they can be.
Evenflo Meets and Exceeds Industry Standards
All car seats sold in the U.S. must pass the Federal Crash Test Standard for multiple harness positions and the ASTM Safety Standards, and SureRide DXL has met both requirements.
SureRide DLX safety features include:
- Side impact protection
- Thick padding
- 5-point harness
- LATCH connectors
Technically, Evenflo could stop there and sell their seats to make some money. What I admire about this company is they took it a step further by developing their own internal safety standard called the Side Impact Test Standard.
This quality control test uses twice as much energy levels that were used in the Federal test to ensure their car seats can withstand an impact, should an accident occur.
Here’s why that matters
Evenflo customer Kayla believes the SureRide DLX is what saved her daughter’s life after a terrible car accident. Here is her review: After reading her review on Amazon.com, many people commented that her testimony helped them decide to buy a SureRide as well.
FAQs
Answer: The Evenflo SureRide is 5.5″, 7.75″, 10 at rear-facing positions, and at forward-facing positions is 14.5″, 17″, 19″.
Answer: It is not mandatory to use a car seat during a flight, but it is highly recommended by the Federal Aviation Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics to use a car seat that is FAA approved.
Answer: The Evenflo SureRide is a convertible car seat, but it is not compatible with strollers. This car seat can be used from birth to booster seat age.
Some Final Thoughts
We all want to keep our children safe wherever they are, but especially in a moving vehicle. When faced with threats like distracted or impaired drivers, it’s important to buy the best seat possible to keep them safe while traveling.
Thanks to Evenflo, this best seat doesn’t have to cost a fortune. I recommend the SureRide DLX to anyone looking for a safe, extended-use car seat at an affordable cost. To learn more, check out this video about the SureRide DLX from Evenflo or visit Amazon to read the reviews for yourself.
The SureRide can be used in both rear-facing and forward-facing directions making it a practical option for parents looking for a long-lasting car seat. The SureRide is praised for having one of the broadest harness adjustment ranges among convertibles (six total) allowing you to keep your child harnessed longer.
