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red1 View Drop Down
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    Posted: 07 August 2011 at 9:33pm
Has anyone got the new evenflo convertible carseat?  Just wondering what you think of it?? 
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shellgirl View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shellgirl Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 August 2011 at 8:02am
We got an evenflo symphony 65 when my fellow was 5 months old - he has just turned 1. We had originally wanted a Radian for the extended rear facing, but it didn't fit in our car at the angle required.

The symphony fits really well in our car and is easy to get him in and out of - love that it doesn't have to have tethers rear facing! We have latch and it is really easy to install with that - haven't tried a seatbelt install.

My DS is a tall boy and I did worry slightly about the height as it is a bit more compact in that sense, but he is still has plenty to go rear facing wise.

It has been used once forward facing for a friends 3 year old - it was quite a way up for her to climb into because of the base (but i don't really have experience with other convertible seats so they could all be the same). It was great that we didn't have to rethread the straps for her, just slide them to the right spot.

I will definitely consider getting another one for bubs #2 when the time comes.

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High9 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote High9 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 August 2011 at 9:32am
I do not and would not recommend it at all. We have one and it is a piece of crap, no offence to the above poster! For a start... The manual says rear facing to 15kg (why I bought it) yet the carseat says do not rear face past 9kg... Rung them up and they said to go with the carseat label rather than the manual in case there was a misprint.

Secondly, the carseat itself is made from a plastic frame with polystyrene inside the plastic hollow frame... The darn polystyrene has broken twice on my carseat! Once when we took it out to turn it forward facing (after the weight incident) and again when we got a new car and were reinstalling it. It's so poorly made.
- also we weren't rough with it at all - it's just very thin and flimsy in certain spots.

Points I did like about it though was that it converts to a booster as well so could last a while.
As the above poster said it doesn't need a tether for rear facing (BUT I found that you need to use the seat belt lock for rearfacing otherwise if you go around a sharp corner it is likely to tip. We don't have latch), it's quite stylie although the fabric does fade quickly...

Hope that helps... The place where I bought it from were very helpful the first time the polystyrene broke and replaced it for me from the floor model one (bit odd I thought) and they said they'd had a couple of others come back with the same issue. Second time they weren't as helpful.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Danda08 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 August 2011 at 10:03am
We have 2 Evenflo Symphony 65's and love them.
Like shellgirl we wanted the Radian but it didn't fit in our car at the correct angle for rear facing.

I'm actually really glad now, having seen my friend's daughter in a Radian I think the Evenflo seems much more comfortable.

They are easy to install using the latch and we haven't had any of the issues High9 mentioned.
I find them easy to get my girls in and out of, the straps are easy peasy to do up and adjust etc.

Finally I think they are great value for money, you get ERF (both my seat and manual say to 15kg), FF and booster.
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shellgirl View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shellgirl Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 August 2011 at 10:37am
After reading High9's post I just went and checked my seat.   It has two labels - one does say the 9kg rearfacing limit, the other the 15.8kg so something has gone a bit wrong in the labelling. I'm going to e-mail them with the model number to clarify, but CaughtKnee it might be an idea to check both the seat label and the manual before you purchase if you decide on the Evenflo.

High9, I would have been asking for my money back if I was you re the 9kg limit - if that is the case the seat is effectively not what you were sold. I will be doing just that if they tell me that it is indeed 9kgs.

We have had the seat in and out quite a few times and no issues re breakage. Oh, and unfortunately I have discovered that the seat cover goes nicely through the washing machine after baby vomits.

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red1 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote red1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 August 2011 at 12:34pm

Wow that is really interesting about the weight limit labels etc.....im glad I asked opinions...but perhaps even more undecided now

we are going to go checkout seats at BOTM.  The reason I liked this seat was because like many of you I was sold on the radian until I rang BOTM to see if they had any in stock and she said she didnt like the radian and told me reasons why etc...hard to install, rearfacing teethers to floor etc instead of over the back, and didnt think for what you paid for it wasnt that greater seat etc.  She said their number one seller was the evenflo symphony and told me to research that if I wanted.  Hmmmm interesting....will definitely be checking the label!!

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red1 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote red1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 August 2011 at 1:01pm
Had me wondering about the 2 labels reading differently so rang BOTM and she said that it rear faces to 15kg thats correct and the label about it saying 9kg on the seat means that the child needs to be atleast 9kgs before you turn them too forward facing.....hopefully thats right high9??
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shellgirl View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shellgirl Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 August 2011 at 1:48pm
My side wing seat label definitely says rearface only to 9kgs (as opposed to what the BOTM lady suggests), but I'm hoping that is a mistake. The label on my base, however has the rearface to 15.8 kg limit. Will let you know when I get a response from Evenflo.

We looked at quite a few reviews of the evenflo before buying and I think the only negative was that you couldn't take the straps out for cleaning. It possibly did mean it took a bit longer when cleaning up the aforementioned vomit but I did manage to get them clean.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lucky apple Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 August 2011 at 4:03pm
Lol, I have just discovered this in the last week too...rang BotM about it!!
The seat says "use only in a rear facing position when using it with an infant weighing less than 20lb (9kg)" .....I immediately thought that this meant that you should not use it RF if a child is over that weight limit. But...it's actually a completely ambiguous sentence. Can be interpreted the way I initially thought...but it actually means not to use FF if a child is less than 9kg (does that make sense?). So, it's not written well at all, and hence the confusion. But, we can be reassured that it's fine to use ERF. Thing is, it only clicked in my head when I rang the Baby on the Move people....as soon as I said it out loud, I totally got it....then felt like a turkey for having queried it!!

BoTM lady said lots of people have asked specifically about it and assures me that is what they mean.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lucky apple Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 August 2011 at 4:13pm
Just read the rest of the posts, which I didn't read before posting above. And read that caughtknee had already said what I said!! sorry I jumped the gun!!

Anyway, I love our evenflo. Have that and a cosco as a second seat...evenflo def my fav of the two. I liked it initially space reasons as it fitted in our small car the best of any of the seats we tried, as well as being able to ERF. Cover goes through the washing machine fine too if you ever need to and dries quickly. I would buy it again if given the choice. :)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote red1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 August 2011 at 4:23pm
Thanks Sally...you said it much better, the lady tried to explain it to me on the phone but of course I dont have a seat infront of me to understand tha wording, so thanks for that.  I see they have bought out another one very recently BOTM lady said they are just in and rear face to 18kg now...yay for ERF!!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote High9 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 August 2011 at 5:09pm
I had contacted Evenflo directly though and I'm pretty sure they would know better than BOTM... No offense!

We are looking at getting rid of the car seat altogether. I would hate for them to give me money and take the seat and then try sell it on!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shellgirl Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 August 2011 at 5:27pm
Ah, that makes sense Sally - yes it is an ambiguous statement isn't it!! Hopefully I get a similar response from Evenflo.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shellgirl Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 August 2011 at 9:47am
This is the response from Evenflo:


"I thank you for your inquiry regarding your Evenflo Symphony car seat.

I will be more than happy to assist you with your question. What the label means is if your child weighs 9 kg, the seat must to be used in the rear facing position however the seat may be used in the rear facing position up to 15.8 kgs.

Thank you for contacting Evenflo. We appreciate the time you took to email us.

Jessie Woolever
Senior ParentLink Representative
Evenflo"

So it matches up with what BOTM have said.

High9, I wonder if Evenflo misunderstood what you were asking when you contacted them?? Although it sounds like you are unhappy with the seat for other reasons as well.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote High9 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 August 2011 at 11:07am
I guess they have misunderstood me! Thanks for clearing it up though!

Although yeah - I am pretty unhappy about the frame of it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote red1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 August 2011 at 12:11pm
Thanks  for posting the reply from evenflo Shellgirl-off to have a look at the seats tomorrow!!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote High9 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 August 2011 at 3:04pm
I have rung the store where I bought the carseat and they don't stock it anymore due to having too many problems with the seat but they are ringing the supplier and are going to get back to me on what they can do with the seat (fix it, refund, etc).
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Emmi_ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 August 2011 at 8:26pm
Originally posted by Caughtknee Caughtknee wrote:

I rang BOTM to see if they had any in stock and she said she didnt like the radian and told me reasons why etc...hard to install, rearfacing teethers to floor etc instead of over the back, and didnt think for what you paid for it wasnt that greater seat etc.


Just wondering (Im a Radian fan BTW, just so your warned ) why the teether going forward is a problem? Ive found it so much easier than it going backwards (not that it is needed when RFing, but we use it anyway), and its so not hard at all to install Ive taken it in and out of our car (and into about 5 different ones) with no issues at all (and it only takes about 3 mins to install it from start to finish). I highly recommend them, and love ours, we will be getting a 2nd one for bubba number 2.
Oh and if its the price that puts you off you can find them on sale for about $420 most of the time, and considering you will use it for the car seats life span I figure thats not bad! (around $50 a year!) But that is just my two cents


+1 May 09 Angel
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Plushie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 August 2011 at 8:10am
^^ ditto. My 2c would be the tether going into the boot is the biggest pain in the ass ever. My first carseat had a boot tether, DS was in it from birth and lifting a teeny 5kg newborn in and out around the straps was hard enough, so it was a requirement for me that it had a floor tether. MUCH easier. BOTM and Plunket seem to both be really anti radian.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote red1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 August 2011 at 8:56am

No biggie really....dont wanna offend the radian car seat...it looks to be a great seat for sure, just wasnt going to work for us, esp when DS will be travelling in DH's work truck sometimes, in the back there really isnt room for the radian, tether strap or no tether strap.  Went with the evenflo and very happy with it so far.  Guess each to there own

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