Security 1st Flip and Go rear dealing with
Security 1st has entered the rotating automobile seats chat with the Flip and Go 360. Their providing has some fairly important challenges, from a low high harness place to a excessive backside harness place, a unusual set up, and a easy shell that makes transferring the seat tough, there’s so much occurring with this one. Come alongside as we test it out.
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CSFTL Fast Stats
- Rear dealing with weight vary: 5-40 kilos
- Rear dealing with decrease anchor weight restrict: 25 kilos
- Ahead dealing with weight vary:, 22 – 65 kilos
- Ahead dealing with peak vary: 29 – 49 inches tall and the highest of the kid’s ears are beneath the headrest
- Ahead dealing with decrease anchor weight restrict: 30 kilos
- Booster mode weight vary: 40 – 100 kilos
- Booster mode peak vary: 43 – 52 inches tall
- LATCH can be utilized in booster mode (notice: our guide didn’t say this however up to date manuals will allow this)
- Expiration: 10 years
- Lockoff on the bottom
- Prime tether use is required in rear dealing with and ahead dealing with modes if the automobile has a tether anchor obtainable
Measurements
- Seat weight: 30 kilos
- Lowest harness peak: 8.5 inches (that’s not a typo)
- Highest harness peak: 15 inches (additionally not a typo)
- Booster mode: highest belt information place: 16 inches (once more, not a typo)
Distinctive Options
- Some fashions embrace the SecureTech™ Magnetic Chest Clip however our not-DLX mannequin didn’t
- Cupholders that attempted my endurance
- Not licensed to be used on airplanes in any mode
Meeting
Security 1st Flip and Go errant cupholder
Out of the field, the seat is just about able to go. The one meeting required is so as to add the cupholders. They line up with the plastic molds within the armrests of the seat, then flip to click on in place. I did discover that one in all ours LOVED to leap off of the seat as I used to be putting in and uninstalling for this evaluation. Right here it’s, in its completely happy place on the bottom.
Harness Heights
This is likely one of the elephants within the room on the subject of this seat so I need to handle them early on. The bottom harness peak is 8.5 (ish) inches. In a world the place we routinely see a 6 or 7 inch lowest harness peak, that is an disagreeable anomaly. Additionally, for causes I can’t clarify, this seat match our new child doll moderately properly. So please use warning and your finest judgment when utilizing this seat for a new child!
Now, the best harness place can also be distinctive — it’s solely 15 inches from the seat pan to the shoulder slot. That measurement is equal to roughly a 4 12 months previous baby. Since we are likely to advocate that kids be not less than 5 years previous earlier than transferring to a booster seat, the Flip and Go would make that fairly difficult.
In that very same vein, the highest shoulder belt information in booster mode is an absurdly low 16.5 inches. Once more, that’s someplace round 4-6 years previous. The seat is rated to 100 kilos in booster mode however with a max peak that’s so quick, there’s no means it might ever be an possibility for a 100 pound baby. (as at all times, you’re free to show me flawed)
Wedge Pillow
Security 1st Flip and Go wedge pillow
The seat features a wedge pillow that we’d sometimes check with as an toddler insert. Nevertheless, on this case it’s required in rear dealing with mode, whatever the baby’s weight, and in ahead dealing with mode till the kid weighs 30 kilos. These kind of inserts are sometimes misplaced or faraway from the seat for cleansing, I can’t think about that caregivers would discover this rule within the guide and preserve monitor of this insert lengthy sufficient to make use of it in keeping with these pointers. I didn’t discover the restriction till late within the evaluation course of as a result of it’s on the entrance of the guide, within the Accent Use part, fairly than within the rear dealing with part, which does NOT present the wedge pillow in place in any of the illustrations.
Set up: Rear and Ahead Going through
Putting in the seat is one other distinctive problem.To begin with, it weighs 30 kilos so lugging it out to the automobile is not any small feat. I might not recommend this seat for households who’ve a tough time carrying heavy objects. The sleek sides and lack of a great place to seize onto added to the problem in transferring the seat round.
The excellent news? There’s just one set up methodology for rear or ahead dealing with use. Prime tether use is strongly inspired.
The unhealthy information? That set up is probably the quirkiest set up I’ve confronted in lo, these a few years of automobile seating. Please notice that I didn’t say most tough, it’s simply exceptionally quirky.
The seat is inherently two items — a base and the seat’s shell. Not like different rotating seats which have the shell come off of the bottom for set up, the Flip and Go’s shell is hooked up to a part of the bottom by way of two wires. I do know why that is: initially, the very related Maxi-Cosi Emme was in two separate items. The shell would come off of the bottom for set up, then slide again onto a type of monitor on the highest of the bottom. If a caregiver wasn’t diligent about which finish of that monitor was dealing with the skin of the automobile, it was attainable to place the shell onto that monitor the flawed means. After which it might get caught on mentioned monitor.
Ask me how I do know this.
Picture courtesy of Villian’s Wiki: https://static.wikia.nocookie.internet/villains/photographs/2/25/Dark_Helmet.jpg/revision/newest?cb=20181027101757
You can too ask me how I do know that ought to that occur, getting the Emme again into the field to ship it again is one other big problem. So I suppose the answer to that’s to loosely and inconveniently connect the shell to the monitor. Which brings me to Darkish Helmet.
Security 1st Flip and Go set up
To put in the seat, it’s possible you’ll must take away any automobile seats that could be put in subsequent to the seating place you plan to make use of for this seat, then set the Flip and Go in your automobile seat. Connect the highest tether loosely and squeeze the rotation deal with on the highest of the bottom (IMHO it isn’t notably simple to entry or squeeze, it’s in the midst of the bottom, underneath the kid’s toes, it doesn’t squeeze with ease) whereas pushing on the seat to show it. As soon as the shell is dealing with you, squeeze the recline angle that’s underneath the sting of the seat pan (on the shell), then flip the shell again and out of the best way.
Security 1st Flip and Go set up
You now have an abnormally giant automobile seat — the Darkish Helmet-looking shell is in the midst of the automobile whereas the bottom is within the seating place you’re planning to make use of. Your subsequent job is to truly set up the bottom.
Our associates at Security 1st wished me to say that the wires attaching the shell to the bottom have been their reply to a requirement from NHTSA.
Automobile Seat Belt
Security 1st Flip and Go rear dealing with
As soon as I might truly entry the belt path, the set up wasn’t too tough. I began with the automobile seat belt because the decrease anchors have been saved in a pouch on the bottom. I couldn’t fairly work out how I’d entry that pouch and take away the decrease anchor connectors whereas Darkish Helmet was taking on my complete backseat.
Security 1st Flip and Go two stress indicators
Thread the automobile seat belt by means of the belt path, then buckle it in. Pull up on the shoulder portion of the belt whereas pushing down on the bottom. That a part of the method is fairly customary however — the burden of the seat’s shell made the bottom tip fairly a bit so I needed to actually work at getting each of the stress indicators into the inexperienced show. The trick was to push down a bit on the facet furthest from the seat’s shell whereas pulling the seat belt comfortable. I additionally discovered that even when each of the symptoms have been within the inexperienced and the bottom ought to have been good and comfortable, it actually wasn’t. Like virtually each automobile seat set up, it was that final adjustment that helped to safe the seat. Irritating because the indicators confirmed that the stress was tremendous.
Security 1st Flip and Go two stress indicators displaying inexperienced
As soon as the bottom is put in, test your work by giving the bottom a agency handshake on the belt path. Discovering a great place to try this test was additionally a bit tough, I ended up turning my hand palm up, then grabbing the underside of the belt path.
Decrease Anchors
Security 1st Flip and go decrease anchors
The seat contains customary j-hook decrease anchors, you recognize, the kind that’s liable to being tough to take away as soon as they’re put in. I’m at all times cautious of this fashion of anchor — if a seasoned CPST finds them tough to make use of, caregivers might as properly. So I have a tendency to make use of the automobile seat belt as an alternative if the caregiver agrees.
However since this isn’t a seat test, I eliminated the decrease anchors from their pouch on the again of the seat and set to work.
The truth that this seat contains the less-featured kind of decrease anchor they usually’re saved in an out of the best way place means that Security 1st would favor that we use the automobile seat belt with this seat. But it surely’s not spelled out within the guide in order that’s simply me guessing.
Security 1st Flip and go decrease anchors
The belt path for the decrease anchors doesn’t use the lockoff on the seat’s base. It simply goes over the closed lockoff. The strain indicators nonetheless work, which is good. Thread the decrease anchor webbing by means of the belt path, then pull up on the tail finish of the webbing to take away the slack. I discovered this moderately simple however did battle a bit of when the decrease anchor adjuster bought into the belt path — I needed to transfer it out of the best way to get the webbing tight sufficient.
Eradicating the decrease anchors was truly fairly simple!
Match to Baby
Rear Going through
New child Doll
Security 1st Flip and Go new child doll
Given the excessive 8.5 inch lowest harness place, I totally anticipated that our Huggable Photographs new child (7 kilos, 17 inches lengthy) wouldn’t match properly. Name me shocked and happy however the doll does match! The straps are on the doll’s shoulders (they need to be at or beneath when rear dealing with so that is acceptable). However that top backside harness place does make us a bit of cautious — please test the match for an precise baby on this seat earlier than heading out for a drive.
16 Month Previous Doll
Security-1st-Flip and Go 16 month previous doll
Our 16 month previous doll is 31 inches tall. We anticipated the seat to suit the doll properly because the doll is between the bottom and highest harness positions.
We have been proper! The doll matches properly and has loads of room to develop.
3 12 months Previous Doll
Security-1st-Flip and Go 3 12 months previous doll rear dealing with
Our 3 12 months previous doll is 38 inches tall and matches will within the Flip and Go in rear dealing with mode.
Ahead Going through
3 12 months Previous Doll
Security 1st Flip and Go 3 12 months previous doll ahead dealing with
Right here’s our 3 12 months previous doll once more. We positively anticipated that the doll would slot in ahead dealing with mode, even with the pretty restricted peak vary within the seat’s harness. The doll has about 2 clicks left to develop on the harness, which leads again to our considerations in regards to the seat being fairly short-lived in ahead dealing with and booster modes.
Changing to Booster Mode
Security 1st Flip and Go booster mode conversion
The harness shops on the seat itself, that’s at all times a plus. However the Flip and Go has a type of odd piece of plastic behind the kid’s again, it’s a lattice of kinds, the underside half of it angles out and towards the kid. My kiddos are gone the automobile seat days however I can say with some confidence that the best way this plastic stands out would have been a deal breaker for one in all my kiddos.
Security 1st Flip and Go booster mode conversion
Loosen harness straps, undo crotch buckle, take away cup holders, life pad from middle of seat, pull crotch buckle out of seat, elevate headrest to highest place, undo fasteners on seat pad, pull headrest cowl off of headrest, thread harness slots into sides of headrest, tighten harness, wrap headrest pad round high of headrest, exchange cupholders, rotate seat. Notice: the guide instructs to rotate the seat as a ultimate step however that’s the primary time it was talked about. I can’t fairly think about doing all of this with the seat’s shell in an unlocked place.
Security 1st Flip and go booster mode
Clip the items of the chest clip collectively, then slide them into the cubby gap beneath the plastic grate. I attempted very laborious to copy the setup within the guide however failed.
The guide cautions towards utilizing the seat in booster mode if the kid’s head is inside 5 inches of the automobile roof. Since this seat is so quick, I can’t think about this ever being a problem. However you’ve been warned.
Booster Match
Solely the lap portion of the belt goes by means of the decrease belt information. Good factor as a result of I discovered it not possible to maintain each sections of the belt in that area.
Booster is Actually Liable to Tipping
The seat isn’t notably degree — if it’s rotated into rear dealing with mode when not put in, the shell ideas the bottom up off of the bottom. That tippiness extends to booster mode as a result of the bottom is pretty slender however the shell is wider. Not solely was it tough to buckle the seat belt in booster mode, the seat itself moved side-to-side fairly a bit because it’s not put in within the automobile.
Our guide doesn’t point out utilizing LATCH in booster mode so there’s no actual possibility for stopping our seat from tipping. Nevertheless, up to date variations of the guide and an FAQ on the Security 1st web site will allow this in order that’s an enormous win.
6 Years Previous
Security 1st Flip and Go booster mode
Our 6 12 months previous mannequin is 48 inches tall. Although the mannequin is technically beneath the peak restrict for utilizing booster mode on this seat, the doll’s shoulders are above the shoulder belt information so the seat doesn’t match on this mode. We are able to’t actually discover a state of affairs the place a booster seat with a 16 inch most belt information peak is helpful.
Notice about Washing the Cowl
The guide has type of uncommon directions round washing the duvet — it should be turned inside-out earlier than washing. There’s additionally a notice that if you happen to take the harness off, will probably be not possible to place again on. I understand this may increasingly encourage some readers to say “problem accepted!” however we’d warning towards that. The quilt actually may be eliminated with out eradicating the harness.
Essential Data: The place to Discover
Security 1st Flip and Go decrease anchor storage
Date of manufacture label: this label is situated on the underside of the seat’s shell. The Flip and Go expires 10 years after the date of manufacture.
Security 1st Flip and Go plane use forbidden label
FAA approval: This seat isn’t authorized to be used on airplanes. We don’t disagree with this — it’s such an unwieldy seat that I can’t think about touring with it!
Total Ideas
I can often discover one or two situations the place even essentially the most difficult seat can be worthy of consideration however I’m arising a bit quick on this one. It’s heavy, awkward to put in, short-lived, and on the costly facet (although it’s on the cheaper facet for rotating seats, in order that’s a plus).
