Evenflo Symphony 65 with Surelatch All In One Seat, North Bay

This is an exceptional design that offers full-size convertible car seat features and specs but can fit (rear-facing) in cars a few inches too short for other full-size convertible seats. The features and quality is also competitive with the better brands out there like the Britax Diplomat/Boulevard and Recaro Signo, which all have side impact protection.

I only use this in rear-facing mode for my 18mo, 22lb baby, so this review is written in the context of rear-facing usage.

PROS:

1) Its outer shell is 2-3 inches shorter than other full-size convertible seats. It can rear-face to 35lbs or forward-face (harnessed) to 65lbs like the biggest convertible seats available. However, the the shorter shell allows rear-facing in cars that normally could not fit a full-size convertible like the Britax Boulevard or Recaro Signo. Although the main shell is shorter, the adjustable heat restraint can be raised for taller children, once you are in forward...Read more

We have only had this car seat for about a week and only rear facing. But so far we love it! I was less then thrilled with our first Graco car seat (the harness straps ALWAYS get suck underneath, huge pain to tighten/loosen.)
It's very easy to tighten/loosen the harness straps. Adjusting the height of the straps, the part by their shoulders, is just a matter of pulling up or down. They slide, meaning you don't have to rethread the whole seat to adjust the shoulder position.
She still has a couple good inches of leg room before she'll actually hit the back seat, which is good. (She's nine months old, tall for her age.)
It seems to be pretty bulky but that may be normal?? I don't have anything to compare it to.
It fits pretty well in our Gr Cherokee.

One thing to note...Evenflo makes another Symphony, which is cheaper. But note the other Symphony has a lesser weight limit for the harness. I believe the capacity is 60 pounds. It says the car seat...Read more

I typically shy away from all-in-one products as they don't live up the hype, but this car seat seems to have everything going for it.

I personally would not use a convertible seat for a newborn, but once your child becomes too heavy to carry around in an infant seat the Symphony 65 is the best choice! Sure you can get other brands that are rated for higher speed crashes, etc, but I do not feel that they are worth twice or three times the cost of this seat.

The SureLatch system makes proper installation of the seat so easy that I wouldn't have to rely on my husband to install it. The LATCH handles are larger than most models, which makes installation super easy. Also, hearing the LATCH system click as you push on the seat to tighten it is reassuring that it's working.

The padding in the seat is very soft, comfortable, machine washable and easily removable (comparable to pricier brands, but superior to other seats in this price range). The...Read more