Peg Perego breaks into the convertible carseat market with the new Primo Viaggio Convertible. It’s been a long time in coming, but I think you’ll be happy with the results. Fine fabrics, thick harness webbing, and deluxe LATCH straps are what we’ve come to expect from Peg Perego and this carseat doesn’t disappoint. The Primo Viaggio rear-faces from 5-45 lbs., then converts to a forward-facing convertible for 22-65 lbs. and less than 49”.
The Primo Viaggio Convertible comes with harness covers and an infant cushion.
Basics
- Weight limits: 5-45 lbs. rear-facing, 22-65 lbs. forward-facing
- 10 harness slot positions on carseat: 9”-17”, highest rear-facing position is about 14.25”
- 2 buckle slots: approx. 4.5”, 6”
- Restraint weight: 21.5 lbs.
- Width: approx. 18.5” at widest point (torso)
- Seat depth: 10.5” to where edge starts to angle down
- Seatback height: 21”; 24” with headrest in highest rear-facing position; 26” with headrest extended to top position
- 7 year expiration
Features and Advantages
5-point Harness from 5-65 pounds: The 65 lbs. weight limit means that heavier children will be able to stay in the seat longer before either moving to a different harnessed seat with a higher weight limit or to a booster.
High Rear-Facing Weight and Height Limits: The 45 lbs. maximum rear-facing weight limit is one of the highest on the market and means that even the largest toddlers will be able to rear-face in this convertible for a very long time. This falls in line with the revised policies of the American Academy of Pediatrics and NHTSA to keep children rear-facing to a minimum of age 2 and longer, if possible. The average-above average seat depth will give larger rear-facing children plenty of leg room. Peg doesn’t list a rear-facing height limit; use rear-facing until the child’s head is within 1” of the top of the headrest.
EPS and EPP Foam: Generous use of white EPS foam on the sides of the carseat adds that extra feeling of safety. A block of EPP foam (called Shock Absorbing Foam Element, or SAFE) on the bottom of the seat crushes during impact. At 8.5” wide at ear level, the headrest will actually fit a big ol’ noggin.
10 Harness Height Positions: Lowest harness height position is approx. 7” with the infant cushion in use while the highest harness height position is approx. 16 ¾”-17”. The slot positions are about ¾” apart. The top 3 harness slot positions are for forward-facing use only.
Harness heights directly from Peg (http://blog.pegperegousa.com/uncategorized/ask-an-engineer/):
9.6”, 10.3”, 11.1”, 11.9”, 12.6”, 13.4”, 14.2” (all 7 approved for rear-facing)
15.0”, 15.7”, 16.5” (for forward-facing use only)
The harness height can be adjusted from the front of the seat while the PV is installed. Adjusting the harness height is accomplished by pulling the tab at the top of the seat and pulling up or pushing down.
Recline Adjustments: There is one recline adjustment for rear-facing. The PV may be installed at angles between 35°-45° and there’s an angle indicator line on the side which may be used as a reference.
Harness Adjuster and Use: To tighten the harness, pull on the harness adjuster strap on the front of the restraint. The harness release button is located under the cover through a slit in the fabric.
LATCH: The PV has 2 separately adjusted LATCH straps that slide along a metal bar on the side of the seat (à la a Britax convertible); when placed in the forward position, they are used rear-facing, and when in the back position, they are used forward-facing. The LATCH connectors are the deluxe push-on style connectors. There is a storage area on the base under the seat pan (where the child sits) to store the LATCH connectors and the tether strap stores at the top of the carseat when not in use. While tethering a forward-facing child restraint with a harness is always recommended, a top tether is not required for this seat.
Note: Peg allows lower anchor (LATCH) use to 40 lbs. unless it’s otherwise specified in the vehicle manual. There is a misprint in the instruction manual that states 30 lbs. as the maximum LATCH weight limit, but I have verified that it is indeed 40 lbs. Above that weight or at any time, it’s perfectly fine to install with the seatbelt.
Crotch Strap Adjustment: There are two crotch strap positions located approximately 4.5” and 6” from the back of the seat. The inside position must be used until the child is 22 lbs. When threading the crotch strap for the inside position, the crotch strap anchor is threaded down into the seat, then back up again through the outside position.
Padding, Comfort and Appearance: The cover is Italian. That’s all I really need to say, right? The fit and finish of the cover are excellent and the cover pulls off from the front for easy cleaning. It’s never easy trying to get a cover off over headrest, but there’s enough elasticity in it so it won’t tear. The fabric on the headrest and along the sides is polyester while the inside portion, called Fresco Jersey, is slightly textured yet comfy poly. There’s a sewn-on belly pad that makes the buckle pop forward a bit when the child isn’t using it. I don’t foresee any problems with hot temps in this seat. There are 10 cover choices: Crystal Beige, Licorice, Crystal Black, Paloma, Crystal Red, Aquamarine, Atmosphere, Fucsia, Fleur, and the to-die-for Alcantara Pearl Grey. The restraint I have is in Crystal Black. Peg also offers an alternative separate cover for purchase called the Clima Cover. It’s made of an innovative soft Tencel material that helps keep a child warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
Infant Support Cushion: A 3.5” thick memory foam infant cushion is used to boost an infant up to the bottom harness slots and improve harness fit. The cushion must be used to 22 lbs., then removed. It may not be used forward-facing.
7 Year Expiration/Crash Policy: The Primo Viaggio has a 7 year expiration. The manual indicates that customer service should be contacted if the PV is in a crash.
Airplane Certification: The PV is FAA-approved for use in aircraft.
Value: Peg Perego is known for its elite products and the Primo Viaggio Convertible is priced accordingly from $329-$379. It’s solidly constructed in dreamy Italy, has as smooth a base as I’ve seen, and has the separate LATCH connectors (seriously, if you’ve used it, you’ll gladly pay for it). Yes, it’s spendy, but there’s a consumer segment out there that will pay for the fine looks and safety features.
Instruction Manual: The manual does an excellent job of explaining installation and use of the carseat. Each method of installation—LATCH, lap/shoulder belt, lap-only belt—starts on its own page(s) and is printed in an easy-to-read font, so it’s very clear which step you’re on when reading. The manual has black and white drawings with green and red highlights for emphasis.
Disadvantages
Rear-Facing Belt Path: The rear-facing belt path is unique and that uniqueness makes it tricky to work with. The openings are on the small side and because it’s open in the middle underneath, the latchplate drops as you try to thread a seatbelt through so you can’t grasp it with the other hand. It’s easily remedied by moving the carseat back on one side so you can get a hand in from the front, but I would appreciate a seatbelt threading tool for help.
Harness Strap Covers: The strap covers are very thick and cushy and long. While that’s comfortable for the child, they make it difficult to tighten the harness down properly. The harness also appeared to get caught in them, making it tough to tighten. Without the covers, the harness adjusted easily.
Belly Pad: The belly pad is wonderfully padded and helps keep the buckle forward, so it makes putting a child in the seat easier. However, when the buckle is in the inside buckle position, it’s not long enough to fit up into the belly pad.
Instruction Manual: There are some typos, important ones. If they were simple misspellings, I wouldn’t be dinging it, but they’re pretty major: the LATCH weight limit is listed at 30 lbs. instead of 40 lbs. and the recline angle is listed at 40°-45° when it should be 35°-45°. It’s also not mentioned that the top 3 harness slot positions can only be used in the forward-facing position. Our contact at Peg has assured me they’re revising the manual and I’m sure owners will be able to receive an updated copy when it’s done.
Installation and Fit to Child
Rear-Facing: Installation with LATCH was a snap! Slide each LATCH strap forward on the bar, click onto the vehicle LATCH anchor, pull tight. I wish every carseat had LATCH like this!
Installing the Primo Viaggio rear-facing using a seatbelt turned out to be an interesting experience as I mentioned earlier. The rf belt path is semi-enclosed under the seat pan. I had to sit on the vehicle seat next to the buckle and have the carseat at an angle in order to thread the seatbelt from one side to another. The belt path openings were too narrow for me to fit my hands through, hence the need to reach under the front of the seat to guide the latchplate.
ETA Sept. 2013: Peg Perego added a rear-facing tether to this carseat beginning in March 2013. If you have an older model, tethers may be obtained to retrofit your seat from Peg by calling 800-671-1701.
When I installed the PV at 45°, I had plenty of room to move my front seat back. At its worst, I had about an inch of space between the restraint and my front seat. As you can see in the picture below, the PV’s headrest angle mimicked the angle of my headrest.
Forward-Facing: To install with LATCH, simply slide each LATCH strap back and attach to the vehicle anchors.
It does have a belt guide on each side of the belt path for the lap belt. Simply open each guide, slide seatbelt into place making sure the shoulder belt (if available) is out of the belt guide, tighten the seatbelt, and close the guide. The belt guide does have triangular teeth on it, so it may dent your seatbelt. I left the PV installed for 24 hours and the teeth only left mild marks on my seatbelt which have already disappeared. When I initially set the Primo Viaggio on my vehicle seat, the natural angle of the carseat meant that there was a large gap behind the carseat. If my vehicle seats reclined (like in a van), I’d be able to get a closer fit to the carseat. Alas, I have a fixed angle backseat, so I thought I’d have a problem. But, once I started tightening the carseat down, that gap mostly disappeared.
ETA: Review originally mentioned that there was a belt lockoff for forward-facing. We have since found that the lockoff is not intended to hold the seat belt tight for every day driving and is instead intended to be a guide; therefore, I have changed the above paragraph to reflect that. HW
I had 2 helpers try out the PV. Emi is 2 years 4 months old and weighs 25 lbs. She fit beautifully rear-facing in the restraint. Her brother, Ian, is 4 and weighs around 30 lbs. He, too, fit very well in the carseat and had plenty of leg room. The infant doll I used also fit nicely (notice the low buckle), but the harness covers did bunch a bit on it.
Conclusion
Pros
- Weight Limits: A rear-facing convertible that actually fits a wide range of children.
- Deep headrest that’s comfy for sleeping, but not overly obtrusive.
- Separate LATCH straps for each side of the carseat.
- Sturdy harness strap webbing.
- 10 Harness Slot Positions: Allows adjustment of harness height to “just right” for a child.
- 2 Crotch Strap Positions: Being able to shorten the crotch strap for the inside position means the buckle will sit low on a baby instead of over the belly.
- The flexibility of installing it in a range of angles (35°-45°).
- RF tether for anti-rebound control
- Instruction Manual: It does a good job of explaining installation.
- Cover: It’s Italian. Yeah.
Cons
- Instruction Manual: I know, I know, I have it listed as a Pro too. Having an outside set of eyes go through the manual would have caught the errors.
- Rear-Facing Belt Path: It’s tight, but still workable.
- Belly Pad: Buckle doesn’t fit into it when moved to the inside position.
Overall the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Convertible is a winner. The carseat is solidly made with quality materials, has the requisite EPS foam, and is comfortable. Easy installation with LATCH and its relatively light weight will make the Peg convertible excel as a travel seat. It is on the expensive side, but I predict that parents who buy it will be happy with their purchase, as will their child.
Thank you to Peg Perego for providing us with the carseat for review.
The webpage for the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Convertible – http://pegperegousa.com/baby/primo-viaggio-convertible
For more information on child passenger safety, please visit:
@Heather, Thank you!! I’ve ordered this carseat in Red and it should be here at the end of this week. SO excited to get to use it. I just really didn’t want a Britax and so glad Peg came out with this!
this seems like an overall positive review, and even seems better than some of the reviews on the recommended list. i’m curious as to why the peg is not on your recommended list?
@ma2grls, the padding is nice–what you’d expect on a seat at this price point. I don’t think your girls will complain.
Im wondering about the seat padding WITHOUT the insert. In any review I can’t find any info about how much coushin is in the seat when you take the insert out. Safety is always number one but when I push on many different carseats as brands, the seat is Cousy until you take the inserts out. The the space from the fabric to the seat shell is so hard, the spot right where their tushies sit. What’s it like in this carseat?
Thanks for your response. Any idea whether this seat has any type of steel reinforcement in the frame, like the Radians or Britax seats? I sounded like the LATCH straps were routed on a steel bar and the picture of the back of the seat appears as if there may be a horizontal steel rod running that the harness straps are threaded over, is this correct? Is there any vertical steel up the sides and/or connecting to the horizontal bar in the back?
@ashley, yes, the headrest is reinforced for rear-facing above the shell. I don’t have numbers for how much more rf you’re going to have over an ’09 BV, but it will be inches.
Is the head rest reinforced? I saw you stated the 1″ rule for RFing would be from head rest (in 7th position), but wanted to double check it is the head rest and not the shell like the Blvd.
How much more RFing height do you think this would get versus an ’09 Blvd 65? How much more height FFing?
Thanks!
I played with one of these and wanted to mention that the manual was the most ridiculously poorly-written, error-filled manual I’ve ever seen. The manual states in the section about seatbelt selection that the forward-facing “lockoffs” (and yes they call them that) are NOT intended to replace a locking retractor or latch plate, and if you do not have either you must call and get a locking clip and instructions on using it- but that is not mentioned anywhere else in the manual including in the section on FF install. That was the most egregious error though there were others.
And the rear-facing seatbelt path was so ridiculous, I find it likely that parents will NOT be able to get a correct install with it. I would not recommend it for a vehicle without LATCH in a seating position the parents are willing to use, because of that.
There were some really nice things about it. But the things that were fails, were BIG FAILS.
I just received from online store both Peg Perego and Britax Advocate70 CS. I ordered Britax because of all the good reviews I red. Peg Perego is a relatively new and there is not that much of a reviews but being a new product, Italian and at that price I ordered it ( free returns on both). I put both car seats next to each other and Peg Perego is the winner! Everything in Pegis better than Britax! The fabric in Britax looks cheap and is too loose! Also Britax is a lot heavier and bulky. I didn’t read the manual for Peg and I was able to put it in the right position by my self ( ofcorse I red it after that to be sure) and I easily found out how to adjust everything. Britax I couldn’t! Even when I red the manual still very complicated! Not just that but even when you now how to adjust it is difficult!
Peg is a lot nicer looking, looks more durable ( even that is smoler and lighter ) and easy to work with! When my husband come home and I show them to him even with the price difference he let me keep Peg!
Thanks, Laura!
I just installed one of these for my 15 mth old. The belly pad does get In the way when the buckle is in the inside position. The seat comes with the buckle in the outside position and that seems odd that it wouldn’t come set up for a smaller baby. It was sort of a hassle to move it but it was doable. I wish the infant insert directions had height and weight limits. It says it has to be used until baby is 22 lbs (at least that was my understanding of the directions). I have a tall skinny baby and he is 19lbs and 30 in so he could probably reach the slots without the pad.
@Katy, it’s tested at those angles, so it’ll be fine. As long as you follow the directions, there’s no problem.
Do you think the carseat will be just as safe when in the fully reclined position? It seems that angles are always so important on these seats.
It is a great fit on my 4 month old…
Thanks, Mama B! @Jessica, yes, I do think it will fit newborns well. My doll is about the size of a 1-2 month old and the harness slots were still below its shoulders. The infant cushion is quite thick.
do you think this will fit newborns well at the appropriate angle?
1. premium fabric has a “leather-like” trim
2. this seat works GREAT in a three across next to a HBB. Even in a Ford Escape of all things. The way the seat is up and centered back on the base allows a ton of room to access the buckle on a Britax Parkway, even when seats are sitting right next to each other. It also has good room for the front passenger even when rear facing.
There are two kinds of fabric on most of the choices, but I don’t think they involve leather. As far as “better” fabric, it actually looks like a really nice high-performance fabric for me.
I’m not saying I’d buy the seat- it would be a waste with my tall-torsoed kids- but shorter-torsoed solid kids might not max it out in both directions by weight but could certainly get good use of it, and it’s obviously very much a luxury product. *shrug*
Am I seeing things or are some of those cover choices leather trimmed?
The top slots didn’t seem short to me. My almost 5 y.o (consistently 60% height, 50% weight very muscular, no fat at all) has two more clicks to grow FF and would have fit RF until 4 I think and that is only because he has a massive head and filled up the headwings. The maximum RF setting gave more shell room than an EFTA, which my son could have RFed in until at least 4 if it had a higher weight limit.
If this seat had rebound control it would be such a perfect ERF option for those of us not so wowed by the Radian.
@Pixels, it’s 24″.
such low top slots, though kids do come in all sizes, but the seat doesn’t look like it’s made to accomodate the wider chunky kids that the high weight limit and lower top slots make me think of.
For the price, with the low top slots and hard rearfacing seatbelt install, I’d at least expect some better covers and fabrics… to set it apart and make it really stand out like their strollers and other baby products do.
Great review! That’s a nice-looking seat.
What is the shell height with the harness in the seventh position? In other words, what is the maximum shell height for RFing?
Oooohhhhh. I doubt I could convince DH on the price, but it looks suuuuuuper nice. I was looking forward to a review of this, and I know our nearby Buy Buy Baby will be getting them in stock so I definitely need to go play.
Great review, thanks!!