Maybe the Graco My Ride 65 Could Be *My* Ride? A Review.
Posted Under: Babies, Kids, Reviews, Safety
The latest trend in child restraints is higher rear-facing weight limits. We’ve been seeing 35 lbs. rear-facing weight limits, but now we have a standout. Graco has introduced a new seat called the My Ride 65 that breaks the 35 lbs. barrier and accommodates a rear-facing child to 40 lbs.! This is a convertible (rear-facing and forward-facing) child restraint for kids 5-65 lbs. who are less than 49″ tall. Rear-facing the seat is rated from 5-40 lbs. Forward-facing, it can be used for children over 1 year old who weigh between 20-65 lbs.
The My Ride 65 comes with an infant body support cushion, a head support pillow, and harness strap covers.
Features and Advantages
Side Impact Protection: Many seats are now touting side impact protection. The My Ride 65 has deep side wings lined with EPS foam. It’s been side impact tested by Graco for “occupant retention by the harness system,” which means a child should stay in the restraint in a side impact crash.
5-point Harness to 65 pounds: Most convertible seats have weight limits of 40-65 lbs. The harness is good quality and is nontwisting. The buckle tongues fit the width of the harness and allow the harness to slide freely through them.
High Rear-Facing Weight and Height Limits: Graco has introduced the first American car seat to rear-face to 40 lbs. Rear-facing is the safest way for kids to travel; for many years, experts have recommended rear-facing for as long as possible and one study has shown that it’s five times safer for children under age 2 to ride that way. Even the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends rear-facing for children for as long as the convertible seat allows. Because the My Ride 65 has a tall shell and high rear-facing weight limit, it will allow the average child to rear-face for 2-3 years or more.
5 Harness Slots: There are five harness slot heights on the My Ride 65. For rear-facing, the bottom 4 slots may be used and the straps should be in the nearest slot at or below the level of the child’s shoulders. The top 4 can be used for a forward-facing child and the straps should be in the nearest slot at or above shoulder level. The lowest harness slot height is approximately 8″ with the infant pad in place and approximately 8.5″ without the infant pad and the top slot is about 17″ when measured with the cover on. A child will outgrow this seat by height when he exceeds the 49″ height limit OR when the top of his ears are above the back of the restraint OR when the shoulders are above the top slots.
Adjusting the harness height is accomplished by removing the shoulder straps from the splitter plate in the back of the restraint and re-threading them through the desired slots. If the seat is installed rear-facing it is possible to re-thread the harness without uninstalling. However, if the seat is forward-facing you will have to uninstall it to move the harness straps to a different height. Because the seat is rated for such a wide range of weights, Graco has 3 harness strap lengths from which to choose. When the harness is in the lowest slots, the top loops (shortest length) should be used. When the harness is in the 2nd or 3rd slots from the bottom, the middle loops should be used. When the harness is in the top two slots, the bottom loops should be used (longest length).
Recline Adjustments: Recline for rear-facing is achieved by tucking the feet sideways under the base of the seat. Flip the feet back out into locked position for forward-facing. There is no recline for the forward-facing position, but the restraint has a deep natural recline to it.
Harness Adjuster and Use: To tighten the harness, pull on the harness adjuster strap on the front of the restraint. It is similar to the type found on many car seats and is somewhat stiff, requiring some muscle to tighten the harness. The buckle clicks audibly when each buckle tongue is inserted. The chest clip has a pictogram showing proper placement on the child’s chest. I found the clip to be difficult to unlatch; it could have been user error since I’m not used to using that type of chest clip or something that will loosen up over time.
LATCH: The My Ride 65 has two flexible straps to attach to the lower anchors found in newer vehicles; one strap is threaded through the rear-facing belt path, the other is threaded through the forward-facing belt path and they are different colors. There is an adjuster on one side of these straps. The LATCH connectors are the clip-on style connectors. There are clearly designated storage areas on the shell to store the LATCH connectors and tether strap when not in use. The tether strap is to be used forward-facing only. While tethering a forward-facing child restraint with a harness is always recommended, a top tether is not required for this seat.
Note: Graco prohibits using the LATCH system for a child weighing over 48 lbs. This is an issue with almost all child restraints that have a harness rated above 40 lbs. At some point, it will be necessary to use the seatbelt for installation. Seatbelt installations are just as safe as LATCH, providing that you can get a good, tight installation. Consult your vehicle owner’s manual for more specific information. Some vehicles have a lower, 40 lbs. weight limit for the lower LATCH anchors and you should conservatively defer to the lowest number in these cases. Graco does allow the use of LATCH in the center seating position of the back seat if the lower anchors are less than 11″ apart from the center of one anchor to the center of the other anchor.
Crotch Strap Adjustment: There is only one crotch strap slot located approximately 6.5″ from the back of the seat without the infant pad in place.
Padding, Comfort and Appearance: The My Ride 65 cover is nicely padded along the bottom and back, but there is little padding along the sides. The cover on the restraint I tested is called Edgemont Dots and the fabric is a gray soft polyester with tone on tone dots in the seating area with a plush black trim around the edge. It’s machine washable on the gentle cycle. The harness straps are black and chest clip is light gray. The strap covers and head support pillow are entirely optional and must be removed when the child reaches 40 lbs. Kudos to Graco for labeling right on the front of one harness cover the rear- and forward-facing weight limits!
Infant Support Cushion: An infant body support is included with the seat and is well-padded. The infant body support is styled in the same manner as the cover with the gray dots in the middle and the black plush fabric along the edges. It’s to be used only when the child is using the bottom harness slots.
6 Year Expiration: The My Ride 65 has a 6 year expiration and the “Do Not Use Past” date is stamped on the bottom/back of the seat. Graco specifies in the manual not to use the seat if it is in a crash.
Airplane Certification: The My Ride 65 is FAA-approved for use in aircraft. Because the cupholders take up so much width, I don’t think the restraint will fit on an airplane seat unless the armrests are lifted. It also is a fairly heavy restraint weighing in at 14.7 lbs., so if you do travel with it, you’ll want to use a luggage cart to avoid having to carry it.
Value: With high weight limits, safety testing and other safety features, and a price point that is competitive with other popular, high-end convertible seats you’ll definitely get your money’s worth with a My Ride 65.
Construction: The My Ride 65 is solidly made in the USA, though the sides that flare out with the cupholders are more flexible. The cupholders are designed to fit cups or juice boxes and are deep enough to hold them securely.
Disadvantages
Weight and Width: At 14.7 lbs., the My Ride 65 isn’t the heaviest restraint on the market for sure, but it is something to consider if you carry it through an airport. Also, because of the permanent cupholders, it’s a wide seat; however, it may puzzle well with other seats that sit lower on the vehicle seat if you have other children to restrain in your back seat.
Installation Issues: I had trouble installing it forward-facing because of the natural recline. The bottom of the restraint sat very far forward of the vehicle seat bight (crack) in order to have the back of the restraint touch the seat back. I had to resort to some tricks to get it to work in my van, but I’m not sure those tricks would work in a vehicle that has a stationary vehicle back.
Also, the forward-facing belt path is quite narrow. If the seat is being installed with a vehicle seat belt, it will be a tough fit for many people with medium to large hands.
Cover Issues: One problem I had with my cover is that it didn’t fit securely on the edges of the restraint. There should be elastics to hold the cover in place on these edges, especially since these are locations that will get a lot of handling. 
Recline Feet: The recline feet are flimsy. I felt like I was breaking them as I 
tucked them under the seat and in fact, one of the recline feet was incorrectly installed when I pulled the restraint out of its box. The feet are held in place by a screw on one end and are fed under tabs on the other end. On the right side of my seat, the right foot wasn’t placed under the tabs. It was an easy fix, but not something that immediately caught my eye as I was giving the seat the once-over.
Conclusion
Rear-facing installation of the My Ride 65 in my 2005 Sienna using both LATCH and later the vehicle seat belt was both a breeze and a pleasure. The recline angle was fantastic, even for a newborn; however, I know that in other vehicles this restraint may require a noodle or two to achieve a proper recline for a newborn. I was able to vary the angle from a good 45° to a more upright position appropriate for a toddler and still maintained the ball in the green area on the angle indicator on the side of the seat.
As I specified above, the forward-facing installation was more of a challenge, but it was also rock solid just as the rear-facing installations were. The natural recline angle for forward-facing makes the My Ride 65 a wonderful seat for low-tone or special needs kids that won’t break the bank. Given the $150 price point of the seat and the features included-the long-awaited 40 lbs. rear-facing weight limit, EPS foam, 65 lbs. forward-facing weight limit-it is a seat definitely worth considering.
Graco’s webpage for the My Ride 65 - www.gracobaby.com/Search%20Results/Pages/Search.aspx?search=my+ride
For more information on child passenger safety, please visit:
Reader Comments
How much room does your daughter have in this seat, and how big is she? Looks like she still fits pretty well, although I can’t imagine that she’d be happy with that much FF recline. (I really think that FF recline is too much for most kids, at least the ones who are big enough/old enough to have maxed out RF.)
I find this a little confusing:
“Graco does allow the use of LATCH in the center seating position of the back seat if the lower anchors are less than 11″ apart from the center of one anchor to the center of the other anchor.” (Was this Graco’s wording?)
So, since standard spacing is 11″, they’re allowing center installation only if the spacing is less than standard? Does that include dedicated sets of anchors? Would better wording be “If anchors are 11″ or less apart from the center of one anchor to the center of the other anchor (and if it is allowed by the vehicle manufacturer”?
Sorry, it was just confusing to me…
Thanks so much for the thorough review. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate the time it must have taken to put this review together and how much we get out of it too. It’s clear why your readers see you as such a good resource because this type of information is incredibly helpful- for consumers & the manufacturers themselves! Thank you again!
(just to be clear- we (Graco) didn’t work with Heather on this review-she did this all on her own!)
A couple comments just so people don’t get confused…
First, you say “Rear-facing installation of the My Ride 65 in my 2005 Sienna using both LATCH and the vehicle seat belt was both a breeze and a pleasure.” Just wanted to clarify that you can only install using LATCH OR seatbelt. I knew what you meant, but some people may not.
Second, “The strap covers and head support pillow are entirely optional and must be removed when the child reaches 40 lbs.” I assume you can still use the strap covers over 40lbs or am I wrong?
Thanks for the review! I think this a seat that I may be getting in the near future and is one I recommend to others.
Hmmm…now that I see the manual..I guess you do have to remove the harness covers. I wonder why? Super weird and a bummer.
Bookmama: My dd is just over 48″ tall, but short-torsoed (and eating like crazy lately, so I’m sure she’s growing some). She was scared at first laying back in the seat like that and never truly felt comfortable, but this is a child who still thinks the movie theater seats are going to eat her up, so . . .
KQ: Yes, allowed center LATCH use is max. 11″ apart.
Lindsay: Thanks for the kind comments
.
Ooky: You’re correct: you cannot use LATCH and seat belt together to install a car seat. I’m also curious as to why the harness covers can’t be used over 40 lbs.
what would you guess is the max torso for RF?
I’ve been using this seat for approx 2 weeks with my now 5 month old son. He had not grown out of his infant seat, but I had grown weary of toting it in and out of the house. It usually stayed in the car when we were out and about. That and I had to have the newest seat out there.
My husband found that the straps twisted in the harness pads when he put our son in it. Thankfully I’ve taught him to be vigilant and he caught it. I removed them for the time being. I put them on the top tether for storage.
Over all we’ve been happy with the seat and plan to use it rear facing until our son is too big to rear face.
Great review as usual, Heather! I will have a shorter followup review next week, including some photos and a video of my 4-year old who is right at 40 pounds and still fits rear-facing (just barely).
Just in time! i need new seats for grandma’s car, perhaps this maybe one…
Woohoo! Thanks, Heather! I think I really want this seat. The whole latch spacing thing I think is just an easier way to say that if you have standard spacing of latch in that center position (not everyone knows that standard latch spacing is 11 inches) then you can use latch, kwim? Curious about the harness pads….
Thank you for this review. I only heard of the My Ride days ago, but I’ve been considering getting it. I’m torn now though.
I have two boys, 3y3m and 15m. Both are in Boulevard CSs. My older son was turned forward at 2y9m when he reached 35 pounds (clothed with shoes). My younger son is 24.5 pounds and has some time before he will be turned around.
I’ve been considering selling the Boulevards to get them My Rides and turning my older son RF again. I worry about the straps in the Graco though, having own a ComfortSport previously with straps that twisted no matter how careful we were. I also like that I can tether the Boulevard RF. The deep recline of the My Ride puts me off a bit too.
It’s a tough decision!
Joelene, I liked the straps. They weren’t the soft, almost fabricky kind that used to be on lower-end car seats. After just a little bit of playing with them, I didn’t feel like they would twist up. Manufacturers are doing a much better job lately of chosing better harnessing materials.
I was looking at one for my granddaughter but was told not to buy it from the sales person at the store I was at. This is why: The sales person took the side upper wings of the car seat with both hands and brought them together with just his hands!!! I can only imagine what would happen if this car seat was in a crash…serious head injury for sure! not only that but the base can be tipped over very easy with one push. There is a little bar under the seat and when he pushed the seat it flew out and tipped. I was not impressed with this seat at all. I was very happy this sales person took the time to show me what this car seat could do and not do. I went for a different seat. Just want to share my experience. I would love to take a video and post it but not sure if I would get in trouble or not. My daughter has this seat for her dd and we are looking into exchanging it.
I suggest that the sales person had no credible information to make that conclusion. Some parts of any restraint system are designed to be rigid. Other parts are designed to bend or give so they can absorb energy. Obviously, if a more rigid upper shell is important to you, you should compare to other models to find one that meets this requirement. I didn’t find the My Ride to be all that much different than similarly priced convertibles in shell design. I also have never seen any kind of information suggesting that being able to bend the upper shell a little bit affects safety. I do find it hard to believe he brought the sides of the shell together on this model, that would essentially destroy the seat. Some other models with an adjustable head restraint section are more flexible, though that is generally an added layer of protection in addition to the shell.
Have any of you actually put a child that is close to 40 lbs in this seat? I’m just wondering how it would really work. My children are all exceptionally tall (99%) and I just can see how their legs would fit comfortably. If it really is safer, I would like to keep them rear facing but I can’t see how sitting cross-legged and scrunched up is really going to go over well, especially on long trips. My neice is 5 and still not 40lbs, I just can’t see keeping her rear facing that long! Also my oldest is 3.5yrs and wants to sit up very straight and has a fit when her seat (which is forward facing) is leaning back at all. Do older children really like it?
I was wondering if someone could break down the differences between the new Graco My Ride 65 versus the Safety 1st Complete Air car seat. They are both new and side impact tested. There is a video on youtube that shows side impact testing for the complete air car seat, but I was wondering how well the Graco car seat compares. Thanks for all feedback!
I can’t compare them in terms of safety. There’s really no data. Rear-facing is very safe inherently, so the risks are quite small when a rear-facing child restraint is installed and used correctly in the back seat. Beyond that, I like the MyRide65 a bit better for newborns and small infants. It installs easier rear-facing in some vehicles and reclines better. Front-facing is a different story, as the Complete Air takes up a lot less legroom and is a bit more upright. I also like it’s cover better and I think the height limits are a bit more generous for bigger kids. Those are all just generalities from my limited testing. Things may be quite different in your vehicle with your child.
ok, great thanks so much for the info. My daughter is 10 months old and weighs 19 pounds. Very long, but does not weigh very much. So I think for rear facing for now, the Graco my ride 65 is a better fit for us. Thanks again!
Maggie’s Mom, I wouldn’t put a 5 year old rear-facing in this seat unless the child were exceptionally small, but that’s me. I know others have kids in the seat who are able to go right up to the 40 lbs. weight limit and they are very close to age 4. As adults, we really need to release our preconceptions that sitting cross-legged and scrunched up is uncomfortable for them. I just got back last night from taking my boostered kids on a long drive and I was constantly reminding them to sit straight, not slouch, and not prop their feet on the seat they were sitting on because it altered the belt fit on them. And they were sitting in their most comfortable booster seats for travel. :/ Just remember how comfy it is to sit in a recliner and that’s what it’s like for them. Darren has pics and a video of his son at 40 lbs. in this seat here: http://carseatblog.com/?p=2556. HTH!
i also have problems with the straps twisting in the pads…but without the strap pads my son’s head falls forward. can anyone tell me whether or not it would be incredibly dangerous to cut holes in the infant cushion so it could be used when the straps are in the 2nd slot? we are making a 15+ car trip next week and the cushion seems like it would be so much more comfortable.
sp4rkl3z, are you sure you have the seat at the correct recline angle? There’s actually quite a range for reclining the seat when the ball indicator is in the green area–you might be able to add another noodle or small, tightly rolled towel and still keep it within the green acceptable range.
Unless his shoulders are above the 2nd harness slots, I wouldn’t move the harness up. Are the straps so far below his shoulders they’re falling off?
We just recently had this car seat gifted to us through a baby shower so I have yet to use it but my sister just purchased it for her 21/2 year old daughter about 2 weeks ago. She just told me that her daughter can unbuckle the top buckle and get herself out of the car seat while she is driving! I was wondering if this is something anyone else is having problems with or maybe her buckle is defective?? Just trying to figure out if maybe we should return this model before the baby gets here. Thanks! Mel
Hi Melanie. Kids can get out of just about any chest clip if they’re determined. At 2 1/2 yrs old, they’re pretty determined, lol. Your sister will have to use lots of patience and discipline techniques, like pulling over and turning the car off until her child learns not to unbuckle any more. It will be a trying time!
My kids never played with the chest clip, though they both certainly had the propensity to. I think they knew I’d snarl at them if they did, lol! I was lucky.
The only time I’d return a convertible seat is if you aren’t planning on using it for a while. Car seats have expiration dates on them, just like milk does. So, if you’re using an infant seat, you may want to return the My Ride until your child outgrows the infant seat, then repurchase the My Ride then. S/he’ll still have lots of time to use the seat rear-facing AND forward-facing because of the gracious weight limits.
How does anyone feel this Graco compares to a Britax Marathon? You can get the Marathon on some websites for $180, so the price is not a big deal for me.
I could be wrong, but when I purchased my Britax I was told that it has a higher crash test rating because it is European and is far superior because of that.
I have this car seat but I’m thinking of returning it, I find that the straps are snug to his chest ( I can get one finger under it) but the chest clip keeps sliding down towards baby’s belly, this makes me a little uneasy.
Hello,
I recently purchased this carseat for my daughter. We are experiencing an issue where the buckle the straps are connected to, located underneath the seat, gets stuck on the plastic when we are trying to tighten or loosen the straps. Is anyone else experiencing this problem? I can’t stand the seat now because either I feel like I am crushing her into the straps because I can’t loosen them up, or on the flip side, once she is in I cannot tighten the straps so she is safely in the carseat. Thanks! Debbie
Debbie, I am having the same issue, but only with tightening. It’s like once it reaches a set tautness, it “locks up” on me.
I have the My Ride 65 for my car and I just had my mom purchased 2 of them for her cars. I just got home from running a quick errand and realized my 14 month old unbuckled the top chest buckle. I love this seat but what can I do to prevent her from doing this?
Beth, I’m not sure you can stop a child from opening a chest clip once they know how, but you can use gentle discipline. First, make sure the harness is snug (can’t pinch the harness at the shoulders) and the chest clip is at armpit level. Then when you notice her playing with it, firmly tell her “no” and distract her with a soft toy you keep only in the car. As long as she keeps her arms inside the harness, it’s really not that big of a deal since the chest clip is to keep the harness properly positioned on the shoulders. It’s only panic time when they learn to slip out of the harness.
I have been reading reviews after reviews on the My Ride 65 and the Britax Advocate. Now that I see the pictures that Heather posted of the My Ride next to the Britax, I notice that the My Ride sits much higher and I’m concerned that my child’s head may be too close to the roof of the car in a few years (he is 7 months old so it won’t be an issue right now). I have a Mazda 3 so I’m guessing he won’t have too much head space later on. I do like the price point on the My Ride but I can’t put a price on my child’s safety. What would you suggest?
You have a good question, Kris_Cross. The My Ride is very angled, so it’s possible that your son’s height might not be a factor. Also, if he carries his height in his legs, his torso will be shorter and that will make a difference as well. You may also want to consider a convertible that has a lower profile, like the Sunshine Kids Radian or The First Years True Fit. Someone may have tried a My Ride in their Mazda 3 forward-facing and would have some input for you at the Carseat Forums at http://www.car-seat.org .
HI there, great review, and i’ve had this seat in my mind for a long while now. i only have on problem, and i’m hoping you can help me with it.
I’m having the Seat shipped to me from the U.S, and the car i currently drive is a Mazda 2, similar in size to the new Ford Fiesta… can you help me in terms if the seat will fit or not both rear and Fwd facing? i’ve been watching some clips on youtube and it looks quite big, would appreciate your help.
will be upgrading the car, but not by much, so should i keep the Graco myride65 on my list or change to the more compact Sunshine Kids Radian 65XL?
your input would be greatly appreciated,
thank you very much, and it’s a great blog you have there….
Ronald, the MyRide is wider than the Radian but takes up much less room front-to-back when rear-facing. The Radian is taller and is also difficult to install with a more upright angle (this is due to the “boot” that’s required when installing the Radian rear-facing).
I’ve got both a My Ride and a Radian, used rear-facing in a 2003 Ford Focus wagon. I have uninstalled a rear-facing Radian and immediately installed the My Ride rear-facing, and the front-to-back difference is enough that I was able to push my drivers seat back at least a couple of inches.
Forward-facing, the Radian is more compact. The My Ride sits up pretty high and is naturally pretty reclined.
Basically, it depends on how you need the seat to be compact. If you need to get three seats across (as I currently do), the narrow Radian may be the seat for you. If you only have to get one or two seats across, but are concerned about front-to-back room/legroom for the adults in the front seat, the My Ride may be a better choice.