Graco My Ride 65 Review Followup
Graco My Ride 65 40-Pound Rear-Facing Limit
Heather has already done a full review of the Graco My Ride 65 convertible car seat. It was a great overview and also very thorough, so I’m not going to repeat it with another full review. Instead, I’m just going to add a few comments along with some photos and video.
Without a doubt, the 40 pound rear-facing weight limit is a very welcome increase. Rear-facing provides the most crash protection in the most common and severe frontal and side impacts. There is a stigma for a lot of parents regarding rear-facing. Many have the impression that kids should be front-facing once they are 1 year and 20 pounds. Even some physicians still give this obsolete advice, contrary to the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Other parents just think their kids need to be front-facing for comfort or some other issue, or that turning front-facing is some sort of rite of passage or graduation award for being a year old. Well, now there’s a reason why front-facing shouldn’t be a reward for many kids until they turn 4-years old!
My son is 4-years old, plus a few weeks, and right at 40 pounds. At his 4-year checkup, he was over 39 pounds and over 42″ tall, above the 80th percentile for height. That also puts him right at the rear-facing height limit of the My Ride 65, as the top of his head is about an inch below the top of the shell. This tells me that the vast majority of kids can remain rear-facing until they are 3-years old (depending on their vehicle) and many could make it to their 4th birthday. That is a noteworthy and unique benefit of the My Ride 65.
Other likes? Need I mention what every parent wants? Dual Cupholders. Standard. The head pillow is a great touch and the infant insert and harness pads are nice, too. Installation with LATCH is relatively easy and the recline feet are straightforward and easy to adjust, though didn’t seem very robust. The 65-pound forward-facing weight limit is also nice, though like other similar 65-pound models, many kids will outgrow it by height well before they reach the weight limit. I also think it’s nice that Graco provided two separate sets of LATCH attachments. So, no re-routing of any kind is needed to convert from rear-facing to forward-facing or back, though one can envision other types of misuse from having an extra pair of attachments. Graco also touts that it is crash tested to the higher NCAP test pulse standards and is side impact tested as well.
I also have to rave that the My Ride 65 is made in North America. Kudos to Graco! In this case, the carseat itself is labeled as Made in U.S.A. and the cover appears to be made in Mexico. Speaking of the cover, while not particularly thick or plush, I like the look and feel of the Edgemont Dots pattern on mine. I do notice a strong new fabric odor and also that the elastic tended to slip off the side of the My Ride, as Heather noted.
Dislikes? Only a few things beyond what Heather mentioned. The crotch buckle depth is not generous and with no adjustment, it’s tight on older kids. Also, I do prefer separate LATCH attachments with their own adjusters on each side of the seat to make installation even easier. It would have also been nice to have push button releases, rather than basic hook hardware. These can make it a lot easier to uninstall, especially with only one adjuster in a very tight installation. Even so, the My Ride installed easy enough with LATCH. Plus, if it had four deluxe attachments and four separate adjusters, the cost would be higher, and the My Ride 65 is certainly a nice value at $149!
The last thing I’d mention is the wording in the manual about rear-facing limits, “When the child can no longer comfortably fit and knees remain bent, child should use car seat forward-facing only if child is over 20 lbs. and can sit upright unassisted.” This is a very subjective guideline. What does comfortably mean? Can the knees bend at all, if so, how far? What if the child hangs his legs to the side? What if the vehicle seat can recline? Or what about the photo to the right, “Look, no bent knees!” It may also imply there is some risk to having bent knees while rear-facing, though I am not aware of any data that has ever shown this. In any case, it is a confusing guideline, in my opinion.
Installation wise, it installed quickly and solidly in my 2006 Honda Odyssey 2nd row captain’s chair. Rear-facing, it installed easily with LATCH or seatbelt. The angle was somewhat more upright than 45 degrees without a noodle and still in the green indicator zone, perfect for an toddlers and those pushing that 40 pound rear-facing limit! A noodle would probably be needed for the 45 degree angle necessary for a newborn or small infant.
Installation was more difficult in our 2000 Subaru Outback using a lap/shoulder belt. It took some fiddling and a lot of compression with my weight into the seat in order to get an acceptable forward-facing install. The seat tended to move side-to-side. Part of the issue may have been the combination of a very upright vehicle seatback combined with a generous natural recline angle on the My Ride. Nonetheless, I did get an adequate installation and I will have some more photos and comparisons in another blog in the very near future. Given the size and recline of the My Ride, it may not fit well in some vehicles, especially forward-facing.
Overall, the My Ride 65 is a very nice convertible. It doesn’t set any trends for how well it fits small newborns or by extending weight/height limits for older kids who are forward-facing. It does set an important trend for extended rear facing (ERF), and it does this very well. In doing so, it allows older toddlers to remain more safely restrained in a vehicle. If the few drawbacks of the My Ride 65 aren’t an issue for your situation, it’s also very reasonably priced for a convertible child seat with a 65 pound harness limit. If you haven’t already, be sure to read Heather’s full review!
Reader Comments
I could definitely foresee this seat being used for RF only and then, due to some of the FF installation difficulties, switching the child to a HWH seat at 40lbs.
He’s so cute!
Sadly, my kids are way above the 80th %tile for height, and long-torsoed to boot. My 13 month old only has about 2 1/2 inches above her head in the seat. But it is nice to see that most kids might fit until 3 or 4 in it!
Darren- Fantastic review. I think between you and Heather, you’ve certainly covered off everything a parent could ask about in regards to My Ride 65!
I’m actually glad you brought up the question about the instruction manual guidance around rear-facing. This was something we had been looking into and I’m happy to let you know we were able to make that change to our manual. Consumers should be seeing the updated language, which leaves out some of the copy you described, this fall. An updated electronic version will actually be available on Gracobaby.com by the end of this month.
Thank you again for taking the time to go through this product in such detail.
Outstanding news about the manual revision, Lindsay!
The more I work with this seat, the more I like it. My dd didn’t like the recline, but she’s used to sitting straight up and is ready to be out of a harnessed seat (or so she -tells- fights me everyday). I’ve recommended it to my SK director as a good special needs seat. And what a fabulous price point! I think Graco did a great job at keeping the price very affordable while providing features parents want.
That’s great to hear Heather! Wish I could take credit for the smart product features and/or the great price but I’m only on the communications side of things! (I’m quite amazed at what they do on the brainiac side of the building myself!)
Actually, I have to say that Graco’s last two new seats, the Nautilus and the My Ride (so far as we can tell, at least) have been home runs! Great seats, easily accessible at mass-market stores, and a wonderful price point. Great job, Graco!
Is the pillow/neckrest thing adjustable (higher/lower) so that smaller babies don’t have it hit them above the neck and tilt the head forward uncomfortably?
The pillow attaches by means of a velcro strap. So, you can move from the top of the seat downward up to a few inches. It doesn’t go very far down, though.
“My 13 month old only has about 2 1/2 inches above her head in the seat.”
That is a huge 1 year old baby. She must be in the 100th percentile for height or have really really short legs lol. If you’d like to send some photos our way this might make a good blog!
How does this seat compare with the First Years True Fit? I am leaning towards the My Ride 65 b/c of the 40 lb. limit but I would like more info. My DD is 22 lbs. and 27 in. at 9 months so I like the higher weight.
For rear-facing, the My Ride 65 is a great choice. As a front-facing model for older kids, the True Fit and other competitiors do have some advantages.
We are hoping to have a review of the updated True Fit in the near future. We thought we would have some review samples by now, but we are still waiting. Stay tuned!
As someone mentioned earlier, I think this is a great seat rear facing. I will be using it for my 3.5 year old until he grows out of it rear facing, and then put him back into the Britax Blvd. once he hits the 40lbs/height limitation.
i have just installed the my ride 65 front facing and cant decide whether to keep it or not. it looks as though there will be NO leg room when she gets bigger. any suggestions/
The recline in front facing mode is unavoidable. In many cars, it may not be an issue. In smaller cars with limited leg room, it could be a problem for bigger kids. Without seeing it in person, this is one of those choices that only you can make.
I just bought this seat on my friend’s recommendation since my 9 month old son has grown out of his baby bucket. He just turned 9 months today and is huge (32.5 pounds, 33 inches) but I want to keep him rear facing as long as possible. I also want to make sure he is comfortable when it’s time to face forward. From the sound of the comments, this seat is not that great forward facing. Do you think I should just worry about that when the time comes or is there another seat with a 40 pound rear facing limit and better forward functionality that I should consider?
Watching the Youtube video, I feel so SORRY for that little boy. That is seriously overdoing it. His legs don’t even fit, and are hanging off the side. Now what happens if you get hit from the side? There is nothing wrong with putting a child in a FF car seat. Sure, maybe push it a few months, maybe to 1 1/2 or POSSIBLY 2 if height allows, but to 3 or 4? That’s just pushing it. It is ridiculous, and all it says is to me is that’s a severely overprotective parent.
I suppose that depends on your definition of an overprotective parent. Some parents allow young kids to play near water unattended or without a life preserver. Some don’t childproof their houses and leave poisons, knives, guns or matches within reach. Others avoid flu shots for their young kids. Even so, motor vehicle crashes claim more lives for kids 1-4 each year than does drowning or any other cause except “congential anomalies” (according to the CDC). Crashes also kill more kids in that age range than fire, falls, poisoning, cuts, firearms and flu combined.
Keeping kids rear-facing is a proven method to reduce the chance of serious spinal and head injury, without any known increase in risk of injury to the lower extremities. In fact, a recent study showed that rear facing is particularly effective in side impacts. In that regard, some might consider *not* keeping your child rear-facing as long as possible as being underprotective or even irresponsible for babies and younger toddlers. It all depends on your point of view and how well you understand the risks and benefits. In Sweden, the benefits are well known and kids are routinely kept rear facing to 4 years, resulting in extremely low fatality rates.
Considering there are no known risks, it really is a no-brainer as long as your child tolerates it. Of course, it is each parent’s choice to do otherwise for their own children, especially once they are above the minimum forward facing recommendation of 1 year and 20 pounds. Even so, I’m not sure why the perception of it being “ridiculous” persists. Is the idea of keeping a child rear-facing really so horrible that safety isn’t a consideration? Is a 180 degree turn in direction so awful that it’s worth suggesting that other parents put their kids at greater risk of harm?
I’m thinking about buying the myRide, but my little one is on the taller side (90% @ 3mos). What are some other seats that have high height limits??
His legs do not fit in the position he is in. It is safer for it to be rear facing but come on that looks so bloody uncomfortable for his legs. My son already hates riding in the car.
Comfort is not necessarily in the eye of the beholder in this case; it’s more in the attitude of the sitter.
As far as I know, the only other models with 40 pound rear-facing limits are the Safety 1st Complete Air and the Sunshine Kids Radian series.
Does this car seat recline?
We’ve been using this seat for my DD for about two months. (She’ll be four in November.) I’ve never heard any complaints from her and, in fact, when I told her I had a seat that would let her sit rear-facing again, she told me “Thanks Mom! I dreamed that you got me a new car seat so I could sit ‘backwards’ again!” She’s old enough to voice her opinion on the comfort of the seat, and she says it’s really comfortable and she loves it. She’s about 34 lbs. and still has a couple of inches above her head before she outgrows the seat rear-facing.
We even tried my 8YO son in it forward-facing and he found it comfortable, if a bit too reclined. (He’s just *at* the height limit, well below the weight limit, and could conceivably use this seat.)
For myself, I’ve been very happy with the seat. It’s easy to install. It fits well rear-facing in my two small cars (Focus and Escort). It has quite a bit more leg room than other rear-facing seats, despite not being much bigger. It should easily get most kids to age 3-4 rear-facing.
I really only have two gripes about the seat. The cover could be nicer – it’s held on only with elastic around the edge of the cover, and it slips out of place extremely easily, especially with a child old enough to climb in and out of the seat herself. And I think the natural recline of the seat is far too much forward-facing – it’s practically the same as the rear-facing recline. Personally, I might not even use this seat forward-facing, since I have several other seats I prefer for forward-facing, but other parents will use it forward-facing and may find the recline to be a problem.
I’ve seen others complain about the standard-style LATCH clips and other ease-of-use issues but really, at $150, this is not a premium seat and I wouldn’t expect all the “extras.”
I say well-done, Graco, and congrats on being the first in the U.S. market with a 40-lb rear-facing seat.
You have a great selection of seats available now with the (front-adjust) Snugride, Snugride 32, My Ride, Nautilus, and TurboBooster.
how would this seat work with a small newborn? We need a new seat and this looks like I’ll get alot of bang for my buck, but I want my newborn to be comfy in it. My kids usually come out right at 6 lbs or slightly under. Will this seat be supportive enough? The only other convertable I have found that might be good for a tiny baby is the combi cocorro.
I do not have the My Ride 65 right now, so I can’t try it with an infant or preemie doll. On the other hand, we may be able to put it to the test in 2-3 months, when its current owner is due. Perhaps she can comment sooner if she has access to a newborn size doll.
My opinion is that 4-6 pound babies are probably best suited for an infant seat like the Britax Chaperone or the Chicco Keyfit, among others. You may find some convertibles are acceptable, but I doubt any will fit preemies and small newborns as well as select infant seats.
I feel that keeping a child of that size rear facing is really over doing it. The boys legs are completely bent at the knee. Honestly I feel sorry for him. He looks so uncomfortable. I realize that the parents are looing at it from a saftey stand point, but what about comfort?
At 3-4 years old, the child is certainly old enough to tell you if they are so uncomfortable that they need to switch. Most kids tolerate being rear-facing quite well if they are not give a choice. It’s not so much different than making kids eat vegatables. It’s good for them, but they may not want to do it. How much hassle are you willing to accept to make them? For my kids, I could argue it’s overdoing it to make them eat anything but candy and snacks, given how much they complain.
Katie says “The boys legs are completely bent at the knee.”
Mmmhmm. My legs are completely bent at the knee when I sit, too.
I just bought this seat for my grandson, he’s 11 months, 97th percentile for height. I hope to RF him to at least 3 years, if his growth pattern slows!
I have a MyRide 65 and until a car wreck on Friday I also had a Alpha Omega Elite. My daughter is 20 months old and quite a big girl. I originally bought the Alpha Omega Elite, but after my husband and I got married we saw the MyRide about a week after it came out and got it for his car. My daughter normally rides rear facing EXCEPT for our long car trips normally although after Friday she is gonna be permanently rear-facing as long as she is under the height and weight for rear-facing. On our trips we ALWAYS use the MyRide for the actual drive and then we also have the other carseat with us so we dont switch them back and forth. With having to replace the our other seat I am planning to buy another MyRide so that it is in both of our cars. We own an ‘07 Pontiac Torrent and a ‘99 Camry and the seat fits in both of them with NO problems. I can put it in both cars properly installed and she has no issues with it regardless of which direction she sits and she doesnt fight with me. She loves the cupholders because she has easy access to her sippy cup in the car. Right now my daughter has really long legs and wears 3T pants because anything smaller are capris on her and her legs dont seem uncomfortable RF in either one of our vehicles. We have been using this seat since we got it and I have had no problems with it and even having to change the height of the harness was easy. I would recommend it because you will for sure get your usage out of it for the weight that it allows rear-facing. BTW when my daughter was forward facing one day in my husbands Camry there was no issue about space for her legs between the seat and his chair all the way back.
Hi! Thanks so much for your review. I have a question about the MyRide. The fact that it’s a new carseat kinda worries me. I’m going back and forth b/t wanting this one OR a Britax. (My daughter just turned 2 and I’m hoping to rearface her for at least another year.) I like the price of the MyRide but I know Britax is known for being safe. My question is…Is the fact that this is a new seat a strike against it? Should I wait for it to be on the market for a while before buying it to make sure it is safe?
Hi everyone. I have read all of your comments and I found them extremely helpful. Does anybody know if the Myride 65 is compatible with any stroller frame? I am looking to buy a car seat and a stroller frame instead of a travel system. I am sold on the Myride 65 but I would like to make sure that there is a stroller frame for it. I have read about the Graco stroller frame but its reviews only say that it is compatible with the Graco Snugride Infant car seat. Your input will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks.
Hi Dan, I am not aware of any stroller compatible with the My Ride 65. Most convertible seats do not have matching or compatible strollers, especially larger ones like the MyRide. You might try some aftermarket carriers like the GoGo Babyz Travelmate ( http://www.gogobabyz.com/product-i14550-c26-g6-b0-p0-gogo_Kidz_Travelmate_.aspx ) for quick trips. There is one convertible I know offhand that has a nice matching stroller system, it’s the Combi Coccoro and Combi Flash. We have a review of the Coccoro and some photos of the flash and Coccoro system in other blogs!
Mary, the fact that the MyRide is new should not be a strike against it at all. I think that it is a well constructed seat and very safe. Graco carseats are safe and I will tell you that I have had my 1st MyRide since earlier this year and just got another one for our other car just a few days ago to replace a carseat that was involved in a wreck. I have read a lot of reviews about this carseat and heard first hand the safeness of this carseat from a few people involved in wrecks while their child was in the carseat. Both Graco and Britax make great carseats so really the choice is up to you.
I agree with keeping a child rear facing for as long as SAFELY possible, but I’m sorry the fact that that boys legs very obviously don’t fit in the video/picture is totally unsafe not to mention totally uncomfortable for him. What happens if someone rams you from behind and his legs are going to get injured or crushed because they are not in the right position.
People shouldn’t be encouraging others to place their children in car seats like this.
I have questions/comments. I have this seat for my DD and LOVE it for rear facing. My SIL also has this seat and her DS needs to FF … putting this seat in my Town and Country FF was near impossible. We ended up having to recline the captains chair to be able to get it on the seat properly. The problem I have is that then he was ultimately staring at the ceiling of my van … for that matter, the green indicator (yes, I know that’s for RF only) was within the green …. I can’t imagine this is how it’s supposed to fit (I also didn’t install it), but couldn’t see another way, any one else have this problem or a remedy?
Also, you attempted to address the RF guideline of bent knees … while yes, it may be subjective – in neither of your pictures would the child be safe in an accident. I do believe it’s Graco’s intent that when they can’t sit with their legs within the seat with reasonably straight legs that they need to turn around.
Conventional wisdom based on current research indicates that injuries, including those to the head, spine and legs, are more common for kids who are front facing than those who are rear facing. Bent legs are not a safety issue whether they are crossed, hung over the side or whatever. It may be a comfort issue, but like most things, kids seem to do just fine unless they believe they can complain and cause a change. As for Graco’s intent, you would have to contact them, of course.
In regard to being rammed from behind, severe rear impacts are far less common than frontal or side impacts. Also, unlike frontal crashes, most rear impacts are less energetic because the vehicles are usually at lower speeds and not moving toward each other. Plus, you still have a lot of crush space in the trunk or cargo area between the child and the point of impact. That is why you maximize protection for frontal and side impacts.
I think I’m just confused about this research with rear-facing safety. Have there been enough older children placed rear-facing when their legs are significantly longer than the seat to get a good sample for statistical purposes? And also, I’m curious about the front crashes being more common than rear crashes. Seems like we have too many parents not paying attention – otherwise I would imagine side and rear should be just as common – after all it usually takes two or more cars to be in an accident (one-car accidents of course being possible). For me, being completely biased, I see myself getting rear-ended rather than crashing into someone else, and therefore I’m more concerned about the safety issues with the former.
Common sense is telling me that when the child’s legs are dangling to the side, that you are putting the knees in danger of a stress fracture, dislocation, or other injury if they are jostled in any direction due to an impact. I hear everyone (parents, doctors, etc) constantly talking about making sure kids don’t even sit on their legs crooked due to eventual knee and skeletal issues, so the idea of letting a kid keep their legs crooked while travelling at 60 mph and in danger of an auto collision sounds risky to me – riskier than forward-facing a preschooler.