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:
Right–generally when you can switch your retractor over to ALR mode, that’s what you want to do because it’s easier. But the carseat manual supersedes the general instructions in this case since the manual specifically says to leave it in ELR mode.
I still haven’t heard back from our contact regarding this change in instructions. I’ll follow up with her again tomorrow.
Hi Heather, did you ever get clarification on this? I’ve just purchased a Peg Convertible, which I intend on installing with a seatbelt. To me, keeping in ELR doesn’t make any sense. Has the company clarified why?
Here’s another thing I have not been able to figure out… The seatbelt in my car is equipped to go from ELR to ALR mode, meaning that I can pull it out and then lock it at an adjustable length. It has aThe Peg manual says that still keep using ELR mode even though I have this and use the locking clip; the locking clip website you mentioned says you don’t need to use a locking clip if you can switch your seatbelt into ALR mode and the car seat isn’t pulled up on one side. I guess I’ve always been a bit confused on this part.
You’d be surprised at how often we have to twist the buckle stalk–it’s a pretty common problem with vehicles. Once you pull the seat belt tight, grab both the lap and shoulder belt with your non-dominant hand near that 1″ mark from the latchplate and hold on tight while you unbuckle with your other hand. Then pinch the seat belt and slip the locking clip on. http://www.carseatsite.com/lockingclips.htm If you’ve done it correctly, you’ll probably need to rock the carseat back toward the buckle to get it buckled.
Hi Heather – Thank you for your reply. I’ll try the trick you mentioned. I’m trying to do this in a 2009 Hyundai Sonata. I know the LATCH would be a lot more straightforward, but I was hoping for safety reasons to keep my ten month-old in the center longer – I realize it may be a bit paranoid, but I think the probabilities are better there since it is further away from potential side impact zones. LATCH of course forces me to use the sides – Hyundai doesn’t have center latch set or allow you to “borrow” the two inside-most latches.
Working with it a bit more, I found out that it’s not technically a problem of the shoulder strap not being locked; it’s really simply that the seatbelt buckle just comes up way too high, resulting in there being absolutely no room to install the locking plate without distorting the right length of the belt. You can’t pull the belt further out to give you room to install it, because then you have altered the length. Only theoretical way I can see is to threat the latch plate back through the hole into the inside part under the car seat and try to install the locking plate there – all while the seat is still facing the back seat rest (so basically no room to work with) AND without losing the established waist/shoulder belt length that you originally tightened (good luck). Invariably, you need to make more room to thread the latch clip and get your hands in to mess with the locking clip, and you end up discovering that you created excess slack in the process that you can’t get rid of once you installed the locking clip (of course).
It’s worth pointing out at this point that this is where it would be REALLY nice to have at least some temporary locking mechanism on the shoulder strap (like other seats do), because then at least I could have some help in ensuring that I don’t alter the length while I unbuckle the belt and pull back the seat to mess around with the locking clip. I was really shocked to discover that Peg didn’t think of this.
Finally, I should mention that I’m pretty certain that the seatbelt buckle height in my car isn’t too unusually high compared with many other popular car brands I’ve ridden in… so I really have to wonder on what kind of car this seat could possibly work in with a middle position and lap/shoulder belt. I think I will end up having to go with LATCH on this seat or else return and get something with more reasonable locking features for a shoulder / lap belt setup.
@Miroslav, nope, not a joke, unfortunately. This is a new edition of their manual with a new requirement. What vehicle is the seat being installed in? There are tricks we can give you to help you get a tighter installation. The main one is to twist the buckle stalk up to 3 full twists to pull the latchplate down and out of the belt path. That will get it so the locking clip will sit flat against the side of the seat.
In the meantime, I will email our Peg contact for comment.
Ok, I must just be way too dumb for this. It appears that no one has any problems with this. I bought the primo viaggio 5-70 SIP seat and received the FIUS1301|141 manual with it. It clearly states that for rear-facing installation with an ELR-ALR lap/shoulder belt, it should be left in ELR MODE and used in conjunction with a locking clip. From what I read in the manual that means the seatbelt should be able to expand and retract at the shoulder point on its own – it will lock with sudden movement.
So I thread the seatbelt through the bottom holes like they say and try to pull it tight and hook it onto the small lips to hold the belt in place. I put on the locking clip by where the shoulder and lap belt come together, like they say. And then, naturally, the seat is able to be moved wildly around BECAUSE THE SHOULDER POINT CAN FLEX IN/OUT. So what good does the locking plate do, and why did they tell me to leave it in ELR mode?
On top of that, the “lips” within the belt loops where the belt is supposed to anchor against are too high and small, much smaller than the wide seat belts, so the belt folds and doesn’t hold into place at all.
And furthermore, the belt buckles on my seat are several inches off the seat when they are locked into the strap, so the latch plate that they tell me to install a half inch off the bottom is then partially going through the seatbelt hole on the car seat when I tighten it! Is that supposed to happen? Doesn’t look like it makes it more stable.
And finally, when I look on their site to see if I have a crappy copy of their manual and they have a newer one, I can’t even find it out there! I browse through all of them, not one has my manual number.
Is this some sort of a joke?…
@Linnea, I wouldn’t be concerned about the safety of one seat over the other. I’d feel comfortable with my kids in either the Peg or the Foonf. If you’re an ultimate rear-facer, the Foonf is a littler higher on the list because it’s a taller seat with a higher rf weight limit. The Peg has more padding and will give you more front to back space if you have a smaller car. As for your sons’ heads falling forward in the Foonf, it’s a matter of finding the right recline angle, just as with the Peg.
Hi Heather,
I am trying to choose between the Peg Perego Viaggio SIP 5-70 and the Clek Foonf. I am interested in a car seat that will allow my child to stay rear facing until age three or four and one that is narrower than my Britax Advocate that we currently have. I have read all of the reviews and they both seem very good. I am a little concerned about my boys heads falling forward when they sleep in the Clek Foonf and I am concerned that the Peg Perego may not be as safe as the Foonf. Is there one that would allow them to stay rear facing longer? Which one would you recommend? I need to purchase two so I want to make the choice! Thanks!
@Natasha, you can certainly switch the Peg back and forth, but it’s a pretty heavy seat. If you will be switching fairly often, I’d suggest getting a 2nd seat. You could use the Peg in the car your child is in most often and get a less expensive seat for the car that’s less used. Or buy 2 of them ;). We’re enablers around here, you know.
So am I hearing that the Peg is not the best choice for switching back and forth between cars? I drive a 2002 Honda CRV and DH drives a Ford Flex. I am leaning towards the Peg, but need a seat that will be easy to switch between cars.
@Elli, that comment was by a previous commenter. The Peg Convertible has harness slot heights similar to other convertibles in its class and should last most kids well into age 5-6, when they can then transition into a booster. Kids with long torsos do outgrow their carseats faster than kids with their height in their legs, so it’s good to find carseats that are taller and have higher harness slots to accommodate them. If you’d like to compare seats, look at the Diono Radian, Clek Foonf, and Maxi-Cosi Pria. http://www.car-seat.org/forumdisplay.php?f=66
Our daughter has a very long torso. You mentioned that your own long torso kids would not be able to use a Peg 5-70. Can you please elaborate on that? Which car seat is best for kids built like this?
@edson, I know exactly what you’re talking about and it’s because of the stow and go seating I believe. The seats are so scooped out that a lot of carseats fit in the captain’s chair this way. What I suggest doing is reading your van’s manual and seeing if it has a recommendation on how many “clicks” back the vehicle seat should be when installing a carseat. Follow any directions in that manual. Then give Peg Perego a call if there isn’t a resolution. They may or may not be satisfied with a firm installation if just the top of the carseat is securely against the vehicle seat as long as the base is entirely on the base of the vehicle seat. They may also request some pictures.
Hi… first thank u for ur review, is great and really helpful
I just got the sip 5/70 for my almost 3 years old boy, my wife car is a 2008 Chrysler Town and Country and it has 2 bucket seats in the second row, we have the Peg 30/30 for our 1 month old boy and it fits perfectly in one of the bucket seat (rear facing). But the Peg 5/70 for our older one doesn’t fitccorrectly (front facing) when we installed with the back support of the bucket sit in totally straight position (like an L) leaves an extremely big gap between the back support and the car seat, the only way for the car seat can meet the back support of the bucket seat is if we recline a little the back support, so the car seat looks like facing a little up instead of straigh to the front, it gets really tight in the latch and doesn’t move at all but im really worry about if is not safe in that position because I understand that the back support of the seat it has to be totally straight shaping an L
Please help me with this . Thank you so much
Peg has commented that the lockoff isn’t really a lockoff but really a belt guide to keep the seatbelt in position. To lock most lap/shoulder seatbelts, you’ll pull the shoulder belt out slowly all the way to the end, then let it retract some. You should hear clicking (you may need to put your ear right next to the retractor if it’s loud in the city). That means the belt is locked. Pull it tight to keep the carseat tight. If you’re in a Dodge vehicle, the seatbelt might lock at the latchplate. Look at the latchplate and see if it has a moving piece; that means it locks there instead of at the retractor. Just buckle and pull the belt tight. http://www.carseatsite.com/lockingclips.htm
can you comment more on the seat belt lock off? we recently took a trip to nyc. obviously, each cab is different, and not one driver could help us figure out how to lock seat belts. i’m more confused after reading about the different types of seat belts and what is required to lock them. help!
@Ashley, the addition of the rear-facing tether happened in March, so not all Pegs may be able to make use of it. Tethers may be obtained to retrofit older seats from Peg by calling 800-671-1701 and asking for one. They’ll need your model number and date of manufacture and again, these are for seats manufactured before March 2013. It sounds like you tethered it in an approved location, but it’s not a mandatory item to use. As long as the carseat moves less than 1″ when you tug at the belt path, it’s properly installed. (I’ll go back into the review and make a note about the tether retrofit! Thanks for mentioning it!)
Why hasn’t anyone mentioned the tether?? We just installed this Peg 5/70 last night, rear-facing and had a hard time with the top tether in our X3. It was supposed to be affixed to the floor rail of one of the front seats but that did not work with the car… So I ran it around the steel “leg” base of the drivers seat that runs on the rail. Are people not using this top tether to secure the seat from wiggling back and forth? (We used the latch system of course.)
@Cindy, it’s sitting so high because of the base. The Clek Foonf sits even higher and probably wouldn’t fit in your car, lol. I wouldn’t worry about it. As long as you have a tight installation, it’s not a problem because the carseat is still providing a lot of protection. Can you install it in the center seating position?
Hi Heather,
Hoping you can give some insight on an issue we are having with this carseat. We love lots of the features, but when it is forward facing in our vehicle (jeep grand Cherokee), its seems to be sitting very high. It seems so high that when you close the door very little of the door is left protecting the seat/baby. Its almost level with the window. Is this a concern? It just seems like the seat would be so exposed if it was ever hit in the side.
@Mariana, they’re both great for newborns actually. If you know that you’re at risk for a preemie, I’d go for a Pria because the TinyFit will fit a tiny 4 lbs. newborn very well. If you’re expecting a full-term newbie, it’s a toss-up. I compared the two just a comment up.
Hi Heather!
I can not decide between this peg-perego and maxi pria convertible… Are both of them safe for newborn babies? Thanks
Well, that’s a hard choice. The Peg, IMO, will look nicer in your car, lol. It’s a sleeker seat and will fit tighter spaces. The Pria has much more padding and the head wings, while closer in than the Peg, are also more padded.
Weight-wise, they’re both pretty heavy seats, so if you have to move them between cars on a regular basis, you’ll probably want to find a secondary seat. Keep in mind that there is a new version of the Pria without the TinyFit, if your dd is over 18 lbs. (Check out our contest running right now! https://carseatblog.com/22751/5-year-blogiversary-celebration-giveaway-maxi-cosi-pria-70-convertible/ )
Tough decision for sure. Good luck! You can’t lose :).
My 6 month old cries in her infant car seat. She also has battled reflux in the past. I have decided I want to move her into a convertible car seat for comfort. Hoping it will help with her unhappiness on car rides. I’m torn between this Peg Perego convertible and the Maxi Cosi Pria convertible. Could you possibly help me decide between the two? Is one safer or more comfortable than the other? Any advice would be great!