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.
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.
Inflatable Seat Belts: Graco has determined that the My Ride 65 CAN be installed with inflatable seat belts found in some Ford Motor Company vehicles. Other types of inflatable seat belts are still incompatible for use with the My Ride.
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:
We tried to install the Graco My Ride 65 in the rear facing position only to find that the back rest portion of the seat wobbles side to side despite the latches being in place and pulled very tight through the base. Is this movement normal and safe or this there something else we can do to secure that back portion?
Love the review. Do you know if two of the carseats would fit rear-facing in a 2004 pontiac montana?
We have 5 month old twins who’ve outgrown their infant carriers. Really want to get this carseat just considered about them fitting in our van side by side.
Bridget, I’ve been able to install the MyRide rear-facing next to a Chicco KeyFit 30 in my 2003 Focus. It’s tight, and I wouldn’t want to have it that way all the time (we have other seats), but it works.
Thank you for such a thorough review! I’m determined to keep my son RFing as long as possible, and he only has about 5 lbs until he outgrows the weight limit on his infant carrier (at 3 months! eek!).
I was considering this seat, but I think I’ve pretty much decided on it. I was torn between it and the Britax Marathon. I really like the Radians but they are just WAAAAY out of my price range. Once again, thank you for such a good, thorough review!
Has anyone had any experience fitting this Graco next to an infant seat? We would like to get this for our 12 month old but are expecting baby#2 in December and I don’t know if both seats will fit next to each other in the back of a sedan.
Victoria, do be assured that babies’ growth does slow down :). My ds was a ginormous baby too, but he didn’t get to 30 lbs. until he was 15 mos old. Darren reviewed the My Ride with his 4 year old/40 lbs ds here: https://carseatblog.com/?p=2556, and that may interest you. Both of your choices, the My Ride and the Britax seats, have short crotch buckle areas. It usually only becomes an issue for much larger, older kids. I haven’t heard of any issues with the My Ride over it, though. As for either seat fitting in your vehicle, you shouldn’t have an issue, but it all depends on how each seat fits with your seat belts or LATCH. Since your ds is older and presumably has more head control, he can sit more upright, so there shouldn’t be many front-to-back space issues.
Thank you for the thorough review and the pictures. I do have one question though. My son is only 6 months old, but already 25 lbs and almost 30″. He’s outgrown his Chicco KeyFit 30 waaay sooner than I thought. So naturally I am looking for a higher weight limit car seat. (If he continues to follow the same weight/height progression, he’ll be 35 lbs by his first year birthday, and I am determined to keep him rear-faced as long as possible). Another problem is shoulder width. I recently took him to BRU to try different car seat models for width, and the only two I felt comfortable with were Graco MyRide 65 and Britax Boulevard/Advocate. I am concerned with the crotch buckle on the Graco. But I am also concerned that I won’t be able to fit either one in my car (I drive an Infiniti G35x sedan). Anyone compare these particular brands? Any issues with medium-sized sedans? Chubby babies? Your thoughts would be very much appreciated. TIA
Thanks, Heather! The newest MyRide 65 seats have the option to use the infant padding for the bottom two harness slots but I really think that is what was preventing us from tightening the straps all the way…I took the infant padding out on Sunday and the seats have stayed tight since. Weird! Plus now I make sure they are good and snuggled in so I know the straps are where they need to be.
Thanks again for your response!
Jessica, the only thing I can think of is that perhaps they’re relaxing down into the seat by the time you get to your destination; that used to happen to my kids sometimes and their harnesses would be looser than when we started. First thing I’d try is to pull forward on the chest clip after tightening the harness to make sure the A-Lock has locked into place. Let me ask around and see if someone else has had this issue.
Hi Heather,
I did a lot of research on this car seat before we bought two for our 15 mo old twins. They are still pretty small so are still rear facing and only on the second from the bottom harness height. My question is regarding the harness and if you had any problems with it staying tight against the child’s body.
My girls don’t know how to loosen the straps yet but it seems like once we get to our destination the harness straps are very loose compared to how tight they were before we left.
Any ideas on what is causing this? The times I am able to call Graco they are already closed for the day….
Thanks for your time!
Dana, one trick I use when installing all rear-facing carseats is that I stand behind the seat and bend over it, using my weight to anchor it as I pull the seat belt/LATCH belt tight. I can do this even with the super tall carseats (and I’m short torsoed!). As for tightening the harness, I bet it’s getting caught on the bottom of the seat. This sometimes happens with some (all?) seats. Try pulling the harness snug from the back as you pull the adjuster strap from the front.
***********
Nadia, I’m glad you like the seat! Can I suggest a different mirror though? Perhaps it’s just me, but I’ve never met a suction cup that will stick for more than 5 minutes and in a crash, those crash forces will definitely rip it off the window. There are lots of mirrors on the market now that wrap around vehicle headrests or attach to tether anchors that are much better in terms of attachment if you must use a mirror. Hope you continue to get lots of great use out of the My Ride. 🙂
I’ve been using this the MyRide 65 for my daughter since we left the hospital after her birth, ten weeks ago. She was born weighing 7 lbs, 5 oz. We (daughter, dad, and I) love this car-seat. My daughter seems perfectly comfortable and content to be in it, even for long trips. It feels very safe and secure. We decided to forgo the infant carrier car-seat and go straight to the convertible and I don’t regret the decision in the least. Since it will last up to 65 lbs, it means less waste (trash and money) for us. We intend to keep her rear-facing up to 40 lbs, but since she is turning out to be long and lean she may outgrow the rear-facing seat for height before weight.
It is big, however. We have it placed in the center of our Honda Accord, it seems to take up a lot of space. Since we are done having kids it isn’t an issue with crowding the back seat. The cup holders are great (when a parent is riding in back on longer trips 🙂 ) and will be very nice when she is old enough to have a sippy cup, toy or snack. The height of the seat does not obscure our view out of the rear window/rear-view mirror at all. We recently got a little convex mirror that suctions to the window so we can see her when we are driving. The large side “wings” to a great job of keeping the sun off of her face on bright days.
The mechanism to release the straps is a little tricky to access at fist; once you get the hang of it, it’s not an issue. I removed the strap covers because they kept sliding down and were pretty bulky on my newborn’s shoulders. I may reattach them once she gets bigger.
I would absolutely buy this car-seat again. We managed to get it on sale at Target, for $120+tax, and was a great bargain considering how expensive comparable (Britax) models are. Graco is a pretty reliable baby brand and I recommend the MyRide 65 to anyone wanting a extended rear-facing car-seat.
I was really excited about this car seat but now I am not so sure I like it. It was difficult for me to install rear facing (getting it tight enough). I had my dad help me and he was able to get it much tighter. I haven’t had a problem instaliing any of my other car seats (also graco). One was a graco infant seat and the other two are the Graco Nautilus. All installed with latch. The back of it seems so large and bulky and in one of the other reviews someone had said the salesman was able to easily flip it out and forward from the back when rear-facing, which I can see happening. On the other hand the bulkiness probably does offer protection because of the large shell. So I’m confused on this issue. The major issue I am having is being able to tighten the harness. Again like some other posts I am unable to tigthen past a certain point and there is room for it to become tighter. When I take my daughter out of the car seat it, the straps can become tight all the way but not if she is in it. I will be contacting Graco to see what their recommendation is. I wonder if it is a manufacturing issue or an installation issue.
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.
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….
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 .
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?
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 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?
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.