A couple days ago we brought you a video of the Kiddy Evolution Pro infant seat. At the time, we had absolutely no information about the seat, so we made stuff up. (Just kidding—but we didn’t have any information to share.) But now we have answers!
The Evolution Pro is interesting in that it can lie flat. That had us scratching our heads a bit, trying to figure out how safe that would be in a car. The very simple answer (that we hadn’t even considered) is that it is not meant to lie flat in the car, just in a stroller or on the floor. I’m not sure why that possibility hadn’t occurred to us, but there it is.
Kiddy has built safeguards into the seat to ensure that people can’t install it while it’s flat. For one, it won’t snap into the base unless the seat is in the proper position. Second, as you recline the seat into its flat mode, little tabs pop up to block the belt path on the seat itself.
The seat will be rated from 6-35 lbs, but a preemie inlay will be available to reduce the minimum weight all the way down to 3 lbs. The insert consists of a headrest, body support, and a wedge/pommel to help fill the gap in the crotch area and prevent slumping.
The seat features a no re-thread harness that adjusts to five different heights.
As if lying flat weren’t different enough, here’s another big difference for you: The seat will have a 3-point harness.
Initially we thought the 3-point was just a prototype from Europe, but it really will be that way on the US model as well. The Kiddy representatives said that a 5-point wouldn’t allow the seat to lie flat, and they also feel confident in their decision to bring a Euopean-style 3-point to the US market. The Evolution Pro has been in Europe since May, and it has passed all testing there, including side-impact testing. They feel it will perform equally well in American testing.
Here are Heather and Kecia going over some of the seat’s features:
The prototype base features a ratcheting system to tighten the seatbelt or LATCH belt. The handle must be up in the car (and won’t click into the base if it isn’t). Baseless, the seat allows for European belt routing.
Kiddy Evolution Pro – early PROTOTYPE base
The Evolution Pro will come in several colors, from neutral to zebra print. You’ll also be able to mix-and-match covers and inserts to create adorable combinations.
Accessories include a mosquito net/breathable rain cover combo.
The Kiddy Evolution Pro is expected around the first quarter of 2014. It will retail for about $299 for the seat and base, and extra bases will be available for about $99.
No, this seat is not yet available in the US, and I haven’t heard anything more about it since the ABC show last year. However, a similar seat from Cybex just won the JPMA Innovation award. It also isn’t available yet, but it’s in the works. https://carseatblog.com/29620/2014-abc-expo-update-whats-new-from-cybex/
Is this seat available in the US?
Lots of innovations in the infant seat market lately! Unfortunately, that doesn’t appeal to me since I skip the infant seat all together.. waste of money for a seat I’ll use for such a short amount of time. Would love to see some of these innovative features in convertibles!!
Oh wow, duh, reclined flat out of the car. Why didn’t we think of that a million years ago…?
No comparison between the proper-fitting Euro 3 point harness and the awful crotch-buckle-out-in-front-of-the-babies-feet designs we had for years in the US.
I like the EU 3pt harness! I found it to be an excellent fit on my newborn son when we had the Cabrio Fix when we lived overseas. It was much easier to get a snug harness fit in a 3 pt than a 5 pt, especially on noobs as you don’t encounter any slack over the hips.
The lay flat feature is interesting, since I am such a big fan of basinets for infants on the stroller.
I am not too sure about this 3 pt harness thing. The lay flat is cool and all but I can’t help but feel that it is at the expense of the safety of the seat. And when I go looking for a car seat, I am looking for a car seat, not a baby carrier.
Wow – the infant seat market is getting some COOL things lately! I totally love the colors – and its not just the fabric, it ROCKS that the shell is colored as well!
@1Mommy – I’m pretty sure you will NOT be able to put the handle down once it’s locked into the base. They’ve carefully considered the various potentials for misuse and built-in safeguards to prevent dangerous situations.
So can you put the handle down in the car at all, or will it not allow you to move the handle once it is clicked into the base?