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!
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?
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.
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.
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.
Does this car seat recline?
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.
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.
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??
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?
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 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?
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 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/
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.
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!
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.
“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!
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.
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?
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!
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!)
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.
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.
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!
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.