Learning Curve’s The First Years/Lamaze True Fit C630 convertible seat has been on the market since the beginning of 2008 and they’ve just introduced the Premier line. The new Premier C670 models have an anti-rebound bar for rear-facing use, which rotates forward from under the car seat and rests against the vehicle seat back. This anti-rebound bar, which Learning Curve calls a “rear-facing rebound management bar,” keeps the car seat from rebounding or hitting the vehicle seat back after a crash. It also translates into more energy absorption during the crash. The Premier models also have a ball angle indicator just above the harness adjuster strap and a 2 position recline handle.
This is a convertible (rear-facing and forward-facing) child restraint for kids 5-65 lbs. who are less than 50″ tall. Rear-facing the seat is rated from 5-35 lbs. Forward-facing, it can be used for children over 1 year old who weigh between 23-65 lbs.
The True Fit Premier comes with an infant body support cushion, buckle cover, a head bolster, harness strap covers, and a cupholder.
Features and Advantages
5-point Harness to 65 pounds: Most convertible seats have maximum weight limits of 40-65 lbs. The True Fit Premier has a forward-facing weight limit of 65 lbs. The harness is good quality and is nontwisting. The buckle tongues are narrow and do not fit the width of the harness; the harness folds over slightly as it passes through them.
High Rear-Facing Weight and Height Limits: Because the True Fit Premier 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. The True Fit shell is unique in that the upper seatback removes when the infant is under 22 lbs. This is a nice feature when the restraint must be installed in a back seat with little room front to back since the total length of the seat becomes about 21.5″ without the headrest-short enough to allow for a 45° recline angle for a newborn. When the infant is over 22 lbs. or his head is within 1″ of the top of the shell, the removable upper seatback is required to be used rear-facing until the 35 lbs. weight limit is reached. 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.
4 Harness Slots: There are four harness slot heights on the True Fit Premier. 
For rear-facing, the bottom 3 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 3 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 a little over 7 ½” with the infant pad in place and approximately 9 ¾” without the infant pad and the top slot is about 17 ⅜” when measured with the cover on. A child will outgrow this seat by height when he exceeds the 50″ 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.
The harness height can be easily adjusted while the True Fit Premier is installed. Adjusting the harness height is accomplished by pulling the yellow handles on each side of the seat and sliding them up or down. Make sure the handles are locked into one of the 4 positions. When I was adjusting the harness height into the highest position for my daughter, I noticed that it didn’t quite make it into that highest position, even though I had loosened the harness all the way for slack.
Recline Adjustments: There are 2 recline positions for both rear- and 
forward-facing. Recline is achieved by squeezing the yellow recline handle under the front of the restraint. A new feature for the Premier line is a ball angle indicator just above the harness adjuster strap. It plainly shows 3 zones for rear-facing: a red (X), which indicates too reclined, a light green (1), which indicates a 45° recline good for newborns and young infants, and a darker green (2), which indicates a 35° recline angle good for older infants and toddlers. The anti-rebound bar does not help with recline angle.
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. I found it easier to tighten when I pulled slack up and out of the hip straps. The buckle clicks audibly when each buckle tongue is inserted. The chest clip has a pictogram showing proper placement on the child’s chest.
LATCH: The True Fit Premier has one flexible strap to attach to the lower anchors found in newer vehicles. There is an adjuster on one side of these strap. The LATCH connectors are the deluxe push-on style connectors. A small comment about the length of the strap holding the LATCH strap to the seat: it’s about an inch too short. I felt like it was tugging on the LATCH strap when I was installing the restraint rear-facing. 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: The First Years 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. The First Years does allow the use of LATCH in the center seating position of the back seat if it’s been designated in the vehicle owner’s manual as a LATCH position.
Crotch Strap Adjustment: There are two crotch strap positions located approximately 5 ½” and 6 ¼” from the back of the seat without the infant pad in place. The strap is adjusted by pushing firmly down on a plastic piece and sliding it forward or back.
Padding, Comfort and Appearance: I’m in love with the cover! The True Fit Premier cover is nicely padded along the bottom and back. The cover on the restraint I tested is called Cranberry and the fabric has a luxurious plush feeling. It’s dark brown on the sides, burgundy in the middle and on the infant pad, and has light tan accents. I didn’t think I would like it when I saw the box, but it’s much nicer close-up. The cover removes by unsnapping and removing 4 elastics. It pulls off from the front and there’s no need to unthread harness straps! To clean it, hand wash with cool water and mild soap. The harness straps and chest clip are black. The strap covers and head support pillows are entirely optional. One thing I noticed right away is a label under the airbag warning label showing how to correctly position the harness for a rear- and forward-facing child. Imagine my surprise when I lifted the cover to install the seat and saw labels showing simple installation instructions! Give the person who thought of that a raise!
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. It’s to be used to boost a baby’s shoulders up to the bottom slots, but can be used until the child reaches 22 lbs. and in all rear-facing harness positions.
7 Year Expiration: The True Fit Premier has a 7 year expiration and the “Do Not Use Past” date is on a sticker on the inside back of the seat. The First Years specifies in the manual not to use the seat if it is in a crash.
Airplane Certification: The True Fit Premier is FAA-approved for use in aircraft. It also is a heavy restraint weighing in at 22 lbs., so if you do travel with it, you’ll want to use a luggage cart to avoid having to carry it. It’s wide as well at over 19″, so it’ll fit on the airplane seat with the armrest up; don’t book a bulkhead seat.
Value: With high weight limits, safety testing and other safety features, and a price point ($269.99) that is competitive with other popular, high-end convertible seats you’ll definitely get your money’s worth with a True Fit Premier.
Construction: The True Fit Premier is solidly made, but made in China which may bother some people. The cupholders are generous in size. I didn’t feel like any part of the seat was flimsy or cheap.
Disadvantages
Weight: At 22 lbs., the True Fit Premier is a hefty seat and that’s something to consider if you move it from one vehicle to another often.
Installation Issues: I had trouble installing it rear-facing because of the lockoffs. Both lockoffs must be used when installing the restraint rear-facing, using either the vehicle seat belt or the LATCH belt. When I used each method for installing the seat, the belts slid down into lockoff arms thus preventing their closing. If the lockoffs were turned around 180°, the problem would be solved in my vehicles. The forward-facing lockoff was not a problem.
Cover & Fabric Care: The top harness slot openings weren’t cut wide enough on the cover so the harness folded over on itself. It’s also hand wash, which is difficult to do and can take a long time for a highly padded cover like this has to dry.
Instruction Manual: One of my jobs is reading instruction manuals. I’ve seen many of them. I found the True Fit Premier instruction manual to have some typos and errors and an awkward organization. For instance, in the rear-facing section, when telling the user to lock the lockoff, it says, “Rotate red lock to the locked position.” That’s the first time a “red lock” is mentioned and there’s nothing red anywhere near the rear-facing lockoff. That will be confusing for a first-timer. Fortunately, the instructions on the underside of the cover are correct. I believe it’s a copy/paste error since the regular True Fit convertible seat has a red rear-facing lockoff, but again, a parent isn’t going to have seats to compare. The manual does have some excellent parts, like the Safe Practices and Safety Checklist sections, but it falls short everywhere else.
Conclusion
I’ve been playing with the True Fit Premier now for a week and have been enjoying it. My 7 yr old 48″ 47 lbs. dd still fits with about ½” before she reaches the top slots and she said she was very comfy in the seat. The anti-rebound bar addresses a concern that many parents have about rear-facing seats: they don’t want their kids rebounding into the vehicle seat, yet they don’t want to mess with a rear-facing tether. With all the EPP foam lining the seat, the lockoffs to replace using a locking clip, non-twist straps, and other thoughtful features on the True Fit Premier, it’s definitely a restraint worth considering for your child.
The webpage for The First Years/Lamaze True Fit Premier – http://www.learningcurve.com/product/detail/Y11051?locale=en_US
For more information on child passenger safety, please visit:
Glad it helps, Brooke! Don’t forget that the Graco Nautilus is a combination seat that can only be used forward-facing, so it’s not a good option for kids under 2 who should still be rear-facing.
Thank you so much for this!It sounds perfect for our needs! I have been looking for weeks for a new carseat for my 21 lb, 32 in long 9 month old son. I looked at the MyRide and the Natulius. Along with many others. The major problem That we have is that we have an 06 Elantra and travel to Phoenix a lot with a dog. So we need something that still leaves enough room for our 40lb dog and that fits safely in our car. I have repeatedly tried the carseat compatibility website. It does not work. If anyone else has any idea of a carseat that will work well for our situation, please let me know 🙂 Thanks!
@laura, the FAA-approved writing is in red text on the sticker, so it should be a little easier to find. There’s an example of a label here: https://carseatblog.com/6599/airplanes-carseats-and-kids%E2%80%94what-you-need-to-know-pt-1/.
Hi Heather, thanks for your nice review about this carseat. we own two “The first years true fit Premier” car seats (C670 and C650)” for our 2 years old son. We are going for a long vacation overseas and planning to use this in the plane. I researched before buying and read these are FAA approved. These are listed as FAA approved in your review too. I am looking for a sticker in car seat which would say that it is FAA approved but couldn’t find anything. My be I am not looking for the right sticker. Could you please let me know if there is any sticker on it to confirm that it is FAA approved and if it has, where is it? Thanks a lot.
Great review! Thank you for mentioning the error in the instructions with the red vs. blue lock. I just installed this seat last night and thought I was losing my mind. I can’t believe they still have the error in the manual nearly 2 years later! Shame on The First Years.
I wanted to comment on something that Sunny said (6/30/09).
“My Sienna minivan now has no room between her headrest and mine, and the driver’s seat is not in the position furthest back.”
The police officer that checked my installation said that you want to make sure there is always some room between the car seat headrest and your headrest. This room for movement of the chair is what makes rear-facing so much safer.
Hello again, I think I’ve settled on the Tfp, but like someone else said, I haven’t been able to find it in a store where I can go try it out. Did u ever locate a physical store that keeps it in stock? I am also in the Dallas area
Thank you very much Heather! that will be very helpful. After I wrote this I found out a little bit more, but you have cleared it all up for me.
@funmi, we don’t have reviews of the other True Fit seats, just the Premier. They all have the same harness slot heights, lockoffs, harness adjustment. The differences are that the True Fit is the “base model”. The Recline version has tabs on the recline foot that help give it extra recline oomph. The Recline also has a ball recline indicator just above the harness adjuster strap, just like the Premier does. As for which one is better, it really depends on the features you want and your budget.
I’ve been realing from information overload while searching for a convertible carseat from my 7month old DD who is quickly outgrowing her infant seat. I had kinda settled on the standard True fit. until I came across this review of the true fit premiere. I tried to find a review for the former on here, but I couldn’t. Do you have one on here? Also, which would you say is better out of the 3 that they offer, the standard one, the premiere or the recline?
Hi Kevin. It’s so true that you should try a carseat out if you can first before you buy. That way you can find out if you have issues such as the one you had. The adjuster tab does sit lower on the True Fit seats because the TFs don’t have a base, unlike say, the Britax seats. So, the adjuster is hidden in back seat more than other brands may be in some vehicles; however, I’ve heard of other brands’ seats having this same problem. It all goes back to try before you buy if you can . . . As for the advice you were given from the CSR at Learning Curve, it wasn’t necessarily bad, though I do take issue with the winter clothing part. Since the harness strap is one long length, it is possible to pull one side out to fit the child in that side, then pull the other side out to put the other arm in, then equalize the harness tightness. In fact, it’s a method that parents use on a lot of seats that have a single harness strap (Dorel seats do). It’s not my cup of tea; like you, I prefer to tighten and loosen the harness each ride. I hope you found a carseat both you and your dd like!
Hi,
If you want to secure your child properly, then test this seat in your car first. Remember, your child’s safety depends on being properly secured more than being comfortable. Too much wiggle room is comfy, but not safe. Two finger-widths is all the room that there should be.
When I went to place my child in the True Fit Premier in the rear-facing position, I found that it was not possible to adequately tighten the straps around her. After my wife and I had a close look at what was going on, we determined that the harness tension adjuster strap was pulling up against the metal release tab. In the rear-facing position, it is not possible to pull the harness tension adjuster strap downwards. Thus, every time we tried to pull tight, the straps were not able to lock in place because the metal release tab was in an open position.
I phoned the Learning Curve Brands help line and was given some advice which rather shocked me. I was told to place my girl in the car seat with her winter clothes on and adjust all the straps before placing the car seat in position in the car. Then I was told to release her while leaving the straps in their existing position and lock the car seat in place in the back seat of my car. Then, when putting her in the car seat, I was to pull on one side of the no rethread harness to get one arm in and subsequently pull tight on that side to get some slack in the other side to stuff the other arm in. Finally, I was to do up the buckles. I also was told to check the tightness every three weeks, or so.
My thoughts on this advice are twofold:
1. This defeats the purpose of having adjustable straps that can be used to ensure a properly secured child everytime she is in the car seat.
2. To obtain a properly tightened harness and get my little girl in this car seat, I must essentially crush one side of her to get the second strap over her arm, assuming that it remains properly tightened, which I do not.
This is not safe. I cannot in good conscience risk the safety of my child in a car seat that requires me to hope that it is properly secured without the ability to actually test it (i.e. pull tight on the harness tension adjuster strap) each and every time I move my car with her in it. I would also like to point out that one of the safety items listed in the Safety Checklist of the Instruction Manual for this car seat asks, “Did you pull the harness adjuster tight?” I must assume that this is meant for each and every time my child is placed in the car seat and therefore state, “No.”.
In looking at other car seats on the market, I note that most have a small bar with a tubular ring that allows the harness tension adjuster straps to be pulled upwards while the force is directed downwards. A similar device would quickly solve this issue with this car seat, as well as all other True Fit car seats with a similar release tab.
I returned the car seat.
I wanted to add my review simply because I did a ton of research before deciding on the True Fit and I bought it based on the sales pitch (by the company) that it would fit well in compact cars. Ha! We have a Honda Civic EX and it would not fit in the back center seat while rear facing. We had one of the county’s police officers help us install it and she told us that it just wasn’t a good fit for our car. By that point, we had removed all of the tags and couldn’t return it, unfortunately so we had to deal with it. We finally got it to fit in the car, but it was seated in the rear passenger side and the front passenger seat had to be scooted most of the way up, meaning that my husband and I couldn’t be in the car at the same time. Not an option for a one-car family.
We ended up buying another seat – the Britax Marathon and it’s a much better choice. Much more compact in comparison and we are able to scoot both seats all the way back AND have the car seat in the center position. The instructions were much easier to understand as well whereas I spent a good hour or so trying to figure out the latch system on the True Fit. And finally – we like the way the buckle adjusts on the Marathon much better than the True Fit because it very easily moves between the two positions. I never could get the buckle to move to the second position with the True Fit so every time I used it it was a fight to buckle my son in – he didn’t have enough room in the crotch area which must have been very uncomfortable. And because the seat was so tightly wedged into our car, we couldn’t easily adjust the harness straps (which hasn’t been a problem with the Britax). One last thing – the Britax reclines quite easily, just push a lever and it moves to three different positions. Not so with the TrueFit.
Other than that, it is a decent car seat – you just have to have a big car for it to fit right and apparently you have to have a small kid to fit properly in the s
Hi Tabitha,
The True Fit is actually relatively compact when you remove the upper seatback section. Heather has some photos in our review with the upper section removed. The new Britax Marathon 70 is also gives more room than the previous model in small back seats, so it is a good choice in those situations, too.
mrdhollins, the “recline” model (C650), is essentially a combination of the regular True Fit and the True Fit Premier. They took the True Fit and added the angle indicator from the Premier, then added a special recline booster for vehicle seats that need that extra “oomph.” The anti-rebound bar controls that backward movement into the rear of the vehicle seat and is another energy absorption device. When I was buying rear-facing carseats for my kids, I looked for things like that.
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Chanel, the cover easily removes from the front. It’s attached with snaps and elastic bands. You’ll definitely want to roll it in towels to hasten drying!
Did I read correctly in an earlier comment that the cover is NOT removable and therefore cannot be washed? I am very interested in this seat but cannot fathom not being able to clean the seat cover. I have very messy children.
I am probably going to get a True Fit for my daughter and am finishing up my research by doing a price comparison. I now see that there are THREE (3) True Fits, the (regular) True Fit – C630, the True Fit Recline – C650, and the True Fit Premier – C670. So now I’m really confused as to which to get.
I realize the Premier has the anti-rebound bar, but really can’t tell what the “Recline” has that’s different.
Also, how necessary do you think the anti-rebound bar is?
TIA!
We have our TFP installed in the backseat of a 04 Honda Accord. We don’t need the headrest yet though.
I meant to say in rear facing position in the middle rear seat.
this reviews are very helpful. What I would like to know is if TFP would fit in a sedan. I have a VW Passat and the pictures show that this car seat is kind of big. Can any one tell me please? Thank you! 🙂
Jennifer, you can certainly install the TFP at a more upright recline for your 11 mo ds and that will help the (any) carseat fit in your vehicle better. As for which carseat is best, I can’t compare since I haven’t evaluated them all. I’ve installed the EFTA at checkup events, but I’ve only seen the Symphony 65 at conventions. They’re all tall seats is about all I can say about them. I’m drawing a blank this morning on the removability of the TFP harness–I’ll double-check for you and edit this comment with the answer.
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ETA: We think the harness is removable, but it might be difficult to access it due to the anti-rebound bar.
I thought that I was sold on the TFP until I learned that once your child reaches 22 lbs, you have to reinstall the upper seatback. I am worried that it will not fit in my small backseat. My son is 11 months old and approaching the weight limit, but I want to keep him RF. In your opinion, which seat is best, the TFF, Evenflo Symphony 65, or Evenflo Triumph Advance? Also, can the harness be removed and washed? I know that they are not removable on the EF carseats.
Morleahsmom, sorry we got behind on approving comments! I see you had your question answered here: http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=130061 (yes, it is available in Canada as the True Fit Rebound).
Anyone have any idea when the TFP might be available in Canada? It’s driving me crazy trying to find out, and I’m running out of time for 19 mo dd height-wise in her graco snugride. It would be a no-brainer if the TFP was available here, but I can only get the original TF, so I’m torn between it and the Sunshine kids Radian XT. Any advice? Install (RF) would alternate between a 2002 Kia Sportage with seatbelt and a 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander with Latch…
Meg, have you tried contacting Learning Curve directly? Just letting them know about the difficulty you’re having may produce some results if you can’t buy the seat directly from them. We might have more information this weekend on its availability if Learning Curve reps are at the Lifesavers Conference.
I am looking to planning on buying the true fit premier car seat but have only been able to find it in the aruora blue. Does anyone know if there are any other color options and if so where do I go to find them. Thanks, Meg