It’s been The Buzz for some time now and we finally have one for review! It’s the Safety 1st Complete Air Convertible with the Air Protect side impact technology cushions. This model can be used rear facing from 5 to 40 pounds and 19-40 inches. Front-facing, the limits are 22-50 pounds and 34-45 inches. It is now available in the Complete Air LX version with improved recline and the original Complete Air as described in this revew. I can’t tell you how it will perform in a crash, but I can tell you that it is feature packed and makes for a very nice covertible child safety seat.
First, the unboxing:
Next, the “Revolutionary Side Impact Technology.” This comes in the form of air filled cushions on the inside of each head restraint wing. It essentially replaces the EPS foam found on most child restraints with an air-filled cushion. It’s not an airbag, so there’s no inflation involved. It’s basically a disc of open cell foam, surrounded by a perforated plastic bag. When compressed, the air released is restricted by the size of the holes, allowing it to increase the ride down time of the child’s head before it reaches the plastic shell or an intruding part of the vehicle. Whether or not this is a significant improvement over EPS foam (similar to what you find in a bicycle helmet) I cannot say, but it looks impressive:
The other big feature of the Complete Air is the 40 pound rear-facing weight limit. A wise man once said-
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!
The Complete Air is the second new model in the USA with a 40 pound limit. Combined with that, Safety 1st gives a rear-facing height limit when top of the child’s head reaches the top of the adjustable head restraint section. That is extremely generous, as you can see in the photos below. On the left, my son is properly fitted with the adjustment in the 3rd from highest position and the harness slots are just below his shoulders. On the right, you can see how much room he has with the headrest in the highest position! He is 4 years and 2 months old, 43″ tall and weighs 40.0 pounds on our scale (clothed but without shoes!).
The only drawback is the stated 40″ rear-facing height limit. There’s a nice “Safety Tip” section in the front-facing section that advises parents to use the seat rear-facing as long as possible, up to the 40 pound and 40 inch limits. As is often the case, the standing height limit may be somewhat arbitrary, as it is mandated by the relevant standards. I am not advocating that you exceed the limits in the owner’s manual, but include these photos for comparison purposes. Leg room is limited by the vehicle seat, as it is with any rear-facing model in the USA or Canada. As for front facing height limits, many readers will want to know about the maximum torso height. This photo should be self explanatory:
The rear-facing install angle was relatively upright in my minivan; fine for larger kids and older babies, once they can support their head well. It may need a pool noodle or rolled towel in many vehicles to get the 45 degree recline angle necessary for newborns and small infants. There is a level line on the side of the shell, but not an actual indicator like you find on infant seats and some other convertibles.
Pros? Well, rear-facing to 40 pounds is a real safety advantage. One study indicates that rear-facing is especially advantageous in side impacts. So, if the Air Protect cushions work as advertised, the combination is a legitimate safety benefit. The generous harness and torso height settings are also a big plus, though they are mitigated by the published standing height limits that seem artificially low. Deluxe push-button LATCH attachments make it easy to connect and disconnect from the anchors found in newer vehicles. Front-facing LATCH installations are relatively straight forward with no unusual issues in my minivan.
The harness height mechanism is fairly easy to use from the front, even while installed. You do need to make sure the harness is loose enough to adjust it higher and also make sure it clicks into place, especially at the top position. The crotch strap has 3 positions, another nice addition. The Complete Air is well padded and the cover fits well at the edges. It’s made in North America (USA), another key selling point, in my humble opinion.
Cons? It’s pricey at $249. The LATCH attachments require rerouting to switch between rear and front facing use. Though not difficult, it does take a few minutes to do. There’s only a single tilt adjuster on one side. Combined with the shape of the shell and position of the rear-facing belt path, you can’t quite get an ideal angle to tighten the LATCH straps rear-facing. Even so, it installed well in my 2006 Odyssey, but it took a little more time than some other models. Similarly, when installed rear-facing, the harness adjustment strap can be a little hard to pull to tighten it the last inch or so. That’s mostly due to the angle you have to use to pull the strap, but could also be due in part to a new mechanism that needs some use to loosen up a bit. It also appears that the harness straps can twist at the buckle. Though it has EPS foam and the Air Protect around the head, it does lack EPS foam elsewhere. Finally, the detachable cupholder is already being used as a hand hold to get into the van, I hope it doesn’t pop off in the process!
I have only had the Complete Air for part of one day. I’ll post a full review by the end of July as I get some experience with it. I’ll look over the manual thoroughly, try seatbelt installations, install in other vehicles and have some more photos, too. At first glance, it seems quite nice overall. It’s among the higher priced convertibles, but you do get some innovative features for the money. You can find the Complete Air, Complete Air Special Edition and Complete Air LX (new base with imprved recline) at many stores! Anyway, if it’s within your budget, the Complete Air is definitely worth consideration along with other competitive premium convertible models.
I really love this seat. I was in an accident not long ago and we had to replace our son’s carseat (thankfully nobody injured) so we chose this seat. We liked the extra head protection and the higher weight limit for rear facing. My son is 19 months old and about 23lbs. He is still rear facing and seems to like the seat. I didn’t have trouble installing it rear facing like some have said – just the usual wrestling with all car seats that goes on… Why they can’t invent a mechanism that makes tightening the staps easier I will never understand. All in all i’m impressed with this seat and it fits well in my Scion xb.
Hi Kevin. If you are using the Complete Airm you may use it with a newborn if they are tall enough to fit into the harness. Please see the manual regarding the height requirements. Small newborns and preemies may not fit well in this seat. I have some photos in my review here – https://carseatblog.com/?p=3698
and will this seat fit in nissan xtera or frontier well
i have 4 month old label says can be rear facing from 0 months is this true
If you like the Air Protect otherwise, a new version is being released within the next month or two that has a new recline adjustment mechanism. I don’t know if that will solve your issue or not, but it is a possibility. While it is impossible to say for sure what seats will fit your child and your vehicle, we do have some suggestions here https://carseatblog.com/?page_id=401 . You might also try to find a child seat inspection in your area and see if they can help you install it correctly before you return it.
I just purchased this and am have a hard time with the rear level setting. I have a 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander with lots of room, but the angle that is required it wont fit. It seems like they want us to lay it flat. My son is a big for his age. He’s 5 & 1/2 months, 22 lbs and about 24 inches. He can almost sit up unassisted. Not sure wat to do. What other seat would you recommend??
I’m sure if he took a very good bite, he could puncture the air cushion. Otherwise, it seems like it should stand up to everyday use pretty well.
I’m wondering if it’s possible that my generally destructive, almost 3-year old son could do permanent damage to the air cushions? His current car seat has several bites out of the EPS foam (it’s a graco safe seat 2). Thanks!
There is no true recline setting, though there is a foot that you use when going from rear facing to front facing. When rear-facing, you may need to use a pool noodle or rolled towel to adjust the recline, as is often done with any rear-facing infant or convertible seat. I can’t tell you for sure if it will fit in a Corolla without seeing it in person. It would depend on the year of the Corolla and other factors. If you don’t have a third child seat or passenger for the middle, I would say there is a good chance you could fit one on the outboard seat in many vehicles. You will probably find that you have to move up the front seats to accomodate a larger rear-facing convertible because it is a small car.
My baby is 14 months and 17 pounds, she walks and holds her head up, I was wondering if the seat reclines at all? my 3 yrs olds seat needs to be in the recline position for her to be rear facing, also, im thinking of getting two of them, they will both be rear facing, will they fit in my toyota corolla?
thank you so much, its been helpful
My followup review can be found here – https://carseatblog.com/?p=3698 .
The inclusion of a line rather than some type of indicator is problematic as it doesn’t allow for an acceptable range of recline angles. The line appears practical for the 45 degrees that is acceptable for all kids rear-facing. Older kids, beyond 6 months, are somewhat safer a bit more upright, perhaps to 30 degrees or so. If in doubt, you should definitely follow the owner’s manual.
Sorry I said he was 23″. Thats wrong he is a little over 25″.
I was looking at this seat today. I had a question about the pool noodle when used in rear facing. Are you saying to discard the leveling line when using the pool noodle or use the noodle to make it level?
My 6 month old is 20lbs and just about 23” tall. I had to borrow a convertible seat today as my wife went out with the infant carrier in her car and left me with no way to safely take my son out.
When he fell asleep his head was completely slumped over. It didn’t look very comfortable at all. Are you saying that you can use a pool noodle to increase vertical angle of the rear facing car seat to allow for a more comfortable riding position? I’ve read several posts and understand that as he gets older he will naturally be able to hold his head up better. I just want to make sure this is an acceptable practice before I head on over to the local pool supply store.
Thanks
Joey
The issue with newborns is a potential airway obstruction if their head flops forward. My understanding is that by around 6 months, the airway is more developed and the child would naturally pick up their head if breathing was difficult. Comfort is a different issue, of course. It’s certainly fine to keep a 45 degree recline for that. As long as the harness is adjusted correctly and the child is within the height limits, rear-facing is extremely safe for older kids, even with a 45 degree maximum recline angle. A pyramid of three pool noodles is often used to get the necessary recline, but as you said, the base of the Complete Air can be tricky with positioning noodles. My followup review will be posted by Monday at the latest!
Thanks Darren. Just one last question. She can support her head pretty well now, but the problem is happening when she falls asleep (which is often). When I stop and go around to get her out I feel so bad for her. Her little head is hanging forward in a very unnatural position. I think if she is like that for anything more than a 15 minute trip it could be painful. I worry this will happen when she falls asleep no matter what her age. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
Laurie, that is an issue with this seat. Somewhere at around 6 months, when the child can support their head themselves, it is OK to have a child more upright than 45 degrees when rear-facing. In fact, it is safer in a crash to be more upright. Usually, 30 degrees or so works pretty well for older babies and toddlers.
We recently purchased this carseat and are attempting to install it rear facing in a BMW X3 for my 6 month old daughter. We have installed it without using a towel or noodle to acheive the recommended recline. It looks like the front of the carseat would need to be propped about 6 inches in order to get the level line level with the ground as suggested. My question is, is this truly safe? In a rear collision wouldn’t the seat be in danger of flying forward toward the seat it was installed rear facing in? Also, there doesn’t seem to be much structure under the bottom front of the seat to grip onto towels or noodles. Has anyone been able to install this at the suggested angle without using a towel or noodle? If so, what type of vehicle. I can’t believe we are the only ones having this problem. My husband thinks there is a major design flaw in this seat and wants to return it. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Do you think the seat would fit well in an 07 Honda Civic? I think my lanky 9-month-old (17 lbs, 28″) is ready to graduate from her infant seat.
Many infant and convertible seat models require a noodle or rolled towel to get the correct rear-facing recline angle. This is not unusual and is a perfectly acceptable method for installing most rear-facing child restraints.
I’m not pregnant, yet. I saw this new carseat, and thought it would be great for my hopefully future baby. It concerns me that noodles & cones are required to get this seat to work properly. If that remains the case… NO WAY.
I apologize. I had hoped to have the full review finished by now, but just haven’t gotten ’round to it yet, sorry!
Hi! I’ve been following the remarks about this seat and was anxious to see if there was any new input. My twin boys are about ready to grow out of their Britax Companions and I’m looking at this seat as a possibility. Primarily, I’m looking for something that will install fairly easy and fit good in the rear-facing position (I have a Nissan Altima, not a minivan). Thanks!