Evenflo recently announced that they are about to launch their new SensorSafe Embrace DLX infant carseat. This is the first carseat on the market to feature technology integrated into the chest clip. This particular Embrace infant seat model will launch in August and will be available for purchase at Walmart. MSRP is $149.99.
“SensorSafe” was designed to help prevent children from being accidentally left behind in cars. Before you rush to judgement on this issue, please take a moment to read this article.
What kind of person forgets a baby?
The wealthy do, it turns out. And the poor, and the middle class. Parents of all ages and ethnicities do it. Mothers are just as likely to do it as fathers. It happens to the chronically absent-minded and to the fanatically organized, to the college-educated and to the marginally literate. In the last 10 years, it has happened to a dentist. A postal clerk. A social worker. A police officer. An accountant. A soldier. A paralegal. An electrician. A Protestant clergyman. A rabbinical student. A nurse. A construction worker. An assistant principal. It happened to a mental health counselor, a college professor and a pizza chef. It happened to a pediatrician. It happened to a rocket scientist.
The frightening reality is that everyone is capable of such an unimaginable act. I know what you’re thinking – everyone but you. *You* don’t need to be reminded that your baby is in the vehicle because *you* would never forget. It’s so easy to make yourself believe that because think of the alternative! What kind of parent believes that they could actually forget their child in the car??? But it happens. Over and over. Year after year. And there is no doubt that technology like this can – and will, save lives.
Moving beyond the debates and the horrors of reality – let’s talk briefly about how SensorSafe technology works. Keep in mind that we will have a complete review of this updated Embrace 35 model and the SensorSafe Technology in the very near future. In the mean time, if you’re looking for more info on the carseat itself – you can check out our existing review of the Evenflo Embrace 35.
How SensorSafe Technology Works:
- Two components – a transmitter inside the chest clip and a receiver plug
- Insert receiver plug into your vehicle’s OBDII port (receiver plug works with model year 2008 or newer vehicles with gas or diesel engine; if you have a hybrid or start/stop vehicle you will need a different receiver plug which you can get by calling Evenflo customer service)
- Receiver plug communicates with transmitter in chest clip once vehicle starts moving
- If chest clip is unbuckled while vehicle is moving, a series of tones will sound within 30 seconds
- When vehicle is turned off, a series of tones will immediately remind driver the driver that there is a child buckled in the carseat
For more specific information on SensorSafe please see Evenflo’s FAQ page: http://www.evenflo.com/uploadedFiles/Pages/Products/Evenflo/SensorSafe/sensorsafe_faqs.pdf
Not sure the Evenflo Embrace 35 review is a comparable model. The sensorsafe DLX model appears to include the push on LATCH connectors (which evenflo refer to as SureSafe). The embrace 35 review references this feature as an Embrace Delux feature (btw – the link to amazon for this is not working).
A question I have is whether the series of tones can be silenced/overriden? It would be shame if everytime you turn off the car the baby is awakened by the tones?
If the tone could to be turned off or over ridden then the technology would not be very effective to insure the baby was safe and out of the heat. This devise is to be used as a reminder ur child is in the car seat when ur exiting the vehicle. Some people have problems with forgetting about a child in the back seat which can happen and the child is left in a hot car. It to help prevent child’s death due to heat and being left in a car.
Very clever to use the OBDII port. Shame my car is too old. Wait, I’M feeling too old to venture back into infant seats! I hope they roll this technology out to convertibles soon too. As I recall from that article it’s not just >1yo that are at risk. I’m very happy to see it on a lesser-expensive and widely marketed seat.