Carseat Roundup from the 2016 ABC Kids Expo

New & Improved Carseats & Boosters for 2017

We’ve already brought you detailed posts highlighting many new products that debuted at the 2016 ABC Kids Expo. Here’s the roundup of what else is new and coming soon from Baby Trend, Britax, Cardiff, gb, Evenflo, Hauck, Maxi-Cosi, Nuna & UPPAbaby.

Baby Trend

A running change on Baby Trend infant seats includes a redesigned lower anchor system. A different webbing design will allow connectors to fit better in cars with more prominent anchors, and a new routing of the strap’s “tail” will allow users to pull upward, giving more leverage and making the strap easier to tighten.

Infant seats will also start shipping with a foam wedge to allow smaller babies to fit better in the harness. The insert goes under the cover and can be used until the baby fits well without it. Seats will start shipping with the insert at the beginning of the year, but existing owners who find they need one can call the company to order one.

Currently the Hybrid combination seat has dual splitter plates to hold the harness at the back of the seat. Soon that will be changing to a single splitter plate, which should eliminate some confusion. The Hybrid will also start shipping with a dual-length crotch strap to allow for more room for larger kids.

Finally, the Yumi folding booster will also feature a backless mode.

Britax

I’ve been in the car seat world for a long time now, and I knew the “Brit” in “Britax” had something to do with Britain, but I didn’t know what the “ax” was for…until now. Britax is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Back in 1966, the company launched as British Accessories: Brit-ax… (cue lightbulb-moment). We’re glad the company made its way across the pond and is now making amazing car seats for the U.S. market. Happy birthday, Britax!

In other news, Britax is reviewing its inflatable seatbelt policy. The company will likely add the B-Safe 35/35 Elite and the ClickTight convertibles to its list of seats that can be installed with Ford’s inflatable seatbelts. That would mean that all Britax seats could be used with those belts. Look for that change to occur in the next few weeks.

Britax will also be introducing some new fashions: Poole, Static, Mosaic, Venti, Confetti, Baxter, Oasis, Vue, Vector, and Kate.

A few fashions will be going away, including the popular Kaleidoscope and Onyx. Cowmoo is here to stay, though, so don’t worry about that.

There are now ClickTight Boulevards and ClickTight Advocates shipping with the anti-rebound bar in the box, although consumers can still purchase them separately, too. Purchasing them together as a boxed set will save $10 off the MSRP vs. purchasing them separately.

Cardiff

Heather recently wrote a review of the Cardiff Travel Headrest, so there’s not too much new to report. They do have some new fashions, though: Camo, Polka Dot, and Melange.

Cybex

See our full update on the new Cybex Sirona M convertible seat.

Diono

See our full update on Diono, including the upcoming Radius infant seat.

Evenflo

Evenflo has introduced the SafeMax Infant Seat. It has been tested to the Evenflo roll-over standard to provide enhanced protection in a rollover crash. The base features an anti-rebound bar and a lockoff. The carrier has four harness positions, three hip positions, and three crotch strap positions. It is available now at Babies R Us for $179.

gb

gb is introducing the Idan to its infant seat line. The Idan is very similar to the Cybex Aton Cloud, with some unique features like a belt guide for European routing that looks like a “slash” through the back of the seat. (The design allows the belt to slide in and out without hassle.) Retail price for the Idan will be $360-$400, depending on style, and it will be available in December.

Also on display was the Elian booster seat, which is similar to the Cybex Solution M-Fix. The Elian had some gorgeous colors, but unfortunately there’s no US release date set.

In other news, the gb Asana will get some new fashions for the coming year.

Graco

See our previous posts about the 4Ever Extend2Fit and SnugRide SnugLock models coming 1st qtr 2017.

Hauck/icoo

No new products, per se, but Hauck has teamed up with Fisher Price on a stroller featuring fabric created by renown designer Jonathan Adler. It’s available at Buy Buy Baby for $179. This venture opens up the possibility for more collaboration between Hauck and Fisher Price in the future. (I’d love to see a car seat in that fashion!) The Hauck ProSafe 35 Infant Carseat will continue to be available. The icoo Acrobat stroller now features a reversible seat and built-in LED lights!

 

Kiddy

See our preview of the new, improved Kiddy Cruiser 3 Booster that’s coming soon. It’s going to be one of the tallest boosters on the market!

Maxi-Cosi

Maxi-Cosi continues the Pria 85 line with the Pria 85 Max. What’s Max about it? The infant wedge, used from 5-22 lbs., is ginormous so the fit for smaller babies is nice. The Pria 85 Max can be used without the wedge starting at 9 lbs. There’s also a lumbar insert that wraps around and can be removed at any time. Other features include a nifty magnetic chest clip (see video below), spring-loaded crotch strap that lays forward, and a cover that pulls forward to reveal both rear- and forward-facing belt paths for easy access at installation. Look for beautiful covers and soft, sweater-like covers in their Sweater Collection on the Pria 85 and the Mico Max.

 

     

Nuna

The Rava convertible & Aace Booster are already available. No major changes for the popular Pipa infant seat. A lovely purple “blackberry” Rava will be available 1st qtr 2017!

  

UPPAbaby