Safety 1st Advance EX 65 Air + Review

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Liz Tan  

 

When our friends at Safety 1st asked us what our readers might think about the idea of a convertible car seat with a 50 pound rear facing weight limit, we were thrilled to pose the question on our Facebook page. The comments were clear —  such a seat would be a welcome addition to the marketplace.  Safety 1st responded with the release of the Advance EX 65 Air + and we couldn’t wait for our seat to arrive!

Safety 1st Advance EX Air +

CSFTL Quick Stats

• Rear facing weight range: 5-50 lbs.
• Rear facing height range: 19-49″
• Forward facing minimum age: 2 years
• Forward facing weight range: 22-65 lbs.
• Forward facing height range: 29-49″
• Shell height: 28″
• Lowest harness position: 7.5″
• Highest harness position: 18″
• Expiration: 8 years
• Lower anchor weight limit: 40 lbs.

Features

• 3 crotch buckle positions
• No re-thread harness
• 3 recline positions
• Integrated cup holder
• Air Protect + GCell HX foam

For all intents and purposes, the Advance EX Air + is quite similar to the Safety 1st Advance SE  Air +, but there are a few key differences.

1. The 50 pound rear facing weight limit
2. 2 year minimum age for forward facing
3. 18″ top harness slot instead of 17″
4. 49″ rear facing height limit for rear and forward facing

Advance EX 65 Air + installed rear facing

Make no mistake, this is a very large car seat.  It’s not a good option for tight spaces where you’d need an upright seat (front-to-back, it measures 34 inches when installed at the most reclined level in my 2009 Mazda 5), nor is it likely to be any kind of option for a three across situation.

It’s also not particularly lightweight, though it does have a handle on the back that makes carrying it around pretty easy.
But.
And this is a big but.
This is a reasonably priced, plush seat that is likely to fit most children until they’re ready for a booster.  The 50 pound rear facing weight limit means that following best practice of rear facing for as long as possible is truly an option for many families.  Children who would have maxed out the rear facing capabilities of most other convertible seats on the market could remain rear facing for much longer in the Advance EX Air + than almost any other seat on the market.

Professional Race Car Seat Manufacturers Announce Indianapolis Motor Speedway Edition Child Car Seat

(Indianapolis, IN) Bald Spot Sports, makers of customized professional race car seats, introduces an exclusive Indianapolis Motor Speedway line of child car seats.

Bald Spot Sports (“BSS”) is known nationwide within the professional racing industry for their patented race car seat technology. Custom made to order for IndyCar, NASCAR and NHRA drivers, these seats have been proven to keep drivers safe in even the most horrific crashes.

Because of their long-standing association with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (“IMS”) and their reputation for the safest race car seats in the industry, the IMS was proud to lend its logo and stamp of approval on this line of child car seats.

BSS has a partnership with Dorel Juvenile, a major manufacturer of child car seats, to imple-ment their patented technology into certain car seat models. “We are excited to be able to bring our technology to this industry,” says Cameron Cobb, Co-Founder of Bald Spot Sports. “The thought of playing a role in protecting children every day is a project we take very seriously.”

Shown here with the official IMS Wing, Wheel and Flag logo is the Dorel manufactured Maxi-Cosi Pria 70 & 85 seat, suitable for children weighing 9-40 pounds when used in the rear-facing position, and 22-70 pounds when used in the forward-facing position.

It’s FlexTech™ system allows for multi-directional energy management, and the seat includes revolutionary side impact protection. The Wing, Wheel and Flag logo may also be placed on the Maxi-Cosi Pria 85, suitable for children weighing 14-40 pounds when used in the rear-facing position, and 22-85 pounds when used in the forward-facing position. These highly rated seats, which retail for $299.95 & $349.95 may be pre-ordered by contacting BSS.

For more information, contact Bald Spot Sports at 1.877.BSS.SEAT. Also, visit http://www.thisbuiltamerica.com/indiana#15 and see “Chapter 2, Racing to a Better Seat” to learn more about the Dorel/BSS partnership.

NY TIMES Article Regarding our work with Child Safety Seats

Wheels - The Nuts and Bolts of Whatever Moves You

June 3, 2011, 11:31 am
Child Safety Seats With a Racing Pedigree
By ROY FURCHGOTT

A prototype of the Dorel safety seat, which employs foam technology commonly found in IndyCar racecar seats.Dorel Juvenile GroupA prototype of the Dorel safety seat, which employs foam technology commonly found in IndyCar racecar seats.

You have to wonder why nobody thought of this before.

Watching IndyCar drivers walk away from 200 m.p.h. crashes, executives at Dorel, the child car seat manufacturer, asked whether the technologies that protected racecar drivers in crashes could be applied to child safety seats.

A collaboration with an IndyCar supplier is bearing out answers. Dorel is developing seats that use a proprietary foam used in IndyCar seats called expanded polypropylene, or E.P.P., which is proven to be more resilient and shock absorbent than other foams.

E.P.P. is one of only two foams approved for use in IndyCar seats, and it is the one that is preferred, said Jeff Horton, director of engineering for the Indy Racing League, the body responsible for safety research. “We promote the E.P.P. 100 percent,” he said in a telephone interview. “It’s the best crash absorption we have.”

The foam’s function in crashes is twofold. Many foams compress only in the spot where pressure is applied, while others spread the impact but crush down and cannot spring back. E.P.P., developed for seat applications by Bald Spot Sports, the sole manufacturer and supplier of E.P.P. seats to IndyCar, spreads impact throughout the foam, so pressure in a single spot is absorbed in the neighboring foam as well.

Secondly, the foam springs back, ready for additional impact. “It’s great for multihit situations,” Mr. Horton said.

“We tested probably 30 types of material, and when we got down to the type of material, we tested different density,” said Travis Cobb, a partner in Bald Spot Sports. “We crashed a lot of cars.”

The E.P.P. also provides a bonus for fatigued parents. Because E.P.P. does not require a resin glue to lock the foam molecules in place, the foam weighs less than other varieties, said Mr. Horton, who has been privy to the development of the Dorel prototypes. “I’ve seen the baby seats, and they are very light,” he said.

Dorel was in the news more recently for a recall of 800,000 child seats for a condition where the harnesses may loosen. No injuries have been attributed to the harness issue. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which prompted the recall, said at the time, “Dorel doesn’t have a disproportionate number of recalls.”

The E.P.P. seats are still in development and will become available in 2012, said Barry Mahal, the executive vice president of child restraint systems for the Dorel Juvenile Group.