Parents who want nothing but the best and safest child passenger restraint for their child should take a look at the SafeGuard Child Seat.
When Britax burst onto the American car seat scene in 1996, critics laughed at the price tag. Who would pay over $200 for a car seat, regardless of the added features? The answer - plenty of discerning parents. A little over 10 years later, Britax dominates the U.S car seat market. However, the SafeGuard Child seat, manufactured by IMMI, is giving Britax a run for their money.
SafeGuard Child Seat Pleases Child Safety Experts
So what is it about the SafeGuard seat that has Child Passenger Safety Technician's (CPST) mouths agape in awe? Quite a bit, actually.
IMMI broke the mold when they designed this child passenger restraint. One can expect that IMMI has lit a fire under the backsides of other company's car seat engineers. Presumably, parents will begin to see IMMI's innovations on other manufacturers' seats in the future.
Easiest, Fastest Car Seat Installation
The SafeGuard possibly has the easiest installation of any child seat. Statistics state that 80% of car seats are improperly installed, translating to more injuries and fatalities during accidents. The SafeGuard seat makes improper installation nearly impossible. What's more, in most vehicles there is no struggle to get it in snug and tight. Elite Car Seats shows a clip of this seat being installed properly in 20 seconds. What saves parents from having to precariously perch themselves atop the seat to get a snug fit? A ratcheting LATCH tether that doesn't require pulling or intense pressure to get it installed.
One-Handed Harness and Headrest Adjustment
Adjusting the harness and headrest height could not be simpler. Parents need only to pull the yellow lever at the base of the seat and turn a knob to get the perfect amount of tension on the harness. What's more- the harness is retractable, like the seat belts in vehicles. Positively brilliant in design, it ensures the perfect amount of tension every single time. On other car seats consistently getting proper tension does not always happen.
With one-handed height adjustment, the seat accommodates children up to 57" tall and 65 lbs., a significant difference from many other higher weight, forward-facing car seats. For example, the Britax Marathon and Decathlon only accommodate children up to 49" tall and 65 lbs. Many children outgrow these seats in height well before they reach the weight limit. Even the Britax Regent, which harnesses children up to 80 lbs., only goes to a height maximum of 53".
Aircraft Aluminum Frame
The SafeGuard seat is constructed with an aircraft aluminum frame and plastic casing. The aircraft aluminum makes the seat one heavy son-of-a-gun (23 lbs), but the quality, durability, and strength of it is currently unmatched in the child passenger restraint industry.
Considers Comfort
IMMI did not only focus on safety, they also took into consideration the comfort of the child. Comfort features include soft, plush fabric covering a thickly padded seat, SmartCore comfort foam that resists temperature fluctuations, and adjustable well-padded headrests that enhance side impact protection and allow the child to nod off restfully.
The Drawbacks
This cutting edge seat also has a cutting edge price tag. The SafeGuard may just break the bank, selling for a buck shy of $400. It is quite likely that many families will not consider this seat as an option, regardless of how advanced it is in comfort, safety, and ease of installation.
Another noteworthy point is the SafeGuard is not a convertible seat, meaning it cannot be used as a rear-facing restraint. It is suitable for children at a minimum of 22 lbs. and 34". However, it stands to reason that parents, so interested in safety features that they would shell out the cash for it, would prefer to stay rear-facing for much longer than 22 lbs. It has been well-established that staying rear-facing provides unmatched safety compared to forward-facing seats. In light of this, many convertible seats can be used rear-facing for as much as 33 - 35 lbs.
The final point that may cause some parents to raise an eyebrow is that this seat has not yet been crash tested by Consumer Reports. However, IMMI has 2 in-house crash sleds where they test their seats and the numerous car seat parts that they supply to other manufacturers. Most car seat manufacturers cannot even claim to have 1 crash sled. The SafeGuard has gone through significant crash tests at IMMI and through an independent organization. It has continually passed safety standards throughout the testing phase.
No Cause for Panic
Despite the fact that the SafeGuard Child Seat has many unparalleled safety innovations, this does not mean that parents should be panicked that their car seat is not safe. All seats sold in the United States meet federal safety standards. Provided that the car seat is installed according to manufacturers' directions and used properly every time, parents can take comfort that they have chosen a seat that considers their child's safety.
The SafeGuard Child seat certainly has taken steps to make sure that its car seat can be used properly with ease and that installation is simple. For families who can afford this seat, it is worth considering. For families who are not comfortable purchasing the SafeGuard for whatever reason, refer to Car Seat Article Index for recommendations of other possibilities. Further, Best, Safest Children's Car Seat gives advice on car seat practices that enhance car seat performance and increase the child's safety.
Resources:
SafeGuard
Elite Car Seat
