Baby Trend Protect Premiere Convertible Car Seat Base

(Last Updated On: July 25, 2016)

It's nigh impossible to innovate the Infant Trend PROtect Sport Convertible without mentioning its roots. The new PROtect line of convertibles: Sport, Premiere, and Protect Aristocracy, are versions of a seat that some of usa used to know and dearest: the Showtime Years True Fit.

Baby Trend took many of the features that made the True Fit a good value and added their own flavor to the seat.  Lower ballast connectors, crotch buckle and chest clip, splitter plate, clear labelling, and an updated cover that's a big striking at my house!

Infant Trend PROtect Convertible Sport

CSFTL Quick Stats

• Rear facing weight range: 5-22 without headrest attached; 5-40 lbs with headrest attached
• Rear facing height range without headrest attached: Until the meridian of the child's caput reaches the max red line on the seat back
• Rear facing acme limit with headrest attached: Until the child's head is within 1 inch of the top of the seat
• Forward facing weight range: 23-65 lbs
• Forrard facing height range: 50″ or less
• Lowest harness position: 6″ with insert
• Highest harness position: sixteen.5″
• Lower anchor weight limit: 45 lbs

Measurements

• Beat out summit: 21″ without headrest; 26″ with headrest fastened
• Width at widest signal: 18.5″
• Seat pan depth: 12″
• 2 crotch buckle positions: the innermost position is for rear facing use; the outermost position is for forward facing way
• Weight: xv lbs without headrest attached (for children weighing 22lbs or less)
• Weight: xviii lbs with headrest fastened

Features

• Expiration: vii years
• No-rethread harness
• EZ Off-North-On Cover

Assembly

Baby Trend PROtect Convertible Sport without headrest

The PROtect convertible Sport arrives in two pieces — the vanquish of the seat and the headrest.  When used for children who weigh less than 22 lbs, the headrest tin be left off.  This makes for a pretty compact rear facing seat when used for the tiniest of passengers.  In rear facing mode, the headrest is required for use when the child's caput is above the max crimson line on the back of the seat.The headrest is ever required when the seat is in forward facing style.

Attaching the headrest is pretty simple — line the metallic rods on the headrest up with the holes on the dorsum of the seat.  The angle of attachment is a niggling misleading simply once they're correctly aligned, the headrest volition slide in without issue.

Harness Adjustment

Infant Trend PROtect Convertible Sport harness adjuster

The seat features a no rethread harness that works a little differently than the blazon of harness adjuster we see on other seats. Instead of a handle that squeezes to enhance a caput residual, or individual slots through which a harness must be threaded, the PROtect Convertible Sport has a bar that holds the harness in identify. To adapt, pull the bar up and out from both sides while holding the seat firmly.

The bottom three harness positions tin can be used for rear facing; the top 2 harness positions tin can be used for forwards facing.  The characterization clearly shows these positions and their employ.

Installation: Rear Facing

Baby Trend PROtect Sport Convertible lower anchor connector

The PROtect Convertible Sport includes Baby Trend's lower anchor connectors.  These tin can exist used with children who weigh 45 lbs or less.  Attaching these anchors isn't difficult, but they aren't identical to other premium lower anchor connectors nosotros see on other seats.

Baby Trend PROtect Convertible recline indicator

The PROtect Convertible Sport has one angle for rear facing recline.  Information technology took a rolled towel tucked into the seat bight to get a solid install at the correct angle.  Unsnapping the cover made access to the belt path easier.

Baby Trend PROtect Sport Convertible recline cake

The recline adjuster is a block that flips forward for rear facing fashion and back for forward facing fashion.  The linguistic communication printed on the block is a piddling vague.

Infant Padding

Baby Trend PROtect Convertible Sport newborn recline

The PROtect Convertible Sport includes a set up of baby padding. The manual nosotros received doesn't mention this padding at all only Baby Tend shared the following guidelines with us when we asked about it:

1-Never use forward facing.

2-Do not use to a higher place 18 lbs.

These guidelines will be reflected in an upcoming version of the manual.

Forepart to Back Space

Baby Trend PROtect Convertible installed rear facing with headrest attached

Children who weigh less than 22 lbs can utilize the seat without the headrest.  That makes for a pretty compact seat — roughly 27.5 inches front to back.  With the headrest fastened for children who weigh more than 22 lbs, the seat measures 32 inches front to back.

Harness Loops

Similar another Baby Trend seats, the harness features an additional set of loops that are stitched into the harness. Presumably, these loops are for use with the tiniest of passengers since they'd brand the harness smaller. Notwithstanding, the manual doesn't mention them at all.

Baby Trend shared the post-obit information with united states about these loops:

The extra set of loops was added in case a consumer needs actress adjustment. The outer loops that are installed splitters from the factory will give the consumers the snuggest fit for their child.

Nosotros accept this to mean that the loops tin can be used whenever necessary.  They split from the main harness to give the consumer the all-time fit for their kid.  One word of caution: the splitter plate on the PROtect Convertible Sport is a bit more complex than traditional splitter plates then nosotros'd suggest keeping the manual handy when switching to these smaller loops.

Fit to Kid

Newborn Doll

Baby Tendency PROtect Convertible Sport: newborn doll

Our newborn doll is vii lbs and 17 inches long. With the harness covers on the straps, the shoulder straps are correct at her shoulders and the harness fits her reasonably well.  An comeback over the First Years version of this seat is the smaller Baby Trend chest clip, which will assist the harness fit newborns quite well in terms of shoulder width.

We did notice that the harness pads made getting the breast prune into the right position a challenge.  With work and careful placement and witting focus by the parent, the breast clip can be positioned properly.

Newborn Doll — No harness covers

Baby Trend PROtect Sport Convertible newborn doll, no harness covers

Since the harness covers are optional, we removed them to see how the seat would fit our newborn doll.  Removing the harness from the splitter plate was a bit tricky — nosotros'd recommend following the manual when making this change.  Without the harness covers, the straps are above the doll's shoulders.

3 Weeks Old

Baby Tendency PROtect Sport: 3 weeks old, 10 lbs, 21 inches tall

This young model wasn't too thrilled about testing this seat for the states but we're glad that he did!  He's iii weeks sometime, weighs 10 lbs and is 21 inches alpine.  With the infant padding in the seat, the lowest harness slots were simply at his shoulders.

The manual does not address whether or not the harness pads are required. Baby Trend let us know that the harness pads could exist removed past disconnecting the harness from the splitter plate for a better fit to child.With both of our newborn models, the chest clip was too low with the harness pads left on.

ii Years Former

Babe Tendency PROtect Sport: 2 years old, 28 lbs, 36 inches alpine

This young model merely celebrated his 2nd birthday.  He had mixed feelings about the seat just his male parent reported that buckling him in was pretty painless.  The but struggle was in finding the buckle tongues — they tended to hide downwards in the embrace a bit.  Once he was secured in the seat, it fit him well.  He'south got enough of room to grow in this seat!

When marketed past First Years, this seat had a comparatively low 35 lb rear facing limit.   Every bit my youngest daughter reached that 35 lb marker, I lamented more than one time that she would outgrow the seat by weight.  We're beyond thrilled to see that the PROtect Convertibles have a forty lb rear facing weight limit.  This increased weight limit means that almost children can ride rear facing in this seat until close to their 4th birthdays.

Installation: Forward Facing

Considering my primary model is over the 45 lb lower anchor weight limit, my default installation method is with the seat belt.  I'm working with a 2016 VW GTI that'southward fabulous in almost every way.  Except for installing auto seats.  It'southward got a dip in the seat, fixed and recessed buckle stalks, and a nonremovable headrest.  This combination makes for a very small number of seats that install without too much problem.

This issue is definitely the fault of the car, not the auto seats I've been reviewing!

That disclaimer bated, installing the PROtect Sport in my car went about like I'd expected. It took a little time, but hither's what worked: raising the vehicle headrest to the highest position, then pushing the PROtect Sport back into the seat with all the force my non-dominant hand could muster.  I was able to wedge the seat into a proficient spot and remove the slack from the vehicle belt for a solid install.

The belt path on the Protect Elite model of this seat features a very nice lockoff device that helps keep the seat belt or lower anchors tucked nicely into the belt path.  This model of the seat doesn't have that lockoff so I found the belt slipping out of the chugalug path a bit. Our contact at Baby Trend bodacious us that wasn't an issue.

Fit to Child

4 Years Sometime

Baby Trend PROtect Sport: 4.5 years old, 32 lbs, 38 inches alpine

This little cutie is four.five years sometime, weighs 32 lbs and is 38 inches alpine. She finds the seat comfy and likes the seat. In that location's lots of room for her to grow in this seat.

She's able to buckle herself in without consequence but isn't able to unbuckle herself. She's also constitute that the harness straps tend to twist a bit equally she's getting in and out of the seat.

6 Years One-time

Baby Tendency PROtect Convertible Sport: 6 years old, fifty lbs, 45 inches alpine

This model is 6 years sometime, l lbs, and 45 inches tall.  Though she's 15 lbs below the seat's max weight of 65 lbs, she'southward at the very top of the height limit.  The deep headwings offering a lot of side support but did tend to brand her a scrap cramped in the seat.

She uses up all of the harness length.  She's able to buckle herself in and out of her seats so I left that to her.  She struggled with undoing both the chest clip and the buckle on every ride.  This could make the PROtect Convertible Sport a nice selection for children who like to escape from their car seats.

Overall Thoughts

Nosotros're pleased to see that Baby Tendency has taken this seat and made a lot of significant improvements without sacrificing the features that made the Truthful Fit a solid option in well-priced convertible seats.

Our friends at Baby Tendency are giving one lucky winner a PROtect Sport Convertible. Enter below for your chance to win! Can't expect to run across if you've won? The seat is available at Wal-Mart and from Walmart.com.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Originally published March 11, 2016.  Updated July 25, 2016 with info about the harness straps.

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Source: https://csftl.org/baby-trend-protect-sport-convertible-car-seat-review/