Car Seats

Best Car Seats

Overall Score

Safety 1st Advance SE 65 Air+

Convertible Car Seats

One of multiple convertible seats offered by Safety 1st, a brand of Dorel Juvenile Group.

CR Expert Take

How did it perform in our expert lab testing?

Overall Score

The Overall Score for this model is derived from our expert lab test results.

Current Range of Tested Convertible Car Seats

What goes into the Overall Score?

EXPERT LAB TESTS

Ease of use

4 / 5

Rear LATCH

3 / 5

Rear belt

3 / 5

Forward LATCH

5 / 5

Forward belt

4 / 5

Crash protection

BASIC

Pros

No rethread harness
Dual range recline indicator

Cons

Crash Protection
Difficult to determine when recline indicator is level to ground
Takes up considerable room installed rear-facing when reclined for a 5 to 22 lb child
Harness can be difficult to tighten and release
Heavy seat

CR's Take

In Consumer Reports’ new crash tests, 2 of 2 Safety 1st Advance SE 65 Air+ seats tested forward-facing with a weighted 62 lb. dummy, representing a heavier 6 year old child, experienced the seat’s internal harness pulling through the shell, which could provide a lesser margin of safety when compared to other models subjected to the same test protocol. Though the child-sized dummy remained within the harness, the loose harness could jeopardize the seat’s ability to effectively protect a child in any subsequent impacts occurring during a crash event. As required of all car seats sold in the U.S., the Safety 1st Advance SE 65 Air+ must comply with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and the manufacturers self-certify to such compliance. The federal standard is designed to ensure an essential level of crash protection. CR’s crash evaluation of infant and convertible car seats is based on how each seat’s performance compares with that of similar models in our 35 mph frontal crash tests. Given the results for the Safety 1st Advance SE 65 Air+, we believe there are better choices that could provide a greater margin of safety in certain crash conditions similar to those simulated in our tests. Although rear-facing installation for older children (22-40lbs) is good, when used rear-facing for children less than 22 lbs, this seat takes up enough room to make the front seats of a vehicle cramped or unusable. Forward-facing installation is much better. We like the dual recline lines, but on this seat it is difficult to determine if the seat is properly reclined due to the recline lines being on a curved surface. The Safety 1st Advance SE 65 Air+ performs well in our forward-facing fit to vehicle tests using LATCH.

Detailed Test Results

Consumer Reports has developed a new crash test that offers consumers comparative performance information on which car seats could provide an additional margin of safety when compared with other models within the same ratings group that have been subjected to the same test protocol. Our Crash Protection Ratings are based on injury criteria measured on standardized child-size dummies, contact of the dummy’s head with the back of a simulated front seat and a car seat’s ability to remain intact during the course of testing. Consumer Reports’ new crash tests are not designed to check whether a seat complies with current federal car seat safety standards;. Rather, the purpose of our new tests is to differentiate the seats’ performance on a scale that ranks the performance of tested seats ranging from “basic” to “best.” Our focus on providing an “extra margin” of safety, rather than on determining whether a seat is safe or not, is based on the fact that any car seat sold in the U.S. already must provide an essential level of safety under the government standards. The new test conditions were carefully designed to simulate the interior environment and forces encountered during a crash in contemporary vehicles. Changes from the way that convertible seats were rated previously include using a test bench that better simulates the vehicle seat design from a contemporary vehicle, with more representative cushion stiffness and seat geometry and incorporation of a “blocker” to simulate a front seatback. The new test also runs at a higher 35mph speed, with other representative dynamic characteristics that better simulate the behavior of contemporary vehicles during a crash.

About

The Safety 1st Advance SE 65 Air+ is part of the Car Seats test program at Consumer Reports. In our lab tests, Convertible Car Seats models like the Advance SE 65 Air+ are rated on multiple criteria, such as those listed below.

Ease of use: Our judgment of how easy each seat is to use including the clarity of labels and instructions, adjustments of clips and buckles, the transition of the seat from rear facing to forward facing and installation features such as LATCH connections and top tethers.

Rear LATCH: Rear-facing installation using the LATCH system. A rating of how compatible, easy and secure a child car seat can be correctly installed in certain test vehicles. This rating is based on a rear-facing installation using the LATCH system.

Rear belt: Rear-facing installation using vehicle seat belts. A rating of how compatible, easy and secure a child car seat can be correctly installed in certain test vehicles. This rating is based on a rear-facing installation using the vehicle belts.

Features & Specs

Features

LATCH connectors

Hook

Harness adjustment

External

Recline level indicator type

Dual Range Lines

Recline level indicator position

Both Sides

Multiple recline positions

Yes

Spanish language instructions

None

Specs

Rear facing weight range (lbs.)

5-40

Forward facing weight range (lbs.)

22-65

Height range (in.)

19-49

Seat weight (lbs.)

Base width (in.)

Overall width (in.)

Shell height (in.)

Overall height (in.)

Price & Shop

Safety 1st Advance SE 65 Air+

Price

Description

CR Expert Take

Overall Score

What goes into the Overall Score?

EXPERT LAB TESTS

CR's Take

Detailed Test Results

About

Features & Specs

Features & Specs

Features

Specs

Price & Shop

Price & Shop

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