Customer Reviews

Graco ComfortSport Newborn/Toddler Carseat

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

We really enjoy our new Graco ComfortSport car seat. Our son is 7 months old and has been using the seat in the rear facing position for about 1 month now. We loved his infant carrier, but he grew over the maximum length specified for the seat (26"), so we knew we needed to move up to a convertible car seat and that we would have it in the rear facing position for 6 months.

We tried some other seats, but we had problems getting them to fit in our small cars in the center middle seat while rear facing (see my other reviews for details). We also tried the Evenflo Titan which is in the same price range as the Graco ComfortSport. It did fit in our cars, but we had some problems with the straps (see the review under Titan for details.) We had NO PROBLEMS getting the Graco ComfortSport to fit in the center back seat rear facing in both a 2000 Honda Accord and 2000 Saturn SL2 with the driver and passenger front seats adjusted far enough back to fit my 5'-11" husband comfortably. Because our cars aren't LATCH equipped, we installed the seat using the center position seatbelts and didn't have a problem.

In all fairness, we did not try the Evenflo Triumph or any of the Britax seats that many people wrote good reviews for, they were outside of our budget.

However, as with many other car seats, to get the angle correct in the rear facing position you probably will have to put rolled up towels under the front of the car seat (which is explained in the car seat manual.) The nice thing with the ComfortSport seat is that it has a built in level with rolling ball so that you can verify that you have it at the correct angle rear facing. The other seats we tried first just had a straight line that you had to eyeball or put a carpenter's level on. Having the built in level was a nice feature.

Other reviewers felt that the ComfortSport had too much padding and therefore may not fit all babies. We had no problems getting our son in the seat and we liked the padded surface. You cannot put it in the top shoulder strap slot in rear facing position, but our son is tall and still appears to have room to grow "up and out" in the middle position. My husband and I feel that the padding isn't too thick and the straps seem to have many adjustment settings. We do not think that most people will have problems getting their babies in this seat.

The only negatives we have encountered are that the seat is larger than the infant seat and does take up more room in your back seat. This may be a concern for others with small cars. However, the ComfortSport is no larger than other convertible car seats. You will have this problem with all of them. Another negative was the strap adjustments are significantly different in the convertible car seats versus the infant carriers (even if you are buying the same brand.) It took my husband and I several tries before we fully understood how to tighten and loosen the straps. You really need to study the car seat manual.

When the car seat is at the correct angle with towels underneath it, you can access the front tightening strap and lever to loosen the strap. If you can't reach it (like some other reviewers have stated), then you need to check your angle. Also, when tightening the front strap, it helps to take your other hand and pull on the same strap behind the seat. We think when the seat is rear facing, with the towels underneath the seat, at times the towel rubs against the strap making it harder to pull. By putting slack in the strap by pulling on it from the back, you make it easier to pull.

In the May 2005 issue of Consumer Reports Magazine the Graco ComfortSport was only rated 7th out of 9 seats reviewed. That was one reason we did not start out with the ComfortSport in the first place. But the overall score still was in the "Very Good" range and we feel it is a good economical choice for people with cars who need to use the seat in rear facing position.

The reason we gave this seat 4 stars instead of 5 is because in this price range ALL of the seats we tried have challenges putting them in the rear facing position. There definitely could be design improvements.

I also want to add that for a small infant (birth to 6 months) an infant seat is going to be a better choice. All infant seats have a more relaxing angle for the baby, are easier for you to use, and are more convenient. I would not start out with the ComfortSport or any other convertible seat. But when you have to move up, consider the ComfortSport.

I have both the Graco ComfortSport and Evenflo Titan. This seat is much better for the same amount of money.

The seat is very soft and comfortable for the baby, where the Evenflo seat is very hard. The cover is easy to remove and clean. The straps are fairly easy to adjust.

The seat does come with a cup holder, but you don't have to attach it if your child isn't able to use it yet.

As for the review about the child's head falling forward, I have the seat in the back of my Honda Accord, and my daughter sleeps just fine (no head falling forward).

Also for rear facing you will probably need a towel, but we also needed that with our infant seat, so not really sure what the big deal is with that. It also protects the seat from getting dents/lines from the carseat.

I think this seat is the best seat for the price if you aren't looking to spend a lot of money on the Britax.

I started using the seat when my son was 7 months old. It worked great in a rear facing position. I tried facing him forward at 13 months and thought the seat sat up too straight in the upright position. He sleeps alot in the car so his head

would hang forward. I returned it and bought a Britax Roundabout that works great! It has a little recline in the upright position which suits us much better!

We did a fairly extensive search for carseats when our 6 month old outgrew her Graco infant seat. We considered quality/safety, size, ease of installation, and comfort/roominess for the baby. In addition to this Graco, we looked at the Britax Roundabout, the Britax Marathon, the Evanflow Titan, and the AlphaOmega Convertable Alpine. We finally selected the Graco ComfortSport and have the following comments about this carseat:

1. Quality and safety: This was the single most important thing for me; I had settled in my mind on a Britax because of the claims that it is the only seat with side-crash testing. My husband and I compared the Britax Roundabout and this Graco seat in the store by removing the seat cover and actually looking at the design of the seats. There was actually no difference in the make of the seat as far as the shape and hardness of the plastic molding, and the shape and extense of the foam pad over that. The only difference I could see was that the Britax Roundabout has a bar that goes across the lower back area, whereas the Graco has several plastic pieces angled across. The safety of the seat is the most important thing for me, and I was convinced after comparing the skeleton of these two seats that they are almost the same. I am thinking right now that the Britax may be hyped up more than it is actually worth. The other issue with safety is that we were told that the middle placement in the backseat is the safest position to protect the child from side-impact crashes, so this is where we placed both the infant seat and this new Graco. The Graco seemed to sink down further- has a deeper recess, than the Britax seats, which to me actually seems safer because the child is more surrounded by the sides, not to mention it's also more comfortable for her.

Finally, the issue with the button to loosen the straps - the Graco and Britax both have the button around the front of the seat, which means that when it is in the rear-facing position, the button faces the back of your backseat. The Graco's is a little harder to get to than the Britax - it is curved around the front of the seat more, which means when the seat is in the rear-facing position, you have to squeeze your finger between the car seat and your backseat more to push it. But there is room to do this, it is just not as convenient.

2. Size: We have a Volvo 850, 4-door, and wanted a mid-sized seat. One person suggested that if you have your children close together, it is wise to buy a mid-sized for the older one instead of a huge convertible, because by the time the second child grows out of the infant seat you will have to buy a second seat anyway, so you may as well have a mid-sized and a big one instead of two huge ones. The other piece of advice we got was that after a few years, these seats all wear down pretty well and if you go with a huge one it may not weather the years as well and you may end up buying a second one anyway. These factors plus our smaller car made us buy this mid-size seat. I was a little concerned about the size of the Graco ComfortSport because it did look bigger than both the Roundabout and the Evanflow Titan (other mid-sized seats), but it fits well into our backseat in the rear-facing position and we do not have to move up the front seats. The reason we also eliminated the Roundabout had to do with size - our baby, who is only 6 months, is very long and her feet were only an inch from the edge of the Roundabout, which means as soon as she grows an inch more, her feet would be hitting the back of our backseat. In the Graco ComfortSport, she has a few inches of space between her feet and the edge of the seat, which I think she will need since she will be in the rear-facing position for 6 more months.

3. Ease of installation: I almost gave this seat 3 stars instead of 4 for this reason, not because the seat is that hard to install, but because there is just no reason why Graco could not make the seat flatter on the bottom so you don't have to roll up a towl underneath it. The ComfortSport is just like the Graco Infant seats, so that it is angled on the bottom, which means you have to roll up a towel to place underneath it. The Britax is easier to install for this reason. The advantage of the angle is that the seat can rock if on a hard surface, but this is really only necessary for the infant seat when you are carrying your baby around in it - it is not an essential feature of the mid-sized car seat. But despite the needed towel, it was not that hard to install this seat and took us about 15-20 minutes (and we don't have the latch system).

4. Comfort: Probably the most comfortable seat out there - the memory foam is great and our baby loves it! I actually don't think the Britax seats are all the comfortable for the baby- one of the Evanflow seats also has memory foam but it was more expensive. Also, I love the fact that this seat sinks down further - I think it makes it safer than other seats (the Britax did not seem to sink down as much and baby did not seem as protected), and it also makes it a lot more comfortable for our baby - and as I said, it gives her more leg room and room to grow, which she needs because she is very long. The Graco ComfortSport is also very nice looking - matches most car interiors.

We bought this seat for our daughter when she grew out of the Graco snug-ride at about 6 months. She loved it (and she HATED the snug ride). It's not too hard to install and the cover is reasonably easy to take off and clean. Rear-facing it is a pain to adjust but that time passes quickly. Our daughter is now 2 1/2 and quite small for her age, but we're finding that she's getting too tall for the seat. She's only 24 pounds, a far cry from the 40 pound "limit" but her shoulders are now level with the top of the straps (she's also not particularly tall, 25 percentile for her age). In order to be safe in the seat, the straps on a forward facing child must be at or above the shoulders. So now we have to buy a new seat long before we thought we would need to. My dad is a certified car seat safety inspector and he agrees that we'll need a new seat soon. Anyway, it's a nice comfy seat that we've found particularly easy to use forward-facing, but beware that unless your child is very short and round, you will be replacing the seat long before s/he is 40 pounds.

I have a 5 month old who has been in the graco snugride carseat and has always cried when she is put in it. Well she has since out grown that carseat in height and is now riding in the new Graco ComfortSport carseat and she loves it. She talks, giggles and sleeps when we go out and about. It is so nice to hear her so happy in her carseat. It sure beats the old crying until she fell asleep rides. Thanks Graco for making a great carseat that my daughter loves and that she will be in for the next 3 years.

Sincerely,

Shannon

My twin sons are 9 months old, and have always used this Graco Carseat, and my 4 year old is in a booster. I love this carseat, and its ideal for a family of many young ones.

First of all I love how easy it is to install (with LATCH system) into the two seats (behind driver and middle) in the 2nd row of my mini van, they only take up two seats (like all should, but some take up more) and my daughter can get into the 3rd row through the space where a seat behind the passenger would be. I love how easy it is to take out and install into my husbands pick-up without the LATCH system, but is still snug and safe, it really only takes 45 minutes to move and re-install both. I think that the reqline is at the perfect level rear-facing, and you dont need to use a pool noodle to prop it up, which can be unsafe. I love that the memory foam contours to my twins bodies, and proves to be very comfortable, even on our recent 3 day car trip (with pit-stops of course). The five point harness is comfortable, but we purchased harness covers (foam, makes it more comfy) and the boys never seem uncomfortable when leaning foward. Its also easy to adjust the straps by pulling off the pad, easier than it sounds... takes all of 30 seconds to do. The carseat cover is machine washable, but line dry it. Its comfortable and also easy to wipe up for a quick fix. Theres also removable infant support (used for bringing the boys home from the hospital) and a removable pillow... making the Graco Seat very secure and comfortable. I also love how the carseat "hugs" your child and the wings on the side offer a headrest. My boys sometimes fall asleep with their heads foward, but this would happen regaurdless of what carseat I purchased. The seat holds up to 40 lbs, about the size of an average 3-4 year old... not as high as some other seats, but its definatly worth it. Theres also a cupholder and snack tray at the side, awkward placement unless the child is 3ish, but that doesnt bother us since thats not why we purchased this seat.

I love this Graco Carseat, its easy to use, comfortable and much better than my daughters old Evenflow... What a great carseat.

I too have twins (20 month old boys) and this carseat is great for them. They are only in the 10th percentile so this seat will go far for us! We love the color, and it seemed the safest on the market...

WE always loved the graco name, and this carseat really does it justice!! It took my husband about 30 minutes to SECURLY install one of these seats, not too bad at all, and it really isnt too tricky if you follow the directions. Installing it foward facing was much easier and only took about 20 minutes for one seat, this is amazingly simple compared to stories I have heard about other carseats!! I can have the boys in here untill they are 40 lbs, not as much as other seats but fine for us... The straps are ridiculously easy for me or my husband to adjust, and you dont have to take off the cover. I can easily have this seat rear-facing, or foward facing, easy to reqline and to change possition too. Both of them fit very well in my Expadition and I too have one in the middle seat and one behind the passengers seat. The cover comes off really easilly, and it washes just as easily... The cover is easy to wipe up with a baby wipe for those quick fixes. The straps are very, very comfortable and they never tangle around my pettite boys bodies. Its very comfortable and I love the extra foam that some seats tend to lack, my boys always fall asleep in these seats and they are never uncomfortable, and they are never floping their heads around. The energy absorbing foam liner is really cool, and I found out its VERY safe... Even my husband said this chair is superb in saftey (he's a police officer).

You just can't get better than this Comfort SPort, I have never had another seat and boy am I glad!!

My twin boys are now 21 months old and are only in the 32nd percentile! We bought them a marathon origionally but sadly they were left on the porch when my husband and I went out (my sons were at their grandmothers) and it started to pour and the seats were totaled... Well we went out to buy a different one, because the marathon wasnt really all it was cracked up to be anyways (so we didnt really rush over to save it once it started to pour ;) ) This graco was perfect...

At the store we loved how small it looked compared to other carseats (we have to fit two in our SUV, even though its an Escolade we still wanted something small). THe colors were fabulous and my boys seemed to like it. The seat seemed to be extra padded and very comfortable, it seemed really really nice. It was easy for my husband to install in the parking lot, and it fit very snuggly. We could also have our boys in it for another year/year and 1/2, which was really important to us.

Well once home we found even more wonders of this Graco seat! First of all it must have been a god-send because our once car hating boys turned into wonderful car passengers and would sleep within minutes of being placed into this seat! Their heads didnt flop all over the place either, it was a nice smooth ride that my boys really loved. The straps are very easy to adjust, and you dont need to take off the cover to do so, and they dont get all tangly and anoying like our old seats. I can easily wipe something off of the cover for a quick clean, but it is also TOO easy to take off and throw into the wash, its amazing!! It snugly fits into the car, and there is room for one more person in the seat behind the driver! The seat also looks extremely safe in rear-facing position (we tryed it just for the sake of the review) and the added infant support would work wonders for a newborn transitioning from infant carrier to carseat or if you just placed a baby who was a few weeks old inside, it would surely be safe and comfortable.

We really thought that the MArathon wasnt "too bad" and that all carseats were like that, but this Graco ComfortSport showed us how horrible the Marathon was, and how much easier technology can make it for a parent of twin toddlers who are almost into the "terrible twos"... THANKS GRACO!!!

My husband and I bought this seat when my daughter was 6 months old. We wanted to get her out of the infant seat and used to a bigger seat for our upcoming road trip from CT to VA. We picked this one because it was in the middle for price, easy to use and adjust, and my husband was sold on the memory foam. I drive a VW Jetta and it was a tight fit(rear facing) in the backseat, but it was also a pretty tight fit(rear facing) in the backseat of my mother's Volvo SUV. Rear facing(in ANY car seat) is an inconvience you just have to deal with for the first year, just like diapers. Forward facing- it's great. My daughter seems really happy and comfortable in it( I haven't had the problem with the head falling forward), she slept all nine hours of the trip. I wish they made one for me. Four stars because I can't see it lasting to 40 lbs, my daughter is 14 months now and barely 20lbs and she is already on the last rung of the straps.