This is a new model with limited reviews online, and the only ones I could find were people who received the product for free. So here's my regular consumer review! We are expecting baby #2 in May and used the regular Snugride click connect 35 with our 1st child (manufactured in 2013), so I will also make some comparisons to that model. I did get this on sale for $60 off, so it made it a great deal at $112 with tax.
Graco really hit it out of the park with this new carseat base. The SnugLock 35 base has a small center arm that easily lifts up, and you either a) thread the seatbelt across it and through the holes or b) thread the latch strap across it and down through the holes. The latch straps also have an awesome, easy to open/close storage case in front; they also say to store the carseat instruction manual in there. Anyway, you hook the seatbelt or latch straps into the car, and then put the arm down, it easily goes back down and locks with a click. This acts as a lockoff, so that the strap cannot move around and you get a really tight, secure install of the base. The older click connect 35 base was a bit of a pain to install, particularly because the seatbelt or latch strap still moved around when threaded through the holes in the base, there was no lock off. So you have to pull SO HARD to get the straps tight, which let's face it, is sometimes impossible. And then the base would still glide around under the straps. So this is 100x better and safer feeling.
The LATCH straps have the hook attachments, which isn't as nice as the button kind. If you upgrade to the "fancier" 35 versions (LX, DLX, elite, platinum) then I believe those come with the 1 button release attachments. To me it's not make or break and especially because of the sale price, the latch hooks were not worth an extra $100 to me.
The base also has a different adjustment for recline position than the now older click connect base. Instead of the little red dial in front, it's now a handle you squeeze up on, and a plastic "ramp" piece comes out from the bottom to steepen the incline if needed. It's a good deal easier than the old base and definitely a nicer feature with this new snuglock model.
The seat itself feels a little nicer than our old snugride click connect 35. The outer textiles are nice feeling, but for some reason the seat part is more of a "rough" fabric, similar to their older model fabric. I'm not sure why they chose to have 2 different fabric types, especially the rougher one where the child sits, other than the rougher fabric seems to be water and stain resistant, which is nice when you have a baby in there. But I think the deluxe models might have the softer, more modern fabric covering the whole seat.
The newborn insert is different, it's flatter and doesn't wrap around the baby's head, just pads on the side. However it feels thicker and like it has more "substance" to it than the older 35 insert. It's not as padded or big as the deluxe models current inserts. However, I honestly don't think these newborn inserts do much in regards to accident safety if you research; I think they just make parents feel better, and help position baby in the seat. So for that purpose, this insert does the job and is a slight improvement over the older model insert.
Weight: great and relatively lightweight. The seat weighs in at 7.5lbs which is on the lighter end of infant seats. I picked up a snugride 40 and the britax b safe in the store and thry are 10 lbs. They felt so much heavier and I ruled them out right away because of the weight being too heavy for me to lug around all the time.
The canopy is the same rougher fabric as the inner seat fabric. Although it is not as rough as my old 35 fabric. Sorry, I do not know terms for textiles! But I felt the canopy of the elite version in the store which was really nice, soft, thin, and high end feeling and this is definitely a much different (cheaper) fabric. Also this canopy moves somewhat more difficult than the older model. It has a louder click sound, and you have to wiggle and "fight" with it a bit to get it to go up and down. So to me the canopy is a downgrade, because the older canopy moved much more easily and didn't have audible clicks. The deluxe versions also have a smooth gliding canopy without the clicks... so for some reason they decided to "cheap out" with this canopy. It's probably my least favorite feature on this carseat. This canopy DOES extend farther than the older 35 model, which is nice but can also be a pain to get past the handle.
The handle moves by pushing the red buttons on each side, so it takes 2 hands. This is not an issue for me, and I am a person with with no coordination, so it's really not that bad. I think more deluxe models have a 1 hand design with the button in the middle of the handle, but again to me that feature is not worth an extra $100. The handle moves easily, except for sometimes having to move the canopy out of the way.
The straps are standard harness straps. This IS a re-thread harness, the deluxe models have a no re-thread feature. Note that with an infant carseat, it's not such a big deal because you are easily able to remove the carseat off the base and access the back. The no re-thread harness is great for convertible carseats, especially when your child becomes front-facing, because accessing the back to adjust the straps is a HUGE pain in that case (having to uninstall the whole seat). But with the infant seat you don't need to uninstall anything, so while the no-rethread is nice, it's a bit overkill on the infant seat and not really worth paying extra for. The straps comes out easily and there's no difficulty in rethreading.
The crotch strap pulls easily, some seats are so hard to tighten and adjust but this one is smooth and effortless. The only thing I dislike with the Graco seats is the button to loosen the crotch strap is under the seat fabric, reached by sticking your finger in the hole for the excess crotch strap material. It's not intuitive at all since it's hidden. And then you still have to finagle your finger around to find the metal button to press down, and if someone else (like grandma) takes the baby, I always need to remember to remind them how to tighten the straps. I really hope they update this feature in future models.
This seat comes with the little carseat strap covers which was an unexpected bonus. They're soft and just a little perk. the older 35 seat did not have them.
All in all I really recommend this seat. It currently retails for $159, however I see it on sale for a bit less at some retailers. The new snuglock base is an awesome improvement and I highly recommend it over the old click connect base. The seat itself has some nice improvements, it felt a little cushier than the previous model. This is NOT the deluxe model so if you want increased cushioning and little features like no-rethread hardness or the bigger snuglock base, consider upgrading to the deluxe models (retail $200-220)
| Product Dimensions | 30.67 x 11.75 x 15.59 inches |
|---|---|
| Item model number | 2080277 |
| Minimum weight recommendation | 5.5 Pounds |
| Maximum weight recommendation | 35 Pounds |
| Maximum height recommendation | 32 Inches |
| Material Type | Foam |
| Number Of Items | 1 |
| Style | With 1 hand adjust |
| Number of reclining positions | 4 |
| Batteries required | No |
| Rear-facing minimum child weight | 4 Pounds |
| Rear-facing maximum child weight | 35 Pounds |
| Harness type | 5-Point |
| Item Weight | 17.55 pounds |
