Safety 1st Ellaris Convertible Car Seat - Topsail

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Thank you Stellar Product Testing Panel for providing me the Safety 1st Ellaris Convertible Car Seat. This car seat is a great option to have for travel and everyday use. We recently traveled to Florida by plane with our car seat, which was a great experience. It was significantly lighter than our previous car seat, making it easier to carry along with our stroller. Our youngest daughter recently turned 1 and transitioned from an infant carrier to the Safety 1st convertible car seat. She was very comfortable in it during our trip to Florida. Although we didn’t purchase her an airplane ticket, she was happy and secure in the car seat. Her legs didn’t hit the seat, and her head was well-rested during naps. She also appreciated the convenience of having her cup next to her in the cup holder. I anticipate that my little one will use this car seat for many years to come due to its easy adjustable modes. However, I do have a minor complaint: I wish it were slightly slimmer. It’s not entirely “compact,” especially around the head area. It’s wider than I expected, but that’s a minor flaw. This is a wonderful option for a car seat. I recommend it! Thank you again Stellar Panel Product Testing for providing me this great car seat. We will be using it for years to come!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This seat arrived on our front porch just in time to transition our youngest into a convertible seat. The seat’s compact design helped create more room in our back seat. I am tempted to order 2 more to see if we can fit all 3 kids in the same row! I love knowing that this seat will be with us as our children grow. Any one of my 3 kids could use this seat (ages 0, 3, and 5). It is incredibly versatile. One of my favorite features is that the cup holders are removable making it easy to clean out grime and dirt. We have not yet traveled with this seat but I look forward to it as it is lightweight and compact. I am comforted in knowing that our new seat is compliant with all of the latest safety standards. Safety is my number one priority when it comes to car seats. This seat is all around phenomenal. Thank you to the Stellar Product Testing Panel for providing me with this car seat.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I appreciate the opportunity to review this car seat I received from Stellar product testing panel. The slim design is great for a compact car but may have caused the company to skimp on comfort. The car seat has minimal cushion. My daughter was visibly uncomfortable after a less than 30 minute car ride. Seat can be used for multiple modes. However, it’s just too big for babies. My daughter’s head wobbles way to much and with any bump she panicked. Right now my baby is still in the rear facing mode but I can see the ease of use for transitioning between all three modes if you have a big baby. I think it’s great that it is in compliance with all new federal safety guidelines however, I would not purchase this car seat nor advise my friends to purchase it. Cons: not good cushion for baby(seat is hard), not aesthetically pleasing, noisy when baby is not in seat and hitting bumps, does not support babies head at all Pros: able to transition to booster seat, soft fabric, easy to install we used the anchor and seat belt together.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I was given this car seat to try as part of the Stellar Product Testing Panel. I was very excited to give this car seat a try. I have used several car seats from this brand in the past, and so far have loved them all including this one! It is very lightweight compared to other car seats I have used in the past. If you were needing to swap vehicles that the car seat was in, this would be a great option. The seat is compact and overall is a space saver. It definitely does give you a little more room in your third row. It accommodates the possibility of having three car seats next to one another, and not be as difficult to install. This car seat also has three modes to grow along with your child which I really appreciate. I love that I can have my infant child ride in this seat all the way through being able to switch to a booster car seat. The head piece that adjusts the height of the back and the straps is very easy to move and adjust to your child’s height. The straps are easily adjustable and do not move when they are in place. Another feature that I absolutely love is that the cup holders are detachable and dishwasher safe. As parents we know that they get gross and need cleaned just like the car seat covering itself. I really like this car seat so far, and my child seems to really like it too. I feel like my child is properly secured and safe when riding in the vehicle. It is very user friendly, compact, lightweight, which I think will appeal to a lot of people looking for a car seat. I would definitely recommend this car seat to anyone that asks.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I am a big fan of baby items that can be used long term and this carseat does just that with its ability to grow with my little one. The fabric feels soft and padded for comfort and I love how easy it is to take off for washing and putting back on. The carseat itself is set up for easy installation, but it isn't the hands down easiest I've set up before. The straps are super long which is great, but when I tried to pull at the strap to make it tight and secure, the buckle just refused to feed the strap through, even when I held down the gray button. Once the carseat was properly installed though, I was actually pretty surprised by how comfortable my little toddler seemed to find it. He's not a huge fan of the carseat, but despite the carseat's slim profile, it seemed very spacious for him. The headrest bumpers on each side were great for when he fell asleep. The back is easy to adjust up and down to fit his height and the harness pulls out with a ton of length so getting him in and then securing him tightly in place is easy and comfortable. I received the product through the Stellar Product Testing Panel and haven't had a chance to take it on a flight yet, but I will definitely appreciate its slim profile and the built in double cupholders.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I received Safety 1st Ellaris Convertible Car Seat from the Stellar Product Testing Panel. I like the overall appearance and cosmetics of the Ellaris. I like that it is neutral colors and has large side head support cushions. The cushioning is soft and all washable, which is perfect for a convertible car seat that sees many snack and liquid spills in the toddler years. The Ellaris is very lightweight, and more comparable the car seat we use for our 4 month-old daughter, which makes it easy to move from one vehicle to another, and easier to install. The seat we use for our 2 year-old on the other hand, is incredibly bulky and heavy in comparison. Because it is so heavy, we have decided to keep the Ellaris in our 2nd vehicle for our 2 year-old, that way we do not have to move the other seat back-and-forth. I especially love that the Ellaris is slim, and you can fit 3 car seats across. This is not an option we have with our other car seat, because it’s so incredibly bulky. In fact, when we put our other car seats in our Toyota Highlander, it’s difficult for an adult to sit comfortably in the 3rd seat, and practically impossible to move the 3rd seat forward in order to access the 3rd row. That’s why I’m so excited to have the Ellaris! 3 across here we come! We are a growing family, so I am also a fan of the convertable 3-in-1 aspect of the Ellaris. When choosing between an infant car seat and a convertible car seat, I have always chosen a convertible car seat. I like to carry my babies around in a wrap carrier, rather than in a car seat, so the fact that you cannot do that with the Ellaris does not bother me. I prefer the convertible aspect so that we can save money by not having to buy a front-facing in the future. I appreciate that Ellaris is easy to install, although I would say that I wish it had a leveling ball or gauge like our other car seats. Instead, it only shows a picture of parallel lines. It takes a little time to figure out. A gauge or leveling ball is more user friendly, in my opinion, especially when you’re trying to install a car seat in a jiffy. But this is a minor point and would not prevent me from purchasing another Ellaris. Otherwise, it can be easily installed using the seatbelt or with anchors. Finally, my son sits comfortably in the chair, and does not give us any trouble getting in. All-in-all, we love this seat! This seat is small enough for a compact car, it is lightweight but sturdy, it is so comfortable for my son, and it is easy to clean. More importantly, it fits the needs of our growing family perfectly.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Thanks to Stellar Product Testing Panel, I received the Safety First Ellaris Convertible car seat to try! My first thoughts were that I love the sleek design and clean look. Pros of Ellaris: - It was very lightweight. A huge difference between the other car seats we have. That is such a plus when needing to take it out to clean or transfer to a new car. Definitely made it less of a pain to do so. - The installation process was easy and straightforward. We used the latch attachment in the van and it was able to get very tight and felt very safe and secure. We also used it in the car and was able to use the lap belt for installation. - The straps were easy to tighten and loosen. This may sound like a small thing but it really is important. The other car seat we have is so difficult to adjust it frustrates my daughter and myself often. - The three modes make this carseat good for many years - My son was happy in it! He loved the cup holders - It did seem slim compared to my other car seats but not by much. Cons of Ellaris: - Though it was cushioned, and carseats don’t tend to hold their cushion for long anyways, I would have hoped it was a little more comfortable. - Wish it had comfort straps next to the neck - The plastic base felt a little cheap. It was lighter, but that also doesn’t feel as safe. - I missed having a bubble level measurement to make sure the seat was at the correct angle Overall, I would recommend this carseat for someone on a budget. It would definitely work long term but the comfortability factor was a deal breaker for long road trips. It seems best for backup, second car, grandparents car, or if you are just cruising around town. If you plan to take this on a long road trip, you can find more comfortable options.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I absolutely love this car seat. I received this product for the Stellar Testing panel. First of all, I love that it's gray. That way it's versatile for a girl or a boy. I also love the fact that it's a darker color because let's face it, infants and toddlers get food and drinks all over things. Since it's darker in color it will help hide the stains more until I get the chance to clean it. It is easy to wipe clean with the material to as we already spilt a little milk on it. I also love the fact that if my toddler needs to use it, it's easy to switch around from the rear facing from my infant as it goes up to 65 pounds. It also comes with a two cup carrier, which I love and you can never go wrong with this. Whether you are using it for an infant or toddler car seat. The material is also really soft. I've bought car seats before where it felt like there was no padding for their head. I pushed my hand down on where my baby's head would go and it was so soft. It seems like he sleeps more comfortably in the car ride. My favorite part of the car seat is that it follows the new federal compliance with car seat safety, which as a mama gives me peace of mind. I can also appreciate the fact that this car seat doesn't take up as much room as my other car seats in the pass. One of my kids wouldn't be able sit next to the bulkier car seats in the past because it would take too much room up. Now one of my other kids can sit comfortable next to this car seat. I definitely would recommend for anyone to try this car seat out for their babies or toddlers. I feel at ease knowing that they put a lot of thought into the design and the new safety guidelines.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Thanks to Stellar Product team for allowing me to test this amazing carseat! I love this seat. I drive a prius so space saving is incredibly important to me -- this definitely fits in our little car just fine & gives me more room to put the front seats back a bit more than other carseats I've used. I like that it's versatile and can be used in forward facing or backward facing modes. I used it with my 3 month old and also tested it out on my 2.5 year old and both fit wonderfully in the seat! Got good naps in the car in it, which is priceless! I look forward to also trying it out on airplane rides in the future since it meets FAA safety standards. Bravo!!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I was given this car seat to try as part of the Stellar Product Testing Panel. This was a new brand for us to try as far as car seats go but I'm familiar with other Safety 1st products. I think it's a great company and this car seat is no exception! The compact fit is great, especially for our midsize SUV, and I love that the cupholders are removable. Our car seat cupholders always get so dirty and cleaning these is so easy. The cloth part is also soft and padded, and easy to remove for cleaning. We are using this car seat for our infant but I love that it will grow with her and we will definitely use it for her later forward facing use as well as front facing. I haven't taken the car seat on any extended road trips or for air travel but I love that it's airplane ready. I always prefer to keep kids in the car seat on an airplane and this one is airplane ready, making it one less thing to think about for big trips. I wouldn't purchase a car seat if it wasn't compliant with current safety standards, so the fact that this one meets federal safety standards makes it a good choice for me. My one complaint with this car seat is how my infant seems like she's sitting up too high and her feet are also too high, making her look squished in the car seat. I wish the back reclined more for her size. However I still like the compact and light design for a smaller car and for carrying the car seat, and our baby doesn't seem to mind the fit. Definitely a great car seat!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] First off, we were very attracted to this car seat because we have 4 littles and a slim fitting car seat is a must for our family to fit them in the car. I love that more affordable brands are catching onto this! We absolutely LOVE that the cup holders lock in place so no worries about your littles removing them in losing them in the parking lot somewhere! Such a fantastic feature! There’s extra head support which is another benefit especially for those car naps. Forward facing install is easy and we had no issues but we were disappointed because the child we wanted to use this for is rear facing and the strap won’t tighten enough so it’s just not as secure as it needs to be in this mode. I’m not sure if it’s because he’s also on the second row and we have to move the seat a lot to reach my kids on the third row and it just ends up moving the car seat from resting on the back of the front seat (as instructed) so you could possibly have no issues if your car is more compact- I’m assuming. It is always nice to have that feature of rear and forward so you can have a long term car seat that grows with your families needs! We are traveling next month and I am excited to see how it will work with the airport ready design! Hope to update and may give more stars of that goes well- although it will be for our rear facing baby. Meeting federal safety regulations always gives peace of mind. Car seats truly save the life’s of our precious babies so I’m thankful to have received this product as part of the stellar product testing panel.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Thanks to the Stellar Product Testing Panel for providing me with this car seat. I like that the Ellaris convertible car seat is smaller in width and much more lightweight than other car seats I've used. This makes it easy and not such a pain to move the car seat from one car to another. It also does take up less space in the back seat but I'm not sure how much space it really gives another person to sit in the back if there are at least two car seats. It comes with 3 modes which is great for a convertible car seat. I will be able to use this until they are able to move to a booster seat. I do feel that the rear-facing infant seat mode might be a bit too big for an infant in my case. I have a two month old and I think the seat is too big for them. I do like that the car seat meets the newest federal safety standards. Knowing this, will help give me a peace of mind when traveling with my precious bundle(s) of joy. I also do like that the cup holders are not too far away so my child can grab their water bottle for a sip. One thing I wish it had was a place to put the seatbelt/safety harness after unbuckling so that it doesn't fall back into the sitting area.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I received this car seat from the Stellar Product Testing Panel and I couldn’t be happier!. It was ready to install right out of the box, saving me time and frustration. No assembly required, which was a huge relief as a busy mom of 4. It was almost too easy. The design is sleek and modern in beautiful shades of gray and black which looks great in my car and doesn’t take up a lot of space since I have 3 rear facing kiddos. The material is soft, plush, and incredibly comfortable for my little 4 month old, who weighs 17 lbs. She spilled some milk on it the first day and it cleaned up very easily and dried so quick! The padding provides great support, and my baby seems super cozy and happy in it. She hated her infant carrier. Like I mentioned previously, Installation was straightforward, and the straps adjust easily for a secure fit. Even though it is very lightweight, It feels sturdy and well-made, giving me confidence in its safety features. The best part is that it is convertible and easily transitions from rear facing to forward facing and very versatile with its adjustable harness and multiple modes so I won’t have to replace it anytime soon. Overall, this car seat is a fantastic combination of convenience, style, and comfort. I’m new to convertible car seats, but with the few weeks I’ve been able to use this one, I’m a believer and would buy this one in a heartbeat!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I was given this car seat to try as part of the Stellar Product Testing Panel. As a parent of both front-facing and rear-facing kiddos, we installed this car seat in each orientation in different spots in the vehicle for an opportunity to see how it worked in different ways. First, the installation. Pros: rear-facing: pretty easy overall as far as car seats go. If you know how to do your LATCH system and get it tight, this seat is pretty easy because it's just adjusting for your child's fit and then LATCH in the car, and tighten down. Front-facing: there's an extra step to get the tether down after adjusting for your child's fit and doing your LATCH but it's still overall fairly quick and easy. I had no issues getting things tight. Cons: I didn't realize the front- and rear- facing positions had different paths for the LATCH to thread so I was freaking out it wouldn't reach. Calmed down and realized my error. Learn from me and save some time, lol. A true con is that there is no leveling bubble like some other car seats so it's a guessing game and a finger cross to hope you have it installed on the right plane. Compact design: For a variety of reasons, I often need to sit between two of my kids' carseats and what I found was that while the Ellaris is slimmer at the cup holder side than other non-infant seats, it is just as big and snug at top/back as a different brand slim car seat we have. It might feel like a better fit if you have a regular car seat but since I already have slim fit, this was just neutral and comparable. Three modes (rear-facing, front-facing, booster): this car seat has more functionality than some with its 3 modes. In all reality, though, the height limit on this seat renders it less useful for longevity in rear-facing mode (more on that below) and actually has a quite limited lifespan, in my opinion, unless you have low percentile children. Safety standards: while this seat technically meets the federal safety guidelines, I was really disappointed in the Ellaris in this area. Federal guidelines for 1-3 years old are to remain rear-facing as long as possible. The car seat has both a weight and height maximum for rear-facing mode which means my over 90% ile younger child has to forward face in half an inch (which will be within a month for sure), but WAY before the recommended/ideal 4 years old for spine development to complete. Our current car seat has a weight max but not height max like the Safety 1st Ellaris (and though our kids max their percentiles, they are more tall and slim, so they will get longer out of a seat with only weight maximums). Turning a car seat forward so long before 4 years old is a no-go for us related to the safety guidelines and the rationale for them, so this car seat's limited ranges of height in rear-facing mode make this seat a no-go for us in the area of safety. Final thoughts: though I like the gender neutral color of this seat and its two slim cup holders, I disliked that the arm straps do not move independently (when you pull one forward, the other notably pulls back, which I've never noticed on our other car seats) and I didn't like the chest buckle (more challenging than most others I've used). On the deal-breaking side of things for front-facing mode, my front-facing child told me this car seat "just hurts" in the middle of their back while we drove fairly short distances. On the deal-breaking side of things for rear-facing mode was the low limits for height. In my safety prioritizing family, this seat is useless for my taller rear-facing kiddos. Overall, I will not be using this seat any longer and would not recommend it to those close to me.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Let's talk likes! First thing I noticed was how lightweight the Safety 1st Ellaris Convertable Car Seat is. Seriously, a dream! Traveling & transfer seats to different cars was so easy and without hassle because of its lightness. I like how easy removing the cover is to wash. I also like the removable cup feature. I like that I can wash them also. I liked how quick install was. It uses the top safety standard of latch or belt. The instruction booklet was easy to read and follow. With things always changing it was helpful to have the booklet to guide our installation. We know our babies are safe with Ellaris. I liked the colors because they matched the interior of my car. I also liked how snugly it fit into the bucket seat or back seat. But my FAV part about the Safety 1st Ellaris CCS is how I can use it for multiple children. I have a 13mo & a 7yr old. Being able to have a car seat I can use with both of them is SO convenient and helpful. There is so much room to grow safely! I'm thankful that Stellar Product Testing Panel sent me this car seat to test. Color me impressed!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I was excited to replace my aging convertible car seat with this one I received through the Stellar Product Testing Panel. I appreciated the lighter weight and slimmer design of this seat, but after installing it I found it to be a bit too compact for my tall two year old. Upon our first drive, which was under fifteen minutes, his feet fell asleep. I also struggled for ten minutes to get the seat belt to tighten evenly. I’m debating keeping this on hand for future airplane travel but don’t think it’s going to stay in my car for every day use.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I would love to love this seat, but unfortunately that is not the case. It is slimmer than some other seats without sacrificing cup holders, which is nice. The cup holders are removable making them easy to clean. Install is straight forward. Overall it has a clean, classy look. If you are traveling on a plane or need to move this seat often, it is incredibly lightweight. To put it in perspective, when I picked up the package after delivery, I thought maybe they forgot to put the seat in the box! I can easily move it around one handed. Having said that, it was actually too light for my peace of mind as far as safety. I would use this as a secondary seat for an older child, but would not trust my baby in it. This makes the convertible aspect kind of useless for me, as I'd prefer it for more of a transition to booster. Now the reason I would use it as a secondary seat, regardless of age, instead of a primary is because it is horribly uncomfortable. There is absolutely zero padding. It is basically fabric straight over the flimsy plastic. The trade off, I suppose, for it being so lightweight. However, it is not tolerable for more than a short trip lasting a few minutes. It is not a seat I will use daily or even recommend, but it is an option to consider if lightweight is your first priority. Thank you to Stellar Product Testing Panel for the opportunity to try it.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Thanks to the Stellar Product Testing Panel for sending me the Ellaris Convertible Car Seat to try. This is a super bare-bones, lightweight seat. It’s not particularly narrow so it doesn’t fit three across in my smallish hatchback car, though my regularly daily use convertible seat for my toddler is relatively wide so if you have other narrower seats it may work. I have another seat from a different brand designed for three across that is much narrower, so I’m surprised that’s a highlighted feature for the Ellaris. The seat comes configured for a larger child and I believe that’s who it’s best suited to. The contours seem most comfortable for a kid even larger than my almost 4 year old, because the sides are very low and padding almost nonexistent. The seat is also pretty long which would work well for longer legs. I can’t imagine feeling like an infant would be comfortable in this seat, and didn’t go through the process of reconfiguring for an infant because of the uncomfortable seat angle and lack of padding. There is no extra padding for infant use and the seat angle seems abrupt for smaller babies. I would use this car seat as an extra for my toddler in a family member’s car but not for any regular use or long distance. However, I do think it would be well suited to airplane travel because it’s extremely light and streamlined. The machine washability is definitely a plus too. All in all, it could be useful depending on your main goal for the seat. As a daily driver I would pass.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I was given this car seat to try as part of the Stellar Product Testing Panel. When it comes to my children I am very picky I want them as safe as they can be. What I really loved about this car seat is that it was very roomy and easy install. It is very light weight which is a plus . With it being very roomy it does take up the whole seat because it is wide. I wouldn't really use this car seat for my smaller baby that is 4 months because when I sat him it he felt really small and out of place. I didn't feel like he would be safe in it and I wasn't sent any kind of inserts in the box when I received this product. \ On the other hand my 2 yr old fit perfect and actually loves this seat so it was a win for him. He has two cup holders that are easy for him to put his cup or sippy by himself.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I received the Safety 1st Ellaris convertible car seat to review and right off the bat I was excited for 2 features. Of course it meets the latest federal side impact standards, has three different ways to use it from newborns at 5 lbs to big kids at 65lbs, the adjustable headrest and harness, and machine washable seat pad. The first feature I was curious about was its slim fit for a convertible car seat. With a newborn and toddler, my goal is to fit these two in their car seats and still be able to squeeze an adult comfortably in the back of my compact SUV. Initially, it was so tough squeezing in the middle while the two car seats were buckled by the windows. Secondly, it is airline approved which is fantastic! We love to travel and keep our kids safe on the plane and when we arrive to our destination. To my surprise, the car seat is very light to take onboard so you know it won’t be mishandled by the airlines if you gate check it! While we haven’t taken a flight yet, I know this will be the car seat that we will take with us— lightweight, easy to install, and FAA approved! Plus since the kids are familiar with their car seats, it will (hopefully) relax them so we the parents can have a peace of mind. The straps are pretty light so i find it can get twisted when buckling so run the straps down before clipping your child in. It was very simple and smooth to modify the car seat to the perfect height and seat buckle as well as install it. I would have loved a thicker cushion fabric but I guess these kids don’t really need all that cushioning yet. I was given this car seat to try as part of the Stellar Product Testing Panel.