Safety 1st Complete Air™ Convertible Car Seat Review

picture of Safety 1st Air Protect Convertible car seat with 3 year old

1 in 4 car crashes involving kids are side impact collisions.  1 in 3 result in child fatalities, side impact collisions are by far the deadliest type of collision for kids; nearly all fatalities are caused by head trauma. Okay, let those stats sink in. Is your child’s car seat protecting them against a side impact?

About Air Protect

I’d like to tell you about a revolutionary technology called Air Protect. Like I said, 1 in 3 side impact collisions end in death, mostly all caused by head trauma. The Air Protect technology “head wings” are placed around your child’s head and divert the crash forces away from your child’s head.  Air Protect releases air upon impact to slow the ride-down time which is the time it takes your child’s head to come to a full stop. Air Protect is exclusively available through Safety 1st. Safety 1st has a full selection of Air Protect Products.

Hand’s On Review of Safety 1st Complete Air™ Convertible Car Seat

I have been given the opportunity to review the Complete Air™ Convertible Car Seat and offer you a chance to win one of your own from Safety 1st. This is a convertible car seat which means it can be used both rear and forward facing. This could be the only car seat you need for child from infancy through preschool years.

Rear facing is the safest position for your child. The American Academy of Pediatrics states:

“It is best for children to ride rear-facing as long as possible to the highest weight and height allowed by the manufacturer of their convertible seat. When they have outgrown the seat rear-facing, they should use a forward-facing seat with a full harness as long as they fit.”

This seat will allow your child to be placed rear-facing from 5lbs up to 40lbs and 19-40inches which is much longer than most car seats available. The forward-facing restrictions are 22-50lbs and 34-45inches.

Installing the Safety 1st Complete Air™ Convertible Car Seat

Installing a car seat properly is so important for the safety of your child, however 90% of car seats are improperly installed. There are many places that will inspect and help you install your car seats locally, contact your local fire departments, AAA, hospital, and sheriff’s office. Visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for a location near you that checks car seat installation.

Installing the Complete Air™ Convertible Car Seat is quite simple. The written instructions are easy to understand. Safety 1st offers vidoes online for installing rear-facing with latch, rear-facing with vehicle belt, forward-facing with Latch, and forward-facing with vehicle belt. Normally, I have my husband install the car seats because they are incredibly hard to install, especially getting the clips hooked to the Latch tight enough. I thought for this review, I should do it. It was surprisingly easy! This car seat comes with a SafeGuard clip that is easy to push through the seats to clip onto the Latch system. No more scrapping your hands trying to clip onto the Latch system, it’s as easy as a push of a button with SafeGuard.

picture of Safety 1st Air Protect Car Seat install clip

This car seat is easy to install and remove for quick switches between cars, this is a huge benefit. It is also lightweight which makes switching cars or taking to the airport easy. Yes, it meets the standards for use on an airplane too.

picture of Safety 1st Air Protect Convertible Car Seat Installed

Comfort of Safety 1st Complete Air™ Convertible Car Seat

When I first saw the “head wings” I immediately thought 2 things.

  1. It looks very safe.
  2. My daughter is not going to like the barriers around her face.

Well, yes, they are safe, this is the air protect technology. And no, she is not bothered in the least by them. We have been using this car seat for more than a week now and we have had no complaints. In fact, this car seat is so super comfortable that her head rests on the “head wings” and she falls asleep. She has not fallen asleep in a car seat as much as she has in this seat. She looks very comfortable in it too, no bobbing or hanging heads with this seat. The seat is make of plush, soft material for a super comfy seat for your child.

picture of Safety 1st Air Protect Convertible car seat with 3 year old

The car seat is easy to adjust based on your child’s height. It is important for the straps to fit snugly, having a car seat that is easy to adjust saves so much time! This is especially important when the weather changes and you are going between heavy winter coats and sweaters down to jackets, then back and forth.

Another minor but important bonus is that it comes with a detachable cup holder. This may not seem too important but when you don’t have a place for that sippy cup, it can get lost which causes much commotion in the back seat.

I recommend Safety 1st Complete Air™ Convertible Car Seat

After reading the stats, I cannot think of using any other car seat. Just look at the below picture of my 3 year old daughter. It is a side view of the seat, you can see how Air Protect will protect her head.  Complete Air™ Convertible Car Seat with Air Protect technology just makes sense. We have 2 vehicles, a SUV and full-size car. I put this seat in the car as it rides lower and I feel has a higher risk of injury if there was to be a side collision, I feel that she is safer in this car seat. SUVs and other large vehicles are part of the problems associated with fatalities and side collisions. I will be buying another Complete Air™ Convertible Car Seat for my SUV in the near future.

picture of Safety 1st Air Protect Convertible Car Seat side view

Buy Safety 1st Complete Air™ Convertible Car Seat

I have seen Safety 1st Complete Air™ Convertible Car Seat locally on the feature displayed end caps at Toys R Us and Target retailing for $219.99. It is also available at Sears, Walmart, and Babies R Us. You can also buy online at Amazon.com by clicking below.

Win Safety 1st Complete Air™ Convertible Car Seat (Closed)

Updated 3/10/10 Winner Announced: Sarah Brooks.

For complete contest rules, please see our Contest Statement and Blog Disclosure. Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on March 9th when I will draw a winner at random. When commenting, please include your email address (not visible to public). I will notify the winner and they will have 36 hours to respond!

This was not a paid post. My own opinions were used based on my perceptions and experience. Thank you to Safety 1st who supplied the products for the review and giveaway.

<iframe src=”http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=akrohimom-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B002U41OI6&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr” style=”width:120px;height:240px;” scrolling=”no” marginwidth=”0″ marginheight=”0″ frameborder=”0″></iframe>

Comment Via Facebook
Cindy
Founder and Lead Blogger at Akron Ohio Moms
Cindy is the top Akron Blogger with her own take on awesome brands for families, where to vacation for families, a beat on local activities and family fun, a knack for getting moms to share , and a house that is always 2 weeks away from a complete remodel!
Sign up for our Ohio Specific Newsletter- Each Email Focused on Only our best Fabulous Local News and Ideas!
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

458 thoughts on “Safety 1st Complete Air™ Convertible Car Seat Review

  1. Pingback: Roundabout Car seat, | Child Car Seat Covers

  2. Pingback: Britax Roundabout Convertible Car Seats | Infant Car Seat Reviews

  3. Pingback: question on strollers and car seats-suggestions? | Baby Travel Systems

  4. Pingback: Newborns in the grocery store? | Baby Travel Systems

  5. Pingback: Extra car seat base worth it or not? | Baby Travel Systems

  6. Pingback: Sears.ca Answer Area Safety 1st Evolution Stroller | Baby Travel Systems

  7. dawn says:

    I love the side-impact protection and focuses on protecting the child’s head.

    mightynaynay(at)cs.com

  8. mommietj says:

    I love that the Safety 1st Complete Air provides an Air Portect technology, making it the best car seat! I am thinking of buying this carseat for son! Thank you for the review and giveaway.

    mommietj at yahoo dot com

  9. Lentil says:

    It’s getting about time to move baby up to her next carseat. I tried her in a Complete Air carseat at BRU and she seemed so comfy and protected. Thanks to Safety 1st for designing such a great seat!

  10. heather says:

    I think its great to see the new technology that provides protection in side impact collisions, as well as protects a child’s head.

  11. mickeyfan says:

    These look like they are not only comfortable for the rider, but also very safe. Great combo!

  12. Brian says:

    I think the new Air Protect products are very innovative and anything we can do to increase the protection of our little ones, the better.

  13. R Hicks says:

    I like their new air protect technology. Seems like they are doing a better job at targeting the side impacts and focusing on protecting the kids most vulnerable part, the head

  14. Emily B. says:

    I love the idea of the head protection and side impact air protection. It definitely has my approval! My daughter would like it!

  15. Rosey says:

    I like that they have a decade of experience in designing these types of products. For this particular product, I like the protection around the head to reduce risk of injury upon impact. I also think the video on their site is worth viewing.

    Thank you!

  16. S. Carter says:

    I just saw this featured at Target yesterday. It is amazing! The seat looks incredibly safe AND comfortable. Thanks for the giveaway.

  17. Ashley Domes says:

    I love how the Air Convertible Car Seat really protects against side collision, and protects against head trauma. I know the car seat I have know would not protect as well as this car seat.

  18. Secret Burkheiser says:

    I love them! I really like the fact that the “placement of Air Protect™ Technology on the car seat diverts crash forces away from a child’s head, the most vulnerable place in a side impact crash.” I am a nervous driver and know I would feel so much better with my daughter riding in this car seat.

  19. valancia says:

    I visited the site and I found that they use
    Superior Testing Methodology with The Complete Air™ Convertible Car Seat. It is tested with an intruding door technique, which best replicates an actual side impact crash. Dorel Juvenile Group (DJG) collaborated with Kettering University’s renowned Crash Safety Center to develop a new standard for side impact testing. This new testing method is so significant that DJG and Kettering University have shared their findings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), supporting NHTSA’s efforts to provide more comprehensive regulations for side impact crash testing.

  20. Samantha P says:

    I never realized how unsafe a lot of car seats were.
    I really love the concepts put into these air seats and would absolutely love to have one for my son.

  21. Samantha Bowman says:

    I’m expecting my first child and have been looking into the Safety 1st products as they come highly recommended by my friends and family.

  22. Cristi says:

    These are awesome. I love how the Air Protect truly protects against side impact head trauma. I would love to win this for my niece. I wish that they had these products when my kids were younger.

  23. Uniquely Normal says:

    I’ve heard so many great things about this carseat, and this is our top choice in a convertible car seat! I love how the Air Protect truly protects against side impact head trauma. The more info that comes out about side impact crashes and little ones, the more I am convinced that this is the best carseat out there.

  24. Jennifer M says:

    I like that it protects the most vulnerable part of our kids from the most common type of accidents.

  25. Anara says:

    I so want this carseat – thank you for teaching me about the Air Protect. I learned that the risks of injury in a side impact car accident are higher than I thought.

    I love the pieces that surround the head because I have a Special Needs 4 year olf with low muscle tone, so her head always tilts too far to the side when she falls asleep. This looks more comfortable and safer for her. I want to ask Safety 1st for one to review for my Special Needs blog. I love this!

  26. melanie says:

    This looks like a great carseat. I love how it is designed to defend against side impact collisions. I have three carseats crammed into the back of a dodge neon and i am so scared of a side collision and i really would love to have this carseat it would make me feel like we have that extra protection that my kids need.

  27. Vanessa says:

    I LOVE their new air products. I feel like my children will be much safer with them! Thanks! 🙂

  28. Angela Winesburg says:

    I think that the Air Protect technology is wonderful, I would feel safe with my daughter in it, thanks!

  29. Laura says:

    I really like that the Complete Air Convertible Car Seat is tested with an intruding door technique, which best replicates an actual side impact crash.

  30. Kathy says:

    I think that the Air Protect technology is remarkable. I would feel like my granddaughter’s precious head was very well protected.

  31. Ellen C. says:

    I didn’t realize side impacts caused so many child deaths. This new car seat sounds great. Thanks for the chance.

  32. shawna says:

    I love that their Primary Focus is on Head Protection!!!! Our daughter will be out of her infant carrier soon and this would be perfect for her!

  33. Judy B says:

    I think this is a wonderful idea! I wonder how my son would react though, looks like it might limit their vision a bit. Some folks love their expensive seats, but install them wrong which makes them unsafe no matter how much you paid for them. What ever seat you get make sure it is installed and used properly!

  34. sara loud says:

    The air protect advances are so amazing and make me feel that my daughter would be much safer!

  35. Amy Brewer says:

    I love how they are focusing on the head. I think that hurts most kids when accidents happen

  36. Karina says:

    i think their products are great… i have never seen a car seat that looks so comfortable, thanks

  37. Elena says:

    The Air Protect technology is pretty amazing. All the products not only look great but also keep children safe. And what can be more important?

  38. tiffany says:

    i think their products are great… i have never seen a carseat that looks so comfy….i wish there was adult sizes

  39. Jennifer R says:

    I learned that the Air Protect Technology has been designed to defend against the biggest threat to children on the road today; side impact collisions.

  40. Donna Hart says:

    I’m a 59 year old grandma to 6 mo. old twins. It is so hard to keep them both, especially when you need to go out and take the time to buckle 2 babies in their seats, and the ones they are outgrowing are heavy and time consuming. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these seats, and the fact that they are easier to use and have those side bars to protect my beloved babies in case of an accident. I have looked at them at Target and so very badly need two. Winning one would be a great start, and would make it easier for me to buy the other. :~)

  41. Kelly Logsdon says:

    I watched the impact video on Safety First’s website-wow! I want these seats! I have 6 month old twin boys so I hope I can find a way to get a great deal. Twins are so expensive!!!

  42. Kari D says:

    I think their new Air Protect products are an ingenious way to keep our kids safer. As parents, isn’t that our #1 job? Safety 1st should be commended for a job (VERY) well done!

  43. amy h says:

    I think Safety 1st is doing a great job on designing their products. Parents have enough to worry about, so knowing you have the latest technology in car seats is just one less thing to worry about.

  44. anthy says:

    I think that Air Protect is a super good idea, and that it would be a big advantage to have this for a car seat protecting my little nephew. Especially since it says that nearly all child car fatalities are cause my head injuries.

    anthy_stl [ATT] yahoo [DOTT] com

  45. Emily Irwin says:

    i love this carseat! we have one but we need another one for my husbands car. this would be SO AWESOME…I think that this carseat is very safe and I am glad they came out with this technology!

  46. cynthia says:

    they seem to know what they’re doing, this carseat looks incredibly safe. great products.

  47. Lauren says:

    I like the “head wings” that provide extra protection for your child’s head! I would love to win one of these! Thanks!

  48. Rachel says:

    It’s great they are doing something about side impact…I didn’t realize how traumatic they would be!

  49. cindy says:

    I would love to try this product I did not know that, “Side impact are by far the deadliest type of collision for children, accounting for one in three child fatalities; nearly all of which are caused by head trauma.”

    Thanks for the giveaway.

  50. Kristin Morgan says:

    Cannot wait for my son to finally be able to ride comfortably back and forth to his doctors appointments which are four hours away from our home. So that’s eight hours in one day. Geez I can’t believe we’ve gone this long without one. Thanks for the review too! Very helpful 🙂

  51. Emily R. says:

    I love how this carseat helps protect the head in the event of a crash.

    mscoffee77(AT)juno(DOT)com

  52. Rachel says:

    My thought about their products? That I NEED this. We’ve got our second baby due in 17 weeks (oh, boy)..our kids will be 20 months apart and it’s going to be tough to afford a GOOD car seat. This looks so much better than the free county car seats that as a Paramedic-mama, I don’t think are going to hold up well in an accident!

  53. Diane says:

    The side impact technology is a blessing…

    I am so impressed and this seat would make my heart so happy, as a grandma who wants to help, in the best possible and safest way to transport my first grandchild.

  54. Jennifer W. says:

    I think the Air Protect Technology is wonderful. I like the extra head protection. And they are really great looking carseats.

  55. Tiffany says:

    Wow. I had no idea that side impact crashes were the most dangerous. I learned that this system diverts the impact of the crash away from the head. I’m currently shopping for a car seat, and this is really good information to know about this particular model. Thank you!

  56. Jackie N says:

    I think it’s great that this car seat focuses primarily on head protection. It looks very safe.
    makenacove(at)gmail(dot)com

  57. Greta Brandau says:

    I think that it is great that they have finally made something that looks safe in case of a side impact crash!!!

  58. Jodi says:

    I like that the Air Protect technology would make me feel like my child was safer in this carseat. I didn’t realize before how frequent and dangerous side-impact crashes are.

  59. Nicole Hatch says:

    I follow you via google friend Coleeol42784

    I meant Reading not ready in my comment below! Sorry!

  60. Nicole Hatch says:

    I have been ready about this car seat for awhile. I like the idea that it’s a convertable car seat and can be used for infants. It looks alot safer and more comftable then an infant car seat and obviously provides better head protection then a regular travel system car seat. I think JoHanna would really enjoy it!
    Thanks
    Nicole

  61. Megan says:

    Watching that video about side impacts was SCARY. My dd is about to outgrow her rear-facing car seat and it would be wonderful to win this–I wouldn’t worry so much!!!

  62. Andrea Paetkau says:

    I think the new Air Protect products are wonderful! Protecting our children is of utmost importance. I’m sure this technology is going to save a lot of lives.

  63. fancygrlnancy says:

    I love the air protect. I am always concerned at other moms about my little man’s safety in the back seat. The air protect seems to give the most protection.

  64. abigail g says:

    I like how it is safe especially for side collisions and looks comfy too. perfect for my baby who is outgrowing his car seat

  65. Kristin M. says:

    I really like the pieces around their head. My kid’s head seems to always be bobbling around when he’s tired.

  66. Joanna F says:

    I totally could use this for my little one who is just about to outgrow her car seat! What a great giveaway! 🙂

  67. Katrina says:

    I can’t believe how incredibly safe it looks! I just love the protection for the head…I feel everyone should have one of these!

  68. Jessica P. says:

    I love anything that is going to help protect my kids so I love the Air Protect Products. I like the way they look and I especially like that they are going to make my kids safer…

  69. Aura says:

    I think the side impact protection is amazing! Most crashes happen from the side causing major head or neck injury and if a car seat is meant to protect a child, this one does a great job of it. I love the orange color as well and that it makes it easy for a child to sleep without their heads hanging.

  70. Jennifer says:

    This is a great new product! It’s great to see some engineering minds working on car seats – this is definitely going to save little lives.

  71. Carol G says:

    I looked at this seat recently in the store and it really looks as if it would give the protection it writes about on the site. The side impact protection is certainly a major plus for it.

  72. hippie4ever says:

    This is a fabulous concept…why shouldn’t our children have airbag technology to protect them too? I would love to win…my son will soon need a bigger car seat silenttributary(at)yahoo(dot)com

  73. Crystal Wilson says:

    My daughter always falls asleep in the car, she would love the head wings. We have a SUV and this looks like it would be much safer then the seat she is in now. The reviews for this air car seat says it all!

  74. heidi donahue says:

    i really like the new air protect! makes me feel like a very safe product for my child. i love that it provides extra head support!

  75. Wendy says:

    I agree with you that it doesn’t look like something that my kid would like by his face, but the safety issues alone sway me.

  76. Linda says:

    I think the Air Protect Products are really a good feature, I really like that extra protection around the head.

  77. Denise B. says:

    This makes me want to replace our currently car seats. I never felt that they offered much in way of head protection. Not to mention, that their head is all over the place when they sleep.

  78. Angie says:

    This car seat looks great, as well as all of the air protect products. They actually look safer in addition to the technical behind it.

  79. Carrie B says:

    I love that their main focus is on head protection. This is very important, especially in the early years!

  80. Tracey Byram says:

    The new Air Protect products gives parents one less thing to worry about. They know that their child will be safe in this carseat.

  81. dawn says:

    It would give me piece of mind. We don’t have any side impact airbags in our car so this would make me feel much safer.

  82. humpsNbump says:

    Your review and the video on the Air Protect website say it all. The side impact protection on this car seat is amazing. I would love to win this contest for my little girl!!

  83. Shannon F. says:

    I’ve done a significant amount of reseach for a car seat and I firmly believe that protection from side impact crashes will be standard in all car seats in the next five years. Safety 1st is ahead of the game! This car seat is GREAT!

  84. Stephanie V. says:

    Through the precise release of air, Air Protect™ shields children from side impact intrusion and immediately reduces crash forces at the most critical spot: around a child’s head. Air Protect™ does this by extending ride-down, the amount of time it takes to slow a child’s movement in a crash. — sounds amazing and much better than what we currently have. fingers crossed
    tvollowitz at aol dot com

  85. carol says:

    I think it’s fabulous.

    “Air Protect™ Technology is the most innovative safety feature ever offered in a car seat. It is a technology that protects our children at their most vulnerable – the head.”

    As someone who has seen firsthand what head trauma can do, I think it’s a profoundly wonderful technology.

  86. Ellie W says:

    I love this car seat and how safety focused it is. I worry about my little grandson as he has a 30 mile ride every morning to grandma’s house. I would feel so much better if he was riding in one of these.

  87. Liz B says:

    What a great carseat. I have been looking into this carseat for a while, but after looking at the website and the simulated crash, it will definitely be purchased for my daughter who is growing out of her Britax Diplomat. Hoping to get another one for my son who will be out of the bucket carseat in the next few months! What a great giveaway. Thanks for entering me and my family 🙂

  88. Autumn B. says:

    I love how they are super focused on how to best provide protection in an impact – especially to the head!

    autumn398 @ yahoo.com

  89. Kalyani says:

    This looks like the perfect carseat to transition my new baby into in a few months. The head wings are great, both for safety and napping (my older son had them in his Britax and I definitely want them again – the air ones are a great idea). I became a FB fan of your group.

  90. Kristi C says:

    I like that the primary focus is head protection. We just saw this car seat at Target last night and my 3 year old asked for it.

  91. Christy says:

    I was very impressed with the thought that went into the creation of the Safety first Air Protect products! As a parent you worry about crashing and want to make sure your child is the safest he can be. I think this car seat will achieve just that!

  92. ade says:

    I love the side head wings and the safety latch system. This looks like the motherload when it comes to car seats. It looks awesome.

  93. Trina says:

    A side impact crash has always been my fear. I am so glad to see this new technology in safety first. We purchased the Britax car seat about three years ago for our older son that had “wings” on the side to protect the child’s head. Soon we will need one for our younger son, as we will be ready to move him out of the infant carrier in a couple of months.

  94. Beth says:

    I would LOVE to win this for my little guy when he grows out of his infant car seat! We did a lot of research for his current car seat, the latch systems are supposed to be the best.

Leave a Reply

Share via