Before our first baby came along a year ago, I researched car seats exhaustively. By the time I chose the Chicco NextFit iX Zip Convertible Car Seat, I was a walking car seat encyclopedia. I could tell you which one went up to how many pounds, how each one converted to accommodate a growing child, as well as all of the different potential harness positions.
Thank goodness I researched all of that back then, because now that our little miss is here, I’m busy nonstop and too exhausted for my brain to hold all of that car seat info. I am extremely happy with our new Chicco NextFit, so for all the other researching moms out there, let me tell you about it.
The Safety
First: the basics. The Chicco NextFit iX Zip Convertible Car Seat can accommodate kids from 5 pounds all the way up to 65 pounds, so it’s prepared to grow with your little one for a while. We’ll keep our daughter facing backwards until she’s 40 pounds and then she’ll turn forward until she outgrows the seat. Its steel frame and EPS energy-absorbing foam give it fantastic protection in the event of a side impact.
Easy Cleaning
Lots of car seats have great crash-test ratings, though, so let me move on to what makes the Chicco different (and why I love it so much). First of all, its seat pad zips off – thus its name. This is HUGE for easy cleaning, and if you’ve ever had a small baby, you know that you’ll be cleaning All The Things. I’ve zipped it off at least a dozen times – through spills and diaper explosions and spills and…well, mostly diaper explosions. For a while there, I thought of conducting some sort of research project into why they always seem to happen when we’re traveling from Point A to Point B. Barometric pressure inside the car, perhaps?
Installation
I was incredibly nervous about figuring out how to install the car seat in my vehicle. Putting things together and following an instruction manual is not my forte. While all of my other mom friends put together a bed frame or design Pinterest-worthy storage solutions for their kids’ craft items, I look on in wonder. Give me a basic IKEA furniture kit and it’s as though you’ve asked me to assemble something for NASA. It’s just not my deal.
Thankfully, getting the Chicco securely into my SUV was nothing at all like putting together a Kallax shelving system (there weren’t even any Allen wrenches involved with the car seat installation!). With its ReclineSure leveling system and RideRight bubble level-indicators, it was a snap to install. There was no doubt that it was secure and aligned correctly. It clicked right into my LATCH system and the SuperCinch force-multiplying tightener helped me make sure it was ratcheted down as tight as possible.
We obviously haven’t tried the seat in the forward-facing position yet, but it looks like it will be simple to switch it around and install it that way, as well. We have moved the car seat into my husband’s sedan a few times. We were pleased to find that it was no problem to swap it and get it perfectly adjusted and installed so that he could drive our daughter around.
Huge Comfort
One majorly important feature? This car seat looks so comfortable that I wish I could ride in it. Our daughter is always happy when she’s strapped in. When she was smaller, the newborn positioned helped hold her just so. As she got bigger, we removed that, and as she’s grown, the headrest adjustment has made it easy to keep her snug and comfy. Like everything else on this car seat, it’s easy to adjust; I can even do it with one hand. (There must be some serious moms on the design committee at Chicco, because when you’ve got a small child, anything you can do with one hand – or no hands – is a real plus.)
Not only are we incredibly happy with the Chicco NextFit iX Zip Convertible Car Seat, I’ve been recommending it to all of my friends. I may be a lost cause when it comes to assembling furniture, but I’ve definitely become the Car Seat Queen. This one gets two tired thumbs up, for sure.
Even our little one approved with a victory fist!
