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The First Years True Fit Convertible Car Seat Review

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A convertible car seat saves parents money and “The First Years: True Fit” seat is a convertible seat priced in an affordable range and produced with the upmost safety standards for peace of mind.

When Lucy was born, I knew I had to purchase a convertible seat for her. All of my babies outgrew their infant seats by around 6 months old. David was too tall for his by 4.5 months old! (It was his large noggin)  Since I was going to be placing her in a convertible car seat anyway, why bother with the infant seat? You really can use a convertible car seat straight from the hospital.

Unfortunately, I did not have a First Years True Fit when she came home from the hospital. But it fits David. Lucy and Lizzie very well, is very easy to adjust for different children and is safe for all of them as well.

My review model will be David, since he was in the best mood for the pictures!

Here is the True Fit in my 2003 Honda Odyssey. As you can see, it fits very well and somebody is 6’2 and still has legroom so he can drive.  As for side-to-side bulkiness of the seat, it is about mid range. It is not the thinnest model, but also not the bulkiest either. The deep wings are side impact tested to International standards. I feel safe putting all three of my children in this seat.

David turned 2 years old in April of this year, and I am keeping him rear facing until the weight limit of the True Fit – 35 lbs.  So far he is 26 lbs so he has at least another year to go. David has always had shorter legs – he has a tall head and torso – so his legs are super comfy in this seat.

One quick issue I do have with this seat – the belt tends to get twisted easily.  This is only a problem when someone other than me or he puts the belt on David.  If you are careful, it isn’t an issue, but can be annoying when you have to straighten the belt.

Quick tip – when rear facing, belts should be at or below the shoulders. When front facing, they should be at or above the shoulders! You can see below how easy it is to make sure they are at the perfect height.

The headrest is removable for babies whose heads do not reach that red line. As you can see, David’s tall head reaches slightly above the line so I have the headrest on for his safety.  Removing the headrest is easy – just flip a yellow switch on the back then lift up!

The LATCH system is pretty standard from other seats.  You push the red button to release from the hook.  Honestly, I appreciate the hook, because trying to get my fingers in there to unlatch it would be a pain. However, when I am putting a seat in the car I prefer to use the seat belt because I am able to get a tighter fit with the seatbelt as opposed to with the LATCH system.

As long as there is less than 1 inch movement in the belt path, your child is safe. So install it in the way that you can do best.

Besides all the safety features, the ease of changing the height of the belt is one of my favorite features of the True Fit!  You do not have to unthread the entire seat to change sizes – just pull out on the yellow lever and lift up or down.

Another thing that The First Years made sure to do is put plenty of signage that has custom signs uses, all over this seat. Always read the entire manual when you purchase a new seat – but if you do not have your manual with you, these photos and directions are a huge help.

To tighten or loosen the harness, you reach in front of the seat and pull on the strap or lift up on the lever.  This is my favorite way to tighten a harness. Also, you can see the red, yellow and green window – that is to show if your seat is reclined properly. The red is for forward facing only, yellow and green are for rear facing recline.

This is a fabulous car seat! We love the First Years True Fit!

I was given the chance to travel from Kansas to North Carolina with Lucy in the First Years True Fit. On the flight to NC, I carried the seat with me on the planes.  It fits well on a tiny plane seat. It was pretty bulky when walking across the airport, but I was able to put Lucy in the Ergo and haul it across three concourses on my own, so it was not impossible.

I cannot stress this enough – read the manual! When I got to my taxi cab, I didn’t know how to thread the seat belt through the car seat. It took me much longer than it should have. Turns out that if you simply remove the padding, you will see in bright colors the belt path. So when I thought “dang, this seat is hard to install” I was just doing it wrong.

Seriously, read your manual. This is my review, my experience. When you get a car seat, read the manual front to back and inside out. Make sure your seat is being used properly – and always have your installation double checked by a child passenger safety technician. Not all convertible car seats can be used straight from the hospital.  There are so many common errors everyone makes, and one error could be fatal, so please find a CPST to check your seat.

Win It!

One lucky MamaDweeb reader will win a The First Years True Fit car seat (C650) ARV $180!

Closed: Congrats Lala R!

I received the car seat to review. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Comments

  1. Jill says

    Let’s face it, I am 8 months pregnant, and we’re going to need a new car seat, for one kid or another, in both vehicles soon! If it really fits behind a 6’2 person, it will be awesome for my hubby who is 6’1, granted, we’re in a small car for this typically, but still!

  6. Marcie W. says

    I have a yet to be created niece or nephew that this would be perfect for (Yes, psycho me has already started a baby stockpile for my little sis) The True Fit would be perfect for my sis who would be a new mom, especially because it shows if it’s reclined properly, which was always an issue for me!

  15. Meg Pearce says

    This car seat has so many great features it could really be great for anyone! I love that you can use it from the start with the removable headrest so it’s not as bulky.

  18. Amanda Alvarado says

    This car seat has everything I’ve been looking for! The ease of adjusting the harness, the safety features, etc. The car seat dd has now doesn’t have as many safety features and I’d really love to replace it but money is an issue right now.

  22. Lori B says

    Lbrouse1 at gmail dot com
    There are SO many things I like about this seat! I like the side wings for side impact safety. So many seats don’t have these. And this may be silly, but even though I do read manuals, I often forget how to operating things. (My husband can tell you I’ve asked him a BAZILLION times how to adjust things like our stroller.) Love all the instruction labels on the seats to help me remember how to do things properly.

  41. Linda @ My Name is Momma says

    I want it because it looks like a great rear facing seat ALSO the room for dad is a PLUS. My hubby is also very tall and needs leg room. We had a carseat with Reagan that was SO Big and bulky no matter where it went NO ONE had room to sit comfortably.

  44. Penelope says

    I hope it’s ok if I say this here…my husband has this car seat in his car, and WE LOVE IT! Yay First Years for making such a great car seat!

  49. Kathy Luman says

    This would fit perfect in my car. I love how they have the red yellow and green features to show you if you have it in the right position.

  55. Sue E says

    The True Fit would be a good seat for me because my toddler is just about to outgrow her infant seat. The True Fit looks comfy, as well as safe and easy to use.

  62. Sue E says

    Follow you and tweeted–https://twitter.com/suebaby05/status/87980879686807581

  64. Kasandria Reasoner says

    The First Years Car Seat would be a good fit for my family b/c we are currently TTC and stocking up on everything we will need and this sounds like it hs safety first.
    Kas

  67. Jill L says

    My babies all grow out of their infant seats too fast too. This would be a great idea. Love that there is still plenty of room behind the driver seat.

  75. Jenny says

    I really need a new car seat for my son..and this car seat looks perfect both for safety and comfort!

  76. Carolyn H says

    I think the First Years True Fit would be a good car seat for me because we only have a bucket seat right now for my almost 4 month old and it is getting heavy to carry him around in, so I would like a convertible one

  83. Christina says

    I love that its rear facing until 35 lbs,my son is 13 lbs now so lots of time for us!

  87. alison says

    this is a good car seat for me b/c i love all of the safety features and safety is my #1 priority

  95. D Schmidt says

    This car seat would be great for me because I have just given birth and based on my previous car seat experience with my now two year old I will need a convertible car seat fairly soon.

    mummytotwoboys@yahoo.com

  102. Daisy M says

    i like all of the safety features about the car seat and safety is my one priority

  112. Eileen says

    this would be great for our family as my son has a 4 year old who could really use it and an infant daughter to grow into it. In between, I know mommy could really use this for her home day care children. so nice for her to have a seat different ages can use!

    thanks so much!

  119. Theresa Jenkins says

    Required Entry: …because I have not idea what I’m buying,there so much out there, and you just did my homework for me…nice giveaway thanks

  136. Janet W. says

    This is a great fit for me because it’s really safe and would fit nicely in my car for my grandson!

  143. latanya says

    Because it is an awesome brand and I feel safe putting my child in their product

  151. Veronica L says

    I think The First Years True Fit is a good car seat for me because I LOVE the fact that this seat has True Fit which would make it definitely easier for me to accomodate my children’s height when setting it up. Thanks for the chance 🙂

    vhenline(at)gmail(dot)com

  155. Tiffany says

    It is a good carseat for me because it rear faces until 35 lbs and it is important to us to keep our son rear facing as long as possible.
    etwilkins at gmail dot com

  164. Jessica r says

    I followed on twitter & posted giveaway. Idk how to show u tht I posted giveaway but my name on there is jessbd87. Thx

  167. Betsy Hoff says

    This would be a great fit for us because I only put my daughter in the safest seats! I give this one a A+

  172. tess says

    my next door neighbor is expecting in January- this would be a great shower gift from me.
    tcogbill at live dot com

  183. Tarah says

    My son is 4 months old and already starting to outgrow the infant seat height wise! He’s going to be tall – so this would be fantastic!

  186. Aimee E. says

    The first years car seat would be great for my little one because he’s getting too big for his Graco.

  188. Ashley says

    I think my son, who is 7 months old, would be more comfortable in this one than the newborn seat we still have him in (he is still under 22 pounds, so it’s safe)

    demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com

  189. Jennifer Clark says

    I liked the first years on facebook and posted a comment stating my favorite feature of this seat on the first years facebook page. I’m hoping to win as my son is riding in an expired seat because I cannot afford a new seat. Thanks for the chance to win.

  197. Erin L says

    We have one with my son and it’s the only convertible that would fit in my Acura. We definitely want one to use with my newborn.

  200. Shannon says

    I looked on the website and the weight limit is 65 lbs. forward facing so that is fantastic. This would be perfect for either of my children and last them a long time and that is why I want it. I wouldn’t have to repurchase as they grow. Great seat. Thank you!

  203. Christina Wells says

    The First Years True Fit is a great carseat for my girls because it rearfaces to 35lbs and has a tall shell! I have tall kids and I really researched car seats before purchasing ours, and keeping them rearfacing for as long as possible is top priority! We own two of these, one for each girl, and I would love to win one for our other car! I love the lockoffs, the no rethread harness, and easily removeable cover for washing! And yes, I have two True Fits rearfacing in a 2004 Malibu Classic! My husband is 6’5″ and I am 5’11” and we still can all fit in the car! I love this carseat and am so glad we purchased the two we have.

  212. Vee says

    It would be great for my cousin, she is pregnant and strapped for cash, so this would be a great gift

    sswpss at yahoo dot com

  218. Jessica says

    I would love, love, love to have this seat- I have a petit 2 1/2 year old and it seems like she just doesn’t fit her current seat well. It looks like it works great for your 2 year old! Plus we have another one on the way, so we could use another seat 🙂

  223. Jen says

    I need one of these seats for my little one that is due in 4 weeks – one seat over the course of his childhood would save us money!

  224. Jennifer says

    It’s a perfect fit to me because my daughter’s car seat is a cheap one and has not held up well! She really needs a good, safe car seat! This one sounds great!

  231. Sarah G. says

    I like the color indicators and the ease of changing the sizes! It looks like it would be convenient!

  240. Erika says

    It is a good car seat for me because I have a freind in need of a new car seat and I could bless her with it.

  243. Kerry says

    This seat would be great for our family because we are having our third child and need another car seat. I like that it seems to fit easily with leg room up front and that it rear faces for a long time.

    alsatia23 at hotmail dot com

  256. ErinB says

    I’ve got a 4 month old who is about to outgrow her infant seat and we are looking for a convertible seat. This would be perfect!

  257. HeatherM says

    i love the 35lb weight limit for RF… i could keep my daughter RF for a looong time 🙂

  262. Denise L says

    I love how easy it is to adjust. My little one grows so fast, I am constantly adjusting the height of his straps. My aunt currently watches him some weekdays, so it would be great to have a seat just for her. Thanks!

  270. Allie says

    I married a tall man and now I have a tall daughter… who is ready to outgrow her current car seat. The first Years True Fit is a taller car seat and would be perfect for her! My friend has this car seat and it’s a great seat!

  271. Josefine says

    The seat would be great for us because we could use it for many years to come.

  273. Julie says

    Oooh would love to have this carseat! Little man is about to outgrow his infant seat – this would be perfect! Thanks for the AWESOME giveaway!

  293. Amanda says

    This would be the perfect fit for us. We have a Graco Nautalis for Kaitlynn, and while I love the seat, I HATE having to rethread the harness straps. It is my biggest gripe about that seat. I love the fact that it has a removeable headrest also for growing kiddos. It truely is a convertable carseat! Our old convertable, Kaitlynn out grew by 15 months. She’s so stinking tall. And it’s hard to find a convertable seat that goes much taller without spending big bucks. I wanted something to last us the long hall through our 5pt harness days. So we went with the Nautalis, unfortaunatly we couldn’t rearface with that seat. At the time it fit our needs and our price budget. At almost 4 Kaitlynn could still be rear facing (at a whopping 28 pounds she’s skinny!) if it wern’t for the hight restrictions! 🙁

  304. Samantha Cuhel says

    I love how easy it seems to be to operate and fit into vehicles. I have the life of a single mom and I think this would cause a lot less stress than all the hassle our current car seat causes each time I have to go out.

  308. amy pugmire says

    This would be a great fit for us because I have a 9 month old who has almost outgrown her infant seat and I need a car seat that is rear facing since she can’t face forward till she is 2 now and I have another one on the way that is due in december that could eventually use this as well.

  327. Julie says

    I love how easy it looks to get around in and put in the car also looks very comfie

  342. Jenette says

    I think it would be a good fit for us because it goes to 35 lbs. My oldest isn’t even that yet! Would last a long time.

  354. Kate Charles says

    This is a great car seat for me because my little girl is quickly outgrowing her infant car seat, but won’t weight 20 pounds at one year (at 9 mo she is 14lbs), so I will need a car seat that I can have rear facing until she is 20 pounds!!

    clothmamak8 at gmail.com

  373. Nicole Robinson says

    This carseat would be great for me because I am having a little boy in two months and it would be great to not have to get an infant car seat and then get a new one in 6 months!

  393. Ruri says

    My sister is having a baby and I would love to give it to her as a gift. Also, this car seat has great ratings.

  395. Angie K says

    My great-niece will need a new car seat when she outgrows her infant Snugride and I think this will be a perfect fit since it is so safe!
    Thanks!

  407. Morgan N. says

    It goes up to 65 lbs. my little girl is bigger for her age and i think she will hit 65 lbs long before she meets the height requirements.

  416. Jody says

    This carseat would be great for me because my toddler is in one already and I love it, but baby girl will be graduating from her carrier soon so I need another one for her.

  427. N e e l y says

    It will be good for me because my son is almost too big for his current carseat!

  430. Anne Loyd says

    This would be a great car seat for me because I am preggo with baby #3 and we had already gotten rid of a lot of our baby stuff as we had not planned on anymore kids!

  438. Jessica says

    This would be great for us because I am currently expecting, so we could use it rear facing when our baby gets here, and when he/she gets bigger we wouldn’t have to worry about going out and buying another car seat

  448. Janice says

    This First Years Car Seat looks comfortable and safe — would be great for our second baby!

  452. Mary Beth Elderton says

    Not for me exactly, but for the new grandchild that’s on the way. This looks like a very safe and versatile seat.

  462. Amanda H. says

    I’ve heard great things about this carseat. I have a 3 year old and another baby on the way in November. This will be great when he grows out of his infant seat!

  468. Heather M says

    It will last a really long time so it’s perfect for the new little one due in December!

  476. lilshuga2001 says

    That yellow lever will come in handy in ways I cannot even begin to imagine! 🙂
    thanks!

  481. Hannah Avery says

    It would be a good fit because it is adjustable, and my son is about to outgrow his baby carseat!

    hannahavery85 at yahoo dot com

  483. Hannah Avery says

    I liked you on Facebook. My facebook name is: Hannah Avery

    hannahavery85 at yahoo dot com

    #1

  484. Hannah Avery says

    I liked you on Facebook. My facebook name is: Hannah Avery

    hannahavery85 at yahoo dot com

    #2

  488. Raven In A Blue Room says

    It would be great because you have the option of rear or front facing position. My current seat doesn’t have that option

    Thank you for hosting this giveaway

    Louis
    pumuckler {at} gmail {dot} com

  492. Raven In A Blue Room says

    Google Friends Connect – following your blog publicly as Louis

    pumuckler {at} gmail {dot} com

  497. Rebecca Shockley says

    It would be a good car seat for me and my child simply because it is new and I always have hand me downs.

  552. clynsg says

    My grandson managed to take a screwdriver to the headrest of his car seat and so he needs a new one (don’t ask me where he got the tool–it was probably where his uncle left it in the garage). Although he doesn’t weigh anything near the weight limit for rear facing, he is very tall for a 2 yr old and would need to be front facing.

  564. Anastacia Fosi says

    The first years true fit would be a great car seat for me because my son is 4 months old and already outgrown his infant carrier. I need a convertible car seat that fits right, is comfortable and durable for my growing munchkin.

  573. Lee says

    The First Years car seat is a good fit for me because it can grow with my child. Or actually my children. Once Jason is done it will still work for Spencer with a few years to spare safety expiration wise!

    Lee 🙂

  581. MJ says

    I’d love this seat because I have a 2-month-old and a 2-year-old so I have two in carseats.

  599. Liz says

    I like that you can adjust the seat belt without having to undo the seat belt and readjust it. Would be wonderful because with 4 kids even that little thing can be a pain especially when we are ready to go somewhere.

  610. Tiffany U says

    I love that the height of the belt is so easily adjusted since my kids all seem to go through growth spurts like crazy and its such a pain to have to take the whole seat apart and put it all back together especially when I only have 15 minutes to get somewhere 20 minutes away.

  639. Jessica Black says

    I’ve been researching car seats and I’ve fallen in love with the True Fit…….the no rethread harness, the cover that’s easy to remove and wash, the tall shell for extended rear-facing, the 65 lb forward facing limit and the 7 yr usable likfe before it expires. Seems like an all around great seat that should last a long, long time!!

  662. Misty Massie says

    I would love to win this carseat its the exact one i want to get for my son he is just growing out of his infant seat and I want to keep him rear facing a bit longer i also like how long you can keep them in a five point harness by using this seat!!

  677. Micah Pearson says

    What I like about this car seat is that on Amazon it says this carseat received the highest given rating from the national highway traffic safety administration. Can’t beat the highest and safety of course is very important.

  682. Micah Pearson says

    I left a comment on The First Years Facebook wall saying what my favorite feature of this seat is!

    • Amanda Alvarado says

      Sorry I am on dh’s laptop and it took posted this twice. I’d delete it if I could! LOL

  700. Kelly D says

    I like the The First Years True Fit becausse it is so easy to install (we have an odyssey too) and that you can adjust the setting of the seat without having to remove it from the car. So easy!

  728. lala r says

    it is a good car seat for me because i have a small car having this will be a true fit for us.
    amramazon280 at yahoo dot com

  747. Judith says

    I like this for alot of reasons
    the no rethread harness,
    the cover is easy to remove and wash,
    the shell for extended rear-facing,
    the 65 lb forward facing limit
    the 7 yr usable like

  756. Katrina says

    I think this would be great for me! I love the ease of changing the strap height… with 2 in carseats, it would make it easier to let them both use the seat on occasion!

  769. becca pressnall says

    We have a new baby coming, so I like that he will be able to use this carseat for many years thanks to the adjustable height feature!

  825. McKim says

    We need a car seat for when we take our little grandson with us. This would be a good one that we could leave in the car and still have room, so that we didn’t have to install it every time.

  833. NewlyHousewife says

    Currently carrying the first child for both husband and I. He serves in the military and having a car seat that’s known for safety would provide a peace and comfort not offered elsewhere.

  844. Mandi says

    ://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150379414431124&id=1593919263

    Wrote on facebook wall for favorite feature of carseat

  848. Maia G says

    I like this car seat because you can practice extended rear facing
    mk_mitchell90 at hotmail dot com