Sometimes, small is just better. And this is especially important if your car is a compact one – you’ll need a baby car seat that will properly fit on your vehicle’s back seat. And if your baby has been born prematurely, having a small car seat is an absolute necessity. Sadly, finding a small car seat is surprisingly difficult, especially if you don’t know a lot about these things.
Fortunately, there is a solution – the Chicco KeyFit is a very compact and convenient car seat, and one that’s recommended by many experts and neonatal intensive care unit nurses. Let’s have a look at what it offers!
Specifications:
- Weight limit – for infants 4 to 30lbs in weight
- Seat dimensions – 22″ x 17″ x 24″
- Seat weight – 9lbs
- Base dimensions – 15″ x 7″ x 20″
- Base weight – 7.4lbs
- Number of harness slots – 3
Features of Chicco KeyFit
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An excellent safety rating
One of the greatest things about the Chicco products is that they always come with an excellent safety rating. That is also the case with the Keyfit car seat, which scored very well in the various crash tests – both the official and the unofficial ones. It exceeds all the governmental regulations and certainly provides the necessary peace of mind for the worried parents.
The interior of this seat is lined with the well-known EPS foam, which is among the best energy-absorbing materials in the world. This provides the infant with protection from the dangerous side impacts. Also, the (thickly cushioned) seat comes with the 5-point harness, and the experts agree that this is the safest restraint system that there is.
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Compatibility with strollers
Since the seat is so popular, you’ll find that almost all of the strollers have adapters that will easily receive the Keyfit and allow you to use them together. This lets the parents create their own custom travel systems, and that’s always a big plus in our book.
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The comfortable padding
As we already mentioned, the seat is thickly cushioned and very cozy for a small baby. Even when you remove the infant insert, the padding will remain decently comfortable and make every ride a pleasant experience. If you’d like your child to feel comfortable while you’re driving, the Chicco KeyFit is definitely the right choice.
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It’s lightweight
Let’s be real here – the baby car seats aren’t light. In fact, it can be a real chore to carry them around, especially if you travel a lot. Fortunately, the Chicco KeyFit is far lighter than many other models, as it is compact in size and weighs just over 9 pounds. This makes the transportation and relocation of this seat a real breeze.
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Can be used on an aircraft
The Chicco KeyFit has been approved by Federal Aviation Administration and can be used on the planes. If you’re a parent who travels a lot and simply can’t leave your baby behind, this model will surely is a good solution for your traveling needs.
A section of the manual shows how to properly install the seat on an airplane – it’s quite similar to the standard car installation.
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Additional features
There’s a canopy to protect your child from rain and from the direct sunlight, as well as the adjustable head support feature that gives your baby the head support that he or she will need while growing.
Ease of installation
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LATCH
The Chicco Keyfit has a pretty unique LATCH install. When you’re ready to use the seat, you’ll have to push the connectors on the anchors of your vehicle, and use a single middle strap in order to tighten them. Getting the seat installed correctly is very simple, as it is easy to pull the strap (unlike on some other models).
The bubble level indicator that’s located on the base can help you find the proper angle for the installation. There are, actually, two indicators, on both sides of the base, making it even easier for the parents to find the right angle. We should also mention the presence of the adjustable foot, which removes the need for rolled towels when it comes to proper leveling.
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Belt
Unfortunately, installing this seat with a belt isn’t as great as when using the LATCH system. Unlike on some other models, the belt path isn’t color-coded here, and threading the belt can be quite difficult at times. The belt kept getting folded and wrinkled when we tried to get it under the lock off. And even it is properly in the lock-off; the base of this model can still slightly tip to the side. Going with the LATCH install will provide more stability and safety.
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Without the base
When we tried to install the Chicco KeyFit without the base, we had to use towels to make it secure enough. Even then, the model can still feel quite unstable, and that certainly isn’t something you want for your baby.
What’s wrong with the product?
- The belt installation is not as good as the LATCH one
It’s a good thing that this model is easy and safe to install with the LATCH system, because using the vehicle’s belt to install it is a lot more difficult. The belt keeps getting wrinkled.
- The car seat fabric isn’t really breathable
The breathability of KeyFit’s seat cover surely has some room for improvement. Babies can get sweaty and hot, especially if you live in a warmer country or take long car rides regularly. We hope that Chicco will fix this in the next revision.
Conclusion
In our opinion, one can’t seriously go wrong with this model. Even though it’s not flawless (which model is?), there’s a good reason that it has been consistently rated as one of the top infant car seats on the market.
The best thing about it is that it provides the infant with safety and comfort, and parent with an easy LATCH install. It also bears the FAA certification, it’s compatible with the most popular strollers, and is lightweight enough for the easy relocation when needed. It’s a model worth considering for purchase, and one that’s definitely worth the money.
