Here at My Traveling Baby, we are quite familiar with Evenflo’s Symphony series of car seats, as it debuted all the way back in 2008. We’re happy to report that the latest entry is as impressive as the previous generations were – the Symphony brings many improvements and presents a very tempting offer.
It features the exclusive SureLatch function, a high amount of comfort for the child, as well as the impact-protection design that brings a peace of mind to the parent. We’ll be taking a very detailed look at this model – join us if you want to know more!
Specifications:
- Car Seat Type – Convertible Car Seat
- Weight – 24 pounds
- Weight Recommendation – 5-110 pounds
- Dimensions – 27.5″ x 21″ x 20.8″
- Maximum Height Limit – 57″
- Lowest Harness Position – 6″
Features of Evenflo Symphony DLX
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The Design
The Evenflo Symphony DLX features one of the best designs we’ve seen so far – the most correct description would be “the Cadillac for your baby.” It looks extremely comfortable, with lots of soft cushioning and with an eye-catching design, no matter in which color combination you decide to buy it in.
We had the “Paramount” version on a review – it’s a very sleek-looking convertible car seat, with a great combination of gray and black colors. This one easily fits in with the rest of the vehicle’s interior, but Evenflo also provides more colorful variants if you don’t want the darker model.
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The Comfort
Like we said, the comfort that this model provides is unmatched in the industry. The padding is very soft and cushy, so the comfortable (and sleepy) rides are guaranteed. The whole seat is covered with the so-called Outlast Performance Fabric, which is, in other words, an adaptive kind of fabric that will keep your kid warm in the cold and cool in the heat. Hot summer rides can be unbearable to kids, so this is a big plus in our book.
The body and the head pillows are removable, so it’s quite easy to find the most comfortable position for the kid.
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The Safety
This is a 3-in-1 multimode model, which means that it can be used in all three seating modes – rear-facing, forward-facing, and the high-back booster mode. No matter which of these methods it’s used in, it provides the parent with a peace of mind due to its superior construction that absorbs enormous amounts of energy that occurs in case of a car crash. It comes with the well-known SIP (Side Impact Protection) system that provides excellent safety for the kid and has been crash-tested to meet all the government regulations.
The exclusive SureLatch technology that we’ve mentioned lets the parent make his baby secure in less than a minute – you just have to simply push and click the infant into the model. The Infinite Slide feature, on the other hand, helps the parent find the most comfortable fit every time the kid is in the seat. It also removes to need for constant adjusting as the child grows.
The Symphony DLX comes with three reclining positions (completely adjustable), a convenient buckle pocket, two handy cup holders, and bears the FAA certification that will allow you to use it on the aircrafts. It also sports a pretty impressive lifespan of 8 years – but that’s something we’re used to when it comes to Evenflo’s convertible car seats.
Ease of Installation
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Rear-Facing Use
For the rear-facing position, you’ll have to use the most reclined setting – Recline 1. The model features an arrow that has to be parallel to the ground in order to achieve the correct angle. However, the user manual tells us that a parent can also use a rolled towel if the further reclining is needed. Even though the seat is a bit wider than the other models, it shouldn’t take up a huge amount of space if you’re an owner of a car of standard size.
Once you’ve found the correct reclining position for the seat, you can hook the SureLatch connectors to your car’s lower anchors. After that, just push down on the seat and check the installation tightness (the seat shouldn’t move more than one inch).
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Forward-Facing Use
To use the Symphony DLX in the forward-facing position, your kid has to be at least two years old. For this kind of installation, you can use either Recline 2 or Recline3 settings, and you’ll probably have to adjust the headrest so that it doesn’t obstruct the overall positioning of the seat itself. After that, you’ll have to switch the LA (Lower Anchor) connectors’ belt path from the rear-facing to the forward-facing position. The rest of the installation should be pretty straightforward.
Don’t forget to regularly weigh your kid in order to know which of these positions to use.
Conclusion
Like in the case of all other car seats manufactured by Evenflo, the Symphony DLX is an extremely well-made product that provides both the parent and the kid with a number of useful features. Despite its higher price tag and a few minor errors, we think that this model is absolutely worth considering for purchase – it’s one of the most comfortable and safest convertible car seats on today’s market.