Evenflo is a baby brand that has been on the market for many generations passed, and they have established a solid reputation for themselves in the industry. They manufacturer a variety of infant to toddler products like strollers, play yards, and of course car seats just to name a few. they have also made a convertible All In One Evenflo Symphony car seat.
Previously I have reviewed the Evenflo Tribute and the Evenflo Triumph convertible car seats if you’re interested in those reviews. Today though I am going to review the Evenflo Symphony All-In-One or more commonly referred to as the Evenflo Symphony convertible car seat. This Evenflo car seat is marketed by the company as “the only seat you’ll ever need.”
That’s a pretty bold statement in my opinion, but the idea is that the seat grows and transforms with your child. The seat can be used rear-facing in infants as small as 5 lbs, then later switched to forward facing (usually at 2 yrs old), and finally transformed into a booster for kids up to 110 lbs and at least 4 years old.
Quick Specs
- Item Weight: 21 lbs
- Orientation: forward-facing, rear-facing, and booster
- Weight limits: 5-40lbs rear-facing, 22-65lbs forward-facing, 40-110lbs booster
- Height limit: 19-37in rear-facing, 28-50in forward-facing, 43.3-57in booster
- Harness: 5 point
What are the Pros of the Evenflo Symphony?
- Side impact protection – Evenflo uses there e3 Side Impact Protection in this model which is designed to reduce crash impact by up to 50% and offers an expanded zone and 3 layers of protection. This seat passes all crash testing and goes above the government recommended standards.
- The ONLY One – The idea that this seat can be used from infant until booster is a huge bonus in terms of saving money as well as time in not having to go out and start searching for the perfect seat all over again. I was initially concerned that since it’s an all-in-one maybe it would be great at the toddler ages but lack during the infancy stage, however I have heard great reviews from parents using it at all stages, from infancy and up, and they have all been able to get a snug fit at all stages.
- Travel approved – This seat is totally travel approved by the FAA. It’s heavy though, so make sure to grab a luggage cart to wheel it around the airport.
- LATCH – LATCH installation is great and Evenflo took it one step further by making it just a click and push installation. Super easy to use and it does give a really nice and snug fit in the car.
- Fabric – A really cool thing about this seat, especially if you’re living in an area where it can get really hot, is this seat has been tested at both high and low temperatures for breathability and comfort of the fabric. Even is hot hot conditions, like Texas in July hot, this seat doesn’t heat up and make your child sweat, it still remains breathable.
- Fun extras – Head and body pillow can removed to adjust the level of padding, the harness never needs to be rethreaded even as your child grows, seat pad is machine washable, and they put in a cup holder
And the Cons?
- Height and weight limits – As this is “the only car seat you’ll ever need” kind of seat, a big determining factor of that is the height and weight limits on the seat. Unfortunately the Symphony comes in a bit short, literally short, here. There max weight isn’t so bad, but most rear-facing car seats last till 45 lbs, giving an extra 5 lbs of growth compared to this seat which only goes till 40 lbs. Also, the Diono Radian lasts till 120 lbs as a booster while the Symphony only goes till 110 lbs. For me though the height is the bigger issue, many convertible seats and other all-in-ones offer 5-7 inches more growth room in both the rear and forward facing positions. If you’ve got a taller child, this could be a huge draw back.
- Infant recline – If you’re purchasing this seat to start off as an infant seat, use caution as it’s tough to get an all the way back recline, which when baby falls asleep isn’t great because their head can fall downward leaving it unsupported.
How do consumers rate it?
The Symphony is highly rated at about 4.5 out of 5 stars. Parents like this seat because you just have to buy one seat for the whole child’s life and done. However, I did notice most people going for this AFTER having used an infant car seat during the first 8-9 months or so.
What’s it going to cost?
I think one of the things Evenflo does so well is offering a quality product at an affordable price, which I think many of us can appreciate. It retails for $229.99 at most retail stores nationwide. Online though I found it at what I consider a great price for $163-$182, especially when you think about the years of use you can get out of this.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line on this seat. It’s a solid car seat that definitely has the potentially to last a really, really long time. I think if you have a smaller to average sized child, this seat will last you and you will not need to worry so much about them outgrowing the height limits too quickly.
If you have a child on the taller side, or you’re on the taller side and therefore expect your little one to be, I’d go for the Diono Radian 3-in-1. It is a bit more expensive but gives you more wiggle room in the height and weight limits. I’d also recommend the Symphony to those who started with an infant seat, but are now looking to upgrade to a convertible that will last them the rest of the child’s car seated years. This seat definitely has the potential to do that and at a good price too.
