Ok, confession time: I've never once in my three years of motherhood installed a car seat. Never. Not once. My husband has always been the car seat installer - if the seats need to be pulled out to be cleaned, swapped into Grandma's car or installed prior to our run to Labor and Delivery, he is the one to handle it. And the reason why is simple: I am terrified to do it myself. I don't think I could live with myself if I unintentionally installed a car seat incorrectly and then one of my babies was hurt as a result. Frankly, even typing that made my stomach turn and my heart race. And it seems my fears are justified - a recent study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 49% of infant car seats were incorrectly installed. But, Justin is going to start traveling for work more and I am going to need to be able to install a car seat like the Boss Mom that I am, so it seems that time has come for me to figure this business out. We've been on the hunt for a second rear facing infant car seat for Georgia to use in my husband's truck and with the Grandparents, so I started the search with "ease of installation" as a major priority. When Graco® reached out to me and asked if I would give the Graco® SnugRide SnugLock™ 35 DLX Infant Car Seat a try, I (nervously) said yes.
I gave it a go and, honestly, I dominated it. After a little step by step coaching by my husband, I was able to install the car seat, start to finish, correctly and safely, in just a few minutes! Take a peek of me working that install: Here's what makes the Graco® SnugRide SnugLock™ 35 DLX Infant Car Seat the jam: Install is a simple, three-step process that rewards you with the no-doubt-about-it, audible "click" when the infant seat is installed correctly (seriously, scroll down and check out the video of me installing the base in all of my mom glory - you'll hear it!). The system has level indicator on the base that helps ensure installation is correct and is paired with the InRIGHT LATCH to ensure that even the car seat installation newbies, like myself, can get it right. I, of course, had my husband supervise my efforts and even he was impressed with how easy it was to install the base using a seat belt with the SnugLock. Bonus points go to the SilentShade Canopy which opens and closes without making a peep so you won't wake your tiny tyrant and the one handed adjustable handle, which makes getting baby in and out super easy. If I have to be the car seat installer, I need all of the help I can get, even in the sunshade and handle department. And, in less important news: how cute is that striped pattern?? It reminds me of a comfy sweatshirt and I am digging it! You can read more about the Graco® SnugRide SnugLock™ 35 DLX Infant Car Seat here! Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35 DLX ReviewGraco has taken their ultra-popular, easy-to-use SnugRide carseats and improved upon the installation process by introducing a new base that has a swing-arm to clamp down on the seat belt for an installation that takes seconds. Even the most intimidated caregiver will feel brave with their carseating skills after a few minutes with the SnugLock. Graco also introduces a new SafetyCore™ crash force absorption zone on the base. There are other cool new user features on the carrier, but you have to read the review to find out what they are. Let’s get started with the basics.Weight and Height Limits: Rear-facing 4-35 lbs. AND 32” or less AND child’s head is 1” below top of seat SnugRide SnugLock Overview:
SnugLock Bases The model I have for review comes with the Deluxe SnugLock base. Other SnugRide SnugLock models come with the less-expensive regular SnugLock base. These bases are interchangeable, so if you want to buy extra bases for other vehicles you can choose either style. SnugLock DLX Base Regular SnugLock Base SnugRide SnugLock Measurements Harness slots: 6 ½“, 8 ½“, 10 ½“, 12 ½“ Don’t forget about our comparison database! There are multiple versions of the SnugRide SnugLock, including different types of carriers and bases. Don’t fret—we have a chart! Installation Everything about the SnugLock base is easy: from adjusting the recline, to opening the LATCH strap storage door, to opening and closing the SnugLock arm. We’ve seen a lot of new technology emerge in the last few years aiding parents and caregivers in installing their carseats and the SnugLock base design is innovative and keeps Graco at the forefront of infant seat design. Installation Tips
*You’ll notice that in the above pictures where the carrier is installed Euro-style without the base, the shoulder belt rests down low against the vehicle seat with some slack in it, and naturally wants to slide under the corner of the carrier. This happens in vehicles where the buckle is flush with the vehicle seat, as in the pictures above, and in vehicles where the buckle stalks are longer as well. I discussed the issue with a Graco engineer who was going to discuss it with the engineering department. Center LATCH installations with Non-Standard Spacing: Inflatable Seat Belts However, Graco DOES allow the carrier only to be installed without the base using Ford Motor Company inflatable seat belts. Follow your instruction manual and do not thread the shoulder belt through the belt path. Fit to Child There’s a body pillow and head pillow with the DLX model. The body pillow is optional, but must be removed when the child reaches 12 lbs. The head pillow can stay in as long as it’s threaded through the harness slots above the harness (so remove it when the harness is moved to the upper slots). The head pillow that came with my seat seems stiff and arches out, which makes me think that a newborn with a light noggin may go chin-to-chest (that’s what we techs say when we see a newborn with her head falling straight down, which is potentially deadly). Until I can see a noob in the seat, I’ll withhold judgment, but I will say that it concerns me enough to make a notation about it and it should be watched. If you determine that the head pillow is indeed pushing your newborn’s head forward, take it out. It’s not required. Fit with the 4 lbs. Huggable Images preemie doll was good. Our 13 month old model still has about 2” growing room above his head before outgrowing the carrier by height. At 21 lbs. and 29”, he still has a long way to go before hitting the maximum limits of 35 lbs. and 32”. There are 2 sets of loops on the harness ends on the back of the SnugRide SnugLock. The upper loops are used to shorten the harness for smaller babies.
Cover/Maintenance/Ease of Use The cover can be thrown in the washing machine on gentle cycle. Hang to dry. The 1-hand top adjustable handle is available on the DLX model and the Platinum models only (Platinum and Platinum XT are found at BRU and BuyBuyBaby, respectively). Whether you need this feature is one thing, but it is mighty handy not to have to grab both sides of the carrier handle to adjust the handle up or down. FAA-Approval/Lifespan/Crash Guidelines The SR SnugLock carrier is FAA-approved, but the base is not. If you want to take the base with you on your trip and you’re flying there, it’s best to pack it in a suitcase or take it as a carryon and store it in the overhead bin. This carseat has a lifespan of 7 years from the date of manufacture. It must be replaced after any crash, including a minor one. Stroller and Base Compatibility The SnugRide SnugLock is compatible with any Graco ClickConnect stroller or base. SnugLock is the technology on particular ClickConnect bases to aid in installation of those bases. Advantages
Disadvantages
Conclusion There are many different versions of SnugRide SnugLock so check out our chart above to make sure you understand which model you are buying and how it differs from the other SnugRide SnugLock models available. The higher-priced SnugLock models are likely to come with the DLX base that we prefer but the lower-priced SnugLock models offer a better value and still get the job done nicely. We recommend installing the regular SnugLock base with lower LATCH connectors to avoid the potential issue with the seatbelt getting crimped in cases where it doesn’t stay above the protrusions. We didn’t run into that issue with the LATCH strap in any of the vehicles we tried which is good news. If you know ahead of time that you will be installing the seat in an older vehicle that doesn’t have LATCH, or in the center seating position of a vehicle which doesn’t allow “borrowing” of the lower LATCH anchors, you might be better off with the Deluxe SnugLock base. Thank you to Graco for providing the Graco SnugRide SnugLock DLX used for this review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions expressed are those of CarseatBlog. CarseatBlog Experts Rating Recommended: SnugRide SnugLock 35, SnugRide SnugLock 35 Platinum/Elite How long do you use the infant insert in Graco car seat?The insert usage can vary by platform so it is imperative that caregivers check their manual and labels for instructions. In general, however, they should at least accommodate birth to 3 months or up to 12lbs.
How long can baby use Graco SnugRide 35?The height limit of the SnugRide Click Connect 35 is 32 inches (80cm). That's about average compared to the other seats. On average, children weight about 24 lbs by the time they've reached 32 inches. That's usually around 15 months old.
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