Review of the Safety 1st/Cosco Apex 65 Combination Harness and Booster Car Seat

This is a newer car seat; much anticipated as the options to keep your child harnessed past 40 pounds have been slim and expensive. Luckily Cosco who is also now Safety 1^st has manufactured this car seat that gives you a less expensive choice while still keeping your older child safe.

I really wanted a Britax Regent but at the time it was not in our budget nor would it fit in the back of our Mazda Protégé as we had to fit 3 car seats in a row. I was excited when I heard about the Apex 65 as my oldest child weighed over 40 pounds and was also too tall to use most harnessed car seats. The Apex 65 allows for the use of a 5 point buckle system until 65 pounds and the top harness slot setting is 17.5 inches, allowing taller children to stay secured in a car seat. The only thing higher is the Sunshine Radian Kids seat at 18 inches and the expensive and very large Britax Regent which has a top harness slot of 20 inches.

The Apex 65 can also be used as a belt-positioning booster seat up until 100 pounds when your child outgrows the harness. As a car seat you can use it as early as 1 year old and 20 pounds however it is forward facing only and the safest way to go is rear facing for as long as possible. It is also a rather tall car seat so I imagine any child under the age of 2 would swim in it. It does include a padded removable insert that makes it more comfortable and fit smaller children.

The harness system is easily tightened and loosened with a front adjuster. To change the belt height you must remove the seat and undo the straps to rethread but I've done this twice and it was fairly simple compared to some car seats. My only complaint is that the straps tend to twist easily so I have to double check it when my child buckles herself it.

The Apex 65 is easy to install in most vehicles. It includes both a back tether strap and LATCH attachment but you can easily install it with the car seatbelts as well. I am able to get the tightest fit using both the lower connectors and the top tether strap, it doesn't budge at all.

A downfall to this car seat is that it must be used in a vehicle that has built in headrests. The back support is not adequate enough to protect your child in a bench style seat that ends towards the middle of the car seat. Most cars have high enough back rests or build in head support but this should be taken into consideration before you purchase this child safety seat.

The Apex 65 is rather lightweight so transferring from one vehicle to another is fairly simple. It doesn't seem as sturdy or well made as heavier seats such as Britax but it does its job. The sides curve outward providing somewhat of a side impact protection which other booster only seats don't often have. To adjust the height of the back you simply turn a knob behind the seat and pull upwards on the top. This reveals a hidden set of harness slots which will come in handy as your child gets taller. The car seat has built in arm rests and a snap on and off cup holder to hold a drink or snacks.

This car seat is an excellent choice if you are on a budget but want to keep your child harnessed for an extended amount of time. I purchased this from Babies R Us for $130 plus tax but recently found it on Albeebaby.com for $99.00. That is a great deal for a long lasting child safety seat.