Sentry Baby Products Guardimals 3-in-1 Harness Booster Car Seat, Monkey
(Terminal Updated On: Oct 27, 2017)
Sentry Guardimals Combination Seat
At the 2016 ABC Kids Expo, our team discovered a new car seat manufacturer with a very unique offer. The Sentry Guardimals combination seats aim to appeal to children who accept favorite stuffed animals with characters including a bear, a tiger, a monkey, and a puppy. In addition to its unique and friendly designs, with its widest point measuring 17.five inches, the Guardimals seemed to be a promising new seat for 3 beyond situations.
CSFTL Quick Stats
- Forward facing weight range: 22 – fifty pounds
- Frontward facing height range: 29 – 48 inches tall
- Highest harness position: 17.5 inches
- Loftier back booster weight range: 30 – 100 pounds
- High back booster height range: 38 – 57 inches alpine
- Backless booster weight range: 40 – 120 pounds
- Backless booster meridian range: 40 – 57 inches tall
- Lower anchor weight maximum: 45 pounds
- Expiration: Harness and high dorsum booster- 6 years from Appointment of Manufacture; Backless booster – 10 years from Appointment of Manufacture
Measurements
- Narrowest point: 15 inches
- Widest point (without cupholder): 17 inches
- Widest point (with cupholder): 21 inches
- Highest harness slot: 17.5 inches
- Highest belt guide position (high back booster mode): 20 inches
Note: Guardimals seats manufactured after 6/1/2017 have the following improvements:
- Improved closure on the storage pouch
- Lower anchors attached to the seat shell
- Weight and acme limits on seat labels friction match limits listed in the manual
- Improved manual with many corrections
The prototype unveiled at ABC Kids was rather unfortunate looking merely the manufacturer heard this feedback and the current version of this seat features more realistic optics, making the bear character appear much friendlier. The bear seat we were sent to review is lightweight and soft – perfect for a sleepy passenger to lean against. My glee at the furry cover, however, was short lived. When I opened the manual (the beginning step to installing any new seat!) I noticed complicated installation instructions every bit well as mention of an insert that was not included with the seat. This phantom insert was as well not included in the seat diagram afterwards in the transmission.
Challenges
Normally, this is the role of a review where nosotros talk about a car seat'south unique features or note a few things that caught our attending. Unfortunately, we found an alarmingly large number of issues that we'd like to share here instead. We spent a skillful deal of quality time reading the manual, checking the seat for labels, installing the seat, uninstalling the seat, and evaluating the overall ease of use.
It seems as if the manual wasn't proofread at all before the seat started shipping. For a seat that's already beingness sold, our biggest fright in this state of affairs is that caregivers won't be able to install and employ the seat correctly. Permit's walk through the bug nosotros encountered.
Acme Tether Storage
Spotter Guardimals pinnacle tether storage
Well-nigh car seats have a defended spot on the plastic beat of the seat for top tether storage. The Guardimal'due south tiptop tether stores on the outside of the seat's cover. Over time, this could well lead to the cover ripping in that spot. Also, this protrusion could go far the way of a secure installation with the rear entry installation method, which does not let the use of the pinnacle tether.
Assembly
Sentry Guardimals – detached lower anchor webbing
Our soft bear requires a bit of assembly. When I picked upwards the back of the seat to attach information technology to the base, I saw the lower anchors were not permanently attached to the seat — that's a requirement of the FMVSS 213 Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard for Child Restraint Systems.
While this may not be a safety business concern in and of itself since vehicle seat belt installations are also an choice, it is troubling to see a seat that is already being sold not complying with federal regulations.
In addition, lower anchor straps that aren't permanently affixed to the seat tin exist difficult to keep track of for parents who prefer to use lower ballast installations or who plan to use lower anchors in booster mode later on.
Guardimals seats manufactured after half-dozen/i/2017 have these anchors affixed to the seat. We welcome that improvement!
Storage Pockets and Cleaning
Lookout Guardimals – armrest pockets
The Sentry Guardimals have handy pockets on the back of each paw on the armrests. These may be bully storage for the little toys children similar to carry around merely my business organisation is that they might result in parental profanity should a child choose to save a snack for later in one of these non-auto washable pockets.
Installation — Manual is Confusing
When I opened the manual to the installation section, I was surprised that the instructions were so short. To confirm my suspicions that these instructions could lead to misuse, I showed other parents this section of the manual. I was met with quite a bit of confusion since so many installation steps seemed to exist missing from the instructions. Upon farther reading, I discovered that the outset few pages of the transmission are but summaries for each installation method. The full instructions follow a few pages later.
When using the harness, there are two ways to road either the lower anchors or the seat belt. The front end entry method requires the use of the tether. The tether is not used with the rear entry method only, at CSFTL, we always recommend using the tether as we know that tethers are an essential condom feature of forwards facing machine seats.
Like the Babe Trend Hybrid three-in-1 combination car seat, the Sentry Guardimals offers a multifariousness of installation methods. While in theory this variety could provide a number of options for challenging situations, in practice we've found that and so many options almost invariably lead to misuse.
Harness Catches on Pocket
Sentry Guardimals splitter plate catches on manual storage pocket when tightening the harness
When the seat was installed, the storage pocket interfered with tightening the straps considering the splitter plate would catch on it. When nosotros tried to loosen the straps, the splitter plate got caught on the bottom of the seat where it meets the dorsum.
Guardimals seats manufactured after half-dozen/i/2017 have an improved closure on this pouch.
Vehicle Seat Chugalug Installation: Front Entry Belt Path non Labelled
Sentry Guardimal forepart entry belt path is not marked on the seat
The forepart entry routing method is different than the belt path on nigh forward facing harnessed seats. Unfortunately, the belt path isn't labelled on the seat at all. It's merely listed in the manual.
The seat belt is routed around the front end of the seat with the shoulder belt over the armrest and the lap belt under the armrest. And then, it is inserted into a slit in the fabric and through the opening to the back, passed behind the seat, and pulled to the front end of the seat through a second slot in the seat'due south cloth before being routed under the 2d armrest and buckled.
This method resulted in excessive twisting and straightening. It likewise used most of my vehicle seat belt and introduced a lot of friction, making it difficult to tighten the seat chugalug and get less than one inch movement at the chugalug path.
Moving On
At present that nosotros've listed the challenges with this seat, we'll return to our regularly scheduled programming and continue with our review.
Lower Anchor installation: Front Entry
Sentry Guardimal front entry installation path
Using the lower anchors with the front entry method was nearly identical to installing with the vehicle seat belt using this front entry method. Without a vehicle shoulder belt to contend with, I didn't deal with as much twisting and friction on the lower anchor webbing as I did using the vehicle seat belt.
Rear Entry Installation
Sentry Guardimals – rear entry method
The rear entry installation method is similar to a typical installation, however information technology cannot be used with the top tether. Since the superlative tether is a critical role of forrard facing harnessed car seats, we can't suggest this installation method.
Sentry Guardimal rear entry installation method
We've removed the encompass to bear witness how the vehicle seat belt is threaded in this blazon of installation.
Fit to Child: Harnessed Mode
three Years Old
Scout Guardimals 3 year old fit
Our 3 twelvemonth quondam model weighs 34 pounds and is 39 inches tall. She fits nicely in the harness and all the same has plenty of room to grow. She likes the smooth adjusting harness and the grippy covers. If she were an escape artist, the design of the cam lock would prevent her from being able to loosen her straps to exit.
The crotch strap is routed differently than about combination seats in the United States. It's routed through the inner slot and the strap is routed back and up through the outer crotch buckle slot. The transmission doesn't mention this so information technology'southward particularly of import to note when yous need to take the seat apart.
half dozen Years Old
Sentry Guardimals half dozen years former
This model is six years old, weighs 49 pounds, and is 45 inches tall. The manual states at that place are four harness positions, but the seat itself only has iii pairs of slots. Even without a fourth harness slot, our 6 year old model's shoulders are withal nether the top slot, so he nevertheless has time in the harnessed mode of this seat.
High Dorsum Booster Fashion
Challenge: Label Doesn't Friction match Transmission
Sentry Guardimals weight/tiptop limits on label don't lucifer the manual
The manual lists high back booster weight limits at xxx-100 pounds and 38-l inches tall. However, the seat's label gives a maximum height limit of 57 inches. The backless booster limits are xl-100 pounds and 42-57 inches in the manual but 40-120 pounds and 40-57 inches on the seat's label.
Sentry Guardimals booster mode
When nosotros contacted the manufacturer regarding this, we were directed to follow the labels on the seat. This kind of inconsistency can just lead to misuse.
Guardimals seats manufactured after 6/i/2017 have updated labels that should lucifer the transmission.
Fit to Kid
half-dozen Years Old
Sentry Guardimals – high back booster fit
We were pleasantly surprised to see how well the loftier back booster manner fit our half dozen year sometime model. The lap chugalug was low on his hips and the shoulder belt made total contact with his torso, landing perfectly in the center of his shoulder. Since he can be trusted to sit properly 100% of the time, high dorsum booster style is a safe option for him. For the backless booster fashion and kids who may experience too old for a stuffed creature seat, the feet paws, (Lookout man's name for them) can be removed. They're simply attached past claw and loop strips that are inserted through two slots in the seat for each one.
Backless Booster
Without Shoulder Belt Positioner
Sentinel Guardimals – backless booster fit
The fit for the backless booster was rather disappointing. Due to the design of the seat, our 6 year old had difficulty sitting up straight and not slouching. When he was sitting upwardly with his bottom firmly against the back of the seat, the lap belt was likewise depression on his thighs and didn't even touch his pelvis.
With Shoulder Chugalug Positioner
Lookout Guardimals – no back booster with shoulder belt positioner
Without the positioner, the vehicle shoulder belt was also close to his neck and hovered over his shoulder. This was fixed by using the shoulder belt positioner that's attached to the seat.
Important Information: Where to Find
Lookout Guardimals – FAA approving characterization
FAA Blessing The Sentry Guardimals is FAA approved when used in harness mode. The FAA blessing sticker is located on the dorsum (left) side of the base of operations.
Picket Guardimals – Manual Storage
Manual Storage The manual stores in a blackness mesh pouch at the dorsum of the seat.
Sentry Guardimals – Date of Industry Label
Date of Manufacture The date of manufacture is on a sticker at the lesser of the seat base.
Lower Anchor storage The transmission says that the lower anchors store on the back of the seat, however, in that location aren't whatsoever places to prune them in to the back of the seat. Likewise, storing them there would make a secure installation nearly incommunicable since that location would place the adjuster in betwixt the Guardimal seat and the vehicle seat back.
Overall Impression
The Lookout man Guardimal has a lot of potential. It's narrow, lightweight, and the soft characters are likely to appeal to many children. But there are many drawbacks: the complicated installs, the confusing and conflicting transmission, and the poor belt fit in backless booster mode.
We are very concerned that caregivers will misuse this seat. Car seats are only safety when used properly every fourth dimension, so the ease of utilise and installation issues we encountered while writing this review present a serious safe concern.
We have reached out to the manufacturer and they have taken our concerns into consideration. They've fabricated a few updates to the seat:
- Improved closure on the storage pouch
- Lower anchors attached to the seat beat out
- Weight and height limits on seat labels friction match limits listed in the manual
- Improved manual with many corrections
While we are anxious to encounter the seat keep to evolve and improve, the significant installation challenges make the Guardimals seats a claiming for united states to recommend. Nosotros'd suggest that caregivers who cull this seat for their child approach the installation with a lot of patience and keep the transmission nearby during installation.
Source: https://csftl.org/sentry-guardimals-review/
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