
Safety 1st
Safety 1st Ellaris 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat (London Blue)
The Safety 1st Ellaris 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat is a multi-mode car seat designed to accommodate children from 5 to 65 lbs across rear-facing infant, rear-facing toddler, and forward-facing configurations. Its slim profile allows three seats to fit across most vehicle rows, and it features a 5-position adjustable headrest and harness, hook-style LATCH connectors, and machine-washable seat pad for easy maintenance. Note: This gently used unit shows cosmetic wear including several snagged threads on the side fabric, and may ship in non-original packaging; manufactured in April 2026.
- Color
- London Blue
- Style
- travel-friendly
Color
- GTIN
884392004743- MPN
SAFETY1ST-884392004743-GENTLYUSED-HASFABRICDAMAGE
Specifications
Ellaris™ convertible car seat with three modes (Rear-Facing Infant 5–30 lbs, Rear-Facing Toddler 30–40 lbs, Forward-Facing 30–65 lbs); slim, airplane-ready design with adjustable 5-position headrest and 5-point harness.
3 modes of use: Rear-Facing Infant (5–30 lbs), Rear-Facing Toddler (30–40 lbs), Forward-Facing (30–65 lbs); Slim design fits 3 across the back seat of most vehicles; Adjustable 5-position headrest and harness; 5-point harness with easy up-front adjustment; Hook-style LATCH for easy installation; Engineered and tested to meet or exceed federal safety standards; Meets federal Side Impact standard; 2 removable, dishwasher-safe cupholders; Machine-washable and dryer-safe seat pad; Airplane ready; Fits children up to 65 lbs.
- Color
- London Blue · blue
- Style
- travel-friendly
- Occasion
- travel
- Gender
- unisex
- Age Group
- infant
- Condition
- used
Additional Attributes
- Item #: CC396HMA
- Engineered and tested to meet or exceed federal safety standards
- Meets federal Side Impact standard
Image Analysis
2 images- 01high

A forward-facing padded child car seat with integrated headrest wings, five-point harness and two cup holders, shown on a neutral floor background.
child car seatpadded headrestside head wingsfive-point harnesschest clipcentral buckleadjustable harness strapscup holder leftcup holder rightarmrestscontoured seat cushionstitched fabric upholsteryfoam paddingrigid plastic shellmatte plastic baserear handle slotbelt routing slotsafety label patch on harness areaconcrete floor studio backgroundsoft studio lighting- 02high

Close-up of a child car seat or booster showing the 'safety 1st' logo on a light gray padded surface, a dark gray textured side cover with navy trim, and a black webbing strap with a buckle and red release button. A paper tag with a barcode is partially visible in the background.
OCR: safety 1stprinted 'safety 1st' logolight gray padded seat surfacedark gray textured fabric side covernavy fabric trimblack webbing strapblack plastic buckle housingred buckle release buttonpaper tag with barcode partially visiblestitched seam linesmall puncture or abrasion marks on fabric
Brand PDP Lookup
- Brand
- Safety 1st
Safety 1st Ellaris™ Convertible Car Seat
Also Seen Here
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amazon.com
Safety 1st Ellaris 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat, Slim Fit Design, Rear & Forward-Facing, 5-Position Headrest, 3-Across Fit, Travel-Friendly with Machine-Washable Seat Pad, London Blue
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target.com
Safety 1st Ellaris All-in-One Convertible Car Seat - London Blue
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Documents & Data
Customer Reviews
32 total32 reviews · out of 5
Ellaris for the Win
Let's talk likes! First thing I noticed was how lightweight the Safety 1st Ellaris Convertable Car Seat is. Seriously, a dream! Traveling & transfer seats to different cars was so easy and without hassle because of its lightness. I like how easy removing the cover is to wash. I also like the removable cup feature. I like that I can wash them also. I liked how quick install was. It uses the top safety standard of latch or belt. The instruction booklet was easy to read and follow. With things always changing it was helpful to have the booklet to guide our installation. We know our babies are safe with Ellaris. I liked the colors because they matched the interior of my car. I also liked how snugly it fit into the bucket seat or back seat. But my FAV part about the Safety 1st Ellaris CCS is how I can use it for multiple children. I have a 13mo & a 7yr old. Being able to have a car seat I can use with both of them is SO convenient and helpful. There is so much room to grow safely! I'm thankful that Stellar Product Testing Panel sent me this car seat to test. Color me impressed!
Good compact car seat
I was given this car seat to try as part of the Stellar Product Testing Panel. This was a new brand for us to try as far as car seats go but I'm familiar with other Safety 1st products. I think it's a great company and this car seat is no exception! The compact fit is great, especially for our midsize SUV, and I love that the cupholders are removable. Our car seat cupholders always get so dirty and cleaning these is so easy. The cloth part is also soft and padded, and easy to remove for cleaning. We are using this car seat for our infant but I love that it will grow with her and we will definitely use it for her later forward facing use as well as front facing. I haven't taken the car seat on any extended road trips or for air travel but I love that it's airplane ready. I always prefer to keep kids in the car seat on an airplane and this one is airplane ready, making it one less thing to think about for big trips. I wouldn't purchase a car seat if it wasn't compliant with current safety standards, so the fact that this one meets federal safety standards makes it a good choice for me. My one complaint with this car seat is how my infant seems like she's sitting up too high and her feet are also too high, making her look squished in the car seat. I wish the back reclined more for her size. However I still like the compact and light design for a smaller car and for carrying the car seat, and our baby doesn't seem to mind the fit. Definitely a great car seat!
Safety First Ellaris
Thanks to Stellar Product Testing Panel, I received the Safety First Ellaris Convertible car seat to try! My first thoughts were that I love the sleek design and clean look. Pros of Ellaris: - It was very lightweight. A huge difference between the other car seats we have. That is such a plus when needing to take it out to clean or transfer to a new car. Definitely made it less of a pain to do so. - The installation process was easy and straightforward. We used the latch attachment in the van and it was able to get very tight and felt very safe and secure. We also used it in the car and was able to use the lap belt for installation. - The straps were easy to tighten and loosen. This may sound like a small thing but it really is important. The other car seat we have is so difficult to adjust it frustrates my daughter and myself often. - The three modes make this carseat good for many years - My son was happy in it! He loved the cup holders - It did seem slim compared to my other car seats but not by much. Cons of Ellaris: - Though it was cushioned, and carseats don’t tend to hold their cushion for long anyways, I would have hoped it was a little more comfortable. - Wish it had comfort straps next to the neck - The plastic base felt a little cheap. It was lighter, but that also doesn’t feel as safe. - I missed having a bubble level measurement to make sure the seat was at the correct angle Overall, I would recommend this carseat for someone on a budget. It would definitely work long term but the comfortability factor was a deal breaker for long road trips. It seems best for backup, second car, grandparents car, or if you are just cruising around town. If you plan to take this on a long road trip, you can find more comfortable options.
Great Convertible Car Seat
Thank you Stellar Product Testing Panel for providing me the Safety 1st Ellaris Convertible Car Seat. This car seat is a great option to have for travel and everyday use. We recently traveled to Florida by plane with our car seat, which was a great experience. It was significantly lighter than our previous car seat, making it easier to carry along with our stroller. Our youngest daughter recently turned 1 and transitioned from an infant carrier to the Safety 1st convertible car seat. She was very comfortable in it during our trip to Florida. Although we didn’t purchase her an airplane ticket, she was happy and secure in the car seat. Her legs didn’t hit the seat, and her head was well-rested during naps. She also appreciated the convenience of having her cup next to her in the cup holder. I anticipate that my little one will use this car seat for many years to come due to its easy adjustable modes. However, I do have a minor complaint: I wish it were slightly slimmer. It’s not entirely “compact,” especially around the head area. It’s wider than I expected, but that’s a minor flaw. This is a wonderful option for a car seat. I recommend it! Thank you again Stellar Panel Product Testing for providing me this great car seat. We will be using it for years to come!
This Seat Does Not Work For Us
I was given this car seat to try as part of the Stellar Product Testing Panel. As a parent of both front-facing and rear-facing kiddos, we installed this car seat in each orientation in different spots in the vehicle for an opportunity to see how it worked in different ways. First, the installation. Pros: rear-facing: pretty easy overall as far as car seats go. If you know how to do your LATCH system and get it tight, this seat is pretty easy because it's just adjusting for your child's fit and then LATCH in the car, and tighten down. Front-facing: there's an extra step to get the tether down after adjusting for your child's fit and doing your LATCH but it's still overall fairly quick and easy. I had no issues getting things tight. Cons: I didn't realize the front- and rear- facing positions had different paths for the LATCH to thread so I was freaking out it wouldn't reach. Calmed down and realized my error. Learn from me and save some time, lol. A true con is that there is no leveling bubble like some other car seats so it's a guessing game and a finger cross to hope you have it installed on the right plane. Compact design: For a variety of reasons, I often need to sit between two of my kids' carseats and what I found was that while the Ellaris is slimmer at the cup holder side than other non-infant seats, it is just as big and snug at top/back as a different brand slim car seat we have. It might feel like a better fit if you have a regular car seat but since I already have slim fit, this was just neutral and comparable. Three modes (rear-facing, front-facing, booster): this car seat has more functionality than some with its 3 modes. In all reality, though, the height limit on this seat renders it less useful for longevity in rear-facing mode (more on that below) and actually has a quite limited lifespan, in my opinion, unless you have low percentile children. Safety standards: while this seat technically meets the federal safety guidelines, I was really disappointed in the Ellaris in this area. Federal guidelines for 1-3 years old are to remain rear-facing as long as possible. The car seat has both a weight and height maximum for rear-facing mode which means my over 90% ile younger child has to forward face in half an inch (which will be within a month for sure), but WAY before the recommended/ideal 4 years old for spine development to complete. Our current car seat has a weight max but not height max like the Safety 1st Ellaris (and though our kids max their percentiles, they are more tall and slim, so they will get longer out of a seat with only weight maximums). Turning a car seat forward so long before 4 years old is a no-go for us related to the safety guidelines and the rationale for them, so this car seat's limited ranges of height in rear-facing mode make this seat a no-go for us in the area of safety. Final thoughts: though I like the gender neutral color of this seat and its two slim cup holders, I disliked that the arm straps do not move independently (when you pull one forward, the other notably pulls back, which I've never noticed on our other car seats) and I didn't like the chest buckle (more challenging than most others I've used). On the deal-breaking side of things for front-facing mode, my front-facing child told me this car seat "just hurts" in the middle of their back while we drove fairly short distances. On the deal-breaking side of things for rear-facing mode was the low limits for height. In my safety prioritizing family, this seat is useless for my taller rear-facing kiddos. Overall, I will not be using this seat any longer and would not recommend it to those close to me.
Safety 1st Ellaris Slim Convertible Car Seat
I received the Safety 1st Ellaris convertible car seat to review and right off the bat I was excited for 2 features. Of course it meets the latest federal side impact standards, has three different ways to use it from newborns at 5 lbs to big kids at 65lbs, the adjustable headrest and harness, and machine washable seat pad. The first feature I was curious about was its slim fit for a convertible car seat. With a newborn and toddler, my goal is to fit these two in their car seats and still be able to squeeze an adult comfortably in the back of my compact SUV. Initially, it was so tough squeezing in the middle while the two car seats were buckled by the windows. Secondly, it is airline approved which is fantastic! We love to travel and keep our kids safe on the plane and when we arrive to our destination. To my surprise, the car seat is very light to take onboard so you know it won’t be mishandled by the airlines if you gate check it! While we haven’t taken a flight yet, I know this will be the car seat that we will take with us— lightweight, easy to install, and FAA approved! Plus since the kids are familiar with their car seats, it will (hopefully) relax them so we the parents can have a peace of mind. The straps are pretty light so i find it can get twisted when buckling so run the straps down before clipping your child in. It was very simple and smooth to modify the car seat to the perfect height and seat buckle as well as install it. I would have loved a thicker cushion fabric but I guess these kids don’t really need all that cushioning yet. I was given this car seat to try as part of the Stellar Product Testing Panel.
Ellaris Convertable Car Seat Review
I received Safety 1st Ellaris Convertible Car Seat from the Stellar Product Testing Panel. I like the overall appearance and cosmetics of the Ellaris. I like that it is neutral colors and has large side head support cushions. The cushioning is soft and all washable, which is perfect for a convertible car seat that sees many snack and liquid spills in the toddler years. The Ellaris is very lightweight, and more comparable the car seat we use for our 4 month-old daughter, which makes it easy to move from one vehicle to another, and easier to install. The seat we use for our 2 year-old on the other hand, is incredibly bulky and heavy in comparison. Because it is so heavy, we have decided to keep the Ellaris in our 2nd vehicle for our 2 year-old, that way we do not have to move the other seat back-and-forth. I especially love that the Ellaris is slim, and you can fit 3 car seats across. This is not an option we have with our other car seat, because it’s so incredibly bulky. In fact, when we put our other car seats in our Toyota Highlander, it’s difficult for an adult to sit comfortably in the 3rd seat, and practically impossible to move the 3rd seat forward in order to access the 3rd row. That’s why I’m so excited to have the Ellaris! 3 across here we come! We are a growing family, so I am also a fan of the convertable 3-in-1 aspect of the Ellaris. When choosing between an infant car seat and a convertible car seat, I have always chosen a convertible car seat. I like to carry my babies around in a wrap carrier, rather than in a car seat, so the fact that you cannot do that with the Ellaris does not bother me. I prefer the convertible aspect so that we can save money by not having to buy a front-facing in the future. I appreciate that Ellaris is easy to install, although I would say that I wish it had a leveling ball or gauge like our other car seats. Instead, it only shows a picture of parallel lines. It takes a little time to figure out. A gauge or leveling ball is more user friendly, in my opinion, especially when you’re trying to install a car seat in a jiffy. But this is a minor point and would not prevent me from purchasing another Ellaris. Otherwise, it can be easily installed using the seatbelt or with anchors. Finally, my son sits comfortably in the chair, and does not give us any trouble getting in. All-in-all, we love this seat! This seat is small enough for a compact car, it is lightweight but sturdy, it is so comfortable for my son, and it is easy to clean. More importantly, it fits the needs of our growing family perfectly.
Left me feeling insecure
I was excited to replace my aging convertible car seat with this one I received through the Stellar Product Testing Panel. I appreciated the lighter weight and slimmer design of this seat, but after installing it I found it to be a bit too compact for my tall two year old. Upon our first drive, which was under fifteen minutes, his feet fell asleep. I also struggled for ten minutes to get the seat belt to tighten evenly. I’m debating keeping this on hand for future airplane travel but don’t think it’s going to stay in my car for every day use.
Lightweight and compact
The Safety 1st Ellaris Convertible Car Seat is a fantastic option for growing families that are on the go! The Ellaris was easy to install and slim. The cup holders can also be removed to save even more space in the back seat. It was comfy for my 2 year old and the straps were easy to tighten and loosen for easy in and out of the car. My infant could also use this seat easily-- just have to adjust the tilt and headrest height. It adjusts to safely transport kiddos from 5-65 pounds! It is also very lightweight and I imagine that traveling with this seat would be a breeze! I like knowing that it meets the newest safety standards, especially for flying! Overall, this is a great option for growing families! Thanks to Stellar Product Testing Panel for providing this car seat!
Phenomenal Seat
This seat arrived on our front porch just in time to transition our youngest into a convertible seat. The seat’s compact design helped create more room in our back seat. I am tempted to order 2 more to see if we can fit all 3 kids in the same row! I love knowing that this seat will be with us as our children grow. Any one of my 3 kids could use this seat (ages 0, 3, and 5). It is incredibly versatile. One of my favorite features is that the cup holders are removable making it easy to clean out grime and dirt. We have not yet traveled with this seat but I look forward to it as it is lightweight and compact. I am comforted in knowing that our new seat is compliant with all of the latest safety standards. Safety is my number one priority when it comes to car seats. This seat is all around phenomenal. Thank you to the Stellar Product Testing Panel for providing me with this car seat.
Great car seat option
I am a mom to a 21 month old and 2 month old. Picking a car seat can be overwhelming since there are so many options out there and of course we want to make the best choice to keep our little ones safe and comfortable. The Safety 1st Ellaris Convertible Car Seat is a great choice. I use this car seat for my 21 month old and we both love it. One of my favorite features is how slim and compact it is compared to the car seat I previously used while still meeting side impact safety standards. This helps save so much room in the car. It also takes some stress away knowing this car seat is so compact that in most vehicles you can fit 3 across in the back seat - so I don’t have to worry about buying a bigger (and more expensive) vehicle when my family grows. Speaking of growing, this car seat can be used all the way from 5-65 lbs so there is no need to worry about needing to buy multiple car seats throughout the years. The car seat was also simple to install and the instructions were easy to follow. Thanks to the Stellar Product Testing Panel for providing me with this car seat.
Lightweight and functional convertible car seat
Thanks to the Stellar Product Testing Panel for providing me with this car seat. I like that the Ellaris convertible car seat is smaller in width and much more lightweight than other car seats I've used. This makes it easy and not such a pain to move the car seat from one car to another. It also does take up less space in the back seat but I'm not sure how much space it really gives another person to sit in the back if there are at least two car seats. It comes with 3 modes which is great for a convertible car seat. I will be able to use this until they are able to move to a booster seat. I do feel that the rear-facing infant seat mode might be a bit too big for an infant in my case. I have a two month old and I think the seat is too big for them. I do like that the car seat meets the newest federal safety standards. Knowing this, will help give me a peace of mind when traveling with my precious bundle(s) of joy. I also do like that the cup holders are not too far away so my child can grab their water bottle for a sip. One thing I wish it had was a place to put the seatbelt/safety harness after unbuckling so that it doesn't fall back into the sitting area.
Great Convertible Carseat
I was given this car seat to try as part of the Stellar Product Testing Panel. I was very excited to give this car seat a try. I have used several car seats from this brand in the past, and so far have loved them all including this one! It is very lightweight compared to other car seats I have used in the past. If you were needing to swap vehicles that the car seat was in, this would be a great option. The seat is compact and overall is a space saver. It definitely does give you a little more room in your third row. It accommodates the possibility of having three car seats next to one another, and not be as difficult to install. This car seat also has three modes to grow along with your child which I really appreciate. I love that I can have my infant child ride in this seat all the way through being able to switch to a booster car seat. The head piece that adjusts the height of the back and the straps is very easy to move and adjust to your child’s height. The straps are easily adjustable and do not move when they are in place. Another feature that I absolutely love is that the cup holders are detachable and dishwasher safe. As parents we know that they get gross and need cleaned just like the car seat covering itself. I really like this car seat so far, and my child seems to really like it too. I feel like my child is properly secured and safe when riding in the vehicle. It is very user friendly, compact, lightweight, which I think will appeal to a lot of people looking for a car seat. I would definitely recommend this car seat to anyone that asks.
Convertible car seat
I absolutely love this car seat. I received this product for the Stellar Testing panel. First of all, I love that it's gray. That way it's versatile for a girl or a boy. I also love the fact that it's a darker color because let's face it, infants and toddlers get food and drinks all over things. Since it's darker in color it will help hide the stains more until I get the chance to clean it. It is easy to wipe clean with the material to as we already spilt a little milk on it. I also love the fact that if my toddler needs to use it, it's easy to switch around from the rear facing from my infant as it goes up to 65 pounds. It also comes with a two cup carrier, which I love and you can never go wrong with this. Whether you are using it for an infant or toddler car seat. The material is also really soft. I've bought car seats before where it felt like there was no padding for their head. I pushed my hand down on where my baby's head would go and it was so soft. It seems like he sleeps more comfortably in the car ride. My favorite part of the car seat is that it follows the new federal compliance with car seat safety, which as a mama gives me peace of mind. I can also appreciate the fact that this car seat doesn't take up as much room as my other car seats in the pass. One of my kids wouldn't be able sit next to the bulkier car seats in the past because it would take too much room up. Now one of my other kids can sit comfortable next to this car seat. I definitely would recommend for anyone to try this car seat out for their babies or toddlers. I feel at ease knowing that they put a lot of thought into the design and the new safety guidelines.
Compact car seat easy to install
We installed this carseat in the back of our car and it fits perfectly. The install was easy to do forward facing for our 3.5 year old. He has plenty of room even with the compact design. The cupholders are a good size for his straw cups as well as snacks and toys he likes to store in his seat. The material is soft but not overly plush. If you push hard enough, you can feel the inside of the car seat. It doesn't seem to bother our child at all though. It's important for us to only use car seats that meet the newest federal safety standards. It's great to see this one is compliant. I'd recommend this car seat as a compact, easy install option for any family. I was given this car seat to try as part of the Stellar Product Testing Panel.
nice upgrade
I was given this car seat to try as part of the Stellar Product Testing Panel. As a mom of four I’ve tried many car seats throughout the years. I’m pleased with the Safety 1st Ellaris Convertible Car Seat. The fabric is soft and comfortable. It has features which makes the car seat user friendly including easy adjustment of the headrest, latch system, and the slim fit construction -which makes fitting multiple car seats in the backseat much easier. I tried this car seat with both my newborn and 4 year old. I prefer an infant car seat for newborns, but my daughter fit comfortably in this car seat at 9 pounds. My 40 pound son really enjoyed this car seat forward facing and the cup holders. It is nice that the Ellaris can be both rear facing and forward facing, allowing the safest position for my children as long as possible. I was pleasantly surprised by the light weight of the car seat, and I could see our family using this for travel, as it would be easy to carry around the airport.
We love our Safety 1st Ellaris Car Seat
I have been enjoying my Safety 1st Ellaris Convertable Car Seat so much!! We have a 4 yr old in a booster seat, our 17 month old that was in a Graco turn-to-me seat, and our newborn in a Safety 1st Onboard infant car seat. We had to switch our 17 month old's seat out because our car wasn't wide enough across for all 3 seats. This Safety 1st Ellaris Convertable Seat's compact design has made it so much easier getting all 3 of our girls in quickly!! We haven't traveled far with this seat yet, but I love the fact that it has an airplane-ready design, for when we do decide to take our next trip. That will make things much easier. And we are still rear facing right now, but I am so excited that this seat will grow with our 17 month old until she is forward facing, and up to 65 pounds!! I always appreciate when a car seat complies with the newest and most up to date federal safety standards as well, because it always gives me a sense of comfort. Thank you so much to the Stellar Product Testing Panel for providing us with this awesome car seat!!
Comfortable carseat
I am a big fan of baby items that can be used long term and this carseat does just that with its ability to grow with my little one. The fabric feels soft and padded for comfort and I love how easy it is to take off for washing and putting back on. The carseat itself is set up for easy installation, but it isn't the hands down easiest I've set up before. The straps are super long which is great, but when I tried to pull at the strap to make it tight and secure, the buckle just refused to feed the strap through, even when I held down the gray button. Once the carseat was properly installed though, I was actually pretty surprised by how comfortable my little toddler seemed to find it. He's not a huge fan of the carseat, but despite the carseat's slim profile, it seemed very spacious for him. The headrest bumpers on each side were great for when he fell asleep. The back is easy to adjust up and down to fit his height and the harness pulls out with a ton of length so getting him in and then securing him tightly in place is easy and comfortable. I received the product through the Stellar Product Testing Panel and haven't had a chance to take it on a flight yet, but I will definitely appreciate its slim profile and the built in double cupholders.
3 in 1 Convertible car seat
I really appreciate this carseat because I have 3 children (ages 5 years, 2 years, and 2 months) and any one of them could use this carseat. I could use it for my newborn or either of my 2 older kiddos. Not only that, but it easily converts between the different sizes. I have a small-ish Toyota Camry Sedan so extra space in the backseat is a must. This carseat fits well as one of the 3 carseats in my backseat. I decided to use it as the middle carseat due to its slim design. I appreciate that even though it is made to be more compact, it is still comfortable and has dual cupholders. An extra perk is the easy to remove, washable coverings. I also like that it has a 5-point harness for safety and can do either rear or forward facing. The price point is also very reasonable at around $100 on Amazon. The only thing I don't love about it is the latches that hook onto the anchor points in the car are cumbersome particularly when trying to un-do. I definitely prefer the ones that push on to latch and have a pull-tab to release. However, since this carseat primarily stays in the same spot the majority of the time, the hook latches aren't the end of the world. I would definitely recommend this product to other parents looking for a reasonably priced 3-in-a-row carseat. Thanks to the Stellar Product Testing Panel for providing me with this car seat.
Not the car seat for me
I appreciate the opportunity to review this car seat I received from Stellar product testing panel. The slim design is great for a compact car but may have caused the company to skimp on comfort. The car seat has minimal cushion. My daughter was visibly uncomfortable after a less than 30 minute car ride. Seat can be used for multiple modes. However, it’s just too big for babies. My daughter’s head wobbles way to much and with any bump she panicked. Right now my baby is still in the rear facing mode but I can see the ease of use for transitioning between all three modes if you have a big baby. I think it’s great that it is in compliance with all new federal safety guidelines however, I would not purchase this car seat nor advise my friends to purchase it. Cons: not good cushion for baby(seat is hard), not aesthetically pleasing, noisy when baby is not in seat and hitting bumps, does not support babies head at all Pros: able to transition to booster seat, soft fabric, easy to install we used the anchor and seat belt together.
Lightweight and Airline Approved
Thank you to the Stellar Product Testing Panel for providing me with this car seat to review. The Safety 1st Ellaris Convertible Car Seat is a great car seat for travel. It is lightweight, has a narrow install, and is approved for airline travel. The cover is also machine washable and dyer safe. My favorite feature were the cup holders though. The cup holders are easy to remove, clean, and then reinstall. It is a wonderful car seat for messy car rides because it cleans up so easily. As for child comfort, my average height and average weight two year old was comfortable and had no complaints. He had plenty of room to grow and I can see him fitting in this seat for a few more years rear facing before turning him to the forward facing install. The install for rear facing can be difficult. I have installed many car seats and am very familiar with car seat manuals and installs. I installed with the latch buckles in rear facing mode and did so under five minutes. I installed this car seat in my roomy minivan and in my husband’s small commuter car. Even with my experience, though, it was difficult to get a secure install. I found I had to adjust and correct the install every time I placed my son in and took him out of the car seat. I wanted to install the car seat forward facing in my husbands car; however, it would not fit correctly in two of the three back seats due to the immovable car headrest. The latch for forward facing could not accommodate the type of headrest in our commuter car. I would not recommend this car seat for use outside of parent install. It requires close monitoring to ensure the install does not get messed up. I would not trust this car seat with a grandparent, nanny, or any other caregiver that does not regularly install car seats and is not familiar with car seat installs. Overall, it’s a great seat for traveling or to have as a backup seat in a second car or at a family members home. It is lightweight and, when installed by someone familiar with the manual, it can be installed fairly quickly.
Lightweight Compact and Convenient
The Safety 1st Ellaris Convertible Car Seat is lightweight, compact, and convenient for travel. Upon unboxing the car seat, I immediately noticed how lightweight it was and easy to lift out of the box. The design is sleek, minimal, and narrow enough to fit in compact cars or alongside multiple seats. While it boasts a slim profile, I was surprised to see that it did not skimp with accessories. The car seat contains 2 cup holders that are easy to remove and clean. The fabric is easy to remove and machine washable as well. Regarding travel, I appreciate that the aircraft approved symbol is easily accessible on the sides. We have another travel car seat that is similar, but does not easily show the aircraft approved symbol which can make it a hassle when bringing the car seat aboard an airplane. With the Safety 1st Ellaris, I know this would be hassle free. When adjusting the headrest, I did notice it was slightly clunky to adjust upward. You have to make sure the harness straps are loosened all the way prior to adjusting the headrest. This was not a huge inconvenience, but I did have to loosen the straps for my child multiple times to get the headrest height adjusted just right. I adjusted the headrest at the highest height for my child who is 47” tall. Though I did have to adjust the harness straps a few times, it showed me how easy it was to loosen and tighten them. Some car seats are so difficult to tighten or loosen the strap because it simply isn’t long enough. As I’ve shown in the pictures, the strap on the Safety 1st Ellaris is very long in comparison which makes this a breeze to loosen or tighten seamlessly. The only other feature I didn’t love was the fact that the carseat does not stand on its own. As we would be primarily using this as a forward facing seat for travel, it was a slight annoyance that I had to prop the car seat up against something to have it stand alone. Overall, the carseat is an excellent option for a simple, lightweight, and compact option. I especially see this being the perfect purchase for families who have compact cars, multiple seats across, or travel via airplane often. A special thanks to the Stellar Product Testing Panel for providing this car seat for our family.
Great Carseat
Thanks to Stellar Product team for allowing me to test this amazing carseat! I love this seat. I drive a prius so space saving is incredibly important to me -- this definitely fits in our little car just fine & gives me more room to put the front seats back a bit more than other carseats I've used. I like that it's versatile and can be used in forward facing or backward facing modes. I used it with my 3 month old and also tested it out on my 2.5 year old and both fit wonderfully in the seat! Got good naps in the car in it, which is priceless! I look forward to also trying it out on airplane rides in the future since it meets FAA safety standards. Bravo!!
Beautiful and hassle free
I received this car seat from the Stellar Product Testing Panel and I couldn’t be happier!. It was ready to install right out of the box, saving me time and frustration. No assembly required, which was a huge relief as a busy mom of 4. It was almost too easy. The design is sleek and modern in beautiful shades of gray and black which looks great in my car and doesn’t take up a lot of space since I have 3 rear facing kiddos. The material is soft, plush, and incredibly comfortable for my little 4 month old, who weighs 17 lbs. She spilled some milk on it the first day and it cleaned up very easily and dried so quick! The padding provides great support, and my baby seems super cozy and happy in it. She hated her infant carrier. Like I mentioned previously, Installation was straightforward, and the straps adjust easily for a secure fit. Even though it is very lightweight, It feels sturdy and well-made, giving me confidence in its safety features. The best part is that it is convertible and easily transitions from rear facing to forward facing and very versatile with its adjustable harness and multiple modes so I won’t have to replace it anytime soon. Overall, this car seat is a fantastic combination of convenience, style, and comfort. I’m new to convertible car seats, but with the few weeks I’ve been able to use this one, I’m a believer and would buy this one in a heartbeat!
Not a right rear facing fit
First off, we were very attracted to this car seat because we have 4 littles and a slim fitting car seat is a must for our family to fit them in the car. I love that more affordable brands are catching onto this! We absolutely LOVE that the cup holders lock in place so no worries about your littles removing them in losing them in the parking lot somewhere! Such a fantastic feature! There’s extra head support which is another benefit especially for those car naps. Forward facing install is easy and we had no issues but we were disappointed because the child we wanted to use this for is rear facing and the strap won’t tighten enough so it’s just not as secure as it needs to be in this mode. I’m not sure if it’s because he’s also on the second row and we have to move the seat a lot to reach my kids on the third row and it just ends up moving the car seat from resting on the back of the front seat (as instructed) so you could possibly have no issues if your car is more compact- I’m assuming. It is always nice to have that feature of rear and forward so you can have a long term car seat that grows with your families needs! We are traveling next month and I am excited to see how it will work with the airport ready design! Hope to update and may give more stars of that goes well- although it will be for our rear facing baby. Meeting federal safety regulations always gives peace of mind. Car seats truly save the life’s of our precious babies so I’m thankful to have received this product as part of the stellar product testing panel.
Great convertible car seat.
It’s a nice seat. The color is more like a hunter green but still great for either sex. It’s easy to install ans my grandson seems comfortable in it. I recommend it.
Great carseat
Bought two of these for myself and my daughter! Well made, great quality item for the price! Highly recommend!
An ok backup option
I would love to love this seat, but unfortunately that is not the case. It is slimmer than some other seats without sacrificing cup holders, which is nice. The cup holders are removable making them easy to clean. Install is straight forward. Overall it has a clean, classy look. If you are traveling on a plane or need to move this seat often, it is incredibly lightweight. To put it in perspective, when I picked up the package after delivery, I thought maybe they forgot to put the seat in the box! I can easily move it around one handed. Having said that, it was actually too light for my peace of mind as far as safety. I would use this as a secondary seat for an older child, but would not trust my baby in it. This makes the convertible aspect kind of useless for me, as I'd prefer it for more of a transition to booster. Now the reason I would use it as a secondary seat, regardless of age, instead of a primary is because it is horribly uncomfortable. There is absolutely zero padding. It is basically fabric straight over the flimsy plastic. The trade off, I suppose, for it being so lightweight. However, it is not tolerable for more than a short trip lasting a few minutes. It is not a seat I will use daily or even recommend, but it is an option to consider if lightweight is your first priority. Thank you to Stellar Product Testing Panel for the opportunity to try it.
Light and basic but not particularly comfortable
Thanks to the Stellar Product Testing Panel for sending me the Ellaris Convertible Car Seat to try. This is a super bare-bones, lightweight seat. It’s not particularly narrow so it doesn’t fit three across in my smallish hatchback car, though my regularly daily use convertible seat for my toddler is relatively wide so if you have other narrower seats it may work. I have another seat from a different brand designed for three across that is much narrower, so I’m surprised that’s a highlighted feature for the Ellaris. The seat comes configured for a larger child and I believe that’s who it’s best suited to. The contours seem most comfortable for a kid even larger than my almost 4 year old, because the sides are very low and padding almost nonexistent. The seat is also pretty long which would work well for longer legs. I can’t imagine feeling like an infant would be comfortable in this seat, and didn’t go through the process of reconfiguring for an infant because of the uncomfortable seat angle and lack of padding. There is no extra padding for infant use and the seat angle seems abrupt for smaller babies. I would use this car seat as an extra for my toddler in a family member’s car but not for any regular use or long distance. However, I do think it would be well suited to airplane travel because it’s extremely light and streamlined. The machine washability is definitely a plus too. All in all, it could be useful depending on your main goal for the seat. As a daily driver I would pass.
Testing
I was given this car seat to try as part of the Stellar Product Testing Panel. When it comes to my children I am very picky I want them as safe as they can be. What I really loved about this car seat is that it was very roomy and easy install. It is very light weight which is a plus . With it being very roomy it does take up the whole seat because it is wide. I wouldn't really use this car seat for my smaller baby that is 4 months because when I sat him it he felt really small and out of place. I didn't feel like he would be safe in it and I wasn't sent any kind of inserts in the box when I received this product. \ On the other hand my 2 yr old fit perfect and actually loves this seat so it was a win for him. He has two cup holders that are easy for him to put his cup or sippy by himself.
Lightweight and practical
We tested the Safety 1st Ellaris convertible car seat with my 3 year old rear-facing daughter. I received this carseat from the Stellar Product Testing Panel. Pros: lightweight, latch anchors easy to install, excellent customer service, no issues with front-to-back size. Cons: so lightweight that it didn’t stay in place when child enters/exits seat RF, plastic parts (chest clip and leg buckle) feel a little flimsy, a little wide from side to side, button to release clips was difficult to find. My RF daughter climbs in and out of her seat herself and upon doing so, the seat tipped forward despite a tight latch installation RF. I’m not sure if it was due to the fabric sliding against the back of the seat, or the light weight of the seat itself. We ended up scheduling a consultation with the Safety 1st CPST who was very kind, helpful, and confirmed our correct installation. I felt more confident using it after the call, but ultimately decided to use it FF since we were well within the height/weight limits for flipping her. It felt much more secure in the FF position and this is primarily how we used it. She was very comfortable. We did not have the opportunity to travel via airplane with the seat, however, I wouldn’t hesitate to use it in doing so due to its weight. I could easily carry it/pick it up with one hand.
Extremely difficult and unsafe installation
Installation is just an absolute nightmare. And no matter how tight the seat belt or latch straps are, the product does not sit securely. It does not remain angled properly for 5-30 lb children. It slides and becomes loose, very unsafe. I’ve used other car seats, made by Safety First and others. This one is by far the most absolute garbage product. I will be returning it.
Reddit Insights
2 threads · r/toddlers, r/BuyingforbabyReddit users view the Safety 1st Ellaris as a budget-friendly, lightweight convertible car seat with mixed opinions on installation ease and comfort.
Positive comments highlight affordability and lightweight design, while negative feedback points to installation difficulties, lack of padding, and recline issues.
Themes
Use Cases
- Travel and moving between cars
- Budget-friendly convertible seat for toddlers
Watch Out For
Community Q&A
- Is the Safety 1st Ellaris easy to install?
- Mixed; some found it easy, others struggled, especially with rear-facing recline.
Compared To
vs Graco
Some users preferred Graco for easier installation and more padding compared to Safety 1st.
Source Threads
User asks about Safety 1st all-in-one car seat recommendations
I have the Safety 1st Ellaris and it's okay for the price. The install was a pain and it's not very padded, but it's lightweight and gets the job done. I kind of wish I had spent a bit more for a Graco.
r/toddlersView thread →
Discussion on swivel car seats mentioning Safety 1st Ellaris
I have the Safety 1st Ellaris and it's really lightweight. I move it between cars often and it's easy to carry. Installation was straightforward for me, but I know some people struggle. It's a good budget option.
r/BuyingforbabyView thread →