While Evenflo car seats are predominantly very affordable, leaning towards the lower end of the market, they also have convertibles in the range of Graco and Britax car seats. One such convertible is their Symphony Elite All-in-One.
Should you buy it?
I can’t answer that right away, but you’re in the right place because today I’m doing an extensive Evenflo Symphony Elite Review, covering everything from design to safety. Once we go through every feature, you’ll know for sure If you want this model or not.
For all of you who don’t know me, I’m a CPS technician and a mother, so the info I share is very reliable and derived from my real-life experience.
Let’s get started.
Hot Deal!
Sometimes, Amazon offers discounts on car seats, and now is an excellent time to buy your Evenflo Symphony because it’s 10% OFF. This will save you $30, which is a lot of money when you have a newborn to care for.
- THE ULTIMATE ALL-IN-ONE CAR SEAT: The Evenflo Symphony Elite All-in-One Convertible Car Seat is a robust all-in-one car seat that fits children from 5 to 110 pounds. It has been designed to serve as...
About the Brand
Evenflo is one of the earliest baby equipment companies, operating for more than 100 years. It has won the trust of the customers with the quality and affordability of its products. Their offer ranges from low-budget items to high-end convertibles, with innovative features and advanced design.
When it comes to the car seats, they have every type, from infant seats to the all-in-one. They have a wide offer of boosters, and they’re almost as budget-friendly as the Cosco car seats are.
For that reason, Evenflo seats are often mistaken for a cheap alternative with a simple design. This is by no means the case. There is a high number of supreme car seats in Evenflo’s offer, and they’re very advanced, safe, and adjustable.
Evenflo Symphony DLX All-in-One Review
General Design
There are four models of child restraint systems: a rear-facing infant seat, a forward-facing harness, a booster, and a convertible. What we have here is an all-in-one car seat, so you might be confused about what that means.
Simply said, Evenflo Symphony Elite is a convertible. It accommodates children in a rear-facing position, forward-facing position, and a high-back booster. Approximately, this will cover a period of eight years. And during the period, the seat will follow your child’s growth, adapting to the changes he/she goes through.
The rear-facing mode accommodates children from five to forty pounds and 19 - 40 inches. On the other hand, a forward-facing position is suitable for kids from twenty-two to sixty-five pounds and 28 - 50 inches, while a booster seat supports the kids from forty to hundred and ten pounds and 44 - 57 inches.
So, when it comes to the design, this seat is well-built. Instead of buying three different seats, you’ll get one efficient convertible. The weight capacity is excellent, yet not ideal. Namely, since it’s an all-in-one seat, it should have a backless booster mode too, and a bit higher weight capacity.
So, design-wise, it gets 9/10.
Installation
Now listen carefully, you should pay close attention to how complicated the installation is. While working in a fitting station, I was shocked how frequently parents install the seats incorrectly.
Evenflo Symphony has an EasyClick LATCH installation system. As they like to explain it, it’s a simple “click, click, and push” process for a snug installation. Once you connect the latch with the connectors on the car seat, you push the seat, and the auto-retractor tightens it for a snug and secure installment.
While this is a very straightforward installation system, I don’t like that there are no level indicators, just a yellow arrow in the base’s bottom that’s supposed to be aligned with the car seat.
With that in mind, the installment gets 9/10.
Here are some videos about the installation, but bear in mind that Evenflo offers a live video installation guide.
Adjustability
As I always preach, your car seat can have a billion modes; if you can not change the headrest position, harness, and recline, it’s useless.
Luckily Evenflo thought about this. They implemented an innovative InfiniteSlide harness system that allows easy flow of the harness up and down so that you can find the most accurate position for your child quickly.
What is more, you can adjust the headrest one handedly and adapt the seat to your child as he/she grows. Also, the layered cushions and pads are removable, so as you’re moving the child from one mode to another, you can slowly take off each layer. And, there is a recline adjuster in the bottom to help you get a perfect angle.
Parents are delighted with Symphony’s adjustability. Converting the seat from one mode to another goes smoothly, and the independent adjustability of the harness and the headrest is a very nice touch.
I’ll rate the adjustability with 10/10.
Safety
Slowly, we’ve built our way to the most important segment of every child restraint system-safety. Evenflo is one of the oldest baby equipment manufacturers on the market, and their products are undeniably reliable.
This car seat has been rollover tested to go beyond the industrial standards, side-impact tested, tested for structural integrity at the energy levels twice the standard. It’s federally approved for use in vehicles and airplanes and meets Canadian motor vehicle safety standards.
As you can see, safety is on point, 10/10.
Maintenance
You can wash the seat pads in a washing-machine, while plastic parts and the harness support only surface-wash with mild soap and water.
Since maintenance is pretty standard, so I’ll say it’s 10/10.
Additional Features
The seat also includes two cup holders, which are very convenient for snacks and drinks. It comes in six different color combinations and looks pretty high-end.
It’s a combination of plastics and high-quality breathable polyester, so it’s quite pleasant for your baby. It weighs 21 pounds, so it’s cumbersome, but not like some infant car seats.
However, it is quite large, design-wise, so I wouldn’t consider flying or carpooling.
Disadvantages
One thing that parents often complain about when it comes to the Evenflo Symphony is the cupholders. Namely, to get the seat pads off and wash them, you need to unscrew the cupholders first.
This can be quite a pain in the neck, especially if you’re not that handy. Also, the seat is very cumbersome, so don’t consider it for traveling and flying.
Let’s sum all this up. Here is an overview of the pros and cons regarding the Evenflo Symphony DLX All-in-One car seat.
- Three modes
- Easy installation
- Adjustable headrest
- Infinite Slide Harness
- Recline Adjust
- High Safety Standards
- FAA-approved
- You need to remove the cupholders to take off the pads
- Very cumbersome
Read more —
Final Verdict
All in all, this is a high-quality convertible car seat. It’s rigorously tested and well-designed to provide the needed comfort to your children as they grow. As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing to worry about.
Even the complaints that parents had are a matter of convenience, not general functionality or safety. It’s worth the price, and definitely, in the range of Graco and Britax, I only think it could be better if they incorporated the backless booster mode too.
Did my Evenflo Symphony Elite review help you decide? If you have any unanswered questions or you’d like to add something, feel free to reach out to me using our contact form.
- THE ULTIMATE ALL-IN-ONE CAR SEAT: The Evenflo Symphony Elite All-in-One Convertible Car Seat is a robust all-in-one car seat that fits children from 5 to 110 pounds. It has been designed to serve as...
