Diana’s Review

This seat has been great for my newly-minted toddler. It is sturdy, wide, and most of all, comfortable. We have tried other seats where my little one is in an awkward angle in order for the seat’s recline indicator to be level with the ground. With the Allegiance’s 3-position recline, she was able to sit easily. She does NOT like to be buckled in but had minimal protests when we clipped her into this one.

I was initially surprised at how large this car seat was, but as soon as my child was clicked in, I was grateful for the size. It seemed to fully encompass and protect her. I liked that the seat had ample room for her to wiggle around while also making me feel as if she was securely buckled in.

The seat was reasonably easy to install and took my husband under ten minutes. That being said, the weight (and width) of the car seat make it a better choice for someone who does not plan to move it in between vehicles on the daily (or weekly) basis. We also only have one car seat, so while you could probably fit two in the back seat of an average sized-sedan, it would be hard to access all three seats.

I was initially concerned that the car seat cover was not machine washable. However, that fear was instantly erased when I realized how easily the material was to clean. We thoroughly tested this feature as my 13 month-old threw up in it within three hours of us installing the seat! Also note, that while the straps can be tricky to remove, they are covered in soft chest pads which help keep them clean from Cheerios, spit up, spilled milk, you name it! I also loved how wide the straps were, which made it less likely that they would dig into my little one’s neck and shoulders.

This car seat only has one layer of side padding compared to the Essentials Emblem model. Since we can easily install the car seat in the middle of our backseat, I’m not concerned. However, it might give me pause if the car seat was installed on either side of the backseat.