Baby Trend Hybrid Lx 3-in-1 Car Seat Manual
(Last Updated On: September 18, 2021)
Note: this was our original review of this seat. We're leaving it upwards because our dear friend Jennifer Penick wrote it and loved that pink zebra impress with a fierceness. Our 2021 review takes a wait at the most current version of this seat.
What 5 year old kiddo wouldn't want a pink zebra car seat? What parent doesn't want a car seat that harnesses to 50 pounds and turns into both a loftier back and backless booster for under $100? The Baby Trend Hybrid iii-in-1 combination car seat is a forrard facing only seat that comes in cool patterns only tin flummox even experienced technicians.
Showtime, a disclaimer: when used properly, the Baby Tendency Hybrid is just as safe as any other car seat for children over age 2. The central to that statement is "used properly," and unfortunately this seat is very hard to use correctly, despite having cool patterns and seemingly generous limits. We're going to exercise a mini review and explicate why this seat tin can be so difficult to use.
CSFTL Quick Stats
- Forward facing weight range: 22-fifty pounds
- Forward facing height range: 29-48″
- High dorsum booster weight range: xxx-100 pounds
- High dorsum booster peak range: 42-50″
- Backless booster weight range: forty-100 pounds
- Backless booster meridian range: 42-57″
- Highest harness position : 17.5″(four harness positions)
- Highest belt guide position: nineteen″
- Expiration: 6 years for harness and high dorsum modes
x years for backless manner
Features
- Lower anchors tin be used in loftier back booster mode
- Hook on lower anchor connectors
- One crotch buckle position: six″
- Has both front end entry and rear entry installation methods
- 2014 IIHS Practiced Bet for highback mode and Best Bet for backless mode
Harnessed Fashion
Baby Trend Hybrid has a reversible insert tin can be used with either color; check your manual for proper utilize equally the instructions differ for different releases of this seat
The Baby Tendency Hybrid is a combination seat: a seat that can be used with a harness forward facing and converted to a seat belt positioning booster. This seat is appropriate for children over the age of 2. Read more about why this seat should not exist used for children under age 2.
Infant Tendency Hybrid – 5 years, 45 pounds , 43.5 inches
This model is well over the minimum age to ride forwards facing: she is 5 years old, weighs 45 lbs and 43.five inches tall.
The Hybrid has six headrest positions and the harness positions are approximately 12.5 inches, 14 inches, xvi inches, and 17.five inches. The crotch buckle is about 6 inches out from the back of the seat and the buckle strap is almost 4.5 inches and four inches if using the torso insert. The short strap and shape of the buckles pinched this model's legs.
Loftier Back Booster Mode
Baby Trend Hybrid in high dorsum booster manner: 7 years, 65 lbs, 48 inches and 5 years, 45 lbs and 43 inches
Once a kid over 42″ and xxx pounds has outgrown the harness and is ready to transition to a seat belt positioning booster (read more nigh why we recommend children be over historic period v to utilize a booster here), the Hybrid can be switched to booster fashion. To employ the booster, the harness, crotch buckle, and insert all must be removed. The seat belt fit was nifty on both our 7 and v year one-time models with the chugalug guide simply in a higher place both littles' shoulders. The head rest wasn't consistently easy to suit up and it did feel like information technology was going to break.
Baby Trend Hybrid belt guide for loftier back booster
The belt guide is very narrow and not very easy to initially thread the belt. It also can keep the shoulder belt from retracting properly as well if the child leans forwards.
Backless Booster Style
Baby Trend Hybrid – 7 years, 65 lbs., 48 inches, backless booster
The top shoulder height for high back mode is nineteen″. One time children outgrow a proper fit in loftier dorsum mode, and are at least forty lbs and 42″, the Hybrid can be converted to a backless booster. At 65 pounds and 48 inches our 7 year old model has a nice lap belt fit but would've had slightly better shoulder chugalug fit using the belt guide that comes with the seat for backless mode.
Installation: There'due south the Rub
As we know, the best auto seat is the i that fits your kid, fits your car, and that you lot tin can install and use correctly every time. As we can see with our 5 and 7 year old models, the Infant Trend Hybrid fits children within an appropriate age range as both a harnessed car seat and a booster. The real problems are in the 2d parts of that judgement: this seat must be installed correctly in your car. Unfortunately, doing that correctly is much easier said than done.
There are multiple versions of the transmission with different rules on front and rear entry. Because there are so many different versions of the manual, we can non offer a simple recommendation on how to install for your child and automobile: you lot must follow the rules that came with your individual seat.
Further complicating matters, these rules can be very difficult to translate, even for CPSTs very experienced with reading manualese.
Baby Tendency Hybrid installation method chart from the manual that came with our pinkish zebra seat. The height tether is essential safety equipment for every forward facing harnessed seat.
Since nosotros aren't comfy generalizing nigh a seat with and so many different versions of the manual, here's a few images of our pink zebra seat properly installed using diverse methods.
Front Entry Installation
Babe Tendency Hybrid forepart entry installation with LATCH
For the forepart entry installation method the belt path goes in front of both armrests, going behind the shell of the seat to connect the points; this is the belt path for both LATCH and lap and shoulder belt installations. This path is backwards from the way most parents think to install seats and can be rather confusing. This belt path can also be difficult or even incompatible with many seat belts: some belts may not be long enough, belts can easily get twisted, and the belt path tends to crusade defoliation regarding where the belts become and how to route them.
Baby Trend Hybrid front entry installation with lap and shoulder belt
Rear Entry Installation
Baby Trend Hybrid rear entry installation
The rear entry method of installation volition be more than familiar to many caregivers, merely you must consult your own seat's transmission to confirm that information technology is immune for your kid and car. Like all harnessed machine seats, this method is only a safe pick if it produces a tight installation.
Babe Trend Hybrid installation method for using LATCH in booster mode
Harness Assembly
Baby Tendency Hybrid 3-in-1 that required both harnesses on both splitter plates
The harness assembly is another confusing point for some versions of this car seat. Early versions of the Hybrid had a standard rethread harness with a double splitter plate with one metallic plate for each harness strap. This double splitter plate where most seats have ane can sometimes get hung upwards on the back of the seat and on the seat belt when using the front entry installation; this tin can make properly tightening the straps hard.
Muddying the issue further, depending on when the seat was manufactured, there are a few different splitter plate assemblies. The original version was a dual splitter plate with one harness on each side. The second version also had a dual plate only both harnesses were routed onto both plates. This is very disruptive even for seasoned CPSTs and lack of clear directions certainly doesn't help. Baby Trend has announced that the newest version of this seat may solve these issues as it has simply ane splitter plate and both harnesses will be threaded onto that. Still, a motorcar seat that caregivers either can't adjust or tighten properly is non a safe option for their child.
Wrapping Up
In summary, though the Infant Trend Hybrid 3-in-1 fits a range of children, it tin be difficult to install and use properly in a range of cars. Fifty-fifty if you're confident in your auto seat usage and installation abilities, or you lot have your local CPST on speed dial, you may still have problems installing this seat. Our technician with 10 years of experience and a deep love for pink zebra struggled with this seat. Even the most car seat savvy parent may find this seat incompatible with her automobile. The colorful covers will appeal to many children in a world of black and grey seats, simply the pattern isn't worth it if you can't use the seat correctly. Remember the best seat is one that fits your kid, fits your vehicle, and that you tin can install, then use correctly every fourth dimension.
Baby Trend Hybrid Lx 3-in-1 Car Seat Manual
Source: https://csftl.org/baby-trend-hybrid/