Not recommended, due to the lack of a hassle-free harness, the positioning of the exit marker, and no recline mechanism.
Brand update: the Safety 1st brand has since been retired in Australia and replaced by Mothers Choice. This review remains here for historical reference, but the Safety 1st Sentry, Custodian, and Goliath are no longer current products — see our Mothers Choice reviews for what replaced them.
The public were told the Maxi Cosi G-type seat would be released at the Adelaide Baby Show — most were expecting it to be branded under the “Maxi Cosi” banner.
However, it turned out to be the Safety 1st brand instead — the Safety 1st Sentry G-type seat was released on 23 October 2015.
Looking at the Safety 1st Sentry, you’d believe it’s a Safety 1st Custodian with a few minor cosmetic changes.
🎽 Sentry car seat headrest adjustment
The main difference between the Custodian and the Sentry is headrest adjustment. The Custodian is easier — just push in a spring-loaded button and lift. The Sentry, on the other hand, requires unscrewing from the back and then lifting. Like all child restraints with a screw holding the headrest in place, you need to undo the screw fully and then jiggle it to release it from the catch.
Sentry headrest — the old Custodian headrest?
For curious parents: the Safety 1st Sentry still has seat-belt sash guides in the headrest, left over for seats which have a booster mode. Many parents may believe they need to take the covers off and use those seat belt guides in booster mode.
✕ Do not do this. This is a G-type seat, meaning the child is internally harnessed until 8 years of age.
🧵 Safety 1st Sentry harness threading
The Safety 1st Sentry is still manually threaded — you need to manually re-thread the harness. This is almost a step back in time, with the main players on the market (Infa and Britax) offering a hassle-free harness that’s much easier for parents to adjust while keeping the child safe.
Each time you manually re-thread, there’s a chance of twisted straps, or straps not fully secured to the spreader bar.
Unusual harness re-threading path
Looking at the back of the Safety 1st Sentry, you’ll notice an unusual harness path that doesn’t go directly to the back but instead doubles back on itself — as a precaution, though it’s not entirely clear why.
This path makes re-threading harder for parents, and if it’s passed directly to the back it could potentially compromise the integrity of the child restraint. The most likely reason for the unusual threading is to make it easier for parents to tighten the harness when the child is small.
“In our opinion, this is a serious issue, and will become one at some point.”
📏 Safety 1st Sentry height markers
Initial inspection reveals a minimum height marker on the side — but no maximum height marker on the side of the restraint. Lifting the headrest all the way up reveals no hidden markers either, except one in the centre of the headrest indicating the shoulder shouldn’t sit above that line when the headrest is at its maximum height.
This is a major flaw: since we already know the headrest is difficult to lift, a parent who believes they’ve reached the maximum headrest height may prematurely move a child into an adult seat belt before they’re actually ready.
🪑 Sentry shell
The Sentry’s shell is similar to the Goliath and the Custodian, but attentive parents will notice new mesh across the side opening. We can only assume this was added to prevent seat belt path threading problems, where the belt was previously locked to the armrest in earlier installations. Even with the simpler seat belt path, some baby stores still get the installation wrong — only ever use ACRI accredited fitters, who are experienced in baby car seat installations.
Seat belt path
With the Safety 1st Sentry, there’s finally a new seat belt path to prevent the belt locking against the armrest — an issue since the Goliath, and still present on the Custodian and the Aura. Time will tell whether this path is secure without a gated buckle, or whether it’s too long for many Japanese cars.
🛋️ Sentry recline positions
We weren’t able to identify any recline position for the Safety 1st Sentry — meaning children sit almost vertically in the forward-facing position.
Width
46cm
G-type entry / exit
29cm / 51cm
Not recommended
Not recommended, due to the lack of a hassle-free harness, the positioning of the exit marker, and no recline mechanism — making the seat too difficult for most parents to use correctly.
⚠️ Historical content (2015): at the time of writing, the Sentry’s RRP was $379, versus $319 for the Babylove EzyGrow, with the Safety 1st Custodian on sale for around $249. These prices are well over a decade old. More importantly, the Safety 1st brand itself has since been retired in Australia and replaced by Mothers Choice — none of the seats named in this review (Sentry, Custodian, Goliath) are current products.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Is the Safety 1st Sentry recommended? ＋
What’s the difference between the Sentry and the Custodian? ＋
Is the harness easy to adjust? ＋
Does the Sentry have a recline position? ＋
Is Safety 1st still a car seat brand in Australia? ＋
What’s a better alternative to the Sentry? ＋
Should I get professional installation for this seat? ＋
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