Not Recommended due to the fact the Safety 1st Sentry does not have a hassle free harness, the positioning of the exit marker, and no recline mechanism
The public were told that the Maxi Cosi G seat would be released at the Adelaide baby show; we were all expecting that it would be branded under the “Maxi Cosi” banner.
However we now know that it is the Safety 1st brand; that has just released the safety 1st sentry g seat on the 23 October 2015.
Looking at the Safety 1st Sentry car seat, you would believe it is 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 that the Safety 1st Custodian is easier to adjust the head rest in that you just need to push in a spring loaded button and lift. The Safety 1st Sentry on the other hand; you need to unscrew from the back and then lift. Like all child restraints with a screw holding the head rest in place; you need to undo the screw fully and then jiggle it to release it from the catch…
Sentry Headrest (old Custodian headrest ?)
For parents that are curious, they will notice that the Safety 1st Sentry still has Seat-belt sash guides in the head rest for use in seats which have a Booster mode. For many parents they may believe; they need to take the covers off, and use the seat belt guides in booster mode….
DO NOT DO THIS, This is a G seat meaning the child is internally harnessed till 8 years of age.
Safety 1st Sentry Harness threading
Unusual Harness re-threading path
Unfortunately when you look at the back of the Safety 1st Sentry you will notice the unusual harness path that does not go directly to the back but rather it doubles back on itself as precaution ??
This path will make it difficult for parents to handle the re-threading of the harness and it may be passed directly to the back potentially compromising 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
IMO this is a serious issue, and will become an issue at some point in time.
Safety 1st Sentry car seat Height Markers
Initial inspection of the Safety 1st Sentry reveals a minimum height marker on the side however there is no maximum height marker on the side. of the child restraint. Lifting the head rest up all the way reveals no height markers hidden, except in the center of the head rest which indicates that the should should not be above this line when the headrest is at its maximum height.
This is a Major flaw as we already now the headrest is difficult to lift and should a parent believe they have reached the maximum height for the head rest, then the parent may prematurely move a child into a adult seat belt before they are ready.
Sentry Shell
The shell of the Safety 1st Sentry is similar to the goliath and the custodian but vigilant parents will notice that there is now mesh across the opening at the side. can only assume this has been done to prevent seat belt path threading problems, where the seat belt has been locked to the arm rest in previous installations. Even the simpler seat belt path, there are still some baby stores who get the installation incorrect. Only every use ACRI accredited fitters who are experience in baby car seat installations
Seat Belt Path
With the Safety 1st Sentry; there is FINALLY a new seat belt path, to prevent the locking of the arm rest with the seat belt, this has been a serious issue since the Goliath and still is an issue for the Custodian and the Aura. Time will tell if this path is secure without a gated buckle or if the seat belt path is too long for many Japanese cars.Sentry Recline positions
I were not able to identify any recline position for the Safety 1st Sentry; this would mean that the children will be sitting almost vertically in the forward facing position.
The Sentry Harnessed car seat is 46 cm wide
All G type seats have entry marker of 29cm and exit of 51cm
Summary – Safety 1st Sentry Review
Not Recommended due to the fact the Safety 1st Sentry does not have a hassle free harness, the positioning of the exit marker, and no recline mechanism; making the seat too difficult for most parents to use. With an RRP of $379 it is significantly higher in price than the Babylove EzyGrow at $319. When price is a determining factor then I would go for the BabyLove but would rather wait for the Maxi Guard or Evolve origin to come on special.. Alternatively buy the Safety 1st Custodian with a Sale price of around $249…