EvenFlo Stratos vs my Graco 4 Ever
October 11, 2017
**I received this product for free or discounted for my honest feedback and review**
My initial impression when I opened the box was that the Evenflo Stratos was a very light carseat. It is way lighter than my Graco 4 Ever. My goal was to figure everything out without referencing the manual. This was easy enough since it came all together. I just snapped in the cup holders and it was ready to install. I like the latch guides that come with the carseat, I could tell instantly what they were for and thought it would be very handy for installation. I also really liked the latch releases. Evenflo used "pulleys" vs my Graco which uses button to release the latch from the seat anchor. Buttons seem counter productive to me since you have to push something to pull it off. I kinda always struggle when I have to do that.
That was when I got stuck. I could not figure out how to recline the carseat. My first impression was maybe its not supposed to recline. So I had to reference the users manual, initial goal failed. I found the recline mechanism and all I could think was it was kinda archaic. Its just a plastic piece that pops out and unfolds. There are 3 positions for this carseat. Upright, semi reclined and fully reclined. In fully reclined, which is where I would presume you use a newborn or little baby, the Evenflo was slightly less reclined than my Graco. But the Graco came with more recline options, 6 to be precise. I don't know if you need the extra 3, I honestly only use 1 for my toddler. I also noticed when I reclined it, the carseat would not stay upright on its own anymore and kept falling back. I am not sure how I feel about this, but I can say my Graco stood on its own while reclined in every position, but the Evenflo is much lighter and I don't think it matters once buckled into the car. I do switch my carseat into friends cars once in a while if we carpool, and thats the only time the weight affects me.
The Graco also stretched taller than the Evenflo. This leads me to believe it can be used for a wider range of toddlers and ages since it can accompany taller toddlers more safely. I compared the padding on the carseats, and while at first I thought the Evenflo had less padding, they actually seemed to be very comparable or the Evenflo being slightly plusher on the head part. The Evenflo did lack padding around the body though.
Overall I liked the Evenflo. Being half the price of the Graco is a big plus. If your child gets too tall for it, you can buy a booster seat for the saved $150. ;)
This product review was collected by the manufacturer.