Next Step DX: A great seat for your older toddler!
Written: Oct 06 '00 (Updated Oct 06 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to use, comforable, nice features
Cons: Harness adjuster took some getting used to
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| iowamommy's Full Review: Century Next Step SE |
Shortly after my daughter turned 3, she needed to pass her car seat on to her baby sister, so I began a search for the perfect booster seat. There were so many models to pick from, and many had a few things I didn’t like about them. After narrowing down my choices, I took a chance and tried the Next Step DX by Century.
What is the purpose of this seat?
This is a booster seat that has two functions. First, it is used like a car seat with the five-point harness. Straps come down over the child’s shoulders, up around the hips, and one strap in the crotch area. These five straps buckle together and form a snug harness to hold your child in. This harness can only be used until the child is 40 pounds, or they might be too heavy for the straps to hold them in during a crash.
The next phase is when the seat is used as a belt positioning booster seat for a child between 40-80 pounds and between 35-50 inches tall. The child doesn’t wear the harness, but simply sits on this seat and has the adult belts buckled in place. This seat just boosts the child up to the proper position to be adequately protected by adult belts. It makes the belts fit correctly on the shoulder and across the hips.
Features
The Next Step DX is a new model of the Next Step line. A very handy front adjuster is now included, so you can tighten the harness from the front. Sounds logical, but many booster seats, including the older Next Step, don’t have this feature. You had to adjust it in the back of the seat before installing it, and then just buckle it in place. If the child changes between different weights of clothing and coats, your straps would be too tight or too loose, and you’d have to take the seat out and fix it in the back and reinstall it. Who wants to mess with that? This way, you buckle it up and pull the tightening strap and you are set.
The angle of recline is adjustable. It is used in the semi-upright position when used with the harness. When used without harness, it can be in either position.
There are armrests on each side, down by the hips. These can be rotated so they are flat. This is useful for the older child who is climbing into the seat alone. They can flipped out of the way.
The seat cover is a nice, thick fabric and mine is in shades of gray and black, which will hide stains well.
There is a tether strap included with purchase. More and more vehicles now have tether anchor locations, or you can get them installed by your dealer. This strap comes out of the back of the booster seat and attached to the anchor point in your car and helps attach the seat to the vehicle. The purpose is to reduce the amount of forward movement of the top of the car seat during an accident.
One thing I like is that there is a flap in the seat cover that lifts up to allow you to help thread the seat belt through. It lets you see what you are doing instead of just blindly aiming it through.
There is a 2-piece chest clip, which I like much better than the older style chest clips that resemble a paper clip. Not only are these easier for the parent to fasten, but they have to be squeezed to release them, so the child is less likely to escape. This clip is worn at the level of the armpits to hold the harness in the proper place on the child’s body.
When used with adult belts, there are “comfort clips” on either side of the booster up above the shoulders. These act as a guide for the shoulder belt to help it line up at the right spot on the shoulder. You can adjust the position by changing which loop you put it in. They are on both sides of the seat so you can be using it on either side of the car.
A head support is included when used by smaller children. My daughter was already too tall to use this feature.
There are three positions for the shoulder strap heights and two positions for the crotch strap.
My favorite things about the seat
The straps haven’t been twisting, which is a big problem on some seats. The DX model has rubber shields around the buckle tongues, and I think these help keep the straps straight.
The harness slot heights on this seat are higher than some other boosters, so it can be used with taller children as long as they are within the weight limit.
Pulling on the front adjuster tightens the straps easily. It isn’t a struggle to get the straps tight enough like some car seats I have had.
It is comfortable for my daughter with the shape of the seat and the cover is adequate.
There is a carrying handle on top, so it is easy to pick up and move to another vehicle.
Some not-so-favorite things
The first time I tried the seat, I couldn’t figure out the front harness adjuster. It has two straps coming out of the front instead of just one like I was used to with all my other seats. The long strap is the one to pull to tighten it and that worked easily, but I had trouble figuring out how to loosen the straps. There is a short little strap that you pull out just a bit and you hear a click. At that point, you can loosen the harness. I was expecting that it would pull further, so I thought something was wrong with it. I finally caught on to this method. It does take quite a tug to loosen the straps. That may be so the child doesn’t reach down and try to pull it and loosen it while using it. It’s not a big deal now, but at first it was awkward. Thankfully, tightening was never a problem, just the loosening up again.
There is a plastic piece underneath the two front adjuster straps at the front of the seat that broke off. This doesn’t affect the function of the seat. This piece serves to keep the two adjuster straps in place and not slipping under the booster. It is caused from pulling the straps at the wrong angle. Some people snap theirs back in but I have just left mine as is because my straps haven’t been getting under the seat, anyway. This has happened to others, so it might be a common problem with this seat.
Safety notes!
•The seat says it is for children 20-80 pounds. I think this is misleading since it appears that very young babies just over the 20 pound mark should use this seat. Many 20 pound babies are still under a year old and should be in a rear facing convertible seat until after their first birthday. This seat doesn’t face the back. After they can face forward, they still are much better off in a convertible seat (the normal type of car seat) until they outgrow it. Not only does it offer some side protection, but the sides help support the head when they fall asleep in the car. Three years old is a good transition age, in my opinion, depending on the size of your child, while some might be comfortable switching at an earlier age. For toddlers who are too tall for convertible seats but still under 30 pounds, this seat is ideal.
•Also, if the child is still under 40 pounds, it is wise to use that harness since it is provided. Sure, it’s easier to skip that and just buckle the seat in with adult belts, but many 3 year olds are still too wiggly to sit still in adult belts, and if they are in the wrong position when an accident occurs, the belts won’t be in place to protect them.
Price
I have seen this seat range from around $110-$130. I got a good deal online by using a combination of online coupons and rebates, so mine was around $60.00.
Recommendation
Apart from the strange adjustment system, I love the seat! The adjuster is second nature now. I feel my daughter is well protected in this seat and it meets our needs well. She still has 8 pounds to go before she outgrows the harness, so she’ll be able to be protected that way for quite awhile, and then use it as the belt-positioning booster for a long time after that. If you are considering purchasing this booster, make sure you get the one with the front adjuster or you’ll kick yourself. Many of the old ones are still on the shelves, so look for the new model.
Recommended:
Yes
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iowamommy
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Location: Iowa
Reviews written: 144
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Mother of four product testers!
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