Babyark Smart Convertible

Seat is Good for You If:

You want a seat with added safety features.

This seat has rigid lower anchors, a load leg, and an anti-rebound bar. Babyark is currently the only manufacturer who makes a convertible seat that has all 3 of these features. 

Use Caution if:

You want to use a convertible seat from birth. 

We were able to try a 2-month-old in this seat. She was 10.5 pounds and 23" tall. The head insert is recommended until 11 pounds, but this head insert was pushing her head forward. Without the head insert in place, the baby had a good fit.

You have a small back seat. 

This seat takes up a lot of space in the back seat. If you have a vehicle with a small back seat and/or you have tall front passengers, this is not the seat for you. In addition to being large front to back already, the seat also recommends 3" between it and the seat in front of it in the rear-facing mode and 4" between the base and the seat in front of it in the forward-facing mode.

You have a tall child. 

This seat doesn't have a very tall harness height, so a tall child is not going to last longer than around 4-5 in this seat.

You need to fit 3 across in a vehicle.

If you want to utilize the rigid lower anchors on this seat, you will likely not be able to fit 3 across in your vehicle. 

Quirks to be Aware of:

Comes with added technology

This base has a rechargeable battery, so you will have to charge it from time to time. This smart base works in conjunction with an app. I found this difficult to use, as the base kept making beeping noises, which was a bit frustrating. 

Recommended Installation is Unique

For both the rear and forward-facing modes, the manual recommends that you install with the lower anchors, seat belt, and load leg in use all at the same time. It is extremely uncommon for seats to allow both the lower anchors and the seat belt at the same time. This is one reason why it's always important to read the manual! In addition, Babyark recommends using the load leg instead of the top tether for forward-facing. If your vehicle does not support the use of a load leg, then you should use the top tether.

No 1" rule for rear-facing

This seat is one of the few that does not require that the child has at least 1" of car seat above their head in the rear-facing mode. There is a flap at the top of the headrest that you open up for rear-facing. This is to provide extra protection to the child's head in the event of a crash.