The Evenflo LiteMax and SafeMax infant car seats have a weight range of 4 – 35 lbs (1.8 – 15.8 kg) and a height range of 17 – 32 inches (43 – 81 cm). It is important to always follow the information provided in the car seat instruction manual when installing and using your car seat.
However, to help meet the needs of families with very small infants, the Evenflo LiteMax and SafeMax infant car seats may be used with a smaller infant as indicated below:
- Weight: 3 – 35 lbs (1.4 – 15.8 kg)
- Height: 15.75 – 32 in (40 – 81 cm)
This update is a retroactive change to existing Evenflo LiteMax and SafeMax infant car seats. The following guidelines must be followed when using this car seat between 3 – 4 lbs (1.4 – 1.8 kg) and 15.75 – 17 in (40 – 43 cm):
- The infant’s clinical team must approve of use and fit. Evenflo recommends following the AAP guidance and conducting an angle tolerance test prior to discharge. (Pediatrics 2009; 123: 1424-1429; reaffirmed June 2018).
- Harness is positioned at or below the infant’s shoulders.
- There is no gap between the child and the buckle.
- Chest clip is positioned at armpit level.
- Harness must be snug.
- Date of manufacture 1/1/2018 or newer – infant insert is OPTIONAL for child fit.
- Date of manufacture 12/31/2017 or older – infant insert is REQUIRED for infants who weigh between 3 – 4 lbs (1.4 – 1.8 kg) and OPTIONAL for infants who weight over 4 lbs (1.8 kg).
- Travel should be limited to only what is necessary. It is recommended to have an adult observing the infant in the back seat and conducting frequent rest breaks during travel.
The head pillow, harness covers and buckle pad are OPTIONAL for all LiteMax seats, regardless of the date they were manufactured. As with any child using a child restraint, please ensure that all the other requirements set forth in the instruction manual for the child restraint are met.
If you are in the United States, you may still use your Evenflo car seat without the tether if you do not have an anchor available in your vehicle. The tether is an important safety feature on all Evenflo forward-facing harnessed car seats (and additionally in rear-facing mode on the Evenflo Revolve 360). All Evenflo car seats must pass the federal crash test procedure with and without the tether. While we encourage the use of the tether, it is acceptable to install your car seat without the use of this feature if you do not have a tether anchor available to use in your vehicle. Refer to your vehicle owner’s manual for the location of the tether anchor in your vehicle. Older vehicles may not come equipped with tether anchor hardware. Check with your vehicle dealer. Do not use the tether if you do not have a tether anchor in your vehicle.
If you are in Canada, tether use is mandatory as part of Canadian law. All consumers must use the tether for forward-facing car seat installations.
The Evenflo Chase has cup holders that are attached with a screw. The cup holders need to be used when the car seat is installed in a vehicle. However, there are small caps that can be used to replace the cup holders, if needed.
The Evenflo Maestro and SecureKid car seats also have cup holders that may be replaced with the small caps, if needed.
Please contact ParentLink at 1-800-233-5921 (U.S.) or 1-937-773-3971 (Canada), Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm (EST) to inquire about the replacement caps and how to remove the cup holders.
Generally, car seats and booster seats can be safely installed in rear-seating positions next to side curtain air bags. It is important to consult your vehicle owner’s manual to ensure there are no restrictions in the seating position that you want to use for your car seat installation. In addition to your vehicle owner’s manual, your car seat instructions will include detailed information about any air bag interaction concerns.
Evenflo permits contact between front vehicle seats and its rear-facing convertible or all-in-one car seats. However, the car seat should not be wedged in and should be installed in accordance with both the car seat instructions and the vehicle owner’s manual. Unlike its convertible seats, however, Evenflo does require 1.5 inches of clearance between a front vehicle seat and any of its rear-facing only infant car seats.
Rear-facing infant, convertible or all-in-one car seats must be properly reclined according to the level indicator provided by the car seat manufacturer. Many car seats come with adjustment mechanisms to attain the appropriate recline.
While Evenflo’s rear-facing car seats do have adjustment mechanisms, Evenflo does allow the use of a rolled towel or pool noodle to adjust the recline of a rear-facing car seat to meet the required angle as noted by the angle indicator, as outlined below:
- Rear-facing only models: If the adjustment on the base of the car seat does not provide enough recline, store the adjustment mechanism and replace with rolled towels or pool noodles.
- Convertible and all-in-one models: The car seat must be adjusted to the appropriate rear-facing position. If more recline is needed the rolled towel or pool noodles can be added in addition to the recline mechanism of the car seat.
Always thoroughly review and follow the instructions that came with your car seat for complete installation information.
The recline foot must be placed in the recline position when the SureRide/Titan 65 convertible car seat is installed in rear-facing mode, but as long as a tight installation can be achieved in keeping with the instructions, the recline foot does not need to be in contact with any part of the vehicle seat. If needed to assist with achieving the appropriate recline angle, you may use a rolled towel or pool noodle under the front portion of the car seat, near the recline foot.
This guidance also applies to the Evenflo Sonus, Sonus 65 and Stratos convertible car seats when installed in rear-facing mode.
It is okay to have empty space between a forward-facing harnessed car seat and the vehicle seat if you have followed the car seat manufacturer’s instructions and achieved a tight installation. If you are experiencing this situation with an Evenflo car seat and want to eliminate the gap, however, try one or more of the following:
1. Remove the vehicle seat headrest, if approved by your manufacturer. Removing the headrest will often allow more of the car seat to be in contact with the vehicle seat back. Remember to properly store your headrest when it is removed. Check your vehicle owner’s manual for specific instructions.
2. Recline the vehicle seat, if approved by your manufacturer. Slightly reclining the vehicle seat back may allow more of the car seat to be in contact with the vehicle seat. Check your vehicle owner’s manual for specific instructions.
3. Use the car seat tether. If your vehicle has tether anchor hardware, you should always use a tether with a forward-facing car seat installation anyway. The tether can help improve the car seat’s performance in a crash.
Check your work. The car seat should not move more than 1” from side-to-side or front-to-back when checking at the belt path (the location where the seat belt or lower anchors are attaching the car seat to the vehicle).
Generally, most Evenflo car seats allow approximately 20% of the bottom of the car seat to hang over the front of the vehicle seat. The majority of the bottom of the car seat (80%) should be supported by the vehicle seat. This applies whether the car seat is installed rear-facing, forward-facing or in booster mode, and whether installed with the vehicle seat belt system or the lower anchor system.
There are exceptions to this general rule. When installed in rear-facing mode, the following car seats require the entire bottom of the car seat to be supported by the vehicle seat, as noted in the image below.
- Evenflo SureRide/Titan 65
- Evenflo Stratos
- Evenflo Sonus 65
- Evenflo Sonus
- Evenflo Titan 50 (discontinued)
- Evenflo Tribute
In some minivans with optional second row center seats, you may find that the car seat bottom actually overhangs the side of the vehicle seat. In this situation, the same general guidance provided above applies—at least 80% of the bottom of the seat must be supported by the vehicle, with the exception of the car seats listed above in rear-facing mode, where the entire bottom of the seat must be supported.
A convertible or "All in One" car seat would be recommended. These seats generally have a higher rear-facing weight limit and can be used for a longer period of time.
Many Evenflo car seats come with positioning inserts, which should be used per the instructions in your car seat manual. Using the insert that came with your car seat, if available, may help eliminate the gap between your child and the crotch buckle.
If the positioning insert does not eliminate the gap, or if your car seat did not come with an optional positioning insert, you may use a small wash cloth to help fill in this gap with Evenflo rear-facing car seats. To use: place your child in the car seat, buckle and tighten the harness so that you cannot pinch any webbing when testing at the child’s shoulders. Once tightened, slide the wash cloth in the gap between your child and the crotch buckle.
If needed, you may also use tightly rolled receiving blankets placed next to your child to center him/her in the car seat. The positioning blankets should never be placed under the child, between the child and the harness, or near a child’s mouth, face and neck.
In many vehicles the center seating position is narrower than the outboard seating positions (near the windows). In most situations, you may use a booster seat in that seating location, however there are a few items you should consider. First, the vehicle manufacturer must not specifically disallow this seating position for car seat or booster seat use. Second, the location of the lap portion of the seat belt and the buckle should not be coming from behind or beneath the booster seat. It is okay for the lap portion of the seat belt and the buckle to be in direct contact with the booster seat. Finally, belt fit is the most important consideration for booster seat use. Always check your child for appropriate belt fit in any seating position where you use the booster seat.