Disney Minnie Via Infant Car Seat

I’ve owned a couple car seats. I bought the Britax Chaperone, have the B-Safe for our second car (which the Chaperone does not fit in) and now the First Years Via. The Via is pretty large, but comparable to the Chaperone/B-Safe. The base is easy to install using the latch system, and I really like the 5-point harness (no re-threading!). It scores high with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – 5 stars.

It is well cushioned and roomy which attributes to its bulk/heaviness. I have never been one to carry my daughter around in her car seat, so honestly – it does not bother me. If you foresee yourself carrying around the car seat often you should know that this seat is made for up to 35lbs, it is larger and heavier then say the Graco Snugride and that may sway your decision to purchase it. If you’re like me and only seem to lift car seats in and out of the car you really shouldn’t have an issue.

My daughter sleeps best in her car seat (she’s one of those babies that passes out seemingly as soon as the the car starts) and this seems quite comfortable for her. It is easy to get her in and out of as well which is a major plus.

My only complaint seems the be the same as a few others – the canopy is really small and would not offer much protection from anything.

We received the Abstract O’s design and it is very gender neutral.

As far as car seats go, I am very pleased with this one and would happily recommend it to others.

I love our First Years Infant Car Seat. There is a lot of space for larger infants and the design is subtle but fun. It does weight more compared to the Graco Snugride I had for my first child (22.4 vs 12.7) but my Graco only goes up to 22lbs of child weight and The First Years goes up to 35lbs. The First Years is build to last longer and be more durable at a similar price point. I am not lugging this all around town anyway. I use a bassinet/stroller for strolling, so this can stay in the car. This car seat is also rated 5 stars for ease of use by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. I do find it very easy to use, no re-threading!

If you’ve never had to deal with baby car seats before, I would say this is an easy one to install. Especially since it does not require a pool noodle in order to level it. It has a built in button that can be adjusted. The shoulder straps are also easily adjusted to fit the baby’s height. The only thing I would warn others of is the fact that the car seat is only rated to 25 lbs without the base. Once the car seat is installed on the base then it is rated to the 35 lbs as stated on the description. Also, the ball used to level the seat is not as centered as shown in the manual. We had to get ours checked by Troop C to make sure it was leveled correctly since the ball was more to one side than the center. But overall I would recommend this seat to any new parents.

Since I’m not going to crash a car or anything, I’ll have to go with the claim that the rebound system helps reduce the impact force!

Having said that, I like the color of this, green and black, while not very pretty, is good for cleanup, and if you’re primarily using this as a car seat (not as a baby carrier or stroller base), then the colors are a pretty good choice. I do personally really like the fact that you can lift the car seat off the base, as waking up a baby after a car ride is a SERIOUS NO-NO!!! Heck, I’ve driven around the block a few times just to put the baby to sleep, so I always appreciate this feature.

Overall, recommended!

The First Years Via Infant Car Seat (Abstract O’s design) is one of those products that just feels well-made and sturdy. Our twins were born a bit early (one coming home a full week before the other), so we basically took them home one at a time in this (after passing the mandatory car seat tests at the hospital). I was happy to be able to get this as it just feels a lot more sturdy and well-made than the Evenflo car seat we had for our older daughter, sentiment echoed by the nurses in the NICU (“That’s a nice car seat.”). Using it with a Kiddopotamus Snuzzler for extra padding (which we needed since our twins were quite small), we made it home with no. There’s no question that this was built with safety in mind.

The feature set is impressive, and after using other car seats, my favorite has got to be the yellow seat belt latches, which make it darned near-impossible for the belt to accidentally change position or come out. That makes it a lot easier to move the base from vehicle to vehicle as well, which in our case, is going to be unfortunately necessary at times.

Other great features are:

The rebound handle is another great feature, as it basically swings back to face the rear of the seat. In case of an accident, it hits the back, preventing the car seat from moving much due to an impact.

The ball-bearing leveler. The back seats of cars vary by a great deal, so getting the baby car seat just right can be a major pain. The ball-bearing leveler takes the guesswork out of it. When the seat is at the right spot, the seat itself will tell you that it is.

The five-point harness has been proven to be safer for infants in the event of an accident. Not only that, but with smaller babies, it was a whole lot more convenient getting it off and on, at least for me.

The negatives aren’t all that terrible, but they are worth noting. This car seat is heavy. If you have to carry it over any distance (which I did due to the parking situation at the hospital), you’re going to realize it only too well. It might make for some great forearms in the future, but in the short-term, it’s a good thing to keep in mind, especially when you’re transporting baby. Another notable negative is the canopy, which is far too short to provide the coverage you may need (we end up having to drape a light blanket over the seat, when necessary).

All-in-all, the First Years Infant Abstract O’s Car Seat is built for safety. It’s not a perfect product, but considering the point of a baby car seat (keeping baby/babies safe and sound), I’m definitely satisfied with it.

The First Year Via is an outstanding car seat- we got the car seat a while ago but finally installed it last month (our baby is now a week old)- we installed the base in the car- very easy and foolproof with the built in level. The car seat is easy to attach and detach from the base making grabbing it and going a cinch. The only negative (such as it is) is that we got the car seat only so it did not come with the First Year stroller as well. We bought a Baby Trend universal frame- the car seat fits it but it does sit just a bit lopsided on the frame. Of note, when we brought the seat into the store to try it on the frame, the salespeople were very excited to see the Via and commented on the rebound bar. Apparently, rebound bars are not that common on US car seats but standard on European models. Our baby fits very snuggly into the car seat and enjoys it whenever we drive or walk with him. Overall, it is a great car seat- very safe and comfortable for the baby. My only recommendation if you are thinking of buying this car seat is to look at the corresponding First Year stroller frame as well as it the fit for standard stroller frames seems just a bit off.