2021 UPPAbaby Knox Convertible Car Seat Spotlight! ( Ratings | Reviews | Prices )

UPPAbaby’s first foray into the convertible car seat realm had to be different than what’s currently available, so they dove deep into unconventional materials and safety features available around the world to come up with a completely unique car seat for the US market. What they came up with is fascinating to behold! We’re so excited to introduce you to the new update to the UPPAbaby Knox convertible car seat!

While we know all of the parents with UPPAbaby Vista and Cruz travel systems will automatically think this is the best fit for them, convertible car seats DO NOT attach to your stroller, so feel free to think of this as a wholly separate purchase and start from there! To give you the best possible explanation of what makes this car seat unique, we’re gonna start off with the basics for those unfamiliar with what to expect from a convertible car seat and then we’ll dive into the coolest parts. 

First off, convertible car seats are named such because they convert from rear facing to forward facing. Rear facing is the safest position for a child and recommended by the American Pediatric Association until your child reaches the height limit.

The UPPAbaby Knox’s rear-facing limit is 45lbs, and they do not offer a height limit for rear-facing, which means this seat is not meant for extended rear-facing. You’ll likely get 2-3 years out of rear-facing before needing to convert to forward facing, and the whole seat will last until kiddo is somewhere between 4 and 6 years old. 

Kids grow at different rates so you’ll never know how long they’ll be in a convertible car seat till they reach the overall height limit, which is 49 inches. The weight ranges are 14-45lbs for rear-facing, and 25-65lbs for forward facing.

It offers recline, with an indicator alerting parents what levels are safe for rear facing and what levels are safe for forward facing children. Its base has been widened for added stability, and it has an improved 2-piece inlay that helps the harness fit snugly on kids of all ages. 

The rear facing installation is where the seat’s innovations begin to show. It uses UPPAbaby’s Smart Secure belt lock off feature that allows you to primarily use the seatbelt for installations, something that has been suggested for the last few years but many manufacturers are slow to accommodate. Its tightness indicators make it even simpler for parents to perfect installing. 

It also borrows from Australia’s car seat regulations by incorporating a Multi-Directional Tether. This tether functions similarly to the Top Tether the US regulates, but is used in rear-facing for extra stability. The use of this tether reduces crash forces by 45%! Check out what that looks like in your car:

Among those improvements is the most unique addition to the UPPAbaby Knox convertible car seat. A new material, developed from aerospace safety research, innovated for action sports, and now built into the base of the UPPAbaby Knox convertible car seat – a juvenile industry first - Koroyd provides more advanced impact protection. The welded tube structure crumples instantly and consistently on impact, absorbing maximum force in a controlled manner to minimize energy transfer to the child.

All of this adds up to a fascinating new addition to the convertible car seat market, and we cannot wait to talk it up with you in one of our virtual consultations! We can take you through the ins and outs of this and any other product you may want to look at from the comfort of your own home! Check it out at mbeans.com/consultations. If video chat isn’t your first choice, feel free to email questions@mbeans.com or give us a call at 866-600-BEAN) during business hours (M-F, 9 am-5 pm EST). We’d love to hear what you think!