The best car seat is the one that fits your child, vehicle, budget, and lifestyle and has the features important to you. The safest car seat is the one you can install correctly and use properly on every ride! Let us know in the comment section what questions you have about this review of the Evenflo Maestro Sport combination car seat.
Evenflo Maestro Sport Car Seat Review (USA/Canada)
When it comes to ensuring the safety of our little passengers on the road, selecting the right car seat is paramount. Understanding the specifications and features of different car seat models and booster seats can be overwhelming, but it’s essential for making an informed decision. In this guide, we delve into the key stats and features of the Evenflo Maestro Sport. From height and weight limits to standout features and potential considerations, let’s explore if this seat is a contender for your child.
What
A 2-in-1 car seat that can be used forward-facing and in high-back booster mode
When
Preferably after your child has outgrown their rear-facing convertible car seat, but it can be used from 2+ years
Age
Our recommendation: 2 years+ until the seat is outgrown (5-6 years old)
What you need to know before you go.
Forward-Facing Seat Stats
- height limit: 28-50″
- weight limit: 22-50 lbs
- head height rules: ears must be below the top of the headrest
- Highest harness height: 19″
High Back Booster Seat Stats
- height limit: 44-57″
- weight limit: 40-110 lbs
- head height rules: ears must be below the top of the headrest
- Highest Shoulder Belt Guide Height: 19″
Other Seat Stats
- width of seat: 19”
- weight of seat: 9 pounds
- crash replacement policy: Always replace
- expiration limits: 6 years
- harness: rethread
- lock-off: no
- cup holders: 2, required
✅ Seat is good for you if:
✅ you have a car with non-removable headrests
The Evenflo Maestro Sport will work in many vehicles that have non-removable headrests if you are having trouble finding a seat that works well in your vehicle.
✅ you travel often with a car seat
If you are a parent who primarily uses rideshare services and/or taxis to get around but don’t have the budget for a Wayb Pico, this may be the seat for you! It weighs only 9 pounds, so it’s lighter than many other seats out on the market today. You can attach it to a travel cart like this one in order to easily transport it around the city while you go about your day.
🚩 Use Caution If:
🚩 you have a higher percentile child
This seat’s maximum weight limit is only 50 pounds compared to the 65-pound limit that the majority of harnessed seats on the market have. If you have a child who is above the 90 percentile for weight, this seat may not even keep them harnessed until 5. The booster mode is usually outgrown at the same time as the harness mode because the highest harness slot and the only belt guide position are both 19″. For taller kids, check out the Chicco MyFit instead.
🚩 need to fit three car seats across in the back seat
Since this seat is 19″ wide, it is unlikely to fit in a 3 across situation unless you have a vehicle with a very large back seat like a Ford Expedition or a Honda Odyssey. For better 3 across options, check out this post.
️ Stand Out Features:
Lightweight
Weighting only 9 pounds, the Evenflo Maestro Sport is one of the lightest car seats on the market. For parents using Uber/Lyft daily or who travel often, this can be a good option to consider!
️ Inexpensive
This is one of very few forward-facing only seats that are regularly under $100 at this time. As a seat that will last from age 2 to around 5-6. That’s great value for the price!
⚠️ Quirks to be Aware Of:
⚠️ Booster Mode
The Evenflo Maestro Sport‘s booster mode is typically outgrown around the same time as the harness mode. There is only one fixed shoulder belt guide. Once the child’s shoulders are no longer under the headrest, the shoulder belt can be routed on top of the headrest instead, as indicated in the car seat instructions, AKA the manual. However, we have yet to see a safe seat belt fit with this routing, so in most cases, this would not be a good option. Your child will absolutely need another booster once his seat is outgrown.
✈️ Airplane Use
The Evenflo Maestro Sport is an FAA-approved car seat, so you can find a label with red lettering on one of the stickers that says so. At just 9 pounds, it is one of the lightest options available if you want a combination seat. If traveling internationally, you will need a locking clip in order to do a seat belt installation. Contact the car seat manufacturer for a free locking clip. We have a video here of how to use a locking clip.
For help with all things airplane travel and car seats, check out our Wheels Up Course and private Facebook group.
SITS Bottom Line
In conclusion, the Evenflo Maestro Sport presents itself as a budget-friendly option for families seeking a straightforward solution to their car seat needs. Its lightweight design and FAA approval make it a convenient choice for frequent travelers, while its affordability appeals to budget-conscious parents. However, it’s important to consider factors like weight limits and booster mode limitations.
Other Versions of this Seat:
Evenflo Maestro Sport (Canada)* – no differences to note
*A SITS recommended seat. Recommended seats are in our Buying Kits because they have ranked high on our vehicle, child, ease of use, and features scale.
Compare Car Seats
Looking to compare car seats and narrow down the best car seat for your family? The Forward-Facing and Booster Buying Kit walks you through our 7Cs of selection, then on to an interactive quiz, and finally, a recommended car seat list is generated just for you! If you are overwhelmed and sick of spending hours researching and reading car seat reviews like this one, the Buying Kit will guide you to Safe in the Seat’s recommended car seats for you in under 30 minutes!
Check out this Amazon Live for more seats we recommend and the standout features we love.
We check every day for our recommended car seats on sale, and we have all the deals here for you. Shopping in Canada? Find today’s seat sales in Canada here.
What About Seats We Don’t Recommend?
Just like anyone, we have preferences! This goes for car seats, too. If we don’t recommend a car seat, it’s not because it’s unsafe for your little one. All car seats are safe if they’re installed and used properly, are not expired or damaged, and when they’re made and sold by a reputable manufacturer and/or retailer. Click here for our full list of car seats that we do not recommend.
A note about crash-tests
How does the Evenflo Maestro Sport perform in crash tests?
Well, that’s a great question. We know parents want to make sure they choose a seat with optimal safety. We know it passes the strict federally required testing for all car seats sold in the United States. But we don’t know exactly how it performs. That data isn’t released by any official sources in the US — not by car seat manufacturers, not by government agencies like NHTSA, not anywhere!
There are a few third-party websites that claim to offer objective crash test data that compares car seats. But we at Safe in the Seat ignore that data for a few big reasons. First of all, third-party car seat crash testing doesn’t actually give us meaningful data! Car seat manufacturers crash-test their products hundreds, even upwards of a thousand times. They crash-test the finished product in every single installation configuration using every applicable-sized crash test dummy, and they do a lot of testing at each stage of the development process, too. So, one or two crash tests completed by another organization just can’t give the same level of information! One or two crash tests aren’t going to represent the overall average performance of any car seat across its lifespan. Something you can do to make sure your child is as safe as possible is to always remember to use the top tether when the child is using a forward-facing harnessed car seat!
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