UPPAbaby MESA Infant Car Seat Review

8.6 Total Score

Safety
9.2
Design
9.0
Price
8.0
PROS
  • One of the most-well designed seats on the market
  • Provides the child with the right amount of safety
  • Easy installation with LATCH, belt, and without the base
  • Thick padding offers a lot of comfort
CONS
  • The canopy tends to stain in the rain
  • A highly expensive infant car seat
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Have you heard of UPPAbaby? If you didn’t, it’s nothing to worry about – this company is a new name when it comes to infant car seats. Although they’ve manufactured some (pretty good) strollers in the past, we’re much more interested to see their first car seat and check out if it’s worth the money. Its name is UPPAbaby MESA, and it’s a stylish-looking model that offers easy installation, comfortable padding, and the right amount of protection for the kid. But still, this is the company’s first attempt at creating a quality car seat – does it come with any serious flaws?

Specifications:


  • Car seat type – Infant car seat

  • Height limit – 32″

  • Weight limit – 4 – 35lbs

  • Dimensions – 17″ x 17.5″ x 31″

  • Weight – 11.1lbs

  • Lowest harness position – 4.5″

Features of UPPAbaby MESA

  • The Design

We can safely say that the design of this model is one of its primary selling points. It is one of the most stylish-looking seats on the market, with sleek, curvy lines that tell us that it was designed and built by a group of experienced engineers.

We liked how smooth and rounded the base is – it won’t make any scuffs or dents in your car’s upholstery. It can be purchased in four distinct color combinations – Pascal, Henry, Taylor, and Jake. We had the “Jake” variant on the testing, featuring a pretty sleek mix of gray, black, and blue colors.

  • The Comfort

This model comes with some ample padding for the infant’s head and legs and ensures comfortable rides for the baby.

The thing that separates it from most of the competition is that it comes with a head restraint feature, which is not owned by many other models. Typically, you would have to purchase an extra pillow for the head support, but not here – the head restraint is fully adjustable and it’s quite easy to find the safest and most comfortable position for the baby. The fact that this feature keeps the neck straight and minimizes side-to-side head movement also contributes to the overall safety in the case of a car accident.

The package also includes an excellent infant insert, which is capable of creating a suitable riding position for a newborn baby – it is soft and offers a lot of cushion.

  • The Safety

This infant car seat fits babies weighing from 4 to 35 pounds and that are not taller than 32″. It comes with a 5-point harness that was manufactured by using the latest technology. The harness system features a buckle that has been specially designed to prevent the strap from twisting. It can be adjusted in two distinct positions that will help you find the safest position as the child is growing.
Another great feature of this seat is the presence of the tightness indicator that helps parents determine if the model has been installed correctly. It works just like the traffic lights – green for go and red for stop.

We also liked the fact that the LATCH connectors of this model are stored in the special compartments, and you can release them by pressing a button that’s situated on the top of the base. This means that the LATCH straps won’t be flapping around while you’re installing the seat, and that makes the whole process a lot more convenient.

There are four recline positions, and you can tell which one of them you’re using by taking a look at the indicators situated on both sides of the seat.

Ease of installation

UPPAbaby MESA installation
  • LATCH

The LATCH connectors of this seat release with a touch of a button – they have a hard shell and provide an audible click to inform you that they have connected correctly. The visual indicator that we already mentioned will tell you when the seat is tight and secure – you just have to find the green color. This indicator, together with the base’s adjustable foot, makes the LATCH installation a breeze.

  • Belt

The UPPAbaby MESA comes with a belt lock off and a color-coded path for the belt. Threading the car’s belt takes just a few moments, but can be harder if you decide to involve the shoulder strap – that will require two layers in the model’s lock off.

  • Without the base

Learning how to install this seat without the base is actually really important – if you decide to take your baby into the taxi, you’ll have to be able to quickly secure the model without its base. Fortunately, the color-coded belt pathway should make this quite easy, as it will help you remember how and where to thread the belt. It goes across the carrier’s lower portion and then threads in the clips that are situated on the side. Once it’s correctly installed, the MESA feels very stable.

What’s wrong with the product?

  • The cover of the seat stains in the rain

If the canopy of this infant car seat comes into contact with rain (like when you’re carrying the baby from the house to your car), there’s a big chance for the weird stains to appear on it.

  • It comes at a high price

The UPPAbaby MESA is currently one of the most expensive models on the market. This is not a budget-friendly seat, and those looking for an affordable option will have to look elsewhere.

Conclusion

As far as we’re concerned, this model offers enough handy features to justify its high price. Not only will it provide your kid with the right amount of protection and comfort, but will also allow the kid to ride in style – it’s probably the most attractive model that the money can buy today.

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