Evenflo Maestro Sport Review – 9 Reason to Get The Lightest Harnessed Booster Seat

Evenflo Maestro Sport

Overall Rating

 4.7/5

Face Front Only

The Evenflo Maestro Sport has all the makings of a good combination car seat. It’s fairly affordable, exceptionally well-built, and has a super high booster weight limit. Plus, it sports an array of outstanding features, including adjustable harness straps and two built-in cup holders for comfort and convenience. Unfortunately, though, the lower booster seat’s harness weight limit holds it back. Even an upgraded but still low 50-pound weight limit won’t last long as years as other car seats of 65 pounds. Having said that, for any parents on the hunt for an Evenflo combination car seat, the Maestro Sport should be on your list. All in all, if you’re shopping for your first harnessed booster and harness weight limit isn’t your main focus, the Evenflo Maestro Sport is a worthy contender.

*Price may change due to e-commerce platform and brand sales promotion.

Evenflo Maestro Sport Review - Lightest Harnessed Booster Seat

Pros & Cons

The good and the bad

What is it best for

Who we recommend it for

Value for Money

Is it worth the price tag?

Design

Dimensions, weight, color, etc

Safety Rating

Crash tests, FMVSS213, SIP

Performance

Weight/height limits, airplane, etc

Installation

Install with LATCH or seat belt

Alternatives

Other car seats to consider

1. Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

2. Who Is It Best For?

Will the Evenflo Maestro Sport Be a Good Fit For Your Child and Family?

The Evenflo Maestro Sport is a kind of all-rounder that’ll suit any parents unbothered by the booster weight limit. It’s a good choice for those shopping for the last booster seat that last good years after their kids outgrow the infant car seats; who want a step up from a budget model but don’t want to drop $300 on a top-performing model like the Britax Grow with You ClickTight or the Chicco MyFit.

While it has a somewhat outdated rethread harness system and an under-standard 50-pound harness weight limit, you can’t fault its overall weight and height limit for long-lasting (110 lbs/ 57″). It is as competitive as any one of the best car seats with a 5-point harness 100-120 pounds.

Sadly, though, that’s all the Evenflo Maestro Sport really has going for it, and this shows when you look at its performance figures.

I’m reluctant to recommend it to any parent who prefers a no-rethread adjustable headrest and harness system or multiple harness strap slots, simply because the manufacturer does not intend to have these comfort extras in comparison to more expensive models that provide optimal protection and max comfort.

3. Value for Money

Is the price tag worth it?

With the Maestro Sport, you’re essentially paying for its size limit. The 110-pound and 57-inch overall weight and height limits and a slightly higher 50-inch height limit for the 5-point harness are all premium-price features, or if you add the origin of the country into consideration as your own needs. But when you look at its overall performance for safety and comfort, it’s lacking compared to similarly-priced models.

For these reasons, there are better value combination car seats to choose from, In a nutshell, it all comes down to what you’re looking for. If it’s an average harness weight limit, no-rethread harness and headrest adjustment, and recline positions, avoid the Evenflo Maestro Sport. But if it’s long-lasting as the last car seat you’ll need then the Maestro Sport is your guy.

4 Design

Evenflo Maestro Sport Dimensions and Width

The Evenflo Maestro Sport measures as follows:

Width: 19 inches
Depth: 17 inches
Height: 27.5 inches

It’s obvious that this car seat is not the most compact option on the market, but it fits well in most vehicles without taking up too much space. The forward-facing only position adds points to this.

The 19-inch width is average for a combination car seat, making it fit multiple car seats in the back seat of a large-size vehicle. It’s neither too wide nor narrow. At least, it’s 0.5 inches wider than our best recommendations of narrow car seats within 18.5 inches. This width is not suitable to do 3 across in the same row if you have to install three car seats. The 17.5-inch of Chicco MyFit may be possible to achieve that.

The headrest is not adjustable, so it’s supposed that the maximum height of the Evenflo Maestro Sport is 27.5 inches. That’s very standard for a toddler car seat for good years of use.

Portability

The Evenflo Maestro Sport weighs approximately 9.6 pounds. That’s much lighter than the majority of car seats on the market, like the Chicco MyFit (25 pounds) and Britax Grow with You ClickTight (25 pounds), even beating the lightweight models like the KidsEmbrace SpiderMan (15 pounds).

The Maestro Sport’s weight is manageable for most parents to carry and install in their vehicle. Its lightweight design can make it easier to transfer the car seat between vehicles or for traveling with the car seat.

However, the car seat’s weight is not the only factor that determines its portability rating. The size and shape of the car seat, as well as its compatibility with different vehicles and installation methods, can also affect its ease of use and portability. It gives a score, the Maestro Sport may earn an 8 out of 10, for its 9.6-pound lightweight weight.

If you travel a lot with a kid, pick up a perfect one from our recommendations on:

Cup Holder - Two

The Evenflo Maestro Sport is a harnessed booster seat with cup holders. It has two built-in cup holders that are located on either side of the car seat. They are large and deep to securely hold drinks and snacks, helping to keep your child’s items within reach during trips.

The cup holders have a simple yet effective design. They are shaped to fit a variety of cup sizes, making them versatile and easy to use.

Sadly, though, they are not removable, making it a bit more difficult to clean them because you need to dot clean them while it’s installed in the car seat.

Color option

The Evenflo Maestro Sport harness booster car seat is available in five color options on its official website. They are

Granite Gray
Whitney Purple
Palisade Blue
Crestone Peaks
Aspen Skies Gray

The specific colors and availability may vary depending on the retailer. For example, there are only the first four colors available on Amazon. The two Gray colors are slightly different.

These color options are designed to be gender-neutral, with options that can work well for both boys and girls. If you do want to distinguish any one of them for toddler girls, we recommend the Whitney Purple and Crestone Peaks. Both have more purple and yellow tones, which could be more traditionally associated with girls. However, ultimately, the color choice is up to the personal preference of the parent and child.

Headrest and Harness - 4 Positions

The Evenflo Maestro Sport car seat has a 5-point harness system with four harness strap slots to accommodate growing children. The harness straps can be adjusted using the front harness adjuster, which allows parents to quickly and easily tighten or loosen the harness straps to ensure a secure and comfortable fit for their child.

It’s a pity that the headrest is not adjustable and there are two slots in the headrest section.

Head pillow

The Evenflo Maestro Sport comes equipped with a head pillow that can be used for smaller toddlers. Younger children may not control their head well, especially when they’re sleeping, so the head pillow is good to keep their head in a comfortable fit.

It’s removable and can be removed when your kid grows bigger. You should do this because there are two harness strap slots behind the head pillow that are designed for big kids to use the 5-point harness.

Padding

The Evenflo Maestro Sport car seat is made of high-quality materials that are designed to provide durability and comfort. The seat cover is made of a soft, breathable fabric that is easy to remove and machine washable for easy maintenance. The car seat also features a foam-lined seat and headrest, which provides additional comfort and cushioning for children during long car rides.

The padding on the Evenflo Maestro Sport car seat is thick enough to provide adequate support and cushioning for children, but not so thick that it interferes with the proper positioning of the harness straps or chest clip. The foam padding is strategically placed throughout the seat and headrest to help absorb and distribute crash forces in the event of an accident, which can help to reduce the risk of injury to children.

5. Evenflo Maestro Sport Safety Ratings

Does Evenflo Maestro Sport pass the crash tests?

The Evenflo Maestro Sport is safe to use and has undergone rigorous crash testing to ensure its effectiveness for protection. It meets or exceeds all applicable federal safety standards (i.e. FMVSS 213) and is tested for side-impact and structural integrity at energy levels approximately twice the federal crash test standard.

In addition to meeting federal safety standards, this car seat has also been tested and certified by the independent organization, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It has been given a “Best Bet Booster” rating by the IIHS, indicating that it provides a good fit for most vehicles and can effectively protect children in crashes.

It features an energy-absorbing foam liner and comes equipped with a five-point harness system to help keep children secure and protected in the event of an accident.

Side Impact Protection

The Evenflo Maestro Sport has side-impact protection (SIP) to help protect children from potential injuries in the event of a side-impact collision.

By including energy-absorbing foam layers on the car seat’s headrest and seat cushion, the SIP system can provide enhanced protection to the child’s head and torso. Plus, it helps absorb and dissipate the force of an impact away from the child’s body in case a collision happens.

In addition to its SIP system, the Evenflo Maestro Sport car seat also features a five-point harness system, which is positioned to offer optimal protection for younger toddlers as small as 22 pounds (that’s the minimum weight requirement to use this car seat).

6. Performance

Weight and Height Limits

The Evenflo Maestro Sport is able to accommodate children weighing between 22 and 110 pounds before they reach the top 57 inches height limit. This car seat can be used in two stages, so we list the weight and height limits for each stage:

Forward-facing harness: 22-50 lbs/ 28-50″. This combination is rare. As far as I know, only Maestro Sport and Chase LX (40 lbs/ 50″) have a very low weight limit with a relatively high height limit compared to the majority of the car seats with a 5-point harness (65 lbs/ 49″).

In most cases, kids usually reach the height limit first before the weight limit. But for these two Evenflo models, it’s probably the situation that children outgrow the 40-pound or 50-pound weight limit before they grow to reach the 50-inch height limit.

Belt-positioning booster: 40-110 lbs/ 44-57″. In this mode, the car seat uses the vehicle’s seat belt to secure the child in the seat, with the car seat providing additional support and positioning. The 110-lb is a bit greater than the 100-pound of most car seats, including some great all-in-one car seats like the Graco SlimFit3 LX.

Stage / Modes - 2nd and 3rd

As a combination car seat, the Evenflo Maestro Sport has two stages of use – a forward-facing harness and a belt-positioning booster.

We have talked about the weight and height limits for each stage in the above section. Here we want you to know about the pro tips to make full use of these two car seat stages to ride your kids safely and comfortably.

The car seat uses a five-point harness system to secure the child. The harness has multiple height positions to accommodate growing children and has an upfront adjustment system for easy tightening and loosening. The car seat also features a crotch strap buckle that can be adjusted to two positions to ensure a proper fit.

Belt-positioning booster is the second stage of use for the Evenflo Maestro Sport. In this mode, the car seat uses the vehicle’s seat belt to secure the child in the seat, with the car seat providing additional support and positioning – mainly for raising the kids up to better fit with the vehicle seat belt.

The only pity is that the Maestro Sport does not transition from a high-back booster to a backless one. As your kids grow bigger, they may prefer this mode to be adult-like in the car seat. However, this does not affect its great performance to be the last car seat, thanks to its high 110 lbs/ 57″ capacity.

Age Range

From its weight and height limits, we know that the Evenflo Maestro Sport is suited to children from around 2 years old up to around 8 years old.

It lacks a rear-facing mode, making it good for toddlers at least 1 year or older. According to the instructions in the car seat manual, the manufacturer recommends using it for a kid who is 2 years or older.

That’s the best practice for using a forward-facing-only harnessed booster. The 50 lbs/ 50″ top size limit for the 5-point harness means that the Maestro Sport is good for kids around 4 or 5 years old in this mode.

Then you can use it in the second mode – booster. Like all booster seats or car seats that can be used in booster mode, the Maestro Sport has clear minimum requirements on age and weight. Kids should be at least 4 years old or 40 pounds or more to start the booster mode.

The 110 lbs/ 57″ top size limit for booster means that a kid can use the Maestro Sport on the 8th birthday. Why do we mention the 8th birthday? Because it’s the minimum age requirement to stop using a car seat in most US states upon the car seat laws.

Airplane

Is Evenflo Maestro SportFAA approved for use on a plane?

The Evenflo Maestro Sport is FAA approved for use on a plane in the 5-point harness mode. It has the aircraft label on the sticker and you’ll find the instructions in the car seat manual.

It’s lightweight, making it easy to carry. But it’s not slim, and may not fit well in the airplane seat, especially the narrowest window seat.

So before bringing the Evenflo Maestro Sport car seat on a plane, parents should check with the airline to ensure that the car seat can be used on their flight. Some airlines require advance notice or approval for car seat use on planes.

Lifespan

How long is Evenflo Maestro Sport harness booster car seat good for

Over time, the materials and components of a car seat can degrade or become weakened, which can impact the seat’s ability to protect a child in a crash. Plus, new safety standards and technologies may be developed over time that makes newer car seats safer than older ones. So every car seat has an expiration date, including the Evenflo Maestro Sport.

It has an expiration date of 8 years from the date of manufacture.

It’s important to note that car seats should not be used after they have been involved in a moderate to severe crash, even if there is no visible damage. In a crash, the forces involved can cause damage to the car seat that may not be visible but can impact its ability to protect a child in a subsequent crash.

Warranty

The Evenflo provides a 90-day limited warranty for the Maestro Sport harness booster car seat, starting from the date of original purchase. The warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship under normal use and service.

That’s the shortest among the car seats. The majority of the car seat brands, like Britax, Graco, Safety 1st, and Chicco offer a limited one-year warranty for their products. Diono and Doona do even better, both provide an extended 36-month warranty as long as you register the car seat.

7. Evenflo Maestro Sport Harness Booster Installation

Before starting to install the car seat, you may where to put it. The center of the back seat is probably the safest position to install a car seat.

If possible, install the car seat on that spot. If that seat is not applicable for a proper installation, for example lacking a shoulder belt, either seat on the side would be safe. You may choose any of them based on your family’s and kid’s needs.

Evenflo Maestro Sport Forward-facing Installation

Install Using Vehicle Seat Belt or LATCH

Follow the step-by-step guide in the Evenflo Maestro Sport car seat manual to achieve a proper installation for this car seat. You can choose to install it using the vehicle seat belt or LATCH.

If choosing the LATCH, keep this tip in mind:

DO NOT install this child restraint with the vehicle seat belts AND LATCH (Your vehicle owner’s manual may refer to this system as ISOFIX, Universal Anchorage System (UAS), or Lower Universal Anchorage System.)

Evenflo Maestro Sport Booster Installation

When using this combination car seat in booster mode, it does not require many installations. The most important part is to secure your kid with a lap/shoulder belt system. If the seating spot to install the car seat does not have shoulder belt, it’s not okay to install the Maestro Sport in that place, and you’d better move it to another spot.

Convert Evenflo Maestro Sport into Booster

1. Loosen harness. Press the harness release button while pulling outward on the harness straps, as shown. Disconnect the chest clip.

2. Remove both harness straps from the splitter plate and pull them through to the front of the seat.

3. Disconnect all elastic loops and all retaining strips, then remove the seat pad.

4. Route the harness straps through adjustment slots, then attach to splitter plate.

5. Fold and tuck the harness, chest clip and buckle tongues into the recesses on either side of the seat shell. Look for logos on seat shell for proper storage locations.

6. Remove the crotch strap. Locate the crotch strap anchor on the bottom. Turn the anchor sideways and push it through the seat shell to remove.

7. Install the seat pad. Your child restraint is now in Booster Mode and ready for a child who meets the following requirements:

• Weight: 18 to 49.8 kg (40 to 110 lbs)

• Height: 112 to 145 cm (44 to 57 in.) and tops of the child’s ears are at or below the top of the child restraint headrest

• Age: At least 4 years old

Evenflo Maestro Sport Booster Installation Checklist

1. Convert the child restraint to a booster seat. See “Converting into a Booster Seat”.

2. Secure the booster seat to the vehicle seat. Make sure the bottom and back of the booster seat are touching vehicle seat and back. If your vehicle has LATCH, you may secure the booster seat to the vehicle with the LATCH connectors to prevent the unoccupied booster seat from becoming a projectile in a crash Leveling the booster seat (Canadian Models ONLY).

3. Place the child in the booster seat. Make sure the child’s back and bottom are flat against the back and bottom surfaces of the booster seat.

4. Secure child and booster seat to vehicle seat. Stretch the lap/shoulder belt across the child and fasten the buckle. Make certain the shoulder belt is threaded through the shoulder belt guide. The shoulder belt MUST be routed properly.

5. Check your work. Make sure the lap belt is stretched low and snug across the child’s hips, within the belt guides, and fastened into the buckle. The shoulder belt must cross the child midway between his/her shoulder and neck.

Evenflo Maestro Sport Car Seat Manual

You should always read the user manual before starting to install and use it for riding your child.

The Evenflo Maestro Sport booster car seat manual is stored in a small storage slot on the side of the car seat, but you can always find the online user manual on its official website, or download the PDF here.

8. Specifications

Brand
Brand	Evenflo
Type
Suitable for	Toddlers, preschoolers, and big kids
Positions	Forward-facing
Design
Portability (1-10)	8. Lightweight but a bit bulky
Weight (pounds)	9.6
Weight limits (lb.)	22-50 for FF, 40-110 for booster
Height limit (inch)	50” for FF, 57″ for booster
Dimension	19″ x 17″ x 27.5″ WDH
Cup holder	Two
Performance
Age Range	2-8 years or older
Stage	2nd and 3rd
Installation	LATCH and seat belt
Headrest Positions	4
Recline positions	–
Airplane	Yes
Lifespan	8 Years
Extra Features	–

Evenflo Maestro Sport vs Graco Tranzitions

Car Seats Comparison	Evenflo Maestro Sport	Graco Tranzitions
Price	$99.99	$139.99
Weight limits (lb)	FF:22-65 / Booster: 40-100	FF:22-50 / FF: 40-110
Height limits (in)	FF:50" / Booster: 57"	FF:49" / Booster: 57"
Installation	LATCH/ Seat belt	LATCH/ Seat belt
Side impact protection	✓	✓
Headrest positions	4	8
Width	19 inches	19 inches
Car Seat Weight	9.6 lb.	20 lb.
Machine-washable fabric	✓	✓
Cup Holder	Two	Two
Backless mode	-	✓

*About the height limit for rear-facing: The top of the head must be 1” (2.5 cm) below the headrest adjustment lever.

9. Alternatives

What other combination car seats should you consider?

Britax Grow with You ClickTight

Why is it better than the Evenflo Maestro Sport?

Higher weight limit for booster mode (120 lbs vs. 110 lbs)
Higher height limit for booster mode (63" vs 57")
Higher weight limit for the harness mode (65 lbs vs. 50 lbs)
More headrest positions (9 vs 5)
Easy installation with ClickTight technology
Longer lifespan (9 years vs. 8 years)

Evenflo Maestro Sport Review – 9 Reason to Get The Lightest Harnessed Booster Seat