Safeguard Go going to Dorel

The Safeguard Go car seat has been off the market for the past few months while IMMI, the company behind the brand, looked for a new distribution partner. According to a letter we received yesterday, their search has ended and Dorel will be distributing the product under the Safety 1st brand.

To make a long story short, the seat should be available in stores again this fall.

To make a long story long,  or if you want to understand why a car seat would jump ship from one brand to another, here’s a quick history of the situation. IMMI is a company that makes car seat components (the harnesses, tethers, LATCH attachments, central adjust systems, etc.) used by all the big brands. A few years back, they came up with some new technology, but none of the major manufacturers were interested. Frustrated and confident their ideas were worthwhile, IMMI put their technology into two seat models and marketing them directly to retailers under their own Safeguard brand.

One model was the Safeguard Child Seat, a very advanced and expensive forward-facing car seat that never really took off. The second model, the Safeguard Go, fared much better. It was a “hybrid” car seat that could be a forward-facing car seat with a 5-point harness or a backless booster seat. The design took full advantage of a vehicle’s top tether, using it to support the back of the car seat for installation as a forward-facing car seat. Because it lacked any sort of hard frame, it collapsed into a small travel bag and weighed less than 10 lbs. The Go seat was a hit with parents, and got rave reviews for its ease of use and convenience.

But IMMI never really wanted to be a full-service wholesale manufacturer, so after they’d proven their point, they were ready to return to their core business. Hence, Dorel and Safety 1st will step in and take over. The seat will be rebranded as the Go Hybrid Booster Car Seat.

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