Joie mint latch Rear Facing Only Car Seat Review
Joie mint latch installed with lower anchors
There’s a small trend towards rear facing only car seats that don’t include the base. The families who use them seem to enjoy the convenience of not having a base. We do want to remind everyone that most rear facing only car seats can already be used without the base (see the “Installation: Without the Base section of every rear facing only car seat review that we’ve written for more info). Adding rigid lower anchors does make this type of installation about as simple as it gets, the mint latch includes those lower anchors, some plush fabrics, and has a tiny footprint.
This will be kind of a short review because the mint latch is pretty darn simple (and easy to use!).
CSFTL Quick Stats
Height range: under 30 inches tall or when the child’s head is less than one inch from the top of the seat’s shellWeight range: 4-30 poundsManual rethread harnessSeat weight: 9.2 poundsExpiration: 7 years after date of manufactureRigid lower anchors
Measurements
Lowest harness height:Width at widest point: 17 inches at the handleLowest harness slots: 6 inches without insertFront-to-back space: 25 inches
No Assembly Required
The seat arrives in a pretty tiny box, I guess that’s what having no base will do for you! Just open the box, remove the packaging, and the Mint Latch is ready to go!
Infant Inserts
Joie mint latch infant inserts
The infant inserts can be used as needed to provide a snug fit for small babies, the weight limit is 11 pounds. That limit is listed on a warning label on the back of the insert and in the manual.
We found that the insert helped with the fit on our preemie doll, which is great. We did discover that putting the headrest portion of that insert back on was way too difficult for what it is — it connects under the fabric, that taking about half of the cover off (then putting it back on when the insert is attached) was the easiest way to reattach it.
Joie mint latch infant insert weight limit
The manual mentions removing the insert from behind the cover but doesn’t explicitly state that it would reattach this way. We’d love to see some explicit “attach it under the cover” instructions. This is a VERY small complaint but frustrating that a seat we have no other issues with made this (usually simple) task difficult.
Lower Anchor Guides
Joie mint latch lower anchor guides
The seat includes some optional lower anchor guides that can make finding the vehicle’s lower anchors fairly easy. All of our cars have fairly easy-to-access lower anchors so I didn’t end up using these but I can definitely see where they’d come in handy, especially since you have to install this seat over and over again!
Robust Canopy
Joie mint latch canopy
Yet another thoughtful feature of the seat is the rather large canopy. It even unzips to cover most of the kiddo! Here it is, fully unfurled.
Adjusting the Harness
Joie mint latch route harness under the bar
The mint latch has a manual rethread harness. It is routed under the bar on the back, NOT over that bar! The manual has clear instructions around this and there are labels on the seat itself to reaffirm this requirement.
Recline Angle Indicator
Since the mint latch is just a carrier, the recline angle indicator is pretty simple — it’s just a blue line on the side of the seat. The line must be level to the ground.
Releasing the Lower Anchors
Joie mint latch release handle
Once installed, the lower anchors release by squeezing the handle on the back of the carrier. This handle is exactly where we’d expect the handle releasing the carrier from the base to be so it makes sense that it releases the lower anchors instead.
Issue with our Seat
Joie mint latch release cable slipped into harness slots
On our seat, the wires that connect the release handle to the release mechanism slipped out of their channels — I think they were supposed to be taped in there somehow. We were still able to release the lower anchors. Our friends at Joie are working on this issue as we speak, we’ll share an update as soon as its available.
We were able to release the seat from the vehicle without issue, even with these wires in the wrong place.
Installation
Lower Anchors
Joie mint latch installed with lower anchors
The mint latch includes rigid lower anchors that should just click into the lower anchors on the vehicle. I do want to reiterate that because this seat doesn’t have a base, caregivers who want to carry the seat around will need to install and uninstall the seat every time it’s used. That said, the installation with lower anchors is super simple — just attach the lower anchor connectors to the lowers anchors in the vehicle and you’re good to go.
Bonus Thing
Joie mint latch square end
See this kind of squared-off end? That means our mint latch snuggles right up against the vehicle seat and hardly moves once it’s installed. Similar seats with more rounded ends cause a bit of frustration in some vehicles but we had no issues with the mint latch.
Vehicle Seat Belt
Joie mint latch installed with vehicle seat belt
The mint latch can also be installed with the vehicle seat belt. It does not have Euro routing but it does have clearly marked belt guide that made the seat belt install pretty simple.
Fit to Child
Preemie Doll
With Insert
Joie mint latch preemie doll
Our preemie Huggable Images doll weighs 4 pounds and is 17 inches long. With the insert, our doll fit very well in the seat.
Newborn Doll
With Insert
Joie mint latch newborn doll with inserts
Our preemie Huggable Images doll weighs 4 pounds and is 17 inches long. The doll fit reasonably well with the inserts in place but also seemed a bit squished so…
Without Insert
Joie mint latch newborn doll without inserts
We removed the insert and the doll seems to fit a bit better. This change in fit can vary from child to child so it’s a good idea to check the fit for your kiddo.
Important Information: Where to Find
Joie mint latch FAA approval
FAA approval the mint latch is approved for use on aircraft, the approval label is under the seat.
Joie mint latch date of manufacture label
Date of manufacture label is found on the underside of the carrier. The mint latch expires 7 years from the date of purchase
Joie mint latch manual storage
Manual storage the manual stores in a little compartment on the seat’s shell.
Overall Thoughts
Many families prefer the consistent convenience of using a base with their rear facing only car seats — for those families, the mint latch isn’t the best option. However, there are many families who find themselves moving between vehicles often or for many reasons want to install their car seat afresh on every ride. In that area, the Joie mint latch absolutely delivers. It’s easy to use, has comfortable soft goods, and offered both of our dolls an excellent harness fit.
