Given this, it makes sense that items that can grow with your child are invaluable to new parents. One such item is the Graco 4Ever 4-in-1 Convertible Car Seat, which is immensely popular for keeping children safe and comfortable. To see if the car seat lived up to its excellent reviews, we took it home graco convertible car seat and had our two young sons, ages 1 and 3, use it. Afterward, we evaluated its various features, from its design and durability to its overall value. Many a car seat has made this claim but not all actually work for a preemie because the bottom harness height is still too high for their tiny shoulders.
It isn’t exactly easy for adults to climb into the car around the installed car seats, but because it isn’t a daily occurrence for our family, it rarely presents a challenge. For a long time, the 4EverExtend2Fit Platinum in backless booster mode was her very favorite car seat so I was eager to see what she thought of the 4Ever in backless booster mode. In backless booster mode, this seat is a bit taller than many backless booster seats so it worked well with the very high backed seats in my 2011 Mini Countryman. I also tried the 4Ever in backless booster mode for this kiddo in a 2009 Mazda 5 and found that the booster seat was so tall that it didn’t fit her well on those shorter vehicle seats. To install the seat forward facing with the vehicle seat belt for a child who weighs between 20 and 65 pounds, store the lower anchor connectors in the rear facing lower anchor connector storage spots and thread the vehicle seat belt through the belt path. Then, set the 4Ever on the vehicle seat with the harness facing the front of the vehicle.
If you are choosing one stage models, check the weight capacity to prevent incorrect usage and avoid issues between stages (for example if one is up to 30 lbs., but the next starts at 40 lbs.). The ‘Pinch Test’ is helpful in determining if you have properly secured your baby into the car seat. Pinch the webbing strap at the child’s collarbone; if you are unable graco car seat to grasp the material and your fingers slide off, your child is harnessed properly. Additional car seat accessories, such as car seat protectors and baby window shades are available to ensure a comfortable (and tidy) trip. No matter newborn or big kid, buybuy BABY is here to help keep your little ones safe and comfy through every step of their journey.
Although tether anchors have been required in vehicles since 2001, there is no standard position for them—they can be located on the ceiling, the back hatch, the back of the rear seat, the cargo floor area, behind the headrest, or on the rear filler panel. And it’s easy to mistake other parts of the vehicle, like cargo hooks, for them, but cargo hooks don’t have the same load-bearing capacity. We think the trade-offs and inconveniences of keeping your child rear-facing for as long as possible—ideally until your child reaches their seat’s rear-facing height or weight limit—are worth it for the added safety and security.
The car seat harness has to be coming from below the shoulders when rear-facing, and it’s unlikely a smaller baby will meet this requirement in this seat as the lowest harness height is about 7 inches high. Also, ensure the seat cover is machine-washable and easy to clean to avoid germs and infections. With premium safety features and a durable, lightweight body for easy carrying, these car seats will keep your child comfortable and protected. We hope our list of the best Graco car seats can help you in your search.
For around $40 more than our pick, the SnugRide SnugFit 35 Elite has the same padding, plus fancier-looking fabric and a removable all-weather boot (aka partial cover). The Premier SnugRide SnugFit 35 XT provides all of the features of the SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX, as well as a see-through peek-a-boo window in the extendable sun canopy and fancier fabric, graco turbobooster for around $100 more. Finally, the Graco Premier SnugRide SnugFit 35 XT featuring Load Leg Technology has the same features as the XT plus a load leg, which may give added safety and stability in a crash. Extend2Fit convertible car seat’s well-built, steel-reinforced body grows well with your child from a rear-facing harness to a forward-facing harness.
Graco makes a number of additional all-in-one seats, including the Graco SlimFit 3-in-1, the Graco SlimFit3 LX 3-in-1, and the Graco Milestone 3-in-1. We have not tested them because the other Graco models that we did test are more popular and widely available. However, the SlimFit3 LX 3-in-1 is only 16.7 inches wide and designed to fit three across in a back seat, which may be appealing to some families. From a value standpoint, it can be hard to justify spending over $500 on a car seat when there are great alternatives that cost about half as much—including our top pick, the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible.
Fret not—the car seat reportedly went through rigorous crash tests to ensure that it held up in frontal, side, rear and rollover accidents, per the brand. Its steel-reinforced frame is also said to be incredibly durable for up to ten years of use, which means you can use it for more than one kid (of course, checking for expiration dates and recalls). To avoid confusing tether anchors with other hardware such as luggage tie-downs, be sure to read your vehicle’s owner manual carefully to find out where they are located in your particular vehicle. The lower anchors are found in a minimum of two rear seating positions in a vehicle. Each lower-anchor-equipped seating position has two small horizontal bars found in the space between the vehicle seat’s back and bottom cushion (the “seat bight”).