She finds that the 4Ever Extend2Fit installs easier than the Extend2Fit in her vehicle and the harness tightens more easily than the Extend2Fit. In a carseat universe increasingly dominated by All-In-One carseats, the standard Graco Extend2Fit is a great convertible carseat that is also a tremendous value when on sale. I also don’t like elastics because they’re hard to thread through tiny holes or slits to attach to hooks and they don’t last more than a single hot season here in Las Vegas. OK, so I’m clearly not a fan of the logistical design of this cover, though I do like the look. I’m especially fond of the seafoam blue-ish “Spire” cover on the sample I was sent; it’s lovely, though all the E2F covers are sharp-looking.
It features easy-to-use push-style LATCH connectors and is easier to install than most. It performed well in our commissioned crash tests, earning one of the highest analysis scores in our lineup of options. It offers a comfortable riding experience for little ones with ample padding and a nap-worthy headrest, and taller kiddos will appreciate the leg extension that offers more legroom than a standard seat. Like the Extend2Fit Convertible, graco turbobooster the Foonf can accommodate rear-facing children up to 50 pounds and forward-facing kids up to 65 pounds or 49 inches. Clek sells an Infant-Thingy insert for the Foonf that lets the seat carry babies as small as 5 pounds in rear-facing mode only; we recommend using a dedicated infant car seat for newborns. The Foonf’s minimum weight for a forward-facing child is 22 pounds, but experts recommend keeping your child rear-facing for far longer.
Plus, once you get to the high back and backless modes, it would be difficult for the child to buckle themselves in. The seat belt trainer mode, however, does fit very well in most 3-across situations. “Some of the larger SUVs especially end up having smaller seats to accommodate the extra room, but this leaves little space for larger car seats,” Moriarty says. If you need to remove and replace it or move it around, a heavy seat may be difficult for you to work with. We did find this seat to be a little big, and it may be better suited for a larger car.
However, if you have a petite child, neither the 3-in-1’s rear-facing LATCH limit nor its harness limit are likely to become an issue. The Extend2Fit 3-in-1 is similar in appearance to the Convertible; it’s not going to win any design awards, but it’s not offensive. The cover is a polyester blend that’s available in dark colors (black and dark gray) with lighter accents.
We were joined by Wirecutter senior editor Courtney Schley, who has four kids—the youngest just aging into his first convertible seat. Courtney and I took turns installing the seats in our family cars—my Honda Odyssey and Courtney’s Ford Transit cargo van—parked in Gina’s driveway on an icy-cold winter day, and then Gina evaluated our installs. But for the purposes of this guide, we didn’t intentionally seek out lightweight seats. If you need a very lightweight convertible car seat for travel, we recommend the no-frills, 6.8-pound Cosco Scenera Next, the top convertible-seat pick in our guide to the best travel car seats. Our shopping guide will help you decide which graco car seat model is the best fit for you and your child.
Many people seem to be under the impression that the tether is optional, but that is not the case. Check your vehicle manual to confirm the location of the tether anchors. 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. The Clek Foonf is a high-end convertible seat that’s great for extended rear-facing use. Also, it’s narrow and easy to keep clean, and it comes with the added safety feature of an anti-rebound bar.
The thickness and quality are good, but maybe a slight step down from a higher-quality memory foam. Each connector is on its side, so no worries about twisting the strap. The strap is easy to thread with helpful color coding and easily fits in the holes. It is essential to follow the manual as there are parts you don’t use until booster mode. The straps are easy to tighten with little effort, and the stability is great.
It offers extended rear-facing capabilities up to 50 pounds, with up to five extra inches of legroom that is ideal for keeping children with longer legs in that safer position. While it’s not the most complicated installation process of all car seats, our tester did say it took about 20 minutes and that they had to consult the instructions multiple times throughout the process. There are a few different ways to install the car seat, so you need to make sure you’re following the right instructions. But after doing it once, it was easy to remember and do again later on when switching from rear-facing to forward-facing. Graco, the manufacturer of our top-pick convertible, the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible, makes a lot of convertible car seats, including the Graco Contender 65 and the Graco Admiral 65.
The 4Ever harness height adjustment is a no-rethread process with ten possible levels and two placements for the buckle strap. Moving from one level to another is easier than the average option. The headrest comes out from the seat and moves smoothly up and down, but the pinch mechanism is slightly harder than others. Graco has previously sold this separately as the Graco RightGuide.
The SlimFit is easy to install using LATCH, has better push-style connectors, and doesn’t require towels in our tests. We think it is easy to use and provides enough features for comfort that you won’t get complaints from toddler passengers on longer rides. While belt installation could be easier, there is much to love about this economical seat. A well-installed car seat is a snug car seat; once it’s in, there should be minimal wiggle. There are many resources online that can provide both general installation tips and specific advice for your particular seat; we like The Car Seat Lady and Car Seats for the Littles.