The Boulevard can be used in the rear-facing position for kids up to 40 pounds (the size of a typical 4-year-old, and an average rear-facing weight limit for a convertible car seat). But we think it could be difficult, in practice, to actually keep a kid rear-facing in the Boulevard for that long. Unlike with our other convertible picks, with the Boulevard the design of the seat itself doesn’t really accommodate larger kids in the rear-facing position. Our top pick, the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible, has a pull-out extension panel to create extra legroom.
This strap wraps around the Foonf and hooks to the top tether anchor; its purpose is to help further absorb the forces in a crash, without transferring them to your child. Let your little one tag along everywhere you go, with the perfect car seat to keep them safe and snug in the back seat. At Target, you can pick from great brands like Britax, Chicco & Maxi-Cosi to find just the infant car seat you need. From all-in-one variants to convertible car seats, the collection has it all. Keep your kiddo comfy with the one you think works best, be it a forward-facing or rear-facing booster seat. Picking an infant car seat that’s the right fit for your car seat is an easy task when you have adjustable variants that are super-easy to install.
We’ve installed the 4Ever in a number of vehicles over the years and discovered that this recline position can be a bit tricky because 80% of the 4Ever’s base must be on the vehicle seat. In addition, the entire base must be flat on the vehicle seat but there can be a gap between the back of the 4Ever and graco convertible car seat the back of the vehicle seat as long as the car seat is installed correctly with less than one inch of movement at the belt path. This seat works for babies ranging from 4 pounds up to 30 pounds or 30 inches; like our other picks, it can accommodate most preemies who are able to travel in a car seat.
You can also unsnap the lower portion of the cover inside the belt path to expose the entire belt path — whichever method helps YOU install the seat correctly is the best one. Once the vehicle seat belt is threaded through the rear facing belt path and the shoulder portion of the belt is accessible, press down on the seat pan with one hand while pulling straight up on the top portion of the vehicle seat belt to remove all slack. Once the slack is removed, engage the seat belt’s locking mechanism to secure the installation and feed the excess slack back into the seat belt’s retractor.
But the great thing about the Graco 4Ever DLX Grad is that it has a built-in seat belt lock-off! This means you don’t need to worry about using a locking clip when traveling internationally. For over 65 years, the Graco team has thoughtfully designed car seats, strollers, playards, highchairs, and other baby gear, always with parents and babies in mind. Each Graco product undergoes extensive research and testing to ensure parents have the trusted, quality products they need with the comfort and convenience features they want.
To adjust the recline position, squeeze the white handle at the front of the seat (it says RECLINE on it), then push the seat’s back. The Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35 is a high-end seat with an anti-rebound base (an added safety feature that can help graco car seat reduce the rebound effect in the case of a crash) and a no-rethread harness. But when we field-tested it in 2018, we found that the chest clip was flimsy, the harness straps were hard to adjust, and the handle was relatively difficult to shift.
If you are traveling or switch cars often, an on-the-go option is handy and some can also transform into a stroller to make the switch from car to ground seamless. Many parents prefer an infant-only rear-facing car seat for the first few months of their child’s life. An infant car seat can be taken out of the car with the baby still in it, while a convertible car seat is designed to remain in the car. Keep in mind that babies should not be left to sleep in a car seat when not traveling, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
This seat comes with a one-year warranty and has a lifespan of 10 years. It performed well (PDF) in front-impact crash testing carried out by the NHTSA, with good Head Injury Criterion (HIC) and chest acceleration scores. 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.
For the LATCH install, the NextFit Zip has a so-called SuperCinch system, which allows you to tighten the straps with minimal effort. However, once your rear-facing child reaches 35 pounds, you must switch over to a seat belt install, which isn’t as easy. (You have to pull the seat belt very tight and then maintain tension while you slide the seat belt into a piece on the side of the seat.) And we found that it can be difficult to get a child in and out of the NextFit’s deep, egg-shaped seat. Also, when the seat is in forward-facing mode, the depth of the seat seems to make a kid’s legs point straight out, rather than hang down, which can encourage the kid to (annoyingly) kick the seat in front of them. Knowing your baby is both safe and comfortable is key to finding a reliable car seat. For first-time parents, finding the right model can be a challenge with the multitude of features, options and stages available.