The Graco Extend2Fit Convertible does a superior job of keeping your child rear-facing longer—and it’s straightforward to install and use. We actually brought the Graco 4Ever 4-in-1 on a flight, which prevented us from worrying about any damage it might incur as checked baggage. It fit easily into the airplane seat and our son, who was 2 years old at the time, enjoyed a flight strapped into his familiar spot. An important graco turbobooster thing to note is that the LATCH system setup can differ from vehicle to vehicle, so you should check your car’s manual to see exactly where you can find the anchors. With those steps complete, the new indicator is installed and ready to keep on indicating your Graco 4Ever’s recline angle. The harness should be positioned at or above the shoulders and the buckle should be in the position nearest to but not under the child.
And there are two built-in cupholders, which are handy for storing snacks, drinks, or toys on the go. Finally, insert the hook end (right side) of the new indicator in the hole of the seat, and rotate the left end into the shell. You will need a hand-held Phillips screwdriver and about 60 seconds of your time, possibly less. Replacing the level indicator on the Graco 4Ever is a task that most families won’t have to tackle.
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. We recognize that this is easier said than done, and we understand that many caregivers are eager to switch their child to the forward-facing position. This can be because it’s easier to see them or hand them things from the front seat when they’re facing forward, because caregivers are hoping to reduce car sickness, or because their child simply prefers it. Still, 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 current author of this guide is Christina Szalinski, a science writer with a PhD in cell biology whose reporting on health has appeared in The Atlantic, Scientific American, Undark, and more. In addition to writing Wirecutter’s updated guides to the best infant car seats and travel car seats, she is responsible for Wirecutter’s guides to the best baby formula and kids face masks.
The company has addressed that design flaw, and the seats it sells today use a different, more flexible stay. If you already own a Clek Liing, you can find out whether your particular seat is affected and request a replacement canopy stay (PDF). During our comparison testing, we found the buckles on the Liing’s harness simple to clasp and unclasp. But the staffer who has been using this seat for five-plus months reports that she frequently struggles with releasing the crotch buckle. “I wrestle with the button on the harness almost every time I have to get the baby out—it does not give easily,” she said.
The Boulevard has more going for it than just the ClickTight system; it’s also a very pleasant seat to use on a daily basis. The Boulevard features a no-rethread harness—as does our top pick, the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible—so the height of the shoulder straps can be easily adjusted in seconds, even with a kid in the seat. 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. We’ve interviewed safety experts, pored over reviews, endured our share of aching muscles from installing literal towers of car seats, and concluded that the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible is the overall best choice. The seat does a standout job of encouraging extended rear-facing use—the safest position for a young child.
The nation’s first child-restraint law was enacted in Tennessee in 1978, and within four years the number of traffic-crash deaths among children under the age of 4 declined by more than 50% in the state. Purchasing the correct car seat for your child’s age and stage and installing it correctly may be one of the most critical choices you make for their well-being. Measuring 29 inches long from front to back, the SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX is the longest of the seats we recommend, but only by about an inch, so it should have no trouble fitting in a compact car. And this seat is approximately 17½ inches wide, making it the widest of the seats we recommend (but only by a little over half an inch). Depending on the vehicle type and the other car seats in the mix, it may be possible to fit three car seats across in a row.
The Foonf was also a favorite among our kid testers, who appreciated how well padded and roomy it felt. But the Foonf’s rear-facing install is more complicated than that of any of our other picks, and its weight can be burdensome. Also, the Foonf is expensive, which is why we’re recommending this seat with the full awareness that it won’t graco turbobooster be everyone’s cup of tea. To get started, you’ll use the color-coded bubble indicator at the base of the seat to determine the correct recline setting. The key to the ClickTight install, fittingly enough, lies within a 1.5-inch-diameter circle called the ClickTight Key (sometimes referred to as a dial), located at the front of the seat.
So if riding without the base is a frequent occurrence, the type of belt path your infant seat has should be a consideration—and the KeyFit 35 offers this rare feature for hundreds of dollars less than our upgrade pick, the Clek Liing. The KeyFit 30 is one of the easiest infant seats to click in and out of its base; to remove it, you just lift the orange handle on the back of the seat. (As with our picks from Graco and Clek, on this Chicco seat, you can do this task using one hand.) The chest clip on the harness is simple to open, and with “PUSH” etched into the plastic, it’s been rendered sleep-deprived-parent-proof. To address the SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX’s wiggliness in this type of install, CPST Gina Duchossois recommends wedging a rolled-up towel or a shortened pool noodle into the gap between the infant seat and the vehicle seat to make the fit more snug. You can use an infant car seat from a child’s birth until they measure around 30 inches or weigh 30 pounds. It varies by family, but the seat is likely to be in the mix until the child is between 9 months and 2 years of age.
“The best car seat is the one that fits your kid, fits your car, and is used properly on every trip,” Maltese said. Once the seat is in the most upright recline position, it takes up very little space front to back. This makes it one of the best convertible car seats for small cars or for front-seat passengers who are very tall.
All US states have child-safety-seat laws that require the use of car seats for kids under a certain age. For infants younger than a year old, that means a rear-facing car seat. Dedicated infant seats—including all the seats we review in this guide—are designed to be used rear-facing only.