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. Christina has three children, ages 4, 6, and 9; she can frequently be found ferrying them to soccer practice and play dates in her Honda Odyssey minivan. Britax has released two new convertible car seats, the Poplar and the Poplar S, both of which rely on the company’s ClickTight system.
It’s not confusing—and Clek has good videos online for how to install the seat (though we found the owner’s manual to be sufficient). If you’re planning to transfer the seat between positions or cars frequently in the rear-facing mode, then one of our other picks may be a better option. There’s no question that a no-rethread harness is more pleasant and convenient to use.
While it is an attractive seat (fans of the Uppababy brand will recognize the stylish aesthetic), at 32.5 pounds, it’s very heavy. And it was tough to then maintain that force while routing the belt into the lock-off. Additionally, we found it difficult to maneuver a child into the seat, which is perched higher than average. The Graco Extend2Fit Convertible is our top convertible seat pick in this guide. So perhaps it’s not surprising that when we set out to identify the best all-in-one seat, we ended up being won over by the Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1.
Even though our back seat is stained with red softball dirt, I didn’t want to risk damaging the headliner by installing the E2F and extending the headrest to it’s uppermost position. As always with any forward-facing installation, don’t forget to use the top tether regardless of whether you install the Extend2Fit using the seat belt or lower LATCH strap. The best car seat is the one that fits your child, vehicle, budget, and lifestyle and has the features important to you. Let us know in the comment section what questions you have about this review of the Graco 4Ever DLX Grad car seat. Here’s the Extend2Fit installed fully upright in rear facing mode with the panel in.
When installed behind the passenger seat, we felt a little cramped sitting in the front. But between the safety, durability, and added features, we feel it’s a fantastic value. The seat has a strong and durable feel, with plenty of safety features, such as a 12-position headrest, six layers of side impact protection, and graco car seat an anti-rebound bar that allows for extended rear-facing use. It’s also comfortable for infants since it comes with an infant positioning liner and a wedge that keeps them from looking like they’re sinking into the seat. Plus, the bottom of the seat folds flat for more compact storage and for a travel-friendly size.
The buckle holders keep the straps out of your way when getting your baby in the seat. We also really appreciate the side impact protectors that absorb forces during a crash and make the seat feel extra safe. It’s no exaggeration to say that a car seat is one of the most important items we buy for our little ones, so no one is exactly looking to cut corners with this purchase. But convertible car seats do offer a way to get more for your money—while also cutting down on the amount of time you have to spend researching and choosing a new seat. And if you’re going to buy just one or two of these, you want to make sure you’re buying the best, so we tested more than 20 convertible car seats with our own children to find something to suit every kind of family.