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.
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.
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. As with that of the Extend2Fit Convertible, the fabric on this seat doesn’t wipe clean as easily as the fabric on our other picks.
A load leg is a metal pole that connects from the base of the infant seat to the floor of the car, making the seat more stable and absorbing some of the impact of a crash. So before you buy a seat with a load leg, you should confirm that your car’s make and model can accommodate one. And you should find out if there’s a particular position in the back where you must install it. There are a few third-party websites that claim to offer objective crash test data that compares car seats.
Clek describes this padding as “two-stage” because it comes in two pieces, a headrest and a support cushion. You can use the headrest until the baby outgrows the seat, and you can use the bottom support cushion until their shoulders reach the top harness slot. The KeyFit 30 is graco car seat the narrowest and shortest of the seats we recommend, at 16½ inches wide and 27½ inches front to back; like our other picks, it’s a good candidate for a three-across seat configuration. At 9½ pounds, it’s the second-lightest infant seat among our picks, after the Clek Liing.
We know it can make your head spin, and you already have enough to worry about. That’s why buybuy BABY is here to help you de-stress your already hectic life with a selection of car seats for every age from infant to toddler and beyond. You’ll be ready to roll with infant car seats, toddler graco car seat car seats, convertible car seats, booster seats, and even compact car seats with wheels so you don’t need a separate stroller. Identifying your ideal budget is a great first step to understanding what’s available – this may be surprising but more expensive doesn’t make it safer for baby.
Frankly, any of the three Gracos are sure to please, and which is right for you is likely a personal decision based on goals and needs. Overall, nothing significant stood out for either installation direction, which is not something we can say about very many seats. The Graco Extend2Fit earned one of the highest crash test analysis scores in this lineup. They indicate a potential additional margin of protection over the average graco car seat seat in this review, where all pass the federal minimum and should be considered safe. “It has made car drives great, and our little one loves being able to face front forwards and look out the windows,” one reviewer shared on TikTok, where the car seat has racked up more than 22 million views. It has a harness and, in a crash, cradles and moves with your child to reduce the stress to the child’s fragile neck and spinal cord.
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 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.