We didn’t have a dozing infant to test it out on, and truth be told, in the past we’ve never noticed a canopy being loud enough to ruin a nap. Graco claims that it’s possible to do the base install, with either LATCH or the seat belt, in less than a minute. In our experience, that wasn’t far off; the first time I tried it myself, the process took about two minutes.
Convertible car seats are intended to be used rear-facing for younger children and then turned around later to be front-facing. The laws vary by state when it comes to the age and size at which a child can legally move to a front-facing seat; many states now require all children younger than 2 to be in a rear-facing child seat. The KeyFit 35 has a slightly higher passenger height and weight limit than the KeyFit 30, though the minimum graco convertible car seat weight is the same (4 pounds, which makes it an option for some preemies). Whereas the KeyFit 30’s maximum limits are 30 pounds and 30 inches, the KeyFit 35’s are 35 pounds and 32 inches. We don’t think that difference alone is worth paying more for; by the time your baby is about that size, the main benefit of an infant seat—its portability—is likely lost anyway, and transitioning to a convertible seat is the next natural step.
Britax has released two new convertible car seats, the Poplar and the Poplar S, both of which rely on the company’s ClickTight system. We love that the Graco 4Ever 4-in-1 car seat complies with all Federal Aviation Administration guidelines and can be used on an airplane in the rear or forward-facing positions with the five-point harness. When the 4Ever is in backless booster mode, it cannot be used graco turbobooster with LATCH (since the connectors aren’t attached to the seat in this mode!), so remember to buckle it in when not in use. For younger and smaller children, we’d advocate that families use high back mode for as long as possible. The provided belt guide helps to correctly place the shoulder belt in backless booster mode. For older children, the shoulder belt will likely fall in place on its own.
The portable car seat is equipped with a silent shade canopy that you can adjust with a single hand. It features the InRight latch system that allows you to install the seat quickly, making it a trusted choice among parents. You can also easily customize this dad- and mom-approved car seat for toddlers to fit your vehicle with its four-position adjustable base. The well-designed three-in-one toddler car seat can be used as a rear-facing harness, a forward-facing harness, and a high-back booster seat.
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. The Foonf does require more assembly than its counterparts, with a separate headrest, an anti-rebound bar, a base for rear-facing install, and manually threading harness straps. However, we didn’t find dealing with any of these pieces to be particularly onerous. The only thing that stumped us was how to remove the rear-facing base in order to switch the seat to forward-facing mode.
Like the Extend2Fit Convertible, the 3-in-1 has a no-rethread harness that’s linked to the headrest; it’s smooth and simple to adjust. And, like the Convertible, it allows for convenient snacking with two built-in cupholders. The seat has low sides, which make it easy to get your child in and out (similar to the Convertible).
The seat scored well (PDF) in front-impact crash tests conducted by the NHTSA (the agency tests with dummies the size of 1-, 3-, and 6-year-olds), earning strong Head Injury Criterion (HIC) scores. We spoke to dozens of caregivers about their car seat experiences, scanned hundreds of online reviews, and read articles and recommendations from other media sites like BabyGearLab and Car Seats for the Littles. The Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1 has many of the same qualities we like in our top convertible pick, the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible, plus it converts to a booster seat. Like the other seats in Britax’s ClickTight line, the Boulevard ClickTight requires less effort to install than any other seat we tested.