Rear-facing car seats are the safest and provide the most protection for small children. Many vehicles cannot accommodate a car seat this size in a 3-across configuration. Plus, once you get to the high back and backless modes, it would be difficult for the child to buckle themselves in. The graco turbobooster seat belt trainer mode, however, does fit very well in most 3-across situations. Congratulations — you chose the right car seat and installed it correctly. Now it’s time to register your car seat with the manufacturer to receive recalls and safety notices so your child can remain safe.
If you have a tall driver or passenger or are just really tight on that legroom in the second or third row of your vehicle this seat is one of your best bets. The headrest has a little more to it than some for better head and neck support. The foam feels like higher-quality padding than some of the competition. The LATCH storage is straightforward clips on the sides of the seat back.
Seat belts & belt-positioning boosters help you rest assured that your baby’s taken care of. Browse through a large collection of car seats and find one the right pick for you and your baby. The Grows4Me four-in-one car seat is a long-lasting, seamless safety gear with adjustable headrest and height.
In booster mode, the entire base must be in contact with the vehicle seat. Despite the Liing’s compact front-to-back dimensions, it can hold an infant up to 35 pounds or 32 inches; it also works for infants as small as 4 pounds, so it’s an option for some preemie babies. The Liing comes with removable support padding that you should use for babies who weigh less than 11 pounds.
The safest car seat is the one you can install correctly and use properly on every ride! Let us know in the comment section what questions you have about this review of the Graco Extend2Fit convertible car seat. They crash test the finished product in every single installation configuration using every applicable-sized crash test dummy, not to mention a whole lot of testing at each stage of the development process, too. So, one or two crash tests completed by another organization just can’t give the same level of information! If we don’t recommend a car seat, it’s not because it’s unsafe for your little one. All car seats are safe if they’re installed and used properly, are not expired or damaged, and when they’re made and sold by a reputable manufacturer and/or retailer.
NHTSA gives the Liingo three out of five stars for its ease-of-use rating. We tested the Diono Radian 3QXT all-in-one, which is part of Diono’s line of seats specifically designed to fit three across. (In 2018, we tested the similar Diono Radian RXT, which has since been discontinued.) Like our also-great convertible pick, the Clek Foonf, the Radian 3QXT is a slender 17 inches wide. With low sides, a deep recline, and high rear-facing limits, the Diono Radian series is a favorite among people who are trying to keep their kids rear-facing longer; the rear-facing weight limit of the Radian 3QXT is 50 pounds. The design of Radian seats may help stave off carsickness, as well, since they have an L shape, rather than a more typical C shape. “For some kids who get queasy, sitting in a C-shaped seat isn’t great because it puts pressure on the stomach,” said CPST Lani Harrison.
To turn the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 from a five-point harness seat into a booster seat, you remove the bottom crotch buckle strap, move the harness straps behind the padding, and stow away the buckles in a compartment behind the padding. Removing that lower buckle is harder than it sounds; it can take several minutes of maneuvering to guide it out of its tight slot. This is not a flaw that’s particular to this seat—we’ve found readjusting crotch buckles to be a nuisance on plenty of other car seats—and you’re unlikely to be changing from convertible to booster mode all that often. With any car seat, it’s important to follow the height and weight restrictions for that particular model.
The Safe Kids Worldwide website also provides schedules of free car seat check events and locations of inspection stations. Depending on where you live, you may also be able to get a free car seat install or check by your local fire or police department (often by appointment only). Or you could consider hiring an expert to come to your home to do an graco turbobooster installation and training on one or more seats; just be sure that the person you choose is a trained CPST. When you install this seat as a booster, you can choose to keep it anchored to your car with LATCH, or you can stow away the LATCH hooks and go without. Next, you route the seat belt through the seat’s rear-facing belt path and buckle it in.
The manual clearly states that the top tether is required for all forward facing installations. The seat allows for rear facing to within 1 inch of the adjuster at the top, or a seated height of about 27 inches tall. A European belt path, on the other hand, routes the lap belt over the top of the seat and the shoulder belt around the back of the seat, reducing the amount that the seat can wiggle and slide.