The remaining end of the seat pad tucks behind the seat when it’s in use. Graco permits use of lower anchors and top tether when using the seat in booster mode. As always, if you choose not to use this feature, be sure to buckle the booster in when not occupied, graco turbobooster to prevent it from moving unhindered through the cabin in an accident. Recline position 3 is the most upright of the rear facing recline positions. The insert must be used if the baby’s shoulders do not reach the harness position in the lowest headrest position.
It’s one of the simplest infant car seats to install when you’re using the base, whether you install it with a seat belt or the LATCH method. This stylish seat has some bells and whistles usually reserved for pricier models, such as a removable seat pad for quicker cleanup, harness straps that you don’t have to undo and rethread to adjust, and one-handed handle adjustment. This seat also has the added safety feature of an anti-rebound base (a metal bar built into the base of the seat), which can help limit the amount the seat rotates (or rebounds) after the initial impact of a crash. At 10½ pounds, the SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX is the heaviest of our picks.
Whether you’ve just installed a car seat or need help installing or using one, get help at a car seat inspection station near you. Certified technicians will inspect your car seat free of charge, in most cases, and show you how to correctly install and use it. Once you’ve become familiar with vehicle and car seat parts used for installation and NHTSA’s tips to install your car seat, you’re ready to follow these detailed car seat installation instructions and videos by type. Use the information below to help you choose the type of car seat that best meets your child’s needs or print out NHTSA’s car seat recommendations for children (PDF, 370 KB). Graco car seats for toddlers are long-lasting and can easily last for six to ten years.
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. If your family is larger, you may wonder how multiple 4Ever 4-in-1 car seats will fit into your vehicle. We drive a mid-size SUV and are able to fit two Graco seats and an infant car seat across the back row without any issues. Sometimes, depending on who’s in the car, we leave space in the middle of our backseat for toys, books, and the occasional adult passenger.
Rebecca’s articles on policy and parenting have appeared in outlets including The New York Times and The Washington Post. She’s also the author of Wirecutter’s guide to the best booster car seats. This model is amazingly easy to install and is engineered to prevent user error (color-coding galore!). Plus, it has a huge sun canopy and the added safety feature of a load leg. Still, there is no color coding or a lock-off, which is a bummer as it traditionally makes installation easier and more stable.
Many cities have designated times or events open to the public that include free car seat inspections. Move the crotch buckle to the outermost position and tuck it into the storage area. Then, lift the entire back off the bottom, harness and all, and move the red tabs back to their original position. Finally, replace the seat pad and secure the two remaining elastic loops onto the tabs at the back of the base.
So the most effective strategy for keeping your kids safe on the road is to choose a car seat that works well for your family—and to use it correctly. For the first version of this guide, published in 2018, we elected to perform independent crash testing on the convertible car seats we considered to be our top contenders. We commissioned Calspan, an independent lab in Buffalo, New York, to conduct the tests. But for the purposes of this guide, we didn’t intentionally seek out lightweight seats.
That left us with a list of over 90 convertible and all-in-one car seats to consider. Because in the case of a head-on collision, when a child is facing to the rear, the impact of the crash would be absorbed primarily by their backside, which is cocooned and protected by the shell of the car seat. But if the child is facing forward, graco car seat the force of a frontal crash is going to propel their body forward, with the strain absorbed by their head, neck, and spine. The Clek Foonf is a high-end convertible seat that’s great for extended rear-facing use. Also, it’s narrow and easy to keep clean, and it comes with the added safety feature of an anti-rebound bar.
Whatever seat you choose, we’ve also included plenty of helpful tips on how to navigate the road ahead. The Chicco Fit2 is an infant-and-toddler hybrid seat rated for up to 35 pounds or 35 inches (the tallest height limit of all the infant car seats we considered). Intended for kids up to 2 years old, it could be appealing to caregivers who want to delay the switchover to a convertible seat. With the Fit2’s base in its “toddler” position, the seat will properly fit an older child at a more upright angle. The base is similar to that of our runner-up pick, the Chicco KeyFit 30, a design that we found easy to install. And, like our top pick from Graco and our also-great pick from Chicco, it has the added feature of an anti-rebound bar on the base, which could help reduce secondary motion in a crash.