It’s not particularly stylish—from a looks standpoint, we prefer both the Graco seat and the Clek seat. The seat cover is made from a slippery-feeling polyester material that’s easy to spot-clean; you can also remove it and machine-wash it on the gentle cycle and air-dry it, if necessary. Unlike with the Graco seat, with this Chicco seat you have to take apart the harness system to remove the cover for washing, which does make the process a bit more time-consuming. In 2022, Chicco released the Chicco KeyFit 30 ClearTex, which is the same seat, available at around the same price, as the KeyFit 30. But the seat cover on the ClearTex version is made with fabric that contains no added chemicals, and it has received a Greenguard Gold Certification for lower chemical emissions.
This premium-quality seat protects babies from frontal, side, rear, and rollover crashes and is trusted by moms and dads for its proven performance. The adjustable harness allows you to conveniently adjust the height of the seat and the headrest to ten positions in one swift motion, ensuring enhanced safety and making it one of the best Graco convertible seats. Its six-position recline ensures comfortable rides for your child, and the integrated belt lock-off makes installation easy. Learn more about the car seat in this review video, which details a tester’s experience with the product. Unlike the Extend2Fit Convertible, the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 converts to a high-back booster seat. In order to switch over to booster mode, your child must be at least 40 pounds and 43 inches tall, and have the emotional maturity to maintain correct posture while in the seat.
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, graco car seat 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.
The Extend2Fit Convertible’s harness is easy to tighten around your child—you just pull on the strap located at the front end of the seat, so a snug fit can be achieved without a struggle. When the seat itself needs more cleaning, we take it inside to remove the cushions and wipe down the plastic. We machine-wash the cushions (as instructed by Graco) using regular detergent and let them air-dry overnight. According to the company, the five-point harness and buckles can also be wiped down with mild soap and warm water. Occasionally, we use an old toothbrush to deep clean the buckles to make sure that they’re free of any sticky residue and able to function properly. Also, if you’re unsure about any aspect of your car seat installation, you can check with your local police or fire departments to get a professional to inspect your installation.
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.
However, if you plan to often go without a base—say, for frequent taxi rides or travel—you might want to consider our also-great pick, the Chicco KeyFit 35, or our upgrade pick, the Clek Liing, both of which are better for baseless graco convertible car seat installs. Also, the SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX is not as compatible with as many strollers from various brands as our other three picks are. As the name implies, a convertible car seat is designed to evolve as your child grows.
However, we found the Radian 3QXT more difficult to install than other seats we tested; it requires a lot of physical effort to get a snug install. And unlike any other seat we tested, the 3QXT is so top-heavy that it can’t sit upright on its own. So if you need to uninstall it to change the SafeStop or to remove the seat cover, you have to prop it up against something. Additionally, the Radian 3QXT’s anti-rebound bar—an added safety feature that helps to prevent the seat from rebounding in an accident—was not fully flush to the seat. According to The Car Seat Lady’s Baer, that could pose a safety issue if a child rides with their feet tucked under the bar and then is in a crash. One of our favorite infant car seats is made by Chicco, so we were eager to try the company’s convertible seat, the Chicco NextFit Zip.
Threading was no problem, but we did have to stick a knee in the seat to get leverage for tightening. Pulling the strap didn’t take much effort in the second car, but the knee was still helpful. A tensioner or lock-off might have made this all easier, but it wasn’t tricky and felt stable.
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 convertible car seat 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.