The main selling point of an all-in-one is, of course, that you’ll have to buy only one seat—or at least that’s the hope. It would certainly be more environmentally friendly if you could actually manage to purchase a single seat rather than multiples. And we can see how an all-in-one seat might also make a lot of sense if you’re graco turbobooster in the market for an ancillary car seat—say, to keep at a grandparent’s house or as a spare for the babysitter. 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.
The fabric is soft and has a wipeable texture that makes it easy to clean, and after a month of use, the seat looked almost the same as the day we installed it. Basic models priced between $100 and $150 are safe and functional but lack some desirable engineering features. Higher-end models priced between $150 and $300 include valuable features like advanced crash testing, additional configurations that extend the life of the car seat, and extra leg room.
BabyGearLab contracts with the same crash test facility that the NHTSA uses to perform our convertible seat crash tests. We purchase two of each seat and send one to MGA, where we pay for them to complete crash tests. MGA tests the seats using a faster speed and a slightly firmer sled than the FMVSS 213 safety standard.
We’ve used the Graco 4Ever 4-in-1 for a little more than two years with our oldest child. When he was ready to transition out of an infant car seat, we wanted something that would grow with him. We first used it when he was 12 months old in the rear-facing position with the five-point harness.
These options include the Nuna Revv, Evenflo Gold Revolve360, and the Cybex Sirona S. Following close behind are the Baby Jogger City Turn, Nuna RAVA, Graco 4Ever DLX, Graco SlimFit 3-in-1 and the Graco Extend2Fit 3 in 1. The hardest to install using LATCH are the Safety 1st Grow and Go All-in-One, Diono Radian 3RXT Safe+, Clek Fllo, and the Maxi-Cosi Pria All-in-One. Our testing process begins with buying two units of each car seat. We send one to the same certified crash testing lab used by NHTSA for crash testing, and we share the crash testing results with you to help you make an informed decision. Our tests are somewhat faster than the federal guidelines to help differentiate between safe but average seats and those that might offer an additional margin of safety. Then, we buy a second unit of each car seat to put through our rigorous hands-on testing process at GearLab.
That left us with a list of over 90 convertible and all-in-one car seats to consider. We consulted multiple Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs) and car seat safety advocates, such as Alisa graco turbobooster Baer (CPST), a pediatrician and co-founder of The Car Seat Lady website. Despite no actual process for tightening the belt or getting a stable installation, we didn’t struggle with this seat.
We have not used the Graco 4Ever 4-in-1 as a booster seat but are confident that the familiarity of the seat and ease of use will make it the best choice for our family. You’ll see a lot of car seat accessories available for purchase, but Moriarty strongly advises against using anything that didn’t come with the car seat you bought. “Sometimes other equipment, such as padding, can affect how securely the child fits into the seat,” she says. Remember that items around the seat, like mirrors or toys, can become projectiles in a crash. So, parents of little littles, unless you plan to rear-face your child until they reach 40+ pounds (which may be when they are 5, 6 or even 7) then this is not the best seat for you.