Our reviews also rely on intense product research and observations from multiple testers to compare each product side-by-side. The Graco Extend2Fit 3 in 1 is an impressive convertible seat in this lineup. It features easy-to-use push-style LATCH connectors and is easier to install than most.
Kids’ car seats undergo significant messes and require regular cleaning (whether you like it or not). For this reason, we test how challenging it is to remove the fabric covers for washing. We prefer machine-washable covers that are easy to remove and replace.
Learn more about the car seat in this review video, which details a tester’s experience with the product. 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. For the LATCH install, the NextFit Zip has a so-called SuperCinch system, which allows you to tighten the straps with minimal effort. However, once your rear-facing child reaches 35 pounds, you must switch over to a seat belt install, which isn’t as easy.
The convertible car seats are subjected to more than 45 individual tests to evaluate their performance. The most important rating is the crash test analysis score based on the crash test results from MGA, corresponding to 35% of the overall score. We use the head and chest sensor data recorded by the crash test dummies in each seat to reach our conclusions for this metric.
The light gray color of our test model didn’t do much to help hide the stain, either; for this seat, solid black is probably a better bet. 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, the force of a frontal crash is going to propel their body forward, with the strain absorbed by their head, neck, and spine.
In sedans, these are usually located above/behind the vehicle’s back seat on the rear shelf. In some larger vehicles such as vans, pickup trucks, and SUVs, these tether anchors may be found on the back of a vehicle seat, on the floor, the graco convertible car seat ceiling, or other location. As your little one gets bigger, the QuickFit Harness lets you adjust the headrest and harness with one hand, in one quick motion. The headrest has a little more to it than some for better head and neck support.
Of the seats we decided to try out in person, the NHTSA had crash-testing data available only for the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible (PDF), the Britax Boulevard ClickTight (PDF), the Clek Foonf (PDF), and the Graco 4Ever DLX (PDF). Additionally, we considered it a plus if seats had design elements or features that made them inherently safer, such as an anti-rebound bar. We spoke with 10 experts on car seat safety, policy, and installation. We looked closely at the results of government testing conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the federal agency charged with road safety. All car seats sold in the US are self-certified by their manufacturers to pass the NHTSA’s strict standards (PDF) for safety testing.
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. When he was a little more than 2 years old, we moved it to the forward-facing position, still using the five-point harness. We like that he stayed in a familiar seat through that transition and that we didn’t have to keep buying new gear and equipment as he grew.
Although the laws vary, many states require that a kid remain in a car seat with a five-point harness—which all infant seats and convertible seats have—until they’re at least 40 pounds or 4 years old. The Grows4Me four-in-one car seat is a long-lasting, seamless safety gear with adjustable headrest and height. The harness system allows you to adjust the seat to ten different positions in one swift motion.
We know that when rear facing, the space that a car seat takes up can be a challenge in tight spaces. In rear facing mode, the 4Ever is compact enough that it can work even graco car seat in a small sedan. The headrest extends up from inside the shell so as the child grows and the headrest is extended, the seat still fits well in most seating positions.