But given the ease of the LATCH install—and the seat’s unusually high LATCH weight limits—for the majority of people, manually locking off the seat belt is a nuisance that can be avoided. Still, if you need or want to install this seat frequently using the seat belt method only, then it’s something to consider. Many states also require children under a year old to ride rear-facing in their car seat, and increasingly state laws require kids to stay rear-facing up to the age of 2 (though longer is better). Both the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (PDF) and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children stay rear-facing for as long as possible. That is, “until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat manufacturer,” according to the AAP. The British Medical Journal concluded in 2009 that a child is safer riding rear-facing until they’re 4 years old.
A tensioner or lock-off might have made this all easier, but it wasn’t tricky and felt stable. Safety experts generally agree that it is better to stay rear-facing longer, as is staying in a seat with a five-point harness for as long as possible before switching to a seat belt–dependent booster seat. We think the trade-offs and inconveniences of keeping your child rear-facing for as long as possible—ideally until your child reaches their seat’s rear-facing height or weight limit—are worth it for the added graco car seat safety and security. While all models allow you to remove the infant insert for washing, others let you remove and wash all fabric parts — a significant benefit if you plan to use your car seat from birth through early childhood. We love that the Graco 4Ever 4-in-1 car seat complies with all Federal Aviation Administration guidelines and can be used on an airplane in the rear or forward-facing positions with the five-point harness. The seat also has a convenient sticker outlining correct airplane use.
We’d love to see a slit added to the cover just over the rear facing belt path or to have the cover be easier to remove around the belt path. That would allow easier access to tighten the lower anchors or vehicle seat belt from inside the seat’s shell. If you are expecting a smaller baby and want to start with a convertible seat, this is not the best car seat for a newborn on the tiny side. The car seat harness has to be coming from below the shoulders when rear-facing, and it’s unlikely a smaller baby will meet this requirement in this seat as the lowest harness height is about 7 inches high. Remember, the best car seat is the one that fits your child, vehicle, budget, and lifestyle and has the features important to you.
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 consulted multiple Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs) and car seat safety advocates, such as Alisa Baer (CPST), a pediatrician and co-founder of The Car Seat Lady website. The Britax Boulevard ClickTight, our runner-up pick, is being phased out, as is the Marathon ClickTight, a less expensive convertible car seat that we list as an Other Good in this guide.
For very tall, lightweight kids, it may be possible to outgrow this seat forward facing first (though not much longer after rear facing). Our doll likely has less than a year to grow in terms of shoulder height. By overall height she would have graco car seat had probably three to six months before she hit 49 inches. For children who weigh between pounds the seat must be in recline position four. Children who weigh over 40 pounds must use recline position five or six in forward facing mode.
Additionally, we found it difficult to maneuver a child into the seat, which is perched higher than average. When it comes to making a car seat as simple as possible to install, Britax has figured out how to build a better mousetrap—period. All of them have the same proprietary, innovative install system, and all of them are by far easier and quicker to install than any other convertible car seat we’ve come across. We found the Boulevard model to be the most appealing—it’s mid-range price-wise, and it has extra padding on the headrest.
While installing with the belt isn’t a standout in this metric, and we recommend LATCH if the manufacturer guidelines allow it in your situation, we think it is straightforward and won’t lead to crying. The recline adjustment handle is easier to use on this option than on other Gracos, and the range is adequately wide. graco turbobooster The seat padding has a Velcro-style attachment that makes moving it out of the way a breeze, which you’ll need to do to access the pathway. The LATCH connectors are readily available and easy to attach or remove. It takes little effort to tighten the strap, but nothing significant that would make it a deal-breaker.