Next, you can look at car seat recommendations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA provides car seat recommendations based on the age and size of your child, making it easy to find a good car seat. With our younger son, we started using the Graco when he was around 1 year old and still use it in the rear-facing position. We found that, even in this position, graco convertible car seat there is plenty of room for his legs. 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. If you’re looking for one car seat that will last through all your child’s ages and stages, the Graco 4Ever 4-in-1 Convertible Car Seat is prepped to grow with them for ten years.
Every car seat needs to be installed using either the lower anchors or a seat belt to secure it in place, never both. If you choose to use a seat belt to install your car seat, pay close attention to how to “lock” your seat belt according to the vehicle’s owner manual. Before installing your car seat make sure you understand the function and location of the vehicle and car seat parts that are used in installation.
We still think a dedicated convertible seat is the way to go for most families, as we’ve previously explained. However, if you want an all-in-one seat, the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 is a good option, despite some weaknesses in comparison with the Extend2Fit Convertible—namely a lower rear-facing LATCH limit and a shorter maximum harness height. When it comes to making a car seat as simple as graco car seat 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.
The Tribute fills a niche we think will appeal to many parents for different reasons. It is the cheapest seat in our review but it earned one of the top crash test analysis results! We love safety and think it offers an additional margin of safety over lower-scoring options, so we gave it an award despite its lackluster performance. If your budget is tight and safety is key, the Tribute is an excellent seat to consider. The Extend2Fit offers better crash test results than our budget-friendly option, and with sales, you can often find it for a cheaper price than other award winners in this lineup. While not super challenging, if this is going to be your main installation type, the Graco 4Ever DLX might be a better choice.
However, if this is a little out of budget, the Graco SlimFit 3-in-1 (above right) is a budget-savvy choice with a similar test result profile and a lower list price. Last, if your budget is uber-tight and you need the best crash test results for the lowest price, the Evenflo Tribute is tough to beat with a price almost anyone can afford and a crash test result that few seats bested. Although it is not a federal requirement, side-impact protection is quite an essential factor.
The weight and height maximum for the forward-facing position is 65 pounds and 49 inches, respectively. The Boulevard ClickTight can be used in the rear-facing mode for babies as small as 5 pounds (an infant insert pillow is included), though many families prefer to use a dedicated infant seat instead. With many car seats, getting a tight install relies on human force or skill. Not so with the Boulevard, since the ClickTight system is doing all the hard work—which makes this seat an especially good choice for anyone struggling with strength or dexterity issues.