Best Convertible Car Seat Consumer Reports

Best Convertible Car Seat Consumer Reports. A convertible car seat is a car seat that can be used with children of various sizes.

It also can be changed from a rear-facing to a forward-facing seat. Some convertibles even turn into booster seats for school-age kids.

All convertible seats come with minimum requirements for safety. Some parents use a convertible car seat from the first day of their child at the car.

Some parents choose to use an infant car seat initially and then transition over to a convertible car seat.

8 Best Convertible Car Seat Consumer Reports

Types Of Car Seats

There are four different types of car seats.

Infant-only seat

Infant-only seats are rear-facing seats, their occupants are safest. It provides the best possible protection and keeps your child rear-facing in the back seat. It’s suggested that your child remain rear-facing up to 2 years of age.

The seat should recline at about a 45-degree angle. Harness height should be at the child’s shoulder level. Infant seats are coming with a high-end rear-facing weight limit, if your child exceeds the limits, you will need to move the child to a convertible seat in the rear-facing position.

Convertible seat

Convertible seats are two car seats in one, placed in the back seat. It faces the back of the car until your child is about 2 years of age. The seats should be turned around to face the front of the car, while forward-facing harness heights should be set just above your child’s shoulder level.

Combination seat

Combination seats face the front of the car, these types of car seats are intended for children who are at least 1 year. These are ideal for a child weighing approximately 20 to 40 pounds. These seats can also convert into a belt-positioning booster seat, and should not be used rear-facing.

Booster seat

Booster seats are ideal for children of 4 to 8 years old. Your child should start using a booster seat when he or she grows out of his or her car seat. This type of seat is usually used when your child is at least 8 years old and 4’ 9” tall. Over this age and height child should use a regular seat belt.

1. Graco Graco car seat convertible

best convertible car seat consumer reports

Graco 4Ever DLX 4 in 1 is one of the top-rated convertible car seats. This car seat gives you 10 years of use with 1 car seat. It is upgraded with 3 additional features pack and plays The best-selling 4Ever features.

Comes with a rapid remove cover, an integrated belt lock-off for easy installation, and rubberized fuss-free harness storage for extra accessibility.

It has outstanding performance in each position and also recognized for being very easy to use, long-lasting, and well-designed.

This convertible car seat is comfortable for your child. It is also convenient for you as it transitions from a rear-facing harness to a forward-facing harness to a high back belt-positioning booster to a backless belt-positioning booster. Graco car seat convertible.

This product helps to protect your little one in frontal, side, rear, and rollover crashes. It can adjust the height of your harness and headrest to 10 positions in one motion to ensure that your child is properly secured.

Comes with 6 position recline that helps keep your growing child comfy. Its In Right Latch system makes installation easy, and it is the only car seat you’ll ever need Pack and Play.

Comes with an integrated belt lock-off for easy vehicle seat belt installation. Moreover, it is machine washable, rapid remove cover removes in 60 seconds without uninstalling the seat for easy cleaning.

You can also clean the metal and plastic parts of this seat with mild soap and cool water. This seat is designed with a steel-reinforced frame that provides strength and durability.

Pros

  • Equipped with the simply safe harness
  • Easy to install/uninstall
  • Machine-washable seat pad

Cons

  • Fabric isn’t very breathable

2. Safety 1st Guide 65  Car Seat

safest convertible car seat

Safety 1st Guide 65 can perfectly fit in your smaller car. This unit can also provide more room in your larger vehicle. This model also helps you to keep your child protected longer in both rear and forward-facing positions.

Its rear-facing is 5 to 40 pounds and 19 inches. Comes with a multi-position headrest for growing children.

It is a convenient car seat that will fit three seats across in the back of most vehicles. It is also perfect for growing families and carpools.

This convertible seat comes with ease of installation in the forward-facing position. While its rear-facing installation may be a difficult task.

This model also comes in a compact design for small cars and fits 3 across in the back seat of most vehicles.

Moreover, it has an extended rear-facing weight range so that your child can ride in the rear-facing position longer. The interesting thing in this model is that it comes with a removable cup holder. safest convertible car seat

Comes with 5 harness heights, 3 buckle locations, and an adjustable headrest for proper fit. The adjustable headrest also comes with up-front adjustment and can be customized to fit children of different sizes.

This product has also removable pillows. These removable body pillows help to keep your children safe and comfortable.

It has also side impact protection features that offer safety and comfort. Moreover, the premium fabrics help to keep your children safe and comfortable in both modes of use.

Pros

  • Lightweight and compact design
  • FAA-approved
  • Comes with side impact protection

Cons

  • Insufficient padding

3. Britax one4life convertible car seat

best convertible car seat for small cars

Britax One4Life is one of the best options for its unsatisfactory crash test results. This convertible seat provides more comfort and comes in high-quality.

It is easy to install using both a vehicle seatbelt and LATCH and overall ease of use.

This product is ideal to use from your childbirth to a big kid with Britax safety. It can easily convert from a rear-facing infant car seat to a forward-facing. It also comes with a 5-point harness to a high back belt-positioning booster seat.

Comes with a safe wash cover that is safe to machine wash and dry. It has two layers of side impact protection that are formed absorbing energy.

It has a foam lined shell. it surrounds your child’s head and neck, and torso. This convertible seat is designed with a high-strength steel frame that reinforces the seat structure to enhance stability.

You can easily remove the cover for washing it take about 5 minutes to take it all off. This product is the perfect option for comfortable long drives. Britax one4life convertible car seat.

Its color-coded belt paths show you where to route the seat belt for each installation mode. Comes with easy read indicators, that help you find the correct recline angle. It has a steel frame, crumple zone, and v-shaped tether to help absorb crash energy.

You can adjust the 15-position headrest & harness in seconds to create the perfect fit. It provides more comfort to your child with cooling channels, premium padding, and built-in armrests. It has a 10-year lifespan and a maximum weight capacity of this 120 pounds.

Pros

  • ClickTight Installation System
  • Two layers of side impact protection
  • Machine-washable

Cons

  • Bulky and takes up a lot of space

4. Chicco NextFit Zip Convertible Car Seat

chicco nextfit zip convertible car seat

Chicco NextFit is designed to surround your little one in comfort and safety. You can use this convertible from day one all the way to preschool and beyond.

Comes with easy installation and user-friendly touch-points that simplify travel and everyday life. This unit making it easier for families to grow together.

This seat accommodates infants and growing toddlers in a rear-facing position then transition smoothly to a forward-facing position. Its zip-off padding is soft and machine washable for comfort and convenience.

It can be easily installed with both a vehicle seatbelt and LATCH. Comes with a nine-position headrest and is padded. This seat also provides up to 25% more legroom in the rear-facing position so that your child can sit comfortably with plenty of breathing as they grow. Best Convertible Car Seat Consumer Reports

Its removable newborn positioner provides a proper fit from 5 to 11 pounds. Provide you the confidence of a secure install with remarkably simple leveling and tightening.

Pros

  • Offers up to 25% more legroom in the rear-facing position
  • Extended rear-facing weight range
  • Comes with cupholders

Cons

  • Bulky

5. Diono Radian 3RXT Convertible Car Seat

diono radian 3rxt convertible car seat

Diono Radian 3RXT can protect your child from birth to booster 5 – 120 lb. This seat creates a safe and secure lie-flat travel position.

It is designed with the famous Diono Steel Core. Its innovative technology pushes the baby up to reduce head slumps while helping to keep airways open.

The wedge creates a lie-flat travel position, when your baby grows remove the wedge to allow the 2-in-1 infant positioning liner. It will give extra infant comfort and toddler support.

This convertible seat can be easily installed in several models and types of cars. Also, the easiest install, take up to 30 minutes.

This product is designed and engineered with complete rear-facing protection. Comes with radian 3RXT that will keep now your precious cargo rear-facing.

It has a capacity of up to 50 lb / 22.7 kg, approx. 4 years old. After transitioning to forward-facing, the aluminum reinforced headrest can be adjusted to one of 12 positions for safety.

Moreover, this seat has naturally built in super portable features to the radian 3RXT with original fold for easy transport and storage. To store essential road trip drinks and snacks this unit provides a steel reinforced cup holder.

Pros

  • Rear-facing for longer
  • Reinforced steel core
  • Provide safe and comfortable positioning

Cons

  • Pricey

6. Evenflo Symphony DLX Convertible Car Seat

best affordable convertible car seat

Evenflo Symphony DLX is designed for use from birth to booster. This seat convertible delivers an unbeatable combination of safety innovations.

Comes with an EasyClick LATCH system that easily ratchets to achieve rock-solid installation and a wiggle-free car seat for toddlers.

Comes with features like music to parents’ ears. It has advanced installation technology to the removable head and body pillows. It comes with ease of installation in the rear-facing position. best affordable convertible car seat

This convertible car seat also comes with all applicable federal safety standards. This seat also comes with side impact protection that’s been tested at energy levels that are 2X the federal standard.

If you face any problem regarding the installation, this model provides ParentLink customer service experts help online in real-time. Moreover, this product has a long lifespan with a maximum weight limit of 110 pounds.

This convertible utilizes Quick-Connector technology to make installation quick, easy, and secure. Comes with a patented infinite slide harness that easily slides to provide a comfortable fit for your little one.

This model provides leading-edge safety, comes in smart design and technology, and it has convenient features that help you to enjoy the journey of parenthood. Moreover, this seat is FAA-approved, easy to clean, and easy to use.

Pros

  • Long lifespan
  • FAA-approved
  • Quick Connector makes installation easy

Cons

  • Not very durable

7. Graco Milestone 3 In 1 Car Seat

graco milestone 3 in 1 car seat

Graco Milestone 3-in-1 Car Seat converts from rear-facing harness to forward-facing harness and transitions to belt-positioning booster.

You can use this convertible seat from the first day of your child. This seat also comes with the SimpliSafe Adjust harness feature.

This system can be easily re-threaded with just one hand. Harness and headrest adjust together in one motion, to ensure that your child is secured.

Comes with a 4-position recline that helps your child ride in the rear-facing position comfortably. A 4-position extension panel also provides more legroom for your little one. graco milestone all-in-one car seat manual

This seat has an InRight LATCH system that makes installation easy with a one-second attachment. The interesting thing about this convertible seat is that it has a high maximum weight capacity. This unit also comes with a sturdy and reliable design.

This convertible seat is rigged with an integrated harness storage compartment and a removable plush. These features are convenient and provide comfort to keep your child snug and cozy.

Like some other seats, Graco Milestone also comes with a removable cupholder. This cupholder keeps your child’s drink close and removes it when not in use. ProtectPlus Engineered feature is a combination of the most rigorous crash tests that helps to protect your child in frontal, side, rear & rollover crashes.

Pros

  • Comes with plush infant inserts
  • Machine washable
  • Harness storage compartments

Cons

  • Could use a bit more padding

8. CYBEX Sirona M Convertible Car Seat

smallest convertible car seat depth

CYBEX Sirona comes with SensorSafe technology. It is integrated into the 5-point safety harness chest clip, data syncs thru vehicle receivers and cellphones.

This feature alerting when unsafe conditions arise such as car temperature, unsecured harness, or unattended child.

Comes with superior safety features that work together to provide advanced protection. Its sensor links with your cell phone via the SensorSafe app where you will receive an alert. smallest convertible car seat depth

This brand also wins SensorSafe awards for 2018, including the Bump Best of Baby Award, the Best of Baby Tech Baby Safety Award, and 2018 Best in Show JPMA Innovation Award.

Comes with Linear Side-Impact Protection (LSP). It can absorb up to 25% more impact in the event of a side collision. Its energy-absorbing shell also helps to reduce the force felt by the baby in a collision. Moreover, this seat is ideal for those parents who have a child with a medical condition.

This convertible seat is manufactured in Germany, gives outstanding results in the most important European safety and consumer tests. This seat is engineered to support children from 5-65 lbs.

Pros

  • Utilizes innovative child safety tech
  • Plush infant insert
  • Easy to install/uninstall

Cons

  • Poor crash test results

Buying Guide (Best Convertible Car Seat Consumer Reports)

The convertible car seats is coming with various features, choosing the best convertible car seat is a difficult task but this post will help you to choose the best product easily.

Safety Features

Some car seats come with built-in leveling systems and indicators to signal. These indicators let you know about that the seat is correctly installed or not. Safety is an important consideration for any parent in searching out a convertible car seat.

Some seats are equipped with side impact protection that’s formed by a deep foam-lined energy-absorbing shell. These safety features reduce the impact force of a collision.

Ease of installation

Convertible car seats are usually can be installed using the regular seat belt or the LATCH system. It is an easier way to secure the car seat using built-in anchors and tethers.

Just be sure you’re still within the weight limits of your car seat’s LATCH restrictions. If the convertible car seat is not easily installed, you may need to have someone install it.

Rear-facing weight limits

Riding rear-facing is safer for babies and children than riding in a forward-facing car seat. We suggest that always choose a convertible seat that has a high rear-facing weight limit so you can extend the opportunity to rear-face for as long as possible.

Child’s Size

Before buying a convertible car seat you should know about the child’s size. It’s an easy task to track your child’s age, but height and weight can change quickly.

Car seats come with various weight and height ranges. Always choose higher size limits so you can use it for a long period of time.

FAQ

How to install a car seat with a seat belt?

To install a car seat you should read the instruction manual carefully. As every seat and vehicle is different you should place the car seat in the rear-facing position.

Thread the seat belt through the rear-facing belt path and ensure that there is no twist in the seat belt. Buckle the seat belt and then lock.

Now press down firmly on the car seat and tighten. Also, make sure that your car seat is installed at the correct recline angle. Some seats come with built-in angle indicators or adjusters to assist you.

Conclusion

Best Convertible Car Seat Consumer Reports. After a lot of research, we conclude that Graco 4Ever DLX 4 in 1 Convertible Car Seat and Safety 1st Guide 65  Car Seatare our top-rated seats.

These products come with all the important features such as side-impact protection, installation, and ease of use components, and safety features.

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