Whether going to the grocery store or a long road trip, a car seat is a must-have. With a convertible car seat destined to be in your car for more than five years, you can’t pick the first model that shows up after a quick internet search.
We have pored over reviews, conducted research, and consulted safety experts before compiling the ten best convertible car seats you could buy today. Read to the end to find out why each model ticks in safety, comfort, and fit.
Best Convertible Car Seats Reviewed
As a parent, you’ll always want safety and longevity in a car seat. We bring you the Graco 4Ever 4-in-1 Convertible Car Seat as our first choice since it’s a model that you’ll own from when your baby is in infancy until they are kicking rocks into ponds. A 10-year expiration date is the first assurance of longevity. But its conversion to different functions provides the perfect use for this car seat.
The Graco 4Ever is suitable for kids from 4 to 120 pounds. You can use it as a rear-facing infant car seat for babies 4 to 40 lbs, a forward-facing toddler seat from 20 to 65 lbs, a booster seat from 40 to 100 lbs, and a backless booster from 40 to 120 lbs.
The Graco 4Ever 4-in1 uses its InRight LATCH system for installation. As such, you only need to push down on the corresponding seat anchors. You’ll hear an audible click when hooks engage for peace of mind. In addition, disconnecting is just as simple, so changing cars is a breeze.
You get six recline positions to offer the best comfort for kids as they grow. Moreover, it will always tell you whether it’s in a safe position using the lever indicator on each side of the seat. We also like that it has a 10-position headrest that’s easy to adjust with only one hand.
The Graco 4Ever 4-in-1 is comfortable, practical, and safe. It features anti-scratch plush fabric for a baby’s comfy stay. Its unique harness system does not need rethreading and is easy to use, giving you the confidence that your baby is always buckled up. Add the two cup holders, and you’ll never have to reach over to give a sippy cup to your toddler.
If you’re looking for a convertible car seat that your child grows with, the Graco 4Ever 4-in1 is our top choice. It has all the markers of a safe and protective car seat, it’s comfortable, and it’s easy to use.
Nuna RAVA is a favorite among parents thanks to its stylish design and outstanding safety features. It has a steel-reinforced frame which brings its weight to 27 pounds. Being a heavy car seat means you’ll like it better if you don’t change vehicles often. Although it’s a premium choice, we like that it has eco-friendly materials since it uses natural flame-retardants instead of chemicals.
Nuna RAVA is ideal for babies from three months. It comes with latch connectors for super simple installation. The rear-facing mode supports children up to 50 lbs. and the forward facing from 25 to 65 lbs.
With little harness holders, getting your baby out of the seat is quick and easy. It’s a no-thread harness, and there are ten recline positions, ten height positions, and two positions on the crotch stop.
Nuna RAVA has lots of nice touches, including energy-absorbing foam and side-impact protection pods to provide superior protection. It’s also FAA-certified for aircraft use. Furthermore, there’s lots of ventilation on the back, and the cup holders collapse to maintain a narrow profile. The infant insert is machine-washable, and the shell can be hand-washed. Thus, you’re getting a fancy convertible car seat that’s worth every dollar.
Britax recognized that most parents have a hard time installing car seats correctly. That’s why they devised a ClickTight system in the Britax One4Life car seat. Its 3-step tensioning system allows you to achieve a secure installation each time.
Your child will not outgrow the Britax One4Life in a year. It grows with your little one from 5 pounds up to 120 pounds and also keep them safe throughout the stages. It starts as a rear-facing infant car seat with nine adjustable positions at the base. Then, you will use it as a forward-facing car seat, a booster, and a big kid car seat.
A steel-reinforced base, SafeCell crumple zone, and energy-absorbing EPP foam provide decent impact protection. It can withstand side collisions owing to its double layer of protection. The Britax One4Life also has an anti-rebound bar that absorbs energy in an accident to keep your baby safer.
While we love most features of the Britax One4Life, it’s an oversized and heavy car seat, and therefore, it will be a hassle changing vehicles. Nevertheless, it’s one of the best car seats for every day use.
Maxi-Cosi Pria All-in-One Convertible Car Seat is a large car seat accommodating big babies. If you have a small car, you may be forced to push the front seat all the way forward. This model can suit babies from 4 to 100 pounds and it accommodates babies from 4 to 40 pounds in rear-facing.
This seat’s angles and leg rest provide more leg room which is excellent for tall kids and keeps them in the rear-facing mode even longer. The padding is thick with Gcell technology to provide side impact protection. Furthermore, an in-and-out harness makes it easy to get out a baby, especially a wiggly toddler.
With Maxi-Cosi’s One Click LATCH system, the installation and setup is easy. You’ll like that the cover is machine-washable and does not lose shape after cleaning. Moreover, the harness chest clip is effortless to operate, requiring only one push on the clasp with the thumb.
The Pria All-in-One provides lots of comfort and convenience features. The cup holders are removable for cleaning and do not stick out of the car seat. It has a small infant positioning pillow, head and back inserts, crotch buckle cover, and lower anchor connectors that are much easier to remove than J-hook style connectors.
Maxi-Cosi Pria All-in-One is a plush pick for big babies. We don’t like the additional cushions for preemies because they float in the seat. Otherwise, it’s a comfortable, safe, and easy-to-install convertible car seat.
From a company whose motto is “we make tankers, not recliners,” the Clenk Foonf is an insanely safe car seat. It’s only 17 inches wide, so you can fit three seats in one row. Its slim configuration comes with some heft since it has a steel and magnesium construction.
Clenk Foonf features side impact protection, an anti-rebound bar, and energy-absorbing EPP foam. Additionally, its REACT safety system Rigid-Latch Energy Absorbing Crumple Technology, protects kids in the forward-facing mode. The rear-facing mode supports kids up to 50 pounds and a height of up to 43 inches – most kids will outgrow rear-facing by height, not weight.
Clenk Foonf is also newborn-compatible with an infant insert. In forward-facing, it supports children from 20 to 65 pounds. It has three recline positions using a button at the base of the seat. Besides, it’s simple and speedy to install using the rigid latch anchor system in forward-facing.
Clenk Foonf has all the bells and whistles of a convertible car seat in a compact and slim profile. It’s built for safety, convenience, and travel.
The Evenflo Gold Revolve 360 is a rotating car seat that allows you to get your child in and out of the seat with the least hassle. It can spin at the base from rear-facing to forward-facing with the help of a button. With only one belt path, this car seat offers one-time installation. The top tether anchor is connected to the base and not the shell. It provides additional stability, both rear-facing and forward-facing.
An anti-rebound base design stabilizes the seat in rear impact crashes and limits rebound in a frontal crash. The seat is steel-reinforced, and it has energy-absorbing foam. You’ll always find the best fit with three buckle positions and know how your baby is positioned with the dual-zone rear indicator.
Never worry about where to keep the buckle, harness, and chest clip, as they all store in the seat once it’s time to convert into booster mode. It has a 14-position no-rethread harness meaning you’ll never need to readjust the shoulder straps as your baby grows.
Opt for the Evenflo Gold Revolve 360 for babies from 4 pounds to 120 pounds. Rear-facing is for babies from 4 to 40 pounds and 17 to 40 inches tall. The forward-facing is ideal for kids weighing 22 to 65 pounds and 28 to 49 inches tall. Finally, the booster mode is for kids weighing 40 to 120 pounds and 44 to 57 inches tall. The seat has a 10-year expiration date.
Chicco NextFit Zip is a favorite since it has a zip-off machine-washable seat pad. In addition, it comes with a super simple installation system for the rear-facing option using its SuperCinch system. Nonetheless, installing it in forward-facing is a hassle. But since you’ll use it in rear-facing for about two years, the simple installation makes it a good option for everyday use.
This model has a long useful life. It can accommodate infants and toddlers in the rear-facing mode and preschoolers and big kids in the forward-facing mode. Its nine-position headrest and the no-rethread 5-point harness grows with your child while providing comfortable use.
Chicco has improved this model over the years. It includes two layers of side impact protection on a steel frame and is FAA-approved for air travel. You also get newer colors and a high rear-facing weight capacity of 40 pounds. The extended legroom and breathable mesh fabrics combine to make it the best 3-in-1 convertible car seat.
Graco is perhaps the most renowned brand in the car seat industry. The Graco Extend2Fit Convertible is quite a popular model because of its thoughtful features, easy installation, and great value for money. It allows you to keep your baby longer in rear-facing since it has a weight capacity of 50 pounds in this mode.
A 4-position leg extension feature is helpful for additional comfort. As such, your child will not feel cramped, unlike in other car seats that do not consider legroom. We like that even with the leg extension, it is streamlined and not bulky. It also includes plush head and body inserts for additional comfort for infants.
Graco Extend2Fit Convertible has high-quality latches that are more robust than plain metal clips. They are also easier to operate in both rear-facing and forward-facing. In addition, it’s also capable of installing using the seat belt. The helpful stickers ensure that you don’t fumble with the installation.
Its high weight and height maximum make the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible ideal for kids in the upper weight and height percentile. Other than being a pain to remove the lining for cleaning, this convertible car seat is popular for good reasons.
Britax Boulevard ClickTight is the easiest to install convertible car seat. It uses the ingenious ClickTight system to install with your car’s seat belt. Thus, you’ll always get a tight installation each time. Still, it’s a good idea to watch a reliable video to make installation foolproof.
Britax Boulevard provides superior side-impact protection using a reinforced headrest. Furthermore, it has a rebound bar that attaches to the foot end to prevent the seat from snapping back in an accident.
You get to use it in the rear-facing for kids up to 40 pounds. It offers seven recline positions in this mode. For the forward-facing option, it supports kids up to 65 pounds. The headrest has 14 positions which are way more than you get on most convertible seats. The cover on this seat is also safe to clean in the washer.
Britax Boulevard ClickTight takes the frustration out of installation. That’s why it’s our to-go choice for parents who want to set up their child’s car seat with the car seat belt.
Safety 1st Guide 65 is an ideal pick for small cars. It’s also an affordable pick that is lighter than most car seats. For this reason, it’s also suitable for travel. The rear-facing weight capacity of the Safety 1st Guide 65 is 4 to 40 pounds, while the forward-facing is for kids from 22 to 65 pounds.
We like that it comes with an adjustable headrest. There are positioning inserts for preemies and inserts. Hence, it’s the only model you’ll need from birth to ten years. At 18.5 inches wide, installing three of these seats in one car seat row is possible.
The space-saving design of the Safety 1st Guide 65 is decent. But it’s the safety features that make it tick. Its energy-absorbing foam and side-impact protection are top-notch. We have loved a steel frame, but for the price, it’s well-made for optimum safety in a crash.
You get a 5-point harness adjustable headrest, and the cup holder is removable. However, it lacks convenient features. You’ll have to rethread the harness as your child grows, it does not recline, and it’s not the easiest car seat to install. It, however, gives you value for money owing to its compact size, comfy fabric, and safety features.
When Should You Buy a Convertible Car Seat?
A convertible car seat is one that you’ll need. But the critical question is when should you buy one? Well, you can use a convertible car seat from birth with models that have preemie and infant inserts. Nevertheless, you can use an infant car seat at first and then move to a convertible car seat when your baby reaches the maximum height and weight, usually around their first birthday.
A convertible car seat is heavier than an infant car seat. It is also not very portable. Thus, if you switch cars a lot or want a car seat you can carry to and from the vehicle with your child, an infant car seat is best at this stage. However, once your baby is a toddler, a convertible is ideal since you won’t need to buy a different one once they reach the rear-facing weight and height maximum.
It’s also ideal to buy several convertible car seats if your child usually changes vehicles since convertible models are not the easiest to install.
Are Convertible Car Seats Compatible with Strollers?
Convertible car seats usually have a fixed base. In addition, they are heavy and oversized. Thus, they don’t install on strollers because they are not meant to be moved regularly from vehicles.
When Should You Move to Forward-Facing Mode?
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises keeping your child in the rear-facing position for as long as possible, and that’s usually up to the age of 4. Once your child is of the maximum height and weight for rear-facing, it’s time to move them into forward-facing.
The Graco 4Ever 4-in-1 grows with your child. It combines quality and safety features to provide a well-rounded car seat for most kids.
Get quality and value with the Graco 4Ever 4-in-1. Its user-friendly installation, plush padding, and adjustable features are a must-have in a convertible car seat designed to make it to its 10-year expiration date.
Honorable Mentions
We’ve chosen the best ten convertible car seats based on comfort, safety, and fit. Still, we came across some models that didn’t quite meet the mark in some aspects but still deserve special mention.
Cosco Scenera Next Convertible Car Seat: While this car seat is perfect on a tight budget, it does not have EPS foam. The padding and fabric are also basic, and the top harness height is only 13 inches. Nevertheless, the shell is compact, so it fits many vehicles.
Evenflo Tribute 5 Convertible Car Seat: This basic car seat gets the job done. It lacks the bells and whistles of expensive brands. Nonetheless, it’s only 9 pounds, so it’s perfect for travel. It has a plastic frame with a 40-pound weight limit. Thus, it’s not the one to grow with your child.
Diono Radian 3RXT 4-in-1 Convertible Car Seat: This car seat has some of the best safety features. But you only get one recline angle at a premium price tag. In addition, it’s large and heavy, so the person in the front seat will have little leg room.
