However, if you have a petite child, neither the 3-in-1’s rear-facing LATCH limit nor its harness limit are likely to become an issue. The Extend2Fit 3-in-1 is similar in appearance to the Convertible; it’s not going to win any design awards, but it’s not offensive. The cover is a polyester blend that’s available in dark colors (black and dark gray) with lighter accents.
Overall, it was a positive experience, but we weren’t super impressed by the final stability. Forward-facing lacks an indicator and lock-off, but it does have color coding. The pathway for forward-facing is different than rear-facing, so you need to move the strap with forward-facing being orange, blue for rear-facing, and yellow for booster mode.
Plus, once you get to the high back and backless modes, it would be difficult for the child to buckle themselves in. The seat belt trainer mode, however, does fit very well in most 3-across situations. “Some of the larger SUVs especially end up having smaller seats to accommodate the extra room, but this leaves little space for larger car seats,” Moriarty says. If you need to remove and replace it or move it around, a heavy seat may be difficult for you to work with. We did find this seat to be a little big, and it may be better suited for a larger car.
According to the NHTSA, the Revolve360’s shell reportedly separated from its detachable base in at least six crashes. While this is not a recall, we have downgraded the Revolve360 as our best overall, pending the NHTSA’s investigation. In the meantime, we also reached out to Evenflo about the investigation, and they told us they are aware of the NHTSA’s concerns. Moreover, they graco turbobooster recommend families “review and follow the instructions provided in the product manual for the proper installation and use.” The cushions and cover are machine washable and easy to clean, although our tester did note that it was a little tricky to get the cover off and then back on. That said, the seat looks as good as new after months of use and several different washes.
The narrowest are the Clek options at 16.9 inches, and the widest are the Cybex Eternis S and the Evenflo Gold Revolve360 both at 19.6 inches. We measure the weight and width of each car seat we test, including the forward-facing and rear-facing configuration weight and the width at the widest point (which can vary). While the convertible seat weight is likely not as important as the carrier weight of an infant seat, it can be a consideration if you travel frequently or use public transportation and need to carry it. If your seat will remain in your car most of the time, then how much it weighs might be less of a concern. The Evenflo Tribute 5 at 9.4 lbs is the highest option, while the heaviest is the Clek Foonf at over 33 lbs. We prefer the non-rethread style because it is simple, and we think busy parents will be more likely to keep the harness adequately fitted if they can accomplish this quickly without removing their child from the seat.
Though it looks puffy, the pillow actually compresses pretty easily so bigger noggins will be comfy with it too. The Graco 4Ever DLX Grad is a fairly compact option front to back when you have it as upright as possible. If you are using it from birth, it will take up more space, though, since it has to be more reclined. Between the versatile graco car seat size and the rotational feature, we felt the slightly higher price point was well worth it. One of the most straightforward LATCH connection types is the rigid LATCH, like those seen on the forward-facing Clek Foonf. This design is virtually foolproof, with not much to do other than make the connection and slide the seat back.
On the Extend2Fit Convertible, there is no seat belt lock-off (this is a handy mechanism found on some seats that locks the seat belt in place and prevents it from moving once it’s been routed). So you have to manually tighten the seat belt and engage its locking feature (video) by pulling the seat belt all the way out and and then slowly letting the slack graco convertible car seat back in, while holding tension on the seat belt. After careful consideration and consultation with experts, we reached the decision that field testing alone, without crash testing, should dictate our picks within this guide. If anything, our research has confirmed that caregivers can take comfort in knowing that most car seats do their jobs very well.