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10 Best Convertible Car Seat Reviews and Buying Guide

Mary Brice

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A shocking number of parents make some type of dangerous car seat mistake, including simple choosing the wrong car seat for their child.

Unfortunately, these mistakes play a major role in the fact that car accidents are a top cause of death in children.

Avoid these dangerous mistakes by doing your research and finding the best convertible car seat for your child. It is also vital that you learn how to install convertible car seats and how to properly buckle your child into a convertible car seat.

Best Convertible Car Seat

A convertible car seat is much different than an infant car seat. It is basically just a car seat that can convert from a rear-facing car seat into a forward facing car seat. This allows you to get more use out of it and use it for a longer period of time. Some convertible car seats also convert into a high-back booster seat. A few convertible car seats even have a 4^th mode where they convert into a backless booster seat.

Unlike infant car seats, convertible car seats are not meant to be taken in and out of the car on a regular basis and are best-used when they are left installed in the vehicle. You can use many convertible car seats from birth, but many parents find it easiest and more convenient to start with an infant car seat and then move to a convertible car seat in the rear facing position.

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Safety is the number one thing that parents tend to look for when purchasing a convertible car seat. That makes sense since the purpose of any car seat, including a convertible car seat is to protect your child. Evenflo is all about protecting your children and that is exactly why they came out with their line of car seats called SafeMax. This amazing all-in-one convertible car seat is part of the Evenflo SafeMax line and it has earned the title of safest convertible car seat because safety is what it is all about.

There are tons of special safety features that increase the value of this car seat. The integrated steel frame, for example, provides ample strength to help protect your baby for years to come. It also features a special, impact-absorbing headrest that helps to absorb and dissipate crash forces in the event of an accident.

So, with a convertible car seat as incredible as this, you are probably thinking that there must be some sort of catch. Most would probably assume that this is a super expensive convertible car seat, but actually it is a relatively cheap convertible car seat. This makes it one of the best value convertible car seat options on the market. However, there is a downfall. This convertible car seat is an all-in-one car seat that is marketed as the only car seat that you will ever need.

Unfortunately, while the seat can ultimately accommodate children all the way up to 120 pounds, it will never last you that long if you are using it from birth or even infancy or the toddler years. That is because it does expire 8 years after it is manufactured. So, while it is an amazing car seat with a great value, don’t expect this to actually be the only car seat you ever need for your child.

This convertible car seat may expire before your child reaches its limit or is ready to be without a car seat, but it is still an extremely valuable convertible car seat choice. This is the safest convertible car seat thanks to its impressive safety features that all go above and beyond federal safety standards to ensure your child’s safety and give you peace of mind. Evenflo is a wonderful company and you and your child are almost guaranteed to love everything about this super safe convertible car seat.

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Earning the title of best overall convertible car seat is the very popular convertible car seat called the Marathon ClickTight Convertible Car Seat from the well-trusted car seat brand, Britax. This Britax car seat has so much to love about it and almost nothing to complain about.

In fact, the only think we could find to even kind of complain about is that it is one of the pricier convertible car seat options out there. Then again, that is kind of expected when you are purchasing a convertible car seat as amazing as this one.

This is a convertible car seat that works as a rear facing car seat from 5 to 40 pounds and works as a forward facing car seat from 20 to 65 pounds. It is also highly adjustable to better fit children of different weights and sizes. It features 7 different recline positions and 12 different harness strap positions. Both of these are easy to adjust as well adding even more value to this option.

It may not fit well into everyone’s budget, but when you consider the amazing features, sleek design, level of safety, and convenience, this is a convertible car seat with a great overall value. If you really want the best of the best, the Britax Marathon ClickTight Convertible Car Seat is definitely for you!

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Here is our choice for the best rear facing car seat. This is the Graco Extend2Fit and it is one of the most popular convertible car seats on the market today. There are lots of reasons to love the Graco Extend2Fit, but the biggest thing that makes it so popular is definitely that it is the best rear facing car seat. Rear facing your child in the car is way safer than forward facing. It is recommended to rear face for a minimum of 2 years but the longer you can, the better.

The high rear facing weight limit isn’t the only thing that makes this a super popular convertible car seat choice. It is packed with features for both safety and convenience as well as comfort. It has multiple layers of side-impact protection, has an easy-to adjust harness and head rest, and has 2 built-in cupholders.

We always try to be honest and help you see the pros and cons for every product. When researching the best rear facing car seat, we were hard pressed to find anything bad about it. It is even an affordable convertible car seat option. The worst thing that we discovered was that it takes time and care to remove the cover and wash it. Some may find it difficult and time-consuming to properly put the cover back on the best rear facing car seat as well. You will definitely want to carefully read the instructions when doing so.

With safety as a top priority, you will want to do what you can to keep your child rear facing as long as possible. The best way to do that is to buy a great rear facing convertible car seat like our choice for the best rear facing car seat – the Graco Extend2Fit. This will allow you to keep your child rear facing up to 50 pounds, which will greatly increase their level of safety in the unfortunate event that you ever end up in an accident with them in the vehicle. The Extend2Fit is truly one of the safest convertible car seat options out there.

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With safety being a priority, comfort comes in as a close second. You want your child to be both safe and comfortable. Having a comfortable convertible car seat can make a massive difference when it comes to how pleasant riding in the car can be.

If you choose a great comfortable convertible car seat like our choice for the most comfortable convertible car seat, you will be saving yourself a lot of trouble in the car and you will have a happier child and therefore happier family. We wouldn’t recommend a car seat based off of just comfort, though. This car seat also has a ton of great convenience and safety features!

The reason that this is the most comfortable convertible car seat is that it has a nice amount padding all throughout the car seat. The material is soft and comfortable. It is also nice and breathable. This helps to keep your child cool when it is very hot and can even help them stay insulated when it is cold. Multiple recline positions and harness positions as well as included harness strap pads all further add to the comfort of  this Safety 1^st car seat.

The downfall of the most comfortable convertible car seat is the same downfall that the safest convertible car seat from Evenflo has. It will expire before your child even comes close to reaching the limits of the convertible car seat. Although, this convertible car seat will last a little longer since it won’t expire until 10 years after the date of manufacture.

If you are after an affordable convertible car seat that is super comfortable for your little one, the most comfortable convertible car seat may just be the right convertible car seat for you. It has lots of great safety features as well as wonderful features for comfort and convenience – all at a surprisingly affordable price that gives it an incredible value.

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It should come as no surprise that Graco has scored more than one spot on our convertible car seat list. The Graco 4Ever 4-in-1 Convertible Car Seat is another extremely popular option of convertible car seat and was an absolute must-have for our reviews.

The thing that this particular convertible car seat has over the Graco Extend2Fit is that it works as a rear facing car seat, a forward facing car seat, a high-back booster seat, and a backless booster seat. That is an extra mode over the other convertible car seats that have a booster mode. The extra mode is one of the reasons that we gave this Graco car seat the title of best all-in-one car seat.

Of course, like the other convertible car seats on the list that also have booster modes, the best all-in-one car seat will still expire before your child has reached the limits of the seat. In fact, if you use this convertible car seat from birth or infancy, it is very unlikely that your child will ever even need to use the backless booster mode of this convertible car seat. This is because at 10 years old when the car seat will expire, your child will more than likely still fit within the limits of the high-back booster mode.

It isn’t realistic to think you could buy a single car seat that will actually last your child until they are able to safely sit in the regular vehicle seat without any car seat at all. This just isn’t practical because car seats tend to expire within 10 years or less after the date of manufacture. A 10-year-old child would almost never be big enough to be able to sit in a vehicle seat without any type of car seat safely. However, the best all-in-one seat still has tons of benefits and will give you 10 full years of use whether you use it from birth or you get it for your toddler or even a slightly older child. It is well-made, very safe, and extremely versatile!

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Convertible car seats with all the bells and whistles can be really nice, but not everyone has a budget that will allow them to purchase one of the fancier convertible car seats out there. Fortunately, thanks to awesome cheap convertible car seat options like the Cosco Apt 50 Convertible Car Seat, it is completely possible for you to keep your child nice and safe even on a tight budget. We have named this seat the best cheap convertible car seat thanks to its ability to keep your child safe at an incredibly low price.

You don’t even have to completely give up convenience for the best cheap convertible car seat. There is a reason that it is the BEST cheap convertible car seat, after all. It is still super safe, and it has good convenience features. One of those convenient features is the fact that this is one of the few cheap convertible car seats that actually has 2 integrated cup holders in it. Most cheap convertible car seats either don’t have a cup holder at all or they only have a flimsy single cup holder that clips on the side of the convertible car seat.

Of course, with the best cheap convertible car seat coming in at only a fraction of the cost as many of the other options, there are a few things you’re giving up. For example, this option does not include a no-rethread harness. That means that each time you need to adjust the height of your child’s harness straps as your child grows, you will have to do so manually.

This consists of unhooking each strap from the back of the convertible car seat, pulling them through the slots on the convertible car seat and then threading them back through the correct clots and reconnecting them up in the back of the convertible car seat.

The more expensive convertible car seat options can be nice and definitely have some valuable features. However, if you are on a budget and you need to find the best cheap convertible car seat, this is a fantastic option for you. It is extremely affordable and will keep your child safe without completely sacrificing convenience.

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Rear facing your child as long as possible is the best way to keep them safe, which is why we have primarily focused on rear facing safety throughout our car seat buying guide and reviews. However, it is important to know how to best keep your child safe once they can no longer rear face. That is why we went on an in-depth search for the best forward facing car seat out there. What we found is this unbeatable choice from Maxi-Cosi. This is the Maxi-Cosi Pria 85 Special Edition Convertible Car Seat and it easily earned its spot on our list.

There are a lot of convenience factors to consider with the best forward facing car seat as well. This convertible car seat has an integrated cup holder that is simple to remove for cleaning. It also features a great no-rethread harness that is easily adjusted alongside the head rest with one motion. It even has special harness holders that hold the harness out of the way when you are placing your child into the seat. That way you don’t have to dig under your child to find the straps once you put them into the best forward facing car seat.

While this is the best forward facing car seat, it does still, of course, rear face as well. This is actually where its downfall comes into play though. When designing this convertible car seat to be able to safely keep your child in a harness forward facing as long as possible, it made it to where they had to have a higher rear facing minimum weight for safety reasons.

Your child must be at least 14 pounds to ride in the best forward facing car seat in the rear facing position. This means that you won’t be able to start your newborn in this convertible car seat. This is an excellent convertible car seat for forward facing, but you will need to have another car seat option until your child hits 14 pounds. This can be an infant car seat or a convertible car seat with a lower rear facing weight minimum.

There is no questioning that rear facing is safer for your child, but once they do outgrow the ability to rear face, it is vital to keep them in a harness forward facing as long as possible. This is the best way to keep them safe once they can no longer rear face. The best forward facing car seat allows you to keep them safely harnessed all the way up to 85 pounds for maximum safety and extended harness use. This is an incredible car seat that is well-worth the investment even though it isn’t rated for the weight of the average newborn.

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Another wonderful convertible car seat option from Safety 1^st that made it onto our list is the best 3-in-1 car seat. This is the Continuum 3-in-1 Car Seat and it is an incredibly high value convertible car seat thanks to its affordable price and amazing features and versatility. It also has a benefit over the other all-in-one car seats and 3-in-1 car seats because your child will be able to get close to the limits of the seat before it expires.

One of the cool convenience factors is that it comes with harness holders. This is a way for you to hook the harness straps to the side of convertible car seat for temporarily to allow you to more easily put your child into the convertible car seat. That way you don’t need to dig out the straps from under your child once they are in the convertible car seat.

Even though the seat pad of the best 3-in-1 car seat is easy to clean, it is much like the Graco Extend2Fit when it comes to removing the seat pad. It is slightly complicated to take off and can be tedious to put back on as well.

This is a really wonderful convertible car seat that will be a good choice for a variety of parents. If you want to avoid spending a ton, but still want a versatile convertible car seat, the best 3-in-1 car seat is one of your best choices. It is highly functional, convenient, and most importantly – safe!

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The Clek Fllo is an amazing high-end convertible car seat that has won the title of best toddler car seat. This absolutely incredible car seat is one of the best convertible car seat options out there. The only reason that it isn’t higher up is the high price and the fact that it can’t be used from birth due to a 14-pound weight minimum for rear facing. However, those are small things when you consider all of the other amazing things you’ll be getting out of the best toddler car seat from Clek!

Anti-rebound bars are gaining popularity when it comes to infant car seats. They are becoming more common and are being offered by more companies on more infant car seat models. However, when it comes to convertible car seats, they are very rare still. Clek is an innovative company that has included the anti-rebound bar on this Clek seat to further enhance overall safety of your child. It helps to stabilize the convertible car seat and absorbs and dissipates crash forces in the event of an accident.

The lack of dangerous flame retardants isn’t even the only thing that is amazing about the fabric that Clek uses for the best toddler car seat. This impressive fabric provides permanent protection against stains. It is also resistant to moisture and odor-causing bacteria. As an added bonus, the seat is only 17 inches at it’s widest point. This is fantastic news if you own a compact car or if you need to fit 3 convertible car seats across a back seat.

Now, it is completely understandable if the best toddler seat is outside of your budget. Clek is a very high-end brand of car seats. They are not affordable. However, if you are able to purchase this convertible car seat for your child, you will be doing them and yourself a huge favor.

Everything about the best toddler car seat is absolutely incredible. It isn’t just extremely safe in the event of a crash, but it also allows your child to rear face for as long as possible and is better for their overall health since it has no brominated or chlorinated flame retardants.

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Evenflo makes a huge variety of different car seats. This particular one is one of the cheap convertible car seat options from Evenflo. Even at its low cost, it still has tons of great safety and convenience features. That is why we have named it the best value convertible car seat.

A lot of cheap convertible car seat options don’t have a reclining option. Fortunately, the best value convertible car seat does! You can recline this convertible car seat for the rear facing position to help get the best and safest possible install in your vehicle.

The best value convertible car seat does include a lot of safety and convenience factors, but it still doesn’t have everything that some of the nicer convertible car seat options have. For example, you will have to manually rethread the harness straps on this convertible car seat because it does not have the no-rethread harness that many other convertible car seats have. One of the biggest drawbacks of this convertible car seat, though, is that it has the lowest weight limits for both rear facing and forward facing of any other options on our car seat list.

This may not be the most impressive car seat out there, but there is a lot to like about it. It is one of the most affordable convertible car seats on the market and has a lot of nice features. It includes a cup holder, a removable head insert, capability to recline, and more. However, the big drawback is that it has a low rear facing weight limit at only 30 pounds and a low forward facing weight limit at only 40 pounds. Even so, it is a good way to keep your child safe if you are looking for the best value convertible car seat at a very affordable price for almost all budgets.

Best Convertible Car Seat Buying Guide

Since there are so many variables when it comes to convertible car seats, it can be overwhelming figuring out what seat is best for your child. Since safety is so vitally important, you don’t just want to take guesses at the best option either. For these reasons, we have taken a ton of time and put a ton of research into creating this convertible car seat buying guide for you to help make the decision easier.

Things to Consider Before Buying a Convertible Car Seat

Again, there are a lot of variables when it comes to convertible car seats. Looking at all of the features and specifications of each convertible car seat may be confusing. It can be hard to tell which things are most important and what each thing means. Here are some things that you should look out for and consider when you are looking to purchase a great convertible car seat.

Weight Limits

Weight limits are an extremely important consideration when it comes to choosing a convertible car seat. The higher the weight limits are for rear facing or for harnessed forward facing use, the better. The highest rear facing weight limit on the market is 50 pounds, so a convertible car seat with that weight limit, or one close to it, can be a good choice.

The highest harnessed forward facing weight limit on the market is 85 pounds, but that is not common amongst car seats. A convertible car seat with that limit is a wonderful choice and keeps your child safer for much longer than most. However, anything 65 pounds or above for harnessed forward facing can be a great choice.

The most important thing when it comes to weight limits for your convertible car seat is to make sure that your child falls within them. You never want to use a convertible car seat – or any child restraint – that your child doesn’t meet the requirements of. So, make sure your child is within the limits of the seat for the mode you wish to use it in.

Versatility

Convertible car seats are car seats that work as both rear facing car seats as well as forward facing car seats. However, there are many convertible car seats that also transition into high-back booster seats. Some convertible car seats even have the ability to be used as backless booster seats.

You will want to think about whether this additional versatility is important to you. Keep in mind that many 3-in-1 car seats or all-in-one car seats have a very long weight range that looks like something between 5 and 120 pounds. If this is the case, the convertible car seat will actually expire before your child reaches the limits of the seat – if you start using the convertible car seat when your child is a newborn or infant or in some cases a toddler.

However, if you start using the seat later on, you can possibly get your child by with it until they reach the limits. It is also important to consider that even if you don’t actually get to use the convertible car seat from birth to 100 or 120 pounds, you will still be able to get a great amount of use out of the seat for up to 10 full years.

Safety Features

All convertible car seats are required to meet the same safety standards for legal sale. However, some car seats are tested way above those standards and many include additional safety features that aren’t required by the federal minimums.

Things like side-impact protection, anti-rebound bars, impact-absorbing bases, integrated steel frames and more are examples of extra safety features. These can be a huge help in the event of a vehicle collision. You will want to consider which safety features are most important to you when choosing your own best convertible car seat.

Convenience Features

Finally, think about convenience in addition to safety. Your convertible car seat is an item that you will be using for a long time on a very regular basis. So, you want something that is convenient and easy to use. Things like a machine-washable and dryer-safe cover, removable cup holders, one-motion adjust head rests, no-rethread harnesses, and one-second LATCH connectors are all great features to look for when it comes to convenience. These are things that are not necessary but will make your life much easier.

And here is video tutorial by Harrison’s Playtime, which show How to install the Graco 4Ever™ 4-in-1 Convertible Car Seat,

Convertible Car Seat FAQ

Are convertible car seats safe?

Yes, convertible car seats are completely safe when used according to all manufacturer instructions. In fact, convertible car seats are almost a necessity to keeping your child as safe as possible because they serve as a transition car seat between the infant car seat and booster seat stages. Alternatively, many convertible car seats can be used from birth. Finally, they play an important role in giving you the ability to keep your child rear facing as long as possible, which is by far the safest way for any child to ride in the car.

Are convertible car seats safe for infants?

Yes! Many convertible car seats are even safe from birth. As long as your child properly fits in the convertible car seat according to manufacturer specifications, it is a safe car seat for them.

Are convertible car seats compatible with strollers?

No, convertible car seats do not connect to and work in strollers. They are generally meant to be left in the car most of the time. It is still pretty simple to take your child out of the convertible car seat and put them in a stroller when needed.

Are convertible car seats more comfortable?

Convertible car seats are not inherently more comfortable than infant car seats. It all comes down to the specific child and specific car seat. Sometimes parents do find that their child seems more comfortable and content once they switch them to a rear facing convertible car seat from their infant car seat.

You can learn more about Best Infant Car Seats from our analysis.

Final Words

When it comes to buying a convertible car seat, there is a lot to think about. Since car seats are so vital to safety, we know how overwhelming it can feel to choose the best convertible car seat. We looked over everything very carefully, did a ton of research and even personal car seat testing to find the very best convertible car seat options. Then, we created side-by-side comparisons, detailed reviews, a convertible car seat buying guide, and a convertible car seat FAQ. We’ve brought all of this together in hopes to make it easier on you to find the best convertible car seat for your needs and help you to keep your precious children as safe as possible.

Resources:

http://safeseats4kids.aaa.com/faqs/why/why-is-rear-facing-safer-than-forward-facing/

https://csftl.org/why-rear-facing-the-science-junkies-guide/

http://www.kidsare1st.org/importance-of-a-5-point-harness-carseat.html

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/in-depth/car-seat-safety/art-20043939