As a parent, you know that finding the perfect convertible car seat for your child is crucial. It needs to provide the right fit, comfort, and safety to ensure your child’s well-being while traveling.
Once your little one has outgrown their infant car seat, the next step is a convertible car seat. These seats can convert from rear-facing to forward-facing and even to a booster seat, saving you the hassle and expense of purchasing a new seat every time your child grows.
But with so many options on the market, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve done the research for you. Below, we’ve compiled a list of the top convertible car seats, weighing the benefits and drawbacks of each to help you make an informed decision.
Our Top Picks
- Best Overall Convertible Car Seat: Graco 4Ever DLX 4 in 1 Car Seat
- Best Budget-Friendly Convertible Car Seat: Evenflo Tribute 5
- Best Convertible Car Seat for Small Cars: Graco Contender Slim
- Best Convertible Car Seat for Infants: Britax Allegiance
- Best Convertible Car Seat for Tall Babies: Britax One4Life ClickTight All-in-One
- Easiest to Clean Convertible Car Seat: Chicco NextFit Max Zip Air
- Best 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat: Maxi-Cosi Pria
- Best Rotating Convertible Car Seat: Evenflo Gold Revolve360
- Best 3 Across Convertible Car Seat: Graco SlimFit3 LX
In This Article
HappyBabyHub’s Best Convertible Car Seats Picks
Graco 4Ever DLX 4 in 1 Car Seat – Best Overall Convertible Car Seat
- Backless booster option is uncommon and a nice addition
- Two cup holders are easily removable & dishwasher safe
- Reclines and adjusts into several positions
- Fast cover removal for easy cleaning
- A bit heavy due to all the extra features
This car seat offers a pack-and-play feature, allowing for a decade of use with just one purchase.
What’s more, this model comes with a Rapid Remove cover, an integrated belt lock-off for easy installation, and rubberized fuss-free harness storage. It’s effortless to use and will grow with your child from a rear-facing harness for 4-40 pounds to a forward-facing harness for 22-65 pounds, then to a high back belt-positioning booster for 40-100 pounds, and finally to a backless belt-positioning booster for 40-120 pounds.
Thanks to the Simply Safe Adjust Harness System and 10-position headrest, you can adjust both simultaneously without having to rethread them. Plus, your child will remain comfortable with the 6-position recline. And, installation is a breeze with the In Right Latch mechanism.
- Item Weight: 22.8 lbs
- Weight Limit: 4-120 lbs
Evenflo Tribute 5 – Best Budget-Friendly Convertible Car Seat
- Extremely light and easy to travel with
- Easy to install into a smaller car
- Easy to adjust the straps
- It uses the LATCH brackets of your car for convenience
- The padding is not thick
If you are looking for a safe and comfortable car seat option without breaking the bank, the Evenflo Tribute 5 is a perfect choice. Designed to fit in smaller vehicles, this car seat offers excellent value and a foldable cup holder for added convenience.
This car seat has undergone rigorous crash testing and meets Federal Crash Test Standards to ensure maximum safety for your child. When facing the rear, the child’s head should be positioned at least one inch below the top of the back of the seat. Adjusting the harness and buckle release is easy with the forward harness adjustment feature.
- Item Weight: 9.29 lbs
- Weight Limit: 5-40 lbs
Graco Contender Slim – Best Convertible Car Seat for Small Cars
- A lot of indicators assist in a perfect installation
- Slim but not uncomfortable for your kid
- Adjustments are easy to make, even one-handed
- Thick padding
- No place to rest the buckles
The Graco Contender Slim Convertible Car Seat can be used in two ways to grow with your child, from a rear-facing harness (5-40 lb) to a forward-facing harness (22-65 lb), and a slim car seat design that helps preserve room in the back seat.
The compact design of this car seat makes it easy to move from one vehicle to another, and it is approved for use in airplanes. With the Simply Safe Adjust harness system, it is simple to grow with your child since the headrest and harness can be adjusted simultaneously.
The car seat is installed using the supplied LATCH and level indicator. It offers the convenience of a detachable, dishwasher-safe cup holder, a machine-washable seat pad, and two user-friendly reclining modes. Plus, the car seat is designed to provide protection against frontal, side, rear, and rollover collisions, and is engineered by Graco ProtectPlus.
- Item Weight: 15.9 lbs
- Weight Limit: 5-65 lbs
Britax Allegiance – Best Convertible Car Seat for Infants
- Locking clip under the seat padding
- The seat placemat feels like a gel pad
- Easy to adjust and install
- The material is built to last
- No cup holders
The Allegiance Convertible Car Seat offers your growing child a safe and comfortable journey. Installing this car seat is a breeze with its built-in lock-offs and push-button latch connectors.
This car seat is designed with Britax safety technology, including the patented Britax safe-cell impact protection system, which includes a steel frame, an impact-absorbing base, side impact protection, and a v-shaped tether that minimizes forward movement in the event of an accident.
Plus, this is also equipped with a foam-lined shell that provides your child with excellent side-impact protection. Your child’s comfort is ensured with three reclining positions, a 10-position easy-adjust harness and headrest, and foam cushioning. You won’t need to re-thread the harness as your child grows.
This car seat can accommodate rear-facing children weighing 5 to 40 pounds and forward-facing children weighing 20 to 65 pounds, who are up to 49 inches tall.
- Item Weight: 19.5 lbs
- Weight Limit: 5-65 lbs
Britax One4Life ClickTight All-in-One – Best Convertible Car Seat for Tall Babies
- Easy to use the incline settings
- Fits a toddler very well in extended rear facing
- Headrest is easy to change
- The fabric feels soft to the touch
- Too big of a seating area for an infant
The One4life car seat offers your child safety and comfort from infancy all the way up to big-kid status with the help of Britax and ClickTight installation. It easily transforms from a rear-facing infant seat to a forward-facing 5-point harness and eventually to a high-back booster seat with a belt setting. Plus, you can wash and dry the cover in the machine with no issues.
Installing the ClickTight system is as simple as buckling a seatbelt, and color-coded belt pathways show you where to route the belt for each installation method. Indicators make it easy to find the perfect reclining angle for your child.
The high-strength steel frame, crumple zone, and v-shaped tether absorb the energy from a collision. Additionally, two layers of padding on both sides protect your child’s head, neck, and body. When it’s time to switch to booster mode, simply tuck the harness into the integrated storage box.
- Item Weight: 30 lbs
- Weight Limit: 5-120 lbs
Chicco NextFit Max Zip Air – Easiest to Clean Convertible Car Seat
- Has some sort of leather/pleather
- Very comfortable for your baby
- The highest safety checks make it the best
- Easiest to install either front or backward
- The harness release button is hidden under a bunch of fabric
The Chicco NextFit Max Zip Air Convertible Car Seat is designed to provide comfort and safety for children up to 50 lbs. Its features include a 3D AirMesh backrest for ventilation and a zip-off, machine-washable seat pad for easy cleaning.
The NextFit Max Zip Air offers a smooth transition and additional calf support while providing a weight restriction of 65 lbs. A detachable newborn positioner and a 9-position Easy-Extend Headrest System allow for proper development in both modes, and it can be used as an infant car seat for babies weighing 4 to 11 lbs.
With smart functionality, the NextFit Max Zip Air is easy to install correctly every time. Two RideRight bubble levels and a nine-position ReclineSure leveling system help achieve the right angle in the vehicle seat. The premium connections, SuperCinch force-multiplying tightener, and LockSure belt-tightening mechanism ensure a secure installation using LATCH or the car seat belt.
- Item Weight: 26.7 lbs
- Weight Limit: 4-65 lbs
Maxi-Cosi Pria – Best 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat
- Many cushions for the growing baby/toddler
- Easy to make adjustments
- Bucket-like seat for comfort and sleep support
- Easy to tweak for each child/age/size
- Price but you get what you pay for
The Pria Baby All-in-One is the first and only convertible car seat from PureCosi.
This car seat has all of the features you need to keep your child secure and comfortable from birth to age 10. The headrest of the GCell is designed with side impact protection to soften the blow and safeguard your child’s head where it is most vulnerable.
As your kid grows, the QuickFit shoulder harness automatically adjusts the headrest and harness height to fit. Since every child develops at a different rate, it is crucial to be able to adapt your child’s car seat to keep safety where you need it, when you need it.
- Item Weight: 21.9 lbs
- Weight Limit: 4-100 lbs
Evenflo Gold Revolve360 – Best Rotating Convertible Car Seat
- Spins 360 degrees making it easy to put the baby in & out of the seat
- Comfortable & nicely padded
- Great recline features
- Ease of installation
- The shoulder pads are sewed into the straps so they can’t be removed
The Evenflo Gold Revolve360 Rotational all-in-one Car Seat is a significant turning point in car seat innovation. With a rotating car seat that makes getting your child in and out of the vehicle simple (in all modes of usage!), Evenflo is upending the status quo once more. The Revolve360, which has three settings and is designed for children weighing 4 to 120 lbs., grows with your child over ten years of usage.
The Sure360 Safety Installation System, which includes the LockStrong bar, which pulls down to lock the car seat base into place, and Tether360, which aids in maintaining the seat’s position and security in the vehicle, makes installation simple and straightforward.
The Revolve360 is packed with conveniences and surrounds your kid with gold-level comfort, excellent craftsmanship, and luxurious finishes and textiles. There’s just no going back after you’ve experienced the daring maneuvers and ground-breaking design wrapped in gold style.
- Item Weight: 20 lbs
- Weight Limit: 4-120 lbs
Graco SlimFit3 LX – Best 3 Across Convertible Car Seat
- Has multiple installation methods
- Fabric is light and breathable
- Very lightweight makes it easier to switch between vehicles if needed
- The snug lock for seatbelts makes it easy to get a more secure fit
- This is not for infants
The Graco SlimFit3 LX 3-in-1 Car Seat has the slimmest design that can accommodate three car seats across. It saves room in the rear seat without sacrificing the features and level of safety you want. This compact all-in-one car seat can be used in rear-facing harness mode (5-40 lb), forward-facing harness mode (22-65 lb), or highback booster mode (40-100 lb).
It has integrated belt lock-off, so you can place your seats to optimum space with three across and attach your vehicle seat belt quickly and easily in forward-facing mode. Graco’s proprietary push-button InRight LATCH provides a quick, one-second connection with an audible click, helping to assure a safe installation.
You can change the height of the headrest and harness to 10 different positions with the No-Rethread Simply Safe Adjust Harness System with just one move.
The Rapid Remove cover is machine washable and comes off in 60 seconds without removing the seat or the harness. Additionally, it’s large enough to accommodate your growing child while being slim enough to fit three across.
- Item Weight: 19.2 lbs
- Weight Limit: 5-100 lbs
What Is a Convertible Car Seat?
A convertible car seat is a type of car seat that can be used in both the rear-facing and forward-facing positions. This type of seat is ideal for families who want to be able to use the seat for their child from infancy through adulthood. Convertible car seats are typically more expensive than other types of car seats, but they offer a great deal of versatility.
Convertible Car Seat Vs. 3-in-1 Vs. 4-in-1
- Convertible Car Seats: Can accommodate children rear-facing or forward-facing from infancy to birth. Your kid will be secured in the seat by its five-point harness. When your kid outgrows the weight or height constraints for forward-facing seats, you’ll need to purchase a booster seat, which uses the seat belt in your car to secure both your child and the seat.
- 3-in-1: This sort of convertible car seat transforms into a high-backed booster seat as soon as your child exceeds the maximum weight or height limits for the seat’s harness.
- 4-in-1: Also referred to as an “all-in-one,” this kind of car seat may convert into a high-backed booster and, if it has reached the end of its useful life, even a backless booster.
How To Choose The Best Convertible Car Seat?
- Installation: It might take a lot of effort to securely fasten a car seat, but doing so is essential for safety reasons. LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children), a simple system of connection points in your car that the car seat connects to, is compatible with many seats. You’ll probably attach your car seat using the seatbelt if your vehicle doesn’t support LATCH. You could also hire a professional if needed.
- Seat Adjustments: Since a convertible car seat may accommodate your child from birth through childhood, search for one with an adjustable headrest and reclining positions that can grow with your child. With a no-rethread harness, you may quickly adjust the seat without having to re-thread the seatbelt.
- Limits: Each convertible car seat will contain height and weight restrictions for children in all positions, including rear-facing, forward-facing, and, if necessary, booster. Make sure your child’s car seat is configured for their current height and weight, and keep them that way until they reach the upper limit of the seat’s height or weight restrictions.
- New/Used: When it comes to your child’s safety, it’s best to play it safe and buy a new car seat. However, if you decide to purchase a used one, make sure to investigate the expiration date of the seat and check if there have been any recalls on that specific model.
Are Convertible Car Seats Worth It?
All children under the age of two must be secured in a rear-facing child seat according to several state laws (1). These findings suggest that convertible seats over infant seats may offer some extra head protection for children around the age of one. Yes, switching to a permanent rear-facing seat means giving up the baby carrier’s mobility and convenience. However, the infant seat’s attraction is defeated by the weight of your developing kid and the portable seat, which makes it impossible to transport a sitting youngster. So to answer the question, convertible car seats are definitely worth the purchase.
When Should I Switch From an Infant Car Seat To a Convertible Car Seat?
It’s time to switch your kid over to a convertible car seat after they have outgrown the height or weight restrictions of an infant car seat. This is usually when they hit the 1-year mark (2). You can choose to skip the infant car seat and go straight for a convertible option as convertible car seats can often fit infants.
When Should a Convertible Car Seat Be Forward-Facing?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you keep your child in a rear-facing position for as long as possible (3). For most children, that is until they are 4.5 years old. As a general rule, you can safely switch your kid from rear-facing to forward-facing after they have reached the manufacturer’s height or weight restrictions (4).
When Should My Child Move From a Convertible Car Seat To a Booster?
You may move them securely to a booster seat once they meet the requirements ideally, they should be 5 years old and have exceeded the forward-facing height or weight restrictions. As long as possible, it is ideal to keep the kid in the car seat since using a booster seat requires a certain level of maturity, including the ability to sit upright without slouching or reclining.
