10.0 Score
Pros
- Safe
- Comfortable
- Easily Adjustable
- Easy to Install
- Easy to Clean
Cons
- Less comfortable at older stages when infant/toddler padding is removed
Final Verdict
After spending a lot of time weighing price vs. safety and comfort, we chose the Graco 4Ever All-in-1 Convertible Car Seat and we are SO happy with it. Prior to this seat, my toddler really disliked riding in her infant car seat, but she actually likes climbing into this one! We also love knowing that it’s super safe and sturdy -- in fact, Consumer Reports ranked the Graco 4Ever Car Seat as one of the “Best All-in-One Car Seats” for safety in crash protection.
Graco 4Ever All-in-1 Convertible Car Seat List price: $239.99
Where to buy: It’s cheapest on Amazon, but you can also find it at Target, and Walmart.
What I love:
Safe. This seat is heavy and super solid because its actually steel reinforced. I like knowing that it’s got this weight to it because to me it’s obvious that this product is solidly made, and it’s not designed to be portable anyway.
Grows with your child. This car seat really does grow with your child, as it is a 4-in-1 seat. It says that it fits babies as small as 4 lbs (though it looks like it
might be a bit bulky for a newborn and isn’t portable so wouldn’t be as convenient). But I do love that besides being an infant and toddler seat, it also can become a high-back or backless booster seat! The top half removes so that when our child is ready, it’s easy to change we reach that stage. And, I don’t need to buy another seat! A definite plus.
Comfortable. Prior to this seat, my toddler really disliked riding in her infant car seat, but she actually likes climbing into this one! This is amazing to me since it was such a battle to get her to sit in her previous infant seat. I actually wish I had purchased this earlier when she was an infant because I think she might have enjoyed car rides sooner…I think she likes sitting more upright and she looks much more comfortable due to the extra padding support. This extra level of padding is removable, so it grows with them.
Easy Installation. It took us all of 10 minutes to install this seat and make sure it was correctly anchored. The manual is really straightforward! Depending on your car’s attachment options, there’s multiple ways to keep this seat anchored.
Reclinable. There’s a total of 6 options for seating positions – three positions for forward facing recline and three for rear facing. My daughter is able rest comfortably while asleep, and the lever to adjust recline is easily accessible in the front of the seat. I personally think it reclines enough, as she sleeps comfortably, however it doesn’t recline as much as some others I’ve seen. Just something to be aware of.
Easily Adjustable. I love that the seat belt harnesses are easily adjustable. No old-fashioned un-threading and rethreading the straps through the back of the seat business for this seat! The top of the headrest has a latch that pulls up and down to adjust both the height of headrest and the height of the shoulder strap with one pull of the lever. It super simple, which is very convenient for me.
Headrest Visibility. I specifically searched for a headrest that wouldn’t totally block her view out the passenger side window too much, and this has worked out. She does have visibility, but still has good head protection.
Easy to Clean. The fabric of this carseat is smooth and easily removes for washing or a quick brush off! The material simply snaps out of the seat — I love that I don’t have to do much do get this cleaned up.
What I don’t love:
Less padding at older stages. There’s plenty of padding for the infant and toddler stages, but since the seat grows with your child, some layers need to be removed to accommodate that. It does look like it might be less comfortable for her at older stages.
Would I buy again:
Absolutely! My daughter loves this seat and it has made our car rides 100 times more enjoyable.
Additional Product Details:
This is not a portable car seat! It will not fit in a stroller. That may be a deal breaker for you depending on what you’re looking for!
Not all car seats have cup holders, but this has two and they are a definite plus!
Click here to read about the safety ratings from Consumer Reports.
Monica Aberle
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