Finally Revealed The Best Forever Car Seat
“Mommy, what was that loud bang?”
…said the 4-year old being unaware that there was a major accident.
This is the reality that accidents happen. Since we’re driving a lot with our little ones, sometimes they get in the middle of it. There’s only one solution to this problem since we can’t predict accidents.
This is to get the best protection possible. If you have it, then you can have some peace of mind.
You’re looking for the best forever car seat. This means that you have done some research and you know the winner when you see it. But…
Look:
There are a bunch of car seats to choose from. They all look different with variable specs and what nots. It’s all too common for parents to spends weeks on end trying to find the right car seat.
This is why I’ve created the best forever car seat article. I want you to save some time. The time you gain should be spent on something more important.
By reading this article until the end, you will find the perfect car seat that will fit you the best. Also, I’ve mentioned an accident above. I won’t leave you hanging. You will find out everything that’s happened. Plus, I will reveal which car seat was tested outside the laboratory.
So stick with me for a bit, and you will know how the car seat performed did.
Let’s get this best article started.
#1 Graco 4Ever DLX 4 In 1 Car Seat – Best Forever Car Seat
“Mommy, what was that loud bang?”
It started out like any other day. My sister in law was driving while her four-year-old was in the back. It was the same old boring weekday until everything changed for the worst.
Out of the blue, an SUV smashed into them head-on. The airbags deployed instantly, saving the mother’s life. Metal screeched and deformed under the huge pressure. The windshield cracked, and it looked like a spider’s web.
It wasn’t over just yet. There was so much energy during the crash that their car spun out into oncoming traffic. All the tires were blown out. When everything got quiet, my niece asked about the loud bang. She didn’t even notice that they were in an accident.
The Graco 4Ever saved a life that they. My niece wasn’t hurt in the crash. The next day she was off to kindergarten. My sister in law wasn’t that lucky. She ended up in the hospital with a broken nose and a few cuts.
When Graco came up with the forever car seat, they meant it. It does not just give you the longest lifespan, but it is the safest one to go with. My niece wasn’t hurt, and she was in a horrible accident.
Starting out with the steel frame and finishing with the ProtectPlus safety, it has everything you’ll ever need. The Graco 4Ever doesn’t provide safety from the front and rear collisions only, but it will protect your little one from side and rollover crashes as well.
From 4 pounds all the way to 120, it can be used. It serves as the rear, the front-facing car seat and a booster as seat well. They weren’t kidding when they said that it’s forever.
After I’ve seen the accident, I know that the Graco 4Ever 4 in 1 is the best forever car seat ever.
Pros:
It’s easy to install might be the easiest of them all
No more rethreading the straps ever
The fabric removal is super-fast
Cons:
The straps tangle up too fast, and it’s a pain to undo them with a protesting child
The cup holders fall off way too easily.
You might also be interested in: Is Graco a good car seat?
#2 Chicco Fit4 – Best Cool Looking Forever Car Seat
After a certain age, kids will always want what bigger kids have. Show them this car seat and a convertible type of car seat, and they will pick this one each time. It’s a big kid seat, and they want to be big kids.
Besides the looks, it has so much going for it. Being a forever car seat, it caters to infants and up to young adulthood. You will be able to take your little one home from the hospital since the lower weight limit is set to 4 pounds. There’s enough cushion with the baby insert, so your little one will be nice and snug.
For many parents, extended, rear-facing is important. The Chicco Fit4 delivers here as well. With enough legroom, you can do extended rear-facing up to 40 pounds.
This car seat is safe. The frame contains steel reinforcements so your child will be safe in an accident. Plus, it has layers of side impact protection.
The main reason why this car seat is so high up the list is because of the installation. Chicco came up with a genius way to help you install it faster and easier. They call it SuperCinch LATCH lightener. Once you connected the latches, there are two tails on their end. You have to pull #1 up and #2 down. That’s it. No real force needed.
The Chicco Fit4 will be a winner every time. Kids will love it.
Pros:
This car seat is the first and the last one you will have to buy a real money saver in the long run.
Thanks to the QR codes on the side you get access to instant help through videos
Kids love it because it’s so comfortable
Cons:
It takes up a lot of space the front might suffer
It’s not cheap you will need a budget
#3 Britax One4Life – The Safest Forever Car Seat
If you take a look at the Britax One4Life picture you know why it’s the safest forever car seat. Forever means that it is the only car seat that you will ever have to buy.
One4Life delivers exactly that. It doesn’t matter if you have an infant or a young adult they will be comfy in this car seat. The lowest weight limit is set to 5 pounds, which means you will be able to take your newborn child home from the hospital. The upper weight limit is set to 120 pounds.
As for safety, this car seat is heavy for all the right reasons. First of all, it has a steel frame, so no matter the accident, your child is protected. It has two layers of side protection. And you can do extended rear-facing. The weight limit for extended rear-facing is the highest, which I’ve ever seen. You can keep your child in it until 50 pounds. This is well over the fourth birthday. Even in Europe, this will be appreciated.
Since it caters to such young kids, you have to know something about the cover material. There has been an ongoing joke about Britax that they can make a car seat face anything besides the washing machine. Now they have finally fixed it. So spills and diaper blowouts can easy washed with the machine.
Britax One4Life is the safest car seat to go with.
Pros:
It’s easy to install, and it’s impossible to mess it up
Extremely durable it will last for ten years and serve several kids
Finally, a Britax car seat that allows machine washing the material
Cons:
It’s pricey and if you plan to buy more than one you need a serious budget
It’s large and heavy anything for safety
#4 Evenflo Symphony Elite – The Easiest To Install Forever Car Seat
There’s one issue that plagues many car seats. They are incredibly hard to get them tight enough, so they don’t wiggle. Now, if the car seat isn’t installed properly, it can’t provide the necessary safety for your child.
This is where Evenflo made a huge breakthrough. They are using a ratchet to get it tight. Best of all, you don’t need any kind of force to get the seat tight. The Evenflo Symphony Elite is ideal for grandparents or parents with arthritis. It’s so easy to get it right every time.
According to Evenflo, thanks to the ratchet, you can get the seat tighter 3x than with other methods.
The Evenflo is a forever car seat. It caters to newborns of just 5 pounds all the way up to 110 pounds. As you can see, you will be getting a lot of mileage from this car seat. No wonder it’s mean to be used forever.
With the Evenflo, you’re getting a lot of cushions. It makes long trips relaxing and comfortable. Kids never complained during the trips in this car seat.
If you want to do extended rear-facing, you will be able to do it up to 40 pounds. For a forever seat, that’s quite generous.
They got me with the easy installation. By far, it’s the fastest and most accurate.
Pros:
The latch system after you got used to it it’s amazing
All in one car seat that protects your little one from 4 to 120 pounds
Proudly made in the USA
Cons:
Shallow and bad cup holders they fly around at their own will
It’s bulky, and you won’t be moving it around after the install
#5 Diono Radian 3RXT All-In-One Convertible Car Seat – Best Narrow Forever Car Seat
This incident happened with some friends of mine. The father took his son on their regular shopping run. Everything was the same. The little boy was sitting quietly in the back.
All this changed at the faithful intersection. Another driver ran the red light. Its impact was unavoidable.
The metal door screeched as it deformed under pressure. The collision happened on the same side, where the little boy was sitting. The front of their van was destroyed. The Diono Radian saved a life that day. The little boy wasn’t hurt. He was fine.
This Diono car seat is built like a tank with enough cushion to be super comfortable. It has a steel frame interior, so your little one is safe no matter what happens.
It was designed to last forever. Which means it caters to newborns who are at least 5 pounds all the way to kids who are 120 pounds. You’re getting a lot of mileage out of this car seat. It’s the best money saver in the long run.
Besides being forever, it has a narrow profile. At a first glimpse, you can’t even tell that the width is just 16.9”. So you can do 3 across with ease if you have a big family.
The color combinations are plenty, and they all look cool.
When you’re looking for a 4 in 1 car seat with a narrow profile, the Diono Radian is your best choice.
Pros:
Finally, a car seat where the baby isn’t slouching or sliding down
It’s lightweight and easy to move around
It’s soft and padded plus it comes with side impact protection
Cons:
The gray fabric is not that stain friendly
You can’t remove the fabric the only solution is spot cleaning
You may also like: What car seat should a 6 year old be in?
#6 Evenflo Everystage DLX – Best Value For The Money Forever Car Seat
This car seat stood out when I was checking out forever car seats. Besides being affordable, it has many features that give a lot of value.
For example, it has the easiest install solution that I’ve ever seen. They are using the ratchet system. It’s so simple that you can’t get it wrong. Since there’s no power required to get it tight, it’s ideal for grandparents. According to Evenflo, you can get 3x the tighter installation than with other brands.
Being a forever car seat, you can use it for infants or a convertible or as a booster car seat. It’s a versatile one. It will serve you for many years to come. You can even take your newborn home from the hospital with this car seat. The lower limit is set to 4 pounds, and the top weight recommendation is 120 pounds.
Not only that, but it also allows extended rear-facing. There’s enough legroom to keep your child in the rear-facing position until 50 pounds. It’s highly recommended to keep your little one in rear-facing mode until their second birthday. With this car seat, you can do it until their fourth.
Since this car seat caters to little ones, there will eventually be spills and diaper blowouts. No matter because the material can be easily removed and machine washed.
If you want a lot of features at an affordable price, the Evenflo Everystage DLX is your best choice.
Pros:
The easiest car seat to install thanks to the ratchet
It has a great recline so you won’t experience head slumps
It looks cool just like a miniature race car seat
Cons:
The first impression is that it’s flimsy and cheap
The cup holders can be easily turned into projectiles by toddlers
Buyer’s Guide
I thought that it would be a great bonus if I share with you a buyer’s guide. As you know, I review a lot of car seats. So I had to create my system. This is what you’re getting for free.
Before we get there, here are two very important pieces of advice.
First of all, you need to find the best spot for the car seat. The safest place for your child is in the middle of the car because that’s where he’s most protected. I know that’s only doable for some. So here’s the second safest spot which is behind the driver.
Car seats can only provide the best protection if they are properly installed. This means that the wiggle room should be less than an inch. Luckily Maxi Cosi is making it easy to install car seats. Now just in case if you want to extra sure reach out to a licensed professional.
Let’s get this buyer’s guide started.
Safety
Safety is the most important for me and many parents; thus, it’s top of my list. There is no unsafe car seat on the marketplace. This was told to me by a policeman. The only unsafe one is an unused or poorly installed one.
All of them have passed government tests. There’s something that rarely gets mentioned. Some of the brands barely pass those tests. So I don’t know about you, but I rather trust the one that goes the extra mile.
The heaviest car seats offer good protection because they have a steel frame or steel reinforcements. As you see, there are compromises. It’s a good idea to check if it has a SIP or side impact protection. These are quite common accidents, and it’s a must.
Size Limits
This is the second most important thing to look at. These car seats aren’t cheap. If you have to buy multiple seats, your pocket will feel the hurt.
By checking out the size limits, you will be able to save money without compromising on safety. The secret is to plan ahead. The more you can use the car seat, the more money you’re saving.
This is why all in one solution is so popular. They are the first and last car seat you will have to buy.
Install
Just recently read a troubling study which showed that 75% of car seats are installed poorly. This means that children aren’t protected by 100%.
This is so important to not just getting the right car seat but the one that’s the easiest to install. There’s some good news for you.
Lately, all major brands have evolved their installation process, so it has become effortless. From auto tightening to on push, I’ve seen them all.
Fabric
This is the last item on my list. Since these convertibles cater to infants and toddlers, you can expect accidents. You need to know ahead of time the cleaning procedure.
Some seats only allow spot cleaning, while others are hard to remove or reattach. You need to be clear of these issues ahead of time.
This is the end of my quick buyer’s guide.
Conclusions
We have reached the end of the best forever car seat article. It was a long one. I hope you’ve learned a lot from it.
By now you should know which car seat is the right fit for you. Now it’s time to take action. The last time I checked, the stocks were almost gone, so get them fast.
I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas. Write them below.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
What is the safest car seat on the market?
Currently the safest car seat on the market is the Britax Advocate.
What is the best car seat?
The best car seat is the Graco 4Ever all-in-one convertible car seat.
Is graco forever car seat FAA approved?
Yes the Graco car seat is FAA approved.
Can you remove and wash the graco forever car seat cover?
Yes it can be easily removed and washed with the washing machine.
How to recline graco forever car seat?
To recline the Graco seat you have to push down the red button and pull on it.
What is the best forever car seat?
There’s only one and it’s called Graco 4Ever car seat.
When do graco forever car seats expire?
This car seat expires after 10 years.
When to turn around the graco forever car seat?
It should be turned around when the child reaches the 90% of the height or weight limit.
Last Updated on October 25, 2023 by Brian Beasley
