Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1

The Graco Extend2Fit all-in-one car seat is designed for all stages of use, converting from a rear-facing harnessed infant seat to a forward-facing harnessed seat and highback booster, and accommodating children from 4 lbs. to 100 lbs. This all-in-one car seat provides excellent crash protection in CR’s tests. One notable feature on the Graco Extend2Fit is its leg extension panel, which slides out from under the seat to provide additional legroom in rear-facing mode. Combined with this car seat’s higher weight limit, this feature may encourage riding in rear-facing mode for longer, which is the safest way for young children to ride. Harness storage pockets on the side panels of the Extend2Fit can make it easier to get your child into the seat without having to move straps out of the way. When forward-facing, the Graco Extend2Fit is easy to secure with either the vehicle seat belt or the lower anchors. However, when rear-facing, you may need to use a rolled towel wedged underneath the car seat to achieve the proper recline for a newborn to 3-month-old on some vehicle seats. 

This seat may be a good choice for: 

• Families who want to purchase an all-in-one car seat (as opposed to using an infant seat for the first year and then switching to a convertible seat)
• Anyone who needs a simple and straightforward installation process, thanks to the push-on LATCH connectors 
• Families who need a seat that’s easy to move between cars
• Cars with a small back seat
   

Ease of use: The Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1 all-in-one car seat scored in the middle of our ratings for ease of use. Assembly is minimal, and the headrest, harness, and crotch strap are easy to adjust. The labels and manual are easy to follow, but there’s a recline indicator level only on one side of the car seat, which can make checking the recline level for your infant tricky. The LATCH and seat belt installations weren’t as streamlined as other models in our tests. Our testers also noted that the Extend2fit leg extension panel needs to be extended to have access to the forward buckle slot.

Fit-to-vehicle LATCH: Installing the seat rear-facing with LATCH wasn’t intuitive, though the labels and manual do offer diagrams and explanations on the process. 

Fit-to-vehicle belt: For forward-facing installation with a seat belt, our testers found removing the seat pad first made a big difference in routing the belt properly, though the manual doesn’t mention this step. There’s no lock-off or seat belt tensioner included to get a tighter fit. 

Booster Fit: We found this was one of the best seats for positioning the lap and shoulder belt for booster-aged kids. 

Crash protection: In CR’s crash test protocol, this seat performed well and did not exhibit significant structural integrity issues.

Additional Information

Good to know: All child car seats sold in the United States are required to meet government safety standards. 

About our testing: Consumer Reports’ child car seat tests are not designed to test compliance with federal standards. Rather, we evaluate car seat performance under conditions designed by our experts that go beyond the required federal safety standards. Consumer Reports’ independent car seat crash test program has been carefully designed to simulate the forces encountered during a crash, while replicating some of the real-world factors that might impact a car seat’s performance. Our testing aims to determine which car seats could provide an extra level of safety when compared to other models in the same category. 

Basic, Better, or Best: CR rates the child car seats we crash test on a scale of Basic, Better, and Best, based on the additional margin of safety they may provide. Read about how we test car seats to learn more about our crash test protocol.

The Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1 is part of the Car Seats test program at Consumer Reports. In our lab tests, Harnessed Car Seats models like the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 are rated on multiple criteria, such as those listed below.

Ease of use: Our judgment of how easy each seat is to use including the clarity of labels and instructions, adjustments of clips and buckles, the transition of the seat between modes and installation features such as LATCH connections, belt paths, top tethers and booster guides.

Forward facing fit-to-vehicle: A rating of how compatible, easy and secure a child car seat can be correctly installed in the forward-facing direction. This rating is a combination of the LATCH system and belt ratings that are available individually on the model page.

Rear facing fit-to-vehicle: A rating of how compatible, easy and secure a child car seat can be correctly installed in the rear-facing direction. This rating is a combination of LATCH system and belt ratings that are available individually on the model page.