Parents only want what’s best for their children, and that's particularly true when they're selecting their child's car seat. After all, that seat, properly installed and with your child correctly harnessed, is what ensures your child’s safety in the event of an accident.
At birth, you have two options for car seats: an infant car seat or a convertible car seat. While an infant seat is a rear-facing car seat built for infants in their earliest stage of life, a convertible car seat is one that can go from birth until the child is ready for a booster seat, explains Dr. Suzanne Chan, a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner and child passenger safety technician (CPST). Convertible car seats are a bit more flexible, since they can fit both rear-facing and forward-facing with a five-point harness, attaching to the seat via lower anchors or a car’s seat belt (not both!).
Should you get an infant seat or a convertible seat?
For some parents, starting with an infant car seat is more convenient, since they include a base system that can be left in the car — all you have to do is unhook the seat part and go. But for others, using a convertible car seat from birth is ideal.
The pros of starting with a convertible car seat:
- If you’re on a budget, you can spend less overall or more on one luxe seat, rather than two cheaper ones
- You won’t have to learn how to install and use two different seats
- You’ll minimize your environmental footprint
The cons of starting with a convertible car seat:
- You have to wake your baby to take them out of the seat
- It doesn't move from car to car easily
- it won't work as part of a travel system
When should you switch from an infant seat to a convertible?
If you do decide to start with an infant seat though, you must switch your child to a rear-facing convertible seat once they’ve exceeded either the height or weight limit (whichever comes first).
It’s easy to spot this information: According to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 213, infant car seats—and all car seats, for that matter—must have specific height and weight limits clearly labeled on the actual seat, plus outlined in the manual, says Chan. Check these guidelines against your child’s own growth frequently, but as a general rule of thumb, children tend to hit this milestone somewhere between 9 months to 2 years old.
But remember: Even once you’ve switched your child to a convertible seat, they must remain rear-facing for as long as possible, but certainly until at least 2 years of age or when they reach the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer, says Chan.
If their legs are hitting the seat back in the rear-facing position, they can cross their legs to make the ride more comfortable for the child, says Chan. The more important safety concern is protecting the head, neck and spine, she explains. “Broken bones will heal but head, neck, and spine injuries can have much more devastating outcomes.”
What happens when your child outgrows their convertible car seat?
Like all car seats, convertible car seats have height and weight limits. Check your child’s growth against these guidelines frequently — once they’ve exceeded either height or weight (whichever comes first), it’s time to move to the next phase.
From rear-facing in a convertible seat, your child will switch to forward-facing. Limits on convertible car seats generally range from 4 to 50 pounds rear-facing, at which point they’ll switch to forward-facing in their convertible seat. (Height limits are more variable: some seats don't have a height limit for rear-facing, but in general your child’s head should be more than an inch from the top of the seat.)
Once your child outgrows their convertible car seat in either weight or height in the forward-facing position, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA) say they should move to a belt-positioning booster until the vehicle seat belt fits properly, typically when your child is at least 4 feet 9 inches in height and 8 to 12 years of age.
What's the safest convertible car seat?
"All car seats are put through the same safety standards and testing to ensure their safety in use," says Chan. Essentially, that means any car seat sold in the U.S. is a safe seat.
So if not safety, what do you get when you pay for a luxury seat? It varies from seat to seat, says Chan, but generally boils down to:
- A higher weight or height limit
- A slimmer design
- Easier-to-use buckles and latch systems
- Performance fabrics (like moisture-wicking or memory foam)
- Changeable/washable fabrics for simplified cleaning
Convertible car seat vs. 3-in-1 vs. 4-in-1
Inherently, these seats are all convertible car seats, but differ in how many transitions they can help the child make:
- Convertible car seat: This is the most basic convertible car seat. It can fit a child from infant to birth both rear- and forward-facing, with your child held in place by the seat's five-point harness. Once your child outgrows weight or height restrictions when forward-facing, you’ll need to buy a new seat — a booster, which uses your car's seat belt to secure your child in the seat and the seat itself.
- 3-in-1: This type of convertible car seat converts into a high-backed booster seat once your child reaches upper weight or height restrictions for the seat's harness.
- 4-in-1: Also known as an “all-in-one,” this type of car seat turns into a high-backed booster, but can even go one step further, transforming into a backless booster at the end of its usable life.
How we chose the best convertible car seats
There are so many car seats on the market, but when a product is so rooted in safety, how do you choose the best? It can undoubtedly be an overwhelming prospect, especially when you already have little ones at home.
That’s why we’ve pulled together this list of the best convertible car seats. To make our picks, we analyzed bestseller lists and threads in the BabyCenter Community to discover parents’ most-recommended convertible car seats. Then, we vetted each to make sure it met the standards outlined by CPSTs, as well as groups like the AAP and NHTSA. Finally, we looked at the design, quality, value, and ease of use to ensure all of the options on this list truly are the best ones on the market today. K
Keep reading to find our favorite convertible car seat for ease of installation, the cheapest car seat we recommend, and the most luxurious seat. And if you're looking for other safety equipment, our top-rated infant car seats and booster seats can help.
