The Best convertible car seat should be safe, versatile and of course affordable. In this detailed buyer’s guide, we reviewed the top convertible car seats on the market today. Each car seat was reviewed based on ease of use, ease of cleaning, safety ratings and of course user ratings.
Best Convertible Car Seat 2020 [List]
1. Diono Radian 3RXT – Best Convertible Car Seat
The Radian 3RXT is the best convertible car seat overall in our view. It is above everything very safe, lightweight and affordable.
Multiple Levels of Use
Know the best thing about it? It can be used at three levels. The rear-facing mode which is usable for 5 to 45 lbs, the forward-facing mode which is usable for 20 to 80 lbs and at last, the booster which is capable of holding toddlers from 80 to 120 lbs.
The Safety
This car seat has all those basic safety technologies that is mandatory for the safe convertible seat. We looked hard and could not find anything wrong about this seat, particularly when it comes to safety.
It has one of the hardest frames that you will find among convertible car seats. The frame does the majority of the fighting against the impact forces. Other than these the entire seat seemed strong enough and you will know that if you touch it.
Ideal For Travel
If you are a frequent traveler then this is ideal for you. It can be folded and carried on the back with a strap. The compact design also allows you to fit three seats on the backseat. So, this is the best buy in the market.
The Pros
- With a high back, its convert to booster seat
- Comes with extended five point harness to fit big child
- It can be used for a child up-to its 120 pounds
- Comes with reasonable price & various color scheme
The Cons
- This seat was made to be a little heavier to make it durable
- Some parents find positioning problem with their child between leg straps
2. Chicco Nextfit Zip – Safest Convertible Car Seat
If we are told to pick the safest car seat, we would always go with this one. Now, there are so many technologies of fancy names have been included in this seat. But the most interesting thing that we have found is, all the technologies are effective in doing what they are designed to do. It has many models but it is the best one in our eyes.
Another great benefit of these two feature is that, it is really easy to install in any car and takes very little effort from your side. We know, installing a convertible seat in a small car can be a real pain for you. With this new and improved design you won’t have to worry about that.
This seat has another great feature which is called force multiplying technology. This feature is super useful in fitting the seat with the car’s seat at minimum effort. This Nextfit has 2 bubble level indicators that is just the cherry on the top.
These levels ensure the right angle in rear & forward facing mode. The LATCH strap of this seat helps to keep you safe in the time of collision. There are two position chest clips with 5 point harness with this Nextfit.
This seat has 6 position headrests with harness adjustment. A nice removable cup holder is found in the Nextfit seat. This cup holder is used on two sides of the seat. The seat pad is also detachable from the seat and is machine washable. So, you see everything here is adjustable and the overall built quality of this resets the bar for any other luxury seat in the market. It’s the best thing you can provide for your child but be aware of its price tag.
The Pros
- Best fitting on its class
- Easiest instillation
- Unzip-able cover
- Enough side impact protection
The Cons
- Lacks a strong frame
- The upper weight limit is a bit low
3. Britax Emblem – USA Made #1 Brand In Safety Technology
Britax is a popular name when it comes to child safety seats. It has immense popularity and their Emblem is perhaps the best offering from them.
Do you know what is the best side of this new seat? SafeCell protection. It is a patented design that Britax introduces this premium seat. It is basically a structure or frame made of steel that comes with a layer of energy-absorbing foam that is decorated in a way that gives maximum protection from any impact.
Well, that’s only theory but in reality the success of this technology is as efficient as it sounds. So, if we are asked to pick the most protective baby seat, then we would go with the Emblem.
It’s a smartly designed product that tends to reduce the hassle of installation. After consulting with a lot of users we have had reports that this system sometimes jams. This does not mean that it jams on all the units. That’s why we would request you to be careful while you tighten any strap.
It is the updated version of the Britax Boulevard. The weight limit of it is 4 to 65 lbs. Both these numbers are just perfect for a convertible seat. We have something to say here. We have seen confused parents, being in a dilemma whether to give a convertible seat to a newborn.
Well you can certainly give a product like Emblem as it has the minimum weight limit of 4 lbs. Most high priced child seat comes with a minimum weight limit of 5 lbs. This difference of 1 lbs matters a lot as the 5 lbs models are not that suitable for the newborns.
At last we can say that, Britax has given enough effort to make the whole thing comfortable for both you and your child and eventually ended up in making a product that is the safest in the market.
The Pros
- It is the latest version of Britax Boulevard
- Side walls protect your child properly from the side impacts
- SafeCell Technology is used to ensures the highest security
- LATCH system makes the installation easy
- Infant pillow has been given for the security and safety for the infants
The Cons
- It is a wider seat and takes more space in the car for itself
- Hard to use for all small car
- Heavy in weight
- It may create a problem in adjusting
4. Graco My Ride 65 – Budget-Friendly Convertible Car Seat
Looking for a Decent child seat within budget? Then scroll no more. It is the right thing for you. It has every safety features you need inside a seat, has a bold essence in it, widespread side wings for ultimate side impact protection, adjustable LATCH, two cup holders and headrest everything in a budget that everyone can afford.
Moreover, it shares some features that you find in high priced car seat. It’s covers are removable and machine washable. Another interesting thing here is that, it has a maximum weight capacity of 40 lbs in the rear-facing mode.
Also, it has enough space from all sides. Now, we encourage parents to keep their child in the rear-facing mode for as long as possible, and it’s an ideal product that can go with that request of ours.
The front-facing mode can hold a child weighing from 20 to 65 lbs. 65 is a moderate number in this regard as there are many models with a much higher maximum weight limit stretching up to 120 lbs or so. Now, those products cost two to two hundred fifty dollars more. So, it can’t be a deal-breaker for the My Ride 65.
Now, it lacks those fancy installation or leveling features that you find on the premium models. So, you should be prepared to face some difficulties while installing it. But you should also know that these seats are not like the infant seats that you frequently insert and take out. So, this might not be a major issue actually.
Also, it’s not a compact design and has a good width. That’s good for the kid as there is more space inside the seat but if you are willing to fit three of these on your backseat then you will not have that much luck unless you drive those old wide packers. Instead of being a cheap convertible car seat for kids, it has all the necessary safety features as EPS, LATCH and all that.
The Pros
- The Best Price
- Higher weight capacity on rear-facing
- Very comfortable
- Good safety level
The Cons
- Too Wide
- Installation issues
5. Britax Pinnacle G1.1 – Easy To Install & Comfortable Enough
Want to know the best part? The Installation System of Pinnacle G1.1 ensures that anyone can now install it confidently and securely without facing any problem. You just need to buckle the seat belt properly. It is a compact system of safety issue which will save your child from the car crash and all the features of it work together to perform the defensive role.
It has a base which is impact absorbing, harness and tether, a steel frame which is Impact Stabilizing and Complete MAX Protection for Side Impact, SafeCell which means that your child is protected in a surrounded best-in-class safety. It provides the Britax’s top level of security.
The deep protective shell absorbs crash energy and works as a shield to protect your child. Your baby’s head and neck stay safe for the headrest which is energy absorbing. The external cushion also plays a defensive role. It diverts energy away from the child passenger.
To make sure the comfort of your child, the angle of your seat can be easily altered by Front-Adjust Recline. As the child grows, Quick Adjust, 2-Position Buckle and 9-Position Harness let you make a secure and comfortable fit.
It is the best harness-2-booster seat and its safety is best-in-class and the comfort is also of a premium level. It is a revolutionary installation system in the history of the car seat for compact car technology. The headrest especially takes care of child’s head and neck. Plush Padding of Foam delivers the highest comfort to your baby’s every touch point.
You will get cup holder and storage in this finest car seat for your growing child. To have a sound sleep of your toddler, the Front-Adjust Recline will do its duty. The Harness Mode will be used for the two years children and the weight should be 25-90 lbs.
Again the children from 40-120, you can set the seat in Booster mode. We can assure you; that you can stay tension free. The comfort and protection of Britax Pinnacle G1.1 are the highest levels and it is enough to bring the peace in your mind.
The Pros
- The installation system of the seat is very easy for everyone
- ClickTight has made the installation quick and easy
- The pad of the seat is premium and also comfortable for a child
- It has Front-Adjust Recline for child’s sound sleep
- It has a high-class protection system and it is proved
The Cons
- The weight of the seat is heavy enough
- The seat is much wide for fitting another seat
- The adjusting of the harness can be difficult for the children
7. Chicco Nextfit Nebulous – Easy To Adjust & Easy To Fit Your Child
If you are in search of a decent convertible seat with easy installation features then you should take a look at the Nextfit Nebulous. It should be a good option for you. It has LATCH tightening system called the SuperCinch. You will get 6 positions for height and the harness is no re-thread. The seat has 2 crotches strap or buckle positions. The chest clip has 2-position.
The surface of the vehicle will not be damaged after using this most popular seat. It bottom has a smooth base and the base has grip material. It will not damage the vehicles fixed seat where it will have stayed. In the rear-facing position, it allows the children who are 5-40 lbs. Again, the forward-facing will allow the children who are 40-65 lbs.
SuperCinch is a tightening system, which makes the installation of the car so easy that anyone even our grandparents can easily install it and also quickly with the help of LATCH. 2 crotches strap and 2 positions of chest clip ensure the child’s security.
Chicco NextFit has used energy absorbing foam which will absorb the forces which will produce from the accidents. It is an advanced technology and it will make the journey safe. You can use the seat in rear-facing and also in forward-facing positions.
You can adjust the seat to get the appropriate recline angle. You will get the adjustable option in both forward-facing and rear-facing position. The surface of the seat is smooth enough to reduce any damage to your car. The rear-facing position allows 5-40 lbs and a forward-facing position allows 40-65 lbs.
So it is very usable for the children. It has the certificate to use it in Aircraft. This is crazy that it also has 8 years lifespan. The seat is machine washable. It can be washed easily anytime.
The Pros:
- It has deep wings for head contains EPS foam
- It has given Premium LATCH connectors
- The straps of the harness are thick
- The quality of the fabric is premium
- The seat cover is easily removable and washable
The Cons:
- The NextFit is bulky and cumbersome
- The Harness is difficult to tighten
- The material of the seat can get warmed in hot weather
8.Evenflo Tribute LX – Most Economical Convertible Car Seat
The Evenflo Tribute LX is called the best budget-friendly convertible seat for child. The price is less than others in the market. This is a nice product by Evenflo which provides you safety. It is a child seat that has many effective features. This item can ensure you the options on both facing facilities. It is built for safe & comfort in a journey.
The setup process of this seat is very easy if you read the manual. This is a standard seat for your baby. You can attach these seats in a vehicle. It has many attractive safety features; these are side-impact bolsters and a reinforced frame.
This Tribute LX has exceeded many tests by NHTSA. There is a body pillow with it. The fabrics of this are dryer safe and machine washable. The Depth is eighteen inches that is fitted well in a tiny car. The width is 18-inches that indicate it is a narrow seat. The Height is 25-inches that are a low height.
This is a lightweight seat which indicates that it is useful for traveling. It is also useful for flight use which is approved by FAA.
The Pros
- Better side impact protection with test report
- Simple & well-fitted buckle adjustment
- An extra removable head pillow for bigger child
- Comes with different color variation
- Low priced child seat in the market
- Made in USA
The Cons
- 100% polyester that’s why some parents avoid it
- Though manufacture claims that it can carry child at minimum 5 pounds in weight
- Sometime it creates uncomfortable situation for the infants
9. Maxi-Cosi Pria – Premium & Latest Generation Child Car Seat
Another great premium level baby seat. It is a pretty solid one with enough space and capacity. The weight of the seat is 24 pounds. Its rear-facing position accommodates the children from 9-40 lbs. The forward-facing position allows 40-70 lbs children. OneClick connectors of LATCH have made the installation easy.
It is needed for keeping your baby comfortable and dry. You can clean the seat without removing the seat from your car. The seat pad is removable and you can wash it with the machine.
This beautiful car seat fits in any vehicle without hassle as it is a latest-generation seat. The Air Protection System will protect you from the Side Impact Collisions. FlexTech Energy Management of Multi-Directional Crash ensures the highest security for the child.
This is much safe for both the forward-facing position and the rear-facing position. These two positions allow the children from 9 lbs to 70 lbs. It will give enough room for leg too.
LATCH connectors have made the seat installation easy and secure. The fabric is premium quality. You might be wondering about the comfort of your child. Do not worry, the fabric is soft and soothes enough for your child.
The Pros
- The safety features for side-impact is great
- The limits of weight and height are excellent
- Easy to adjust harness
- The headrest is also easily adjustable
- The fabrics are premium quality
The Cons
- Installation and instruction are not great
- It is a pricey child car seat
- The plastic behind the foam is hard and it can be little bit uncomfortable to your child
10. Disney Baby Grow – Budget Baby Car Seat (USA Made)
Tight on budget? Buy this Disney Baby Grow. It looks cute, filled with all the necessary safety equipment, features and technologies. Moreover, the whole thing comes with wide side protection wings. This makes it a great product. Now, everyone is not willing to spend $300 behind a child seat. For them, it can be an ideal solution.
It has the weight capability for forward-facing is from 22 lbs to 40 lbs and the height should be less than 34”- 43”. Rear-facing also allows the weight from 5 lbs to 40 lbs and the weight should be less than 19” – 43”. It also has point harness.
5 heights for harness and 3 locations for buckle are also provided with the Disney seat. For the first time, a seat has come on the market which has 2 cup holders. It is an exceptional feature of Disney. The materials of the seat are polyester and plastic. The weight is only 9.30 lbs. It has gotten its certificate from JPMA and also meets the Standards of ASTM.
The unit can accommodate children from 19” to 40” and weight should be from 5 lbs to 40 lbs. The weight and height capacity are only applicable for the rear-facing position. Again the forward-facing position of the seat can carry from 22 lbs to 40 lbs and the height of the children should be from 34” to 43”.
The attractive and popular design of Mickey Mouse has made the Disney seat first choice of parents and children. 5-point harness and center-front can be easily adjustable.
The Pros
- It is cute and stylish for girls and boys
- 2 holders for cup in a seat
- The Disney seat is protected from the side impact forces
- Multi-point Harness and it is adjustable
- It is a US made product
The Cons
- It has not enough padding for the children
- The seat has no base
- It can be found as difficult when you will need to transfer the seat from a car to another car
11. Evenflo Symphony – Comfortable Car Seat In The Market
This is the new, stylish and comfortable car seat in the market. The rear-facing position accommodates the children who are from 5 lbs to 40 lbs. Its better, when the belt-positioning booster allows the children who are from 40 lbs to 110 lbs. It has the option to balance the body temperature of your baby.
SuperLATCH connectors have made the installation easy. It can work automatically. The manufacturer was not satisfied with a single layer of foam that’s why they have included three. Three layer of foaming is great because they not only give more protection but provides a better level of comfort.
The foam has been tested and designed to reduce the forces of side impact up to 50%. The Harness is Infinite Slide and it provides an accurate, safe and comfortable fit for the child.
The installation of the seat is pretty easy. Auto-reacting, exclusive, SuperLATCH connectors have made the installation so easy, like 60 seconds is enough for installing the seat in any vehicle.
It will give you a super-snug and fast installation than any other seat. It is a top rated car seat for compact cars that can be installed in the most vehicles. These seats are made in the USA.
The harness is Infinite Slide which makes the fit accurate every time. For that advanced option, you can easily take out your baby from the seat. The energy absorbing foam will reduce the forces of the side impact.
The car seat can be used in 3 positions: rear-facing, forward-facing and the last belt-positioning booster. These 3 positions can accommodate the children who are from 5 lbs to 110 lbs.
The Pros
- Easy to loosen and tighten harness straps
- Can install easily in the most vehicles
- Rear-facing provides good room for the leg
- It has 3 layers of Energy Absorbing Foam
- It is a product of USA
The Cons
- The removable harness is not available in the seat
- In the booster mode, it not very high
- The seat of Evenflo is very wide
What Is A Convertible Car Seat?
It is a great question by many potential customers. Before purchasing a seat, you should find out the efficiency of the product. Now it is question, what is a convertible or child safety seat?
This sort of car seat is used for children. It should have many features. This seat gives the options for rear and forward-facing. These seats are designed for ultimate safety and comfort in a vehicle.
For most of the time, child seats have many options. You can easily increase the size of the heights and widths according to requirements. Child seats are easily adjustable.
Why Using A Convertible Car Seat?
This 21th century has been full of variety of advancements and creativeness in technology. These advancements have helped create easier life and more well-off. One such example is that the safest convertible car seat of 2020.
A Convertible seats is a seat designed especially for children to protect them from injury or death during accidents.
These seats are legally needed in number of countries, including the United States, to safely transport children up to the age of 2 or more in cars & other vehicles.
Features Of Best Car Seat Of 2020
Before buying a seat, you must consider few things, these are given below:
- Having Height & Weight Limits – It is an important feature for a seat. Before purchasing a seat, you must ensure that the seat has the options for height and weight limits. These seats are designed for new born and aged children. You can easily change height and weight according to requirements.
- Changing Position Option – It is another important feature for a good seat. If there is no such option, you should not buy it. All top seats must have options for forward and rear facing.
- Having 5-Point Harness – A good seat has 5 point harnesses. It can keep your children safe at the early stage of their childhood.
- Having Proper Support – It is important for growing children. These seats are designed for providing appropriate supports to the children during the period of driving. It helps to keep their head safe from accident.
- Having Appropriate Protection – Most of the famous toddler car seats have appropriate protection options. It can save your children from serious head or chest injury during the period of accident or collision. It can also save your children from neck injury. It includes helmet and seat belt. It can protect your children at every stage.
Who Is Ensuring The Quality Of The Seats?
There are many organizations in the world that provide the quality of the best car seats. In USA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has the ability to verify the quality of the seats. They test all baby car seats before supplying to the US market.
NHTSA has a branch for verifying the quality of a seat. They ensure the safety and durability of the product. All good infant seat has 5 star ranking products.
It is not a good idea to buy a below standard seat for child safety. These seats can’t provide appropriate safety. That’s why you must buy it carefully. It can protect your child from serious head injury. If a seat is available for sale in this year, it must pass the current safety rules by the US government.
Now it is your responsibility to choose the best one after reading our best convertible car seat 2020 reviews for compact car, then you will be able to keep your child safe forever.
How To Buy Cheap Convertible Car Seat?
Car seats are relatively modern child safety equipment. Have you been in one in your childhood? Most probably not! So, it’s not the kind of information you can seek out from elders. If you don’t have knowledge about some things concerning baby seats you have a possibility of ending up with a seat that will not be of any good use to your kid. You must be careful about buying one.
We here to guide you about buying the best affordable child seat that will fit in your small car. Before you get a car seat for your kid there are some things you must bring under consideration and there are some things you just can’t overlook.
First of all take weight and height of your little angel. This will give you a clear idea about the products that will meet your child’s demand. Then you’ve to decide whether you want a portable one or you want a seat that you won’t take out until your child gets old enough to fit inside seat belts. Now, bring the following facts under consideration.
Is it Convertible or Not?
Now, take a look at the purpose of the child seats. If you divide your child’s growth into different stages the first stage is from 5 to 25 lbs, you will need an infant car seat for this stage.
And after that stage you will need a different seat, like – booster seat. These seats are ranged from 25-120 lbs. There’s a difference between the sitting postures in this two models. The infant seats are rear facing and deep. Where the booster seats are forward facing and extended.
But both of these types of seats are kinda outdated now. Why? Because who would want to pay double for baby seats. Yes, a convertible car seats are the new charm. They are getting more and more popular day by day. These seats can be both rear and front facing. This dual operation gives it an enormous weight capacity ranging from 5 to 120 lbs.
So, what do you get?
You get a product that will grow up with your kid that will be a part of its childhood. Convertible seats cost a slight more than booster seats. But the utility is amazing. You will save around $300 or more if you buy an affordable car seat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some of the queries are so common that we face them frequently. So, we have decided to arrange those questions and their answers for you. Here’s a list of some questions that we often get.
Q. Should I Buy Used Car Seats Or Not?
According to the report of the manufacturers, you should not buy used car seats for your children. Most of the seat manufacturers have no guarantee for second hand seats.
So, before purchasing a used baby seat, you must verify the history of the seat. Sometimes, the seat can be broken or belts are not working properly. There is a risk for low grade components. And it is a good idea to buy a new one.
Q. Why I Should Buy This Child Car Seat?
This car seat is specially designed for child. They come with a special inbuilt five point harness which safely secures the baby. Parents love these seat because they want to ensure the safety of their children while driving.
In many countries, having this seats are mandatory by law. It is very easy to use and much more comfortable for your child than an average car seat. Babies have soft bones and so need all the protection they can get.
Q. When To Get A Convertible Car Seat?
Well, it is an important issue. Knowing the best time to pick convertible car seat is very much important. The thing is, the longer your child stays inside a rear facing seat, the better it is and infant seats are best at providing the optimum rear facing safety for your child.
The child will start to outgrow an infant seat after 1.5 years or so, and then when its head will reach the top borderline of an infant seat; it should be moved to a convertible seat. So, your answer to this question is, get a convertible seat for your child at its second birthday.
Q. Where To Buy Best Convertible Car Seat?
Amazon – Yes, go Amazon.com if you want the best deals of car seat. You will not find that much variety on malls or super shops. On there you can choose from hundreds of different models, compare it with other products and get exciting discounts also. Moreover you get to know the user’s experience of the product.
There are also many more benefits of buying a product at Amazon with baby registry. Sometimes, there’s no shipping cost, you can return the product, get warranty and many more.
Q. Can I Use My Child Car Seat After Crash?
If you face an accident and your child somehow survives the crash you would be very lucky. But after the crash you should check it thoroughly for cracks and any other faults. If you find no faults with it then it’s okay. But if you even find a single crack throw it away.
A cracked seat isn’t good to use. The crack will eventually grow big and will lose its defensive capabilities. So, we request you for the sake of your child’s safety; don’t use a faulty convertible seat. Also, don’t put it on sale. It may risk other people’s child’s life in risk.
Finally
Hope that by now you know almost everything about this seats. Now, what you have to do is fix your budget and think how you are going to be benefited by the product. And choose the best convertible car seat of 2020 very carefully; your child’s life will depend on it.