I hear ya! Both my kids hated infant seats. I do think it is just their age and no seat can solve the fact that some babies just don't want to be put in a car. It feels like once they met requirements and went forward facing things totally changed. As far as what we got...we are big fans of Orbit Baby and had already been using their infant seat, so naturally it made sense we switched over to the toddler seat. I love that it stayed rear facing and could still rotate (I think this is the only seat that does this and that can come out of a base). We also looked at the Cybex seat but after seeing them both in person we decided to stick with Orbit. I do love Clek too, but we couldn't find them in store to see and you just don't hear about them much. Answer from Longjumping_End_4635 on reddit.com
NYTimes
nytimes.com › baby and kid › baby › the best convertible and all-in-one car seats
The 5 Best Convertible and All-in-One Car Seats of 2026 | Reviews by Wirecutter
November 24, 2025 - A convertible car seat is designed to evolve as your child grows. Once your child has outgrown their infant seat’s height or weight limits (usually when they are around 30 inches long or 30 pounds), they will be ready for one of these larger seats with a five-point safety-harness; this will likely happen when your kid is between 6 months and 2 years of age.
BabyGearLab
babygearlab.com › vehicle safety › car seat reviews
Best Convertible Car Seats | Crash Tested
Graco 4Ever DLX
We crash-tested convertible seats from Romer, Britax, Nuna, Chicco, Graco, and others to determine which will keep your child comfortable and safe Car seat safety can create anxiety in any parent. Whether your fears are crash test performance or perfecting your installation, finding the right seat for...
Videos
Car and Driver
caranddriver.com › home › parts, gear, tools, and accessories › tested: best convertible child car seats of 2026
Tested: Best Convertible Child Car Seats of 2026
December 17, 2025 - For this round of testing, we focused exclusively on convertible car seats. Since these seats are designed to be used for years, we evaluated every detail, from design and materials to installation and ease of cleaning, so you’re fully prepared to choose a seat that will support your child from toddlerhood through the early kid years.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/bigbabiesandkids › best convertible car seat?
r/bigbabiesandkids on Reddit: Best convertible car seat?
August 11, 2024 -
7mo old is 34” and over 20lbs, and all of a sudden HATES his infant car seat. It’s time to upgrade. Any recs? Tia!
Top answer 1 of 22
7
I hear ya! Both my kids hated infant seats. I do think it is just their age and no seat can solve the fact that some babies just don't want to be put in a car. It feels like once they met requirements and went forward facing things totally changed. As far as what we got...we are big fans of Orbit Baby and had already been using their infant seat, so naturally it made sense we switched over to the toddler seat. I love that it stayed rear facing and could still rotate (I think this is the only seat that does this and that can come out of a base). We also looked at the Cybex seat but after seeing them both in person we decided to stick with Orbit. I do love Clek too, but we couldn't find them in store to see and you just don't hear about them much.
2 of 22
7
Read this thread and you can decide based on your budget: https://www.reddit.com/r/FirstCar/comments/1nhgu6z/convertible_car_seat_options/
Pish Posh Baby
pishposhbaby.com › collections › convertible-car-seats
Top-Rated Convertible Car Seats | PishPoshBaby | Pish Posh Baby
Convertible car seats come with ... collection includes some of the most reputable brands such as Peg Perego, Nuna, Maxi Cosi, UPPAbaby, Britax, Cybex, and Diono....
Parents
parents.com › best-convertible-car-seats-7546527
We've Been Using These Convertible Car Seats for Years—Here's Why They're the Best
June 15, 2023 - I love the design and feel it's ... and hefty, so if you have a smaller car or need to squeeze three seats in a row, the Diono Radian 3RXT is your solution....
NHTSA
nhtsa.gov › vehicle-safety › car-seats-and-booster-seats
Car Seat & Booster Seat Safety, Ratings, Guidelines | NHTSA
Infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing. Convertible and all-in-one car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.
Consumer Reports
consumerreports.org › babies & kids › baby & toddler › car seats › best convertible car seats of 2026, lab-tested and reviewed
Best Convertible Car Seats of 2026, Lab-Tested and Reviewed via @ConsumerReports
3 weeks ago - In addition, most rear-facing-only infant seats have maximum weight limits of 35 pounds or less, but convertibles, in most cases, have maximum weight limits of 40 pounds or more when used rear-facing. The top convertible car-seat models offer balanced performance in three test areas: how they fit in a vehicle, how easy they are to use, and how they perform in a crash test.
Babylist
babylist.com › hello-baby › best-convertible-car-seats
The Best Convertible Car Seats of 2026
Discover the best baby gear to give and get · © 2011 - 2026 Babylist, Inc
Chicco
chiccousa.com › choosing-a-car-seat › how-to-choose-a-car-seat
How to Choose the Best Car Seat for Your Child | Chicco
A rotating convertible car seat can be used rear-facing for infants and toddlers and simply rotates to forward-facing when height or weight requirements are met.
Strolleria
strolleria.com › collections › convertible-car-seats
Convertible Car Seats for Toddlers | Strolleria
Shop a curated range of the best convertible car seats online at Strolleria. Discover top-rated toddler car seats for comfort and safety. Enjoy free, fast shipping on orders over $49.
The Bump
thebump.com › a › best-convertible-car-seats
7 Best Convertible Car Seats of 2025, Tested by Parents
October 9, 2025 - A close cousin of the Graco Extend2Fit (our choice for best budget-friendly convertible), the obvious difference between the two is that the 3-in-1 takes your child a stage further by transitioning into a booster seat.
Forbes
forbes.com › forbes homepage › forbes vetted › kids & baby gear › baby gear
The 9 Best Toddler Car Seats To Keep Them Safe And Comfy
October 6, 2025 - Other features that can be helpful include machine-washable fabrics, no-rethread harnesses and comfortable fabrics. Rotating seats can also be helpful when your toddler is rear-facing as it can make it easier to get them in and out of their seat. Most 2-year-olds are small enough to ride rear-facing, so often a convertible or all-in-one car seat is best for 2-year-olds.
Safe Parents
safeconvertiblecarseats.com › home › blog › car seats for 2-year-olds – tested by safety experts
11 Best Car Seats for 2-Year-Olds (And What to ...
March 7, 2025 - The Evenflo Evolve Platinum 3-in-1 Combination Booster Seat is the best booster seat on the market. The seat can handle up to 120 pounds and weighs 20 pounds. It measures 20 x 19.5 x 27.8 inches.
Consumer Reports
consumerreports.org › babies & kids › baby & toddler › car seats › harnessed car seats ratings
Car Seat Ratings & Reviews - Consumer Reports
No one tests car seats like we do. Get ratings, pricing, and performance for all the latest models based on the features you care about.
Nuna
nunababy.com › car seats › convertible car seats
Nuna | Convertible Car Seats From Infant to Preschool
The best convertible car seats for style, functionality & safety. Nuna car seats grow with your little one. Shop secure convertible car seats.
Amazon
amazon.com › Best-Sellers-Convertible-Child-Safety-Car-Seats › zgbs › baby-products › 166839011
Amazon Best Sellers: Best Convertible Child Safety Car Seats
Graco TriRide 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat - Highback Booster, Forward & Rear Facing Modes, Suitable from Newborn to Preschooler, Perfect for Long Journeys in Redmond Color ... Graco 4Ever DLX 4-in-1 Car Seat, Charlie| Infant to Toddler Car Seat, with 10 Years of Use | Rear-Facing, Forward-Facing ...
What to Expect
whattoexpect.com › products › car seats
The 7 Best Expert-Approved Convertible Car Seats for a Safe Ride
December 24, 2024 - This convertible car seat is also a good choice if you’re constantly moving the baby's car seat between cars or in and out of taxis, as it’s so lightweight. Plus, “it's very easy to install,” says Jeanne Beacom, What to Expect’s Senior Campaign Reporting Manager and mom of a 2-year-old.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/buyingforbaby › overwhelmed trying to pick a convertible car seat!
r/Buyingforbaby on Reddit: Overwhelmed trying to pick a convertible car seat!
April 22, 2025 -
I’m trying to decide on a convertible car seat and overwhelmed with the options. I’m looking for something that swivels/rotates and is fairly compact. My husband and I are both tall, and already with just the infant seat installed it’s a tight fit for my legs when I sit in the passenger seat.
Features that would be nice to have would be flame retardant free (was looking at the Nuna Revv but the height/weight limit is low) and easy to switch between cars.
Does what I’m looking for exist? I took the Safe in the Seat quiz and nothing pops up with all those features. When selecting for compact and swiveling seats, only the Graco Turn2Me was given as an option, however I’ve read conflicting reports on whether or not this is truly compact.
Any help would be much appreciated 😅
ETA: now I’m second guessing the swivel feature, is that truly worth it?
Top answer 1 of 5
59
Swivel seats are nice for getting your kid in and out, but they’re not always great for saving space, especially rear-facing. If that’s a concern, skipping the swivel might be better. The Britax one’s a solid pick — not tiny, but fits well in smaller cars. It grows with your kid and the ClickTight install makes switching between cars it's super easy.
2 of 5
12
Most (all?) convertible seats aren’t going to be simple to switch easily switch between cars. If you have two vehicles, you probably need two car seats. We have the Evenflo 360 Revolve and like it a lot. That said, car seats are big these days, and with my husband being 6’4, we had to buy a new vehicle and had limited options as to what we could fit (now that we’re having a second and need a convertible and infant seat).
Safe in the Seat
safeintheseat.com › post › the-best-budget-friendly-car-seats-for-your-children-usa
The Best Budget-Friendly Car Seats for Your Children (USA) » Safe in the Seat
2 weeks ago - Read our full review here. ... The Evenflo LiteMax 30 is one of our favorite seats for small babies. It’s still fairly lightweight at 7.8 pounds. But this base has a seat belt lock-off, which makes it very easy to install.