Best Convertible Car Seat [10 Amazing Picks for 2023!]

As a mom, you’re always thinking about and prioritizing the safety of your baby. One of the most important decisions you make for them early on is their car seat. Safety comes at a price in this case though, which is why many parents choose convertible car seats that will last them through the years.

Basically, a convertible car seat will allow you to use the same seat from the time your baby is a newborn through their toddler years. These car seats start off rear facing (just like any newborn car seat), but can be converted to forward facing, and in some cases even turn into a booster seat.

Let’s take a look at what our Rookie Mom Squad says the best convertible car seat options for 2023 are!

Best and Safest Convertible Car Seat Picks for 2023

Overall Favorite	Nuna RAVA Convertible Car Seat
Best Budget Pick	Evenflo Tribute LX Convertible
Best Convertible Car Seat for Small Cars	Graco Slimfit 3-in-1 Car Seat
Jam-Packed with Safety Features	Britax Boulevard ClickTight Convertible
Best for Extended Use	Graco 4Ever All-in-1

What Features are Important

Before we jump into more details about our favorites, here are some things we take into consideration when ranking convertible car seats. If you have been car seat shopping before, you know it can be confusing to know what you should be looking for. Trust me, I feel your struggle on this, especially with convertible car seats. You have to think about everything you want in your car seat from the newborn stages all the way into childhood.

• Safety- Safety is by far the most important thing to consider. If you are buying a new car seat, it has been rigorously tested and proved its ability to keep your baby safe. Here is a great article from the NHTSA about car seat safety and what you need to take into consideration when picking out the safest convertible car seat for your baby.

• Price Range– Before you begin shopping, pick a price range you feel comfortable with. That way you can immediately eliminate everything out of your range. There are great convertible car seats for as low as $50, so you aren’t boxing yourself in much by picking a price point.

• Materials– You’re buying this car seat because you want it to last a long time, so it is extra important that it’s made of high-quality, durable, and easily cleanable materials.

• Height and Weight Limits- Make sure to check out the different height and weight restrictions of your car seat. You want to keep your baby in the rear facing position for as long as possible because it’s safest for them, but different car seats have differing restrictions limiting this.

• Variety of Positions– Babies grow and change so fast. You want a car seat that can change along with them. This is really important if you want to keep them rear facing for a long time because you will need to have positions that accommodate more height and legroom.

• Car Hook-Ups- In general, convertible car seats are not going to be that easy to move around meaning you’ll probably leave them in the one car that baby is in the most. It is very important to check what hookups your car can accommodate. Some car seats use anchors and tethers others use only a seat belt. On top of hookups, you will want to measure your car and compare it to the shell heights of different car seats to make sure it will comfortably and safely fit.

*Keep in mind state laws and the rules of your hospital, because in some cases it may be necessary to take your baby home in an infant car seat. In this case, you can still switch to a convertible car seat later on and get tons of use out of it.

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Nuna RAVA Convertible Car Seat – Our Overall Favorite

The Nuna RAVA tops our Convertible Car Seat list for more than just a few reasons. It is a high-end car seat with all of the top quality features and, on top of that, it has amazing safety ratings and is easy to install with confidence. And, not that it’s your main priority, but this seat is actually beautifully designed and so chic!

This car seat is an investment, but I have found that the Nuna quality is worth it. Plus, it has an extended rear-facing weight limit of 50 pounds, which is a feature that sets it apart and allows you to wait a little longer to move your baby to forward-facing.

Cool Features:

• 10 recline positions and head support options
• Adjusting the harness can be done with just one hand
• Breathable fabric with ventilation panels
• 4 beautiful neutral colors
• Easy installation

Age and Weight Accommodation:

• 5-50 pounds rear-facing, 25-65 pounds forward-facing
• Up to 49 inches
• Newborn to Toddler

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Chicco NextFit Sport Convertible Car Seat

This car seat just kind of has everything going for it. It’s moderately priced, fits easily in most cars, and has 9 different reclining positions.

The Chicco Nextfit Sport seamlessly grows with your child with an easy transition from rear-facing to forward-facing and a 9 position headrest.

Cool Features:

• 9 position recline
• New latch technology that makes it easy to install confidently
• Dish-washer safe cup holder and machine-washable fabrics
• Padded no-rethread harness
• Extendable headrest

Age and Weight Accommodation:

• 12-65 pounds
• Up to 49 inches
• Infant to Toddler

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Britax Boulevard ClickTight Convertible – Jam-Packed with Safety Features

With its SafeCell Technology and 2 layers of side impact protection, the Britax Boulevard one of the safest convertible car seat options. It is both easy to install and easy to adjust, so you can have peace of mind that your little one is safe and sound through any changes.

The no rethread harness even has an indicator that clicks when you’ve pulled to the proper tightness, which is such a nice feature. I could never figure out if I had my little ones harnesses properly adjusted.

Cool Features:

• SafeCell Technology that helps absorb crash energy
• Easy ClickTight car installation
• 2 layers of side impact protection
• 14 harness positions

Age and Weight Accommodation:

• 5-40 pounds rear-facing, 20-65 pounds forward-facing
• Newborn to Toddler

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Peg Perego Primo Viaggio

I personally loved our Peg Perego infant car seat with my firstborn. I wish I would have known about this convertible car seat back then! It’s a great option with all the bells and whistles. Plus, it’s super easy to convert.

One thing many parents rave about is that this car seat has a fairly narrow footprint, making it a great option if you have a smaller car or crowded back seat.

Cool Features:

• Contains an energy-absorbing foam
• The top tether hook increases stability when forward facing
• 10 different easily adjustable positions
• Easily removable and washable covers

Age and Weight Accommodation:

• 5-45 pounds rear-facing, 22-65 pounds front facing
• Newborn to Toddler

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UPPAbaby Knox Convertible Car Seat

This is one of UPPAbaby’s newest additions and I have got to say, we are loving it! It is super sleek, and definitely one of the best-looking convertible car seats out there. This UPPAbaby convertible car seat is also easy to install and has indicators to let you know you are doing it right (because we all know how confusing car seat installation can be).

Cool Features:

• 8-position active support headrest and 4-position recline
• Removable cup holder
• Uses the SMARTSecure® System making it easy to install correctly and has a Koroyd® technology (this takes some high-tech explaining but basically it does an amazing job absorbing the impact in the case of a crash)

Age and Weight Accommodation:

• 14-45 pounds rear-facing, 25-65 lbs and up to 49″ tall forward-facing
• Infant to 6 Years Old

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Graco Extend2Fit Convertible Car Seat

This car seat comes in right around the middle price range, but it has ALL the awesome features. Plus, it has extra legroom which is especially nice for bigger kids.

Cool Features:

• Extra 5” of leg room so your child can stay rear-facing longer
• One motion adjustment for the headrest and harness
• The harness storage makes it easier to get the buckle out of the way when placing your child in the seat

Age and Weight Accommodation:

• 4-50 pounds rear-facing, 22-65 pounds forward-facing
• Newborn to Toddler

Side note, if you love this car seat but have a bit more in your budget, check out the Graco Extend2Fit 3 in 1 Car Seat Featuring Anti-Rebound Bar. This is an additional layer of safety when in the rear-facing mode.

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Evenflo Tribute LX Convertible – Best Budget Pick

If you’re looking to stay within a lower budget, this is the convertible car seat for you. It’s still completely safe and passes or exceeds all safety standards, but comes in at just $79.99. It’s compact (making it great for smaller cars) and easy to wash.

Cool Features:

• Integrated body cushion for extra comfort
• Over 2x the structural integrity of the Federal Crash Standard
• Multiple fun color options
• Easy-off machine washable padding

Age and Weight Accommodation:

• 5-40 pounds
• Newborn to Early Toddler

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Maxi-Cosi Pria All-in-One Convertible Car Seat

The Maxi-Cosi Pria takes all-in-one to a whole new level as it is able to be used from birth to 10 years old! It converts from a rear-facing car seat to a forward-facing car seat to a booster. It is worth noting it does not convert to a backless booster, just in case that is something you are set on having in the future.

It is known for being a super comfortable car seat with tons of padding. Do keep in mind, that this car seat does take up quite a bit of space, especially when in the rear-facing mode.

Cool Features:

• A great choice for bigger or taller babies as it is so spacious that they will be able to safely sit rear-facing longer
• Amazing newborn insert with body and head pillows (great for preemies!)
• Easily adjustable with its 3-position recline, 5 headrest heights, and QuickFit shoulder harness
• Has GCell® side impact protection built into the headrest to cushion impact in case of an accident
• The fabrics are easy to remove and machine washable
• 2 dishwasher safe cup holders

Age and Weight Accommodation:

• 4-40 pounds rear-facing, up to 60 pounds forward-facing, and up to 100 pounds as a booster
• Newborn to 10 Years Old

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Graco Slimfit 3-in-1 Car Seat – Best Convertible Car Seat for Small Cars

If you have a smaller car or need to fit multiple car seats in your back seat, the Graco Slimfit is a wonderful narrow convertible car seat option. It is a 3-in-1 option that converts from rear-facing to forward-facing to a high-back booster.

Many parents rave that even though this car seat is narrow and lightweight, it is very sturdy. This is due to the steel-reinforced frame.

Cool Features:

• Rotating cup holders to move them out of the way when needed
• 10 headrest positions
• 4-position recline
• No-rethread harness
• Graco ProtectPlus Engineered

Age and Weight Accommodation:

• 5-40 pounds, 22-65 pounds
• Newborn to Toddler

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Century Drive On 3-in-1 Car Seat

The Century Drive On 3-in-1 Car Seat does it all from rear-facing to forward-facing and eventually converting to a booster seat. It would be a great pick for anyone who plans to move their car seat back and forth between multiple cars as we found it to be lightweight.

Cool Features:

• Soft and comfortable fabric with extra seat padding
• 2 cup holders for a sippy cup or snacks
• Easy to install with latch clips
• 6 reclining positions which make it easy to find just the right angle for comfort and safety
• Easy to adjust the headrest with a pull tab
• Long-lasting with a high weight limit of 100 pounds

Age and Weight Accommodation:

• 5-40 pounds rear-facing, 22-65 pounds forward facing, 40-100 pounds in the booster
• Newborn to Big Kid

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Safety 1st Grow and Go All-in-1

This car seat is built to grow with your child with both comfort and safety in mind. We love that the QuickFit Harness allows you to adjust the headrest and harness at the same time for the perfect fit.

Cool Features:

• Grow-with-baby pillow inserts
• QuickFit Harness for easy adjustment
• Easy to remove seat pad that’s ready to be thrown in the washer and dryer

Age and Weight Accommodation:

• 5-40 pounds rear-facing, 22-65 pounds forward-facing, 40-100 pounds in the booster
• Newborn to Big Kid

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Graco 4Ever All-in-1

As the name says, this one really is forever! It is the best choice for parents who never want to go car seat shopping again. Not only does this seat do rear and forward facing, but it can later turn into a booster seat.

I know it’s hard to imagine your sweet little baby as big kiddo, but Graco thought it all through for you so you don’t really have to.

Cool Features:

• Rear-facing/forward facing/booster seat
• Easy latch system
• 3 bright fun colors to choose from,

Age and Weight Accommodation:

• 4-120 pounds
• Newborn to Big Kid

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Pin for Later- Best Convertible Car Seat!