Graco Smart Seat All-in-One Convertible Car Seat - Top Reviews & Key Info

Price Range: $250 to $300
GooGooLove: ♥♥♥♥ (4/5)
Pros:
- Lots of cushioning
- Separate base; easy to move between cars
- Different recline positions & converts into booster
Cons:
- Big; takes up a lot of space
- Shoulder pads are too big
- Heavy; steel frame
Child’s Weight & Length Limitations:
- Rear-Facing in Harness:
  - Weight: 5-40 lbs
- Forward-Facing in Harness:
  - Weight: 20-65 lbs
- Belt-positioning Booster:
  - Weight: 30-100 lbs
Product Weight & Dimensions: 33 lbs; 20.5″ W x 21″ D x 25″ H

(4/5) – 10/1/2011 – I had this seat for a few weeks but ended up returning it. Its a really great concept and will work great for a lot of families. I just think they need to work out a few issues…. The 2 things I think they need to fix are the humungo thick harness covers that are required in the rear facing position, then not allowed in the forward facing position…. The 2nd thing I couldnt get over is how reclined the seat has to be in the rear facing position. Its great for newborns and infants with no head control to be at the 45 degree recline, but older rear facing riders may not like being so reclined…. (read more and buy it at Amazon.com)

(3/5) – 1/10/2012 – … In every-day use it just doesn’t back up its price and is missing some final design & engineering touches that would make it frustration-free. The Good: – Nice material design with good fabrics – Plenty of cushioning – Removable for use in multiple cars…. The Bad: – Incredibly heavy…. – Very wide. – Huge front-to-back length when rear-facing…. – The shoulder pads on the shoulder belts are way to large… (read more and buy it at Amazon.com)

(3/5) – 3/2/2012 – … This is also a very heavy car seat, so moving it from car to car is a pain (thankfully I don’t do that). If you are installing it rear-facing in a mid-sized car, the fancy features like recline, etc. won’t work just because of the size. As your child grows, you also have to manually adjust the shoulder straps – they don’t move with the headrest until they are in the top slot…. (read more and buy it at Diapers.com)

(4/5) – 11/29/2011 – … The different recline positions allow for the seat to really get in the safest position. I will say that it takes up and exceptional amount of space in the rear-facing position…. A big draw was the 40lb RF weight limit…. (read more and buy it at BuyBuyBaby.com)

(4/5) – 6/11/2011 – … While this seat IS heavy, I do not feel that it is prohibitively so…. One thing i do not like are the pads on the straps, they are (as others have noted) very thick and make it difficult to get the straps as tight as i would normally have them. Additionally, these pads make it a bit of a chore to get the chest plate up to armpit level. The straps do twist occasionally; the trick to untwist them is to put the height position in the highest position FIRST, then untwist and return to appropriate height…. (read more and buy it at Babiesrus.com)

(5/5) – 11/9/2011 – I am a pediatrician who was previously a firefighter and paramedic trained to install car seats. After researching almost every car seat, I finally decided on this car seat to protect my first child…. I chose this car seat because of the base that is installed once and is used for both rear and forward facing positions. That means less chances for error and improper installation. The base is much easier to install…. CONS: Because of the steel frame, the seat is heavier than most seats and the large size makes it difficult to move from vehicle to vehicle…. (read more and buy it at Babiesrus.com)

The Graco® Signature Series™ Smart Seat™ All-in-One car seat is the ultimate in car seat longevity. This convertible car seat fits your child from 5-100 lbs & features a convenient stay-in-car base so you only have to install the base one time! For your child’s safety, the Smart Seat™ has been side impact tested & SafeSeat Engineered. Both the car seat & the car seat base are steel-reinforced for strength and durability. For parent’s ease of use, there is a one-hand height adjustable head rest with no-thread harness as well as an on-the-go recline so you can recline your child without having to re-install the seat.
NHTSA has recognized Graco’s Smart Seat with the highest government rating for Ease of Use in all Modes. All car seats rated by NHTSA meet Federal Safety Standards & strict crash performance standards. While all rated seats are safe, they do differ in their ease of use in four basic categories: evaluation of instructions, vehicle installation features, evaluation of labels, and securing the child. Smart Seat received a five star rating in this evaluation…. (read more at GracoBaby.com)

Not that we’ve heard. For the most up-to-date information, search the Consumer Products Safety Division’s website here.

Graco Smart Seat All-in-One Convertible Car Seat – Top Reviews & Key Info