Graco Smart Seat All-in-One Car Seat Review

[laylan.]

thank you so much for your review. very helpful.

[malwilhist]

Both have a steel frame. The only downside to the Graco that I would foresee would be that I could foresee the seat detaching from the base in a crash. And, no, they don't have to crash test for that--crash tests are done at low speeds, not at highway speeds. This is why in Europe, infant seats do not come with a base and are installed with the seatbelt over AND around the seat. It's actually safer than using the base because your baby in the seat becomes a projectile. LOVE the theory behind it

[KateMarshLord]

@brittneydargusch21 It has a decent tilt, and it also has a recline feature that you can adjust while the child is in the seat.

[GLGC]

@brittneydargusch21
What is the Graco 35? If you are talking about the Snugride 35, that was a rear facing only seat.

[michaelhawkhertz]

do you know if this is compatible with any graco strollers?

[olivetreemusic]

So I'm considering this seat because our schedule is kind of crazy and we are frequently putting our 1y/o asleep in a quiet room in an infant carrier when on the go. I know this is too heavy for frequently carrying in and out of the car with a child on it, but I was hoping that it'd at least be possible for a big strong guy to do when that uninterrupted sleep would be worth it. Looks like those leg things that pop up would make it impossible? Can I put those down when detached from base?

[GLGC]

@malwilhist Do you have any links or data that says that seats with bases will detach? I'm a CPST and would love to read that.
They don't test at highway speeds because the majority of crashes happen on city streets around 35 mph. You are far more likely to be in an accident right down the road from your house than you are on the highway. Traffic on the highway is usually much smoother than city street traffic, thus lessening the chance of an accident on the highway.

[KateMarshLord]

@brittneydargusch21 I think it is a good car seat overall. My kids aren't on the big side, but because it converts so easily it should last you a long time.

[malwilhist]

I'm a CPST as well, but I also only install for friends and family. I refuse to install cheap, junky seats just because they meet minimum safety requirements. That said, check European data. They've been taking data MUCH longer than in the US. They also have much lower instances of children dying in crashes than in the US. Obviously they're doing something right that we are doing wrong. They keep their kids RF until age 4 and have been for YEARS. Something's got to change to keep kids safe.

[stevoandrach]

Does this seat have a tether strap? I am in Australia and we have to use it.
Thanks

[IzFiyahZONE]

a friend of mine recommended this car seat for my son...he outgrew is original car seat and he's only 7 months...is this convertible car seat roomy, whereas he wouldn't be uncomfortable in bulky clothing? right now i have his car seat in the middle of the backseat....would u recommend the signature to stay in the middle or at the end?

[leonwhyte]

Quick question.  Has anyone ever removed the material and washed it?  How easy was this process?

[sjgunnoe]

is this carseat approved for airline travel?

[KateMarshLord]

No, it is not approved by the FAA for airline travel.

[GLGC]

I wouldn't recommend this seat. I would get the Graco Size 4 Me 70 instead. You cannot use bulky clothing in the car seat (like heavy coats, etc) because they will compress in a crash and cause the straps to loosen, which is very dangerous for the child.