Graco Smart Seat All-in-One Convertible Car Seat - Larkin

Comments about Graco Smart Seat All-in-One Convertible Car Seat - Larkin:

I received this seat off my registry before my son was born and was so excited. But once I installed it in my car, I was so disappointed. In the rear facing position it is too big to fit. I have tried it in my Ford Focus, Dodge Journey, and Honda Odyssey. In all three, the front seat has to be moved up so far that our knees touch the dashboard. My son is now 18 months and I still cannot use it even though he has grown out of his infant seat. I am hoping once I can turn him around it will be useful and not the expensive waste of money it is now.
Also, the padding behind the head is thick and forces my son's chin towards his chest. I cannot figure out how to remedy that.
On the other hand, I love the steel frame and heaviness. It just seems super safe. The base is an added bonus that I have never had with other convertible seats. It also straps into the LATCH system very tight- so much tighter than Graco's infant carriers. The recline is easy to use and I like the guide on the side that shows when it is reclined correctly. The one-hand strap adjuster is a little harder to get just right when trying to measure with your child in the seat.

Comments about Graco Smart Seat All-in-One Convertible Car Seat - Larkin:

We moved our little guy to this seat because he was getting too heavy for his Keyfit 30. I love that it is steel reinforced because I drve a Mazda 6 and I feel like he will have the added protection if we were to be in an accident. You need to learn how to install and uninstall (mostly making sure the dials are turned ALL the way to unlocked before taking it off the base or putting it on). Only dissatisfaction is I have to move the seat up in my car because it is on hte large size but seems SO safe :)

Comments about Graco Smart Seat All-in-One Convertible Car Seat - Larkin:

I ordered this seat for my son right before he turned 9 months old to replace his Graco Infant Carrier. My son is 30 1/2 in and 21 1/4 lbs so he's pretty long to be a carrier, but I wanted to be able to keep him rear facing as long as possible for safety reasons and per recommendations of my pediatrician. I drive a Pontiac G6 and my main worry was finding a seat that would last us a long time, be worth the money and still fit in my vehicle rear facing as well as forward facing but be VERY safe for my son.

I love the room he has in it, the adjustable head positions as well as the ability to recline it. I also love that this is the LAST seat I will have to buy him and simply bought an extra base for my parents when they have him as well. I love that the straps automatically adjust when I reposition the top of the seat, and the drink holder is very handy as well. My son stays comfortable in this and is still easy to get in and out.

The seat is pretty heavy, but it stays in my car for the most part so that's really not an issue. Plus, I knew it would be when I purchased it b/c of it being reinforced. It is also a little harder to tighten the straps but that is also not an issue to me. Once they are tightened I know he is safe!

I havent yet figured out if this product can be used without the base when needed, if so that would be very handy. Other than that so far (after 3 weeks) we love it! I got this for 100$ off on a sale one day, and that def made it well worth the price!!!

Comments about Graco Smart Seat All-in-One Convertible Car Seat - Larkin:

This seat is built like a freaking tank. Which honestly, makes me feel like I'm giving my 2 boys the maximum protection that they can have. I have 2, and both boys sat rear facing in my mercedes e550 (which does not have a big backseat) quite comfortably. I still have my 1 1/2 year old rear facing. These seats are like the top of the line. Easy to install and adjust, which is huge with me. A lot of people complain about the weight, but I really wouldn't have it any other way! It's not meant to be taken in and out of the car. It's meant to be installed and stay there. We had to get a lightweight one for a trip and I was constantly afraid of the way that carseat was going to bend and break if we got in an accident! The fabric is easily washable. I have nothing but amazing things to say about the smartseat. I am about to buy 2 more actually :)

Comments about Graco Smart Seat All-in-One Convertible Car Seat - Larkin:

Got this for our 8 month old, found it when he was a small preemie so decided to wait, shouldn't have. He loves his seat so much more than his regular carseat. Great thing is, you can have your child rearfacing as long as needed without worry of exceeding the growth chart on reg carseats and it grows with your child. The only thing I found that is not so great was how heavy it was. But, I am not planning on moving it anytime soon. But, to keep my child safe, the heavy lifting is no big deal. Also, it is pretty large, I would recommend having a larger vehicle if buying this. I have a Expedition and it fits great!!

Comments about Graco Smart Seat All-in-One Convertible Car Seat - Larkin:

I love everything about his eat! It is big so if you have a little car you might want to measure to make sure it will fit. Also it is very heavy so I don't move it from car to car like it says you can do.

Comments about Graco Smart Seat All-in-One Convertible Car Seat - Larkin:

We have been using this car seat for a year now (since my daughter was 6-months-old).

Installation was easy (even had it inspected at the local car sear inspection center and was told that it was installed correctly - yay!).

My daughter is very comfortable in this seat and I know feel that she is "safe and protected" when riding in this seat.

I love that the car seat grows with her and look forward to purchasing this same seat for child #2.

Comments about Graco Smart Seat All-in-One Convertible Car Seat - Larkin:

We bought this car seat when my son was 8 months old because he was already growing out of his detachable car seat. We LOVE this car seat, I used to drive a Hyundai Accejt and even though other reviewers said they had a hard time putting it in their car because of how big it was we really didn't have a problem. Now we have a Honda CR-V and it is a little roomier for us in the front seat but it really wasn't a problem before. No problems installing and for the people who said it was hard to move from car to car, well, it is a big car seat with lots of protection and that is why they sell extra bases.

Comments about Graco Smart Seat All-in-One Convertible Car Seat - Larkin:

Hard to get used to not putting my son in his carrier, but he outgrew it in height at 6 months. Everyone says the carseat is huge but I found it doesn't take up much more room in rear facing position than my Chico keyfit 30 carrier did. No complaints with the car seat!

Comments about Graco Smart Seat All-in-One Convertible Car Seat - Larkin:

To start, this car seat is extremely heavy. If you plan on moving this car seat around a lot, forget it. Also, it is very bulky, both width and height when in rear-facing mode. I drive a PT Cruiser and this would only fit in the center when in rear-facing mode. Now that we've got another child on the way I can no longer use this car seat because it takes up too much space behind the front seats while rear-facing still. I did, however, really like it with just the one child. It was easy to install, once you get over how much it weighs, and it was very easy to get a super secure installation. No wiggling of the base at all! Overall, if your child is already forward facing I would recommend this, or if you only plan on having one car seat in the back. If you have a huge vehicle, then you probably wouldn't have an issue either fitting it behind a front seat. In a smaller vehicle, I just can't do it. The only thing about the construction of it that I didn't like was it was difficult to buckle the crotch area. You have to push with a lot of force to get them to click in. Not a serious issue, as it wouldn't deter me from purchasing the car seat, but it was a little annoying!