Age, weight, height – there are a ton of different requirements for a child safety restraint. They together play an important role in deciding which one is the best car seat for toddlers.
Additional factors may include its design, weight, price, and portability.
Toddlers older than 1 or 2 years old can face forward in the car seat, based on the local laws of your city.
Front-facing starting from 2 years old seems a longer time than rear-facing from newborns to 2 years old. So you’ll find there are tons of front-facing toddler car seats for choice on the market.
To save your time doing the research to find the best option, we’ve reviewed 50+ car seats and picked the top-rated ones in this list, and divide them into four categories based on the car seat types:
- Convertible (Newborns to 6-7 years old, 4-65 pounds, up to 49-52 inches)
- All-in-one (0+-year-old, 4-120 pounds, up to 63 inches)
- Combination (Harness to Booster, 2+ years old 20-120 pounds, up to 57 inches)
- Booster (big toddler to youth, 4+ years old, 40-12 pounds, up to 63 inches)
All these car seats allow for a front-facing position and last for several years to grow with your child. You can narrow it down to a specific category by your toddler’s age, weight, or height, to find the best option to fit your kids.
Up to 65 lb & 49 in
Up to 120 lb & 63 in
Up to 120 lb & 57 in
Up to 120 lb & 63 in
The convertible and all-in-one are friendly for small toddlers at the age of 1 or 2, no matter for rear-facing or front-facing.
Harnessed boosters and belt-positioning boosters are suitable for big toddlers, especially the later ones. This car seat type requires a toddler to be at least 4 years old or 40 pounds to fit it.
If you want to dive straight in you can see my top choices for the two-year-old toddler category below:
Best Car Seats for Toddlers
Convertible Car Seat
Graco Extend2Fit
The Graco Extend2Fit is one of the best-selling car seats for toddlers because of its high weight limit, affordable price, and thorough feature set. Sure, it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles you might find on a more expensive model, but for the price you pay, it’s excellent value for money. It boasts of all-rounded safety rating that’ll protect your child in case of any crashes.
$211.99
Harness Booster Car Seat
KidsEmbrace 2-in-1
The KidsEmbrace should be the best toddler harness to a booster seat if you and your kids are a fan of Marvel world. It’s the only car seat with Marvel heroes printed on the seat pad. Riding in this car seat means more than protection – feel more secure with your ideal hero accompanying you, it should be fun and attractive for toddlers to stay in a car seat.
$149.99
All-in-one Car Seat
Graco 4Ever DLX 4-in-1
The Graco 4Ever DLX is one full-featured and well-rounded car seat for toddlers. It can go for 3 car seat stages in 4 modes to grow with your child from day 1 to the day when your kid does not need a child restraint system. That’s not to mention its excellent protection and great comfort. If you’re looking for a premium money saver, this is one toddler car seat you should place high up on your shortlist.
$309.99
Toddler Booster
Diono Cambria 2
An awesome entry-level booster seat from budget masters, Diono. The Cambria 2 costs just $99.99 but delivers great protection for big toddlers who can accommodate in a booster. It is designed to support two booster modes – high back and backless, with detachable back support. Plus, with a larger, upgraded space, high weight and height limits, excellent safety features, and everything you need for a comfortable ride, this toddler booster seat is a bargain.
$99.99
Convertible Car Seats for Toddlers
1. Graco Extend2Fit
Graco Extend2Fit
Award: Best Convertible Car Seat for Longer Rear-facing
The Graco Extend2Fit is one of the best-selling car seats for toddlers because of its high weight limit, affordable price, and thorough feature set. Sure, it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles you might find on a more expensive model, but for the price you pay, it’s excellent value for money. It boasts of all-rounded safety rating that’ll protect your child in case of any crashes.
$211.99
Weight Limit
4-50 lb. (RF) 22-65-lb. (FF)
Height Limit
Up to 32" (RF) 49" (FF)
Lifespan
10 years
Type
Convertible
Stage
1st, 2nd
Age Range
Newborn ~ 7 years old
Graco Extend2Fit is one of our favorite car seats for toddlers. Its great performance in the longer rear-facing riding is one point, thanks to its high weight limit of 50 pounds and extension panel, but it also has a few impressive features.
Safety comes first and most important. This car seat is Graco ProtectPlus Engineered to prove it be protective for crashes from different directions, frontal, side, rear, and rollover.
ProtectPlus Engineered is the Graco company’s unique saying, and if you find a Graco car seat for toddlers with this feature, you’ll know that the car seat passes through a series of crash test standards: frontal crash test under US FMVSS 213, side-impact test with built-in 5-point harness system, rear-impact test based on European Rear-Impact Crash Pulse, and the Graco’s RollSafe testing standard based on European rollover testing procedure.
As a matter of fact, all the car seats for toddlers sold on the market were tested with the necessary safety standards and are approved for sale. Each manufacturer has its own technique for its own car seats to deliver a better safety performance. For example, Britax boasts of its SafeCell for absorbing crash energy.
Plus, the Graco Extend2Fit comes with the InRight LATCH and level indicator to help install the car seat at ease.
The 6-position recline does not only provide extra support for installation but also allows a perfect and safest position to fit growing children, along with the 10-position headrest.
The steel-reinforced frame offers both stability and durability for long-lasting 10 years of use.
The seat pad is made of machine washing materials, but it’s not as easy to take it off the seat as the Chicco NextFit Zip, which features a zip-off seat pad design.
The Graco Extend2Fit is FAA approved for air travel. Weighing at 19 pounds, it’s not that hard to take it to the airports if you are planning to install it on the airplane.
But the other two car seats from Safety 1st – Jive and Guide 65 might be lighter for air travel.
2. Chicco NextFit Zip
Chicco NextFit Zip
The Chicco NextFit Zip is the answer for all parents on enough budget who are looking for a toddler car seat with high weight and height limits, an impressive protection, a comfortable ride quality, and a simple but proper installation. This car seat comes with a zip design for an easy way to take off the seat pad for washing. More excellent features are available for a price under $300. At this price, what more could you ask for?
$299.99
Weight Limit
5-40 lb. (RF) 22-65-lb. (FF)
Height Limit
Up to 43" (RF) Up to 49" (FF)
Lifespan
8 years
Type
Convertible
Stage
1st, 2nd
Age Range
Newborn ~ 7 years old
The Chicco NextFit Zip is a great car seat for toddlers for its overall performance in functions and design. It’s engineered to accommodate infants and growing toddlers between 5-40 pounds and 43-inches tall in the rear-facing position, then transitions smoothly to a forward-facing position for the older children between 22-65 pounds and 49-inches tall.
Its high height limit of 43-inches makes it top-notch in the best car seats for toddlers for a longer rear-facing ride. But it’s not the only reason this car seat beats other great toddler car seats on the market.
The first factor for extra points is the zip-off design, which allows one second to take the seat pad off for easy cleaning with machine washing. You’ll know how precious each second is to raise a baby. This zip-and-wash design is a really genius time saver!
Correct installation of the car seat means a lot for both toddlers and parents. The NextFit Zip ensures a secure installation with a remarkable SuperCinch tightener and LockSure belt-locking system, which make it easy to achieve a tight and safe fit with LATCH or with the vehicle seat belt.
The car seat combines safety with comfort. The Chicco’s DuoGuard technique provides two layers of head and torso protection with an EPS energy-absorbing foam and steel-reinforced frame. The 9-position ReclineSure leveling system and 9-position headrest allow finding a perfect fit for growing toddlers, while the removable newborn positioner is nice for a proper fit for small infants from 5-11 pounds.
It’s FAA-certified for aircraft use, even though it might not be that friendly to carry it from home to the airport for its a bit heavy-duty body weighing up to 25 pounds. But the company provides a car seat travel bag with wheels so that you can take it for safe air travel or car journeys in the destinations.
3. Britax Marathon ClickTight
Britax Marathon ClickTight
The Britax Marathon hits all the right notes for parents looking for an all-rounder. Its ClickTight three-step installation makes it easy for parents to install the car seat properly for protection whilst the combination of comfort, longevity, and high weight and height limits make it one of the most enjoyable restraint systems.
$299.99
Weight Limit
5-40 lb. (RF) 20-65-lb. (FF)
Height Limit
Up to 49" (FF)
Lifespan
10 years
Type
Convertible
Stage
1st, 2nd
Age Range
Newborn ~ 7 years old
The Britax Marathon is one of the best car seats for toddlers to accommodate toddlers between 5-40 pounds in rear-facing and older children between 20-65 pounds in forward-facing. The maximum height allowed to stay in the Marathon is up to 49 inches tall, for both rear- and forward-facing.
To ensure safe and comfortable riding and travel in this toddler car seat, the Marathon comes with a few amazing features.
This car seat has a patented SafeCell technology that acts as a protection system to provide a crumple zone to absorb crash energy to help keep it away from your child. The SafeCell impact protection system contains a steel frame, energy-absorbing base, V-shaped tether, which help minimize seat rotation and slow and reduce forward movement in case of a crash.
Plus, there is a layer of side impact protection in the shell that is constructed with reinforced steel, which ensures the Marathon toddler car seat for a long lifespan of up to 10 years.
Easy and proper installation means safety. The Marathon is designed with the ClickTight installation system, allowing the car seat in three steps without guesswork. To help you find the correct recline angle for your vehicle to install it correctly, the car seat provides easy-to-read level indicators.
The Marathon is a great car seat for growing toddlers, even preschoolers at the age of 5 can fit well in it. The 7 recline positions not only ensure comfort fit but also the best installation angle in the vehicle along with the toddlers’ growth. The 14-position headrest allows you to easily adjust the height of the seat with just the push of a button, no re-threading is necessary.
The car seat combines comfort into the features. It was made of high-quality and breathable fabrics to keep your little one cool and dry. The fabrics are machine washable while the seat pad is easy to take off from the shell for cleaning.
The Marathon toddler car seat is FAA approved for air travel, but it’s not recommended for its heavy-duty body. Weighing up to 28.5 pounds, it’s a bit difficult to take it from home to the airport. Carry some lightweight car seats like the Safety 1st Jive.
Safety 1st Jive
Safety 1st Jive
The Safety 1st Guide 65 is the cheapest convertible car seat for toddlers on the list. Sure, it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles you might find on a more expensive model, but for the price you pay, it’s excellent value for money. It delivers the basic and best protection for growing toddlers. It also features a slim and lightweight design for fitting 3 across and air travel. What more could you ask for a toddler car seat at a budget price under $100?
$99.99
Weight Limit
5-40 lb. (RF) 20-65-lb. (FF)
Height Limit
29-49" (FF)
Lifespan
10 years
Type
Convertible
Stage
1st, 2nd
Age Range
Newborn ~ 7 years old
Safety 1st Jive is a cheap car seat to ride newborns and small toddlers between 5-40 pounds in rear-facing then transition smoothly to front-facing for big toddlers and kids between 22-65 pounds.
It’s one of the best rear-facing toddler car seats for its high rear-facing height limit up to 40-inch, fitting even 3-4 years toddlers. That’s a very long period of time!
This car seat is a budget option with the sacrificing of some functions. It meets or exceeds federal, ASTM, and JPMA safety standards and performs the basic safety with only the side impact protection for extra security. The car seat includes a removable body pillow to ensure the newborn baby a comfortable fit, with a removable cup holder on the left side.
Adjustable headrest is available but only 5-position, which is just half of other toddler car seats like the Graco Extend2Fit‘s 10-position and Chicco NextFit Zip‘s 9-position.
That’s all for the functional parts!
Luckily, the compact design compensates much. It’s one of the few car seats for toddlers that can fit 3-across, making it friendly for small cars and big families with more than one kid.
No more additional support for installation results in complaints. A few parents on Amazon complain it’s difficult to install.
All-in-one Car Seats for Toddler to Face Front
1. Graco 4Ever DLX 4-in-1
Graco 4Ever DLX 4-in-1
Award: Best All-in-one Car Seat with 4 Modes
The Graco 4Ever DLX is one full-featured and well-rounded car seat for toddlers. It can go for 3 car seat stages in 4 modes to grow with your child from day 1 to the day when your kid does not need a child restraint system. That’s not to mention its excellent protection and great comfort. If you’re looking for a premium money saver, this is one toddler car seat you should place high up on your shortlist.
$309.99
Weight Limit
4-40 lb. (RF) 22-65-lb. (FF) 40-100~120 lb. (Booster)
Height Limit
up to 49" (FF) 43-57" (Booster)
Lifespan
10 years
Type
All-in-one
Stage
1st, 2nd, 3rd
Age Range
Newborn ~ 12 years old
Graco 4Ever DLX is capable of fitting a child from 4 to 120 pounds, making it the best car seat for newborns, toddlers, and big kids.
It goes through the entire car seat age and three stages – rear-facing, forward-facing, and booster until your kid is ready to ride with the vehicle’s seat belt for safety, thanks to its long lifespan of up to 10 years.
A rear-facing ride is safer for small infants and toddlers. This car seat supports a 40-pounds weight limit so that you can keep your little one rear-facing as long as possible in their toddler age.
It allows a smooth transition to forward-facing when the toddlers exceed the rear-facing weight or height limits that are allowed by the manufacturers.
This typically happens in their 2-3 years of age. The 65-pound forward-facing weight limit allows the car seat to accommodate the toddlers to elementary school.
The long-term use and wide weight-limit range are the basics to make the Graco 4Ever DLX stand out to be one of the best car seats for toddlers.
It also features a few amazing improvements that parents would love.
The first upgrade is the integrated belt lock-off function that helps to reduce the seat belt’s swaggy that will result in loosen and improper installation, ensuring the car seat installation with the seat belt is accurate and safe.
There is a harness storage compartment in the seat behind the pad in the new 4Ever DLX 4-in-1 convertible car seat. This is useful to store the harness when your child outgrows the harness weight or height limits and doesn’t need a 5-point harness anymore.
Every minute is precious if you have a child. You won’t want to spend much time taking the seat pad off for washing. Luckily, the Graco 4Ever DLX features a RapidRemove cover that snaps onto the seat for easy removal. It takes only at most 60 seconds or even less time if you can do this proficiently.
Actually, these three upgraded features can be found in other Graco car seats, but now just add to the new 4Ever DLX 4-in-1 car seat, without a price increase, making it a great money saver and best car seat for toddlers.
Other excellent features persist in the upgraded Graco 4Ever DLX 4-in-one.
It is ProtectPlus Engineered to protect the toddler from frontal, rear, side, and rollover in case of any crashes.
It features the InRight LATCH system for easy installation. It features a one-position harness and headrest adjustment to adjust the harness and headrest together to find one perfect fitting position from the 10 positions.
A 6-position recline allows you to fit a growing child in different but comfortable angles. The first three are rear-facing and the last three are forward-facing.
As an all-in-one convertible car seat, the Graco 4Ever DLX has a long lifespan of up to 10 years. This is the most commonly seen car seat life on the market and it’s also the longest.
The real usage time should be shorter than 10 years, which was counted from the day it was 100% manufactured in the factory, not from the day you purchased and used it. But it’s still the best option if you’re looking for a car seat that lasts from your baby’s birth to youth.
This all-in-one car seat is a great money-saver, but it’s bulky and not friendly for small cars. Taking up too much space in the back seat in compact cars will result in the driver’s discomfort and inconvenience.
There are two cup holders on both sides to hold the little passenger’s drinks and snacks. That’s a good way to keep your child unboring while traveling.
It’s just the square design that a few parents complain about, not holding the circular-designed cups or bottles well to avoid any spoils.
2. Diono 2020 Radian 3R
Diono 2020 Radian 3R
This toddler car seat brings a whole bunch of safety to the ride and is perfect for big families who have several children that need to be secured in the back seat. The narrow width and slim design make this ideal for small cars. Its ability to ride a kid through 3 car seat stages, high weight and height limits, excellent longevity, and budget price make this an awesome all-rounder for saving money.
$199.99
Weight Limit
5-50 lb. (RF) 22-65-lb. (FF) 40-100 lb. (Booster)
Height Limit
Up to 57.1"
Lifespan
10 years
Type
All-in-one
Stage
1st, 2nd, 3rd
Age Range
Newborn ~ 12 years old
Designed to grow with your child, the Diono Radian 3R is capable of fitting a child throughout three car seat stages: rear-facing, forward-facing, and booster to make it one of the best car seats for toddlers between 1 and 4 years old.
This car seat will ride a toddler rear-facing for a long time, thanks to its 50-pound rear-facing weight limit. If you’re living or planning to travel in the states that require a child under 2 years old to ride rear-facing, the Radian 3R is a great option.
It’s time to turn the car seat forward-facing when your toddler approaches the 50-pounds weight limit. The 5-point harness allows your kid to stay forward-facing below 65 pounds, which typically happens in primary school age.
The 5-50 pounds rear-facing harness weight range and 22-65 pounds front-facing harness weight range cover the whole toddler time, even for an older 7 years.
More than the weight range performance, the safety of Diono Radian is also good.
Made of reinforced steel in the core and frame, this car seat is strong for protection and durability for a long-lasting 10 years lifespan.
The thick energy-absorbing foam built around the car seat helps deduce crash forces and provides full shielding upon side impact.
The Diono Radian 3R features a slim design and is suitable for families with several toddlers, for example, your family has twins. Installing it across 3 seats in the back is effortless, with a width of 17-inch at most.
3. Evenflo EveryFit
Evenflo EveryFit 4-in-1 Car Seat
The Evenflo EveryFit is the answer for families on a budget who are looking for a toddler car seat with the ability of 3 car seat stages in 4 modes at an impressive budget price. It works as Graco 4Ever DLX but sells as cheap as Diono Radia 3R, under $200. You won’t expect top-rated features from this child restraint system, but it still provides basic protection and comfort to ride your child from birth to youth, thanks to its great height and weight limits.
$199.99
Weight Limit
4-40 lb. (RF) 22-65-lb. (FF) 40-100 lb. (Booster)
Height Limit
19-40" (RF) 29-49" (FF) 43-52" (Booster)
Lifespan
10 years
Type
All-in-one
Stage
1st, 2nd, 3rd
Age Range
Newborn ~ 10 years old
Featuring a rear-facing weight range between 4 and 40 lbs and a forward-facing weight range between 22-65 pounds, the Evenflo EveryFit can fit small babies and toddlers well.
The 40-pound makes it possible for 2-3 years toddlers to stay in the rear-facing as long as possible; while the 65-lb weight limit allows toddlers to stay in the 5-point harness until elementary school day.
Removable cushions help keep infants cradled and stable early and can be detached when they grow into big toddlers. This also enhances the safety of your child in the car seat.
More than that, the Evenflo EveryFit boasts of its high-level safety.
Featuring the advanced two layers of side impact protection to distribute crash forces to 30%, along with the steel-reinforced frame, this car seat is strong and safe, and also durable.
It has a long 10-year lifespan from the date of the manufacturer.
To keep pace with your child’s growth, the Evenflo EveryFit features 12-position headrest adjustments and a 4-position recline. You’ll always find a perfect fitting position for that moment.
As long as your child exceeds the 65-pound weight limit for toddlers and big kids, it’s time to change it to the booster.
A Highback booster comes first and then detaches the back support to switch it to a backless booster.
Both booster modes have the same minimum and maximum weight limits, from 40 pounds to 120 pounds.
This high weight limit means your child can use this car seat until they’re ready to use the vehicle’s seat belt, which generally happens at 12-13 years old.
Best Harness Booster Car Seats for Toddlers
1. KidsEmbrace
KidsEmbrace 2-in-1 Harness Booster Seat
Award: Best Harness to Booster Car Seat
The KidsEmbrace should be the best toddler harness to a booster seat if you and your kids are a fan of Marvel world. It’s the only car seat with Marvel heroes printed on the seat pad. Riding in this car seat means more than protection – feel more secure with your ideal hero accompanying you, it should be fun and attractive for toddlers to stay in a car seat.
$149.99
Weight Limit
22-65-lb. (FF) / 40-100 lb. (Booster)
Height Limit
29-49" (FF) / 38 to 57" (Booster)
Lifespan
7 years
Type
Combination
Stage
2nd, 3rd
Age Range
2 ~ 10 years old
What makes the KidsEmbrace stand out from so many functional car seats to be the best car seat for toddlers? Obviously, not the excellent features – but this does not say the KidsEmbrace does not perform well in functions to ride a child.
It earns its reputation by the car seat cover, which comes with a Marvel hero for each car seat. Who would not like to be accompanied by their admired hero?
KidsEmbrace provides a lot of hero-subject seats for toddlers, making the time to stay in the car seat from being bored. It’s a 2-in-1 harness booster that can be installed and used front-facing only for big toddlers at least 22 pounds in the harness and 40 pounds in the booster.
But we do recommend you to put your child in the 5-point harness mode as long as possible until they outgrow the 65-pound weight limit or 49-inch height limit.
The KidsEmbrace only supports 3-point harness adjustment positions, not as flexible as other car seats with 10-position or more.
It’s less comfortable as well because there are less fitting positions for growing children and your toddlers might not get a perfect fit for the most comfort.
As long as your child exceeds the harness weight or height limit, whichever comes first, it’s time to change the car seat to booster mode and only big toddlers older than 4 years old or at least 40 pounds can ride in this mode.
It’s understandable that the booster seat is not as safe as the harness, even though the KidsEmbrace meets or exceeds the US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS 213).
It’s also side-impact tested for the 5-point harness, meaning the headrest will provide side impact protection in the event of a crash, thanks to the built-in energy-absorbing EPS foam and steel-reinforced frame.
Great safety and comfort features, plus the exclusive superhero-themed cover, the KidsEmbrace absolutely earns the children’s heart to be the best car seat for toddlers.
2. Graco Atlas 65
Graco Atlas 65 2-in-1
The Graco Atlas 65 is an affordable harness booster for toddlers to ride facing front, starting from a 5-point harness. Manufactured by Graco, you won’t need to worry about its capability of protection. The comfort is ensured, thanks to the machine-washable fabrics and additional features like the cup holders on both sides. If you’re looking for a toddler booster, trusting a popular brand is not a bad idea.
$137.99
Weight Limit
22-65-lb. (FF) / 40-100 lb. (Booster)
Height Limit
29-49" (FF) / 38 to 57" (Booster)
Lifespan
7 years
Type
Combination
Stage
2nd, 3rd
Age Range
2 ~ 10 years old
The Graco Atlas 65 was designed to ride the toddlers in car seat configurations – harness and booster.
It’s the one to succeed an infant car seat after the littles outgrow their infant car seats. The minimum weight limit is only 22 pounds while most small infants will reach this weight quickly on their first birthday.
However, it’s better for them to stay in rear-facing infant car seats as long as possible, as the Graco Atlas 65 can be used only in front-facing.
It’s a real front-facing car seat for toddlers. The car seat supports a child between 22 to 65 pounds with a height limit of 49-inches in a forward-facing 5-point harness, which is supposed to be safer than the highback booster mode.
So it’s recommended to keep your toddler in the 5-point harness when he or she exceeds the harness weight or height limits.
The Graco Atlas 65 was crashed tested in the 5-point harness for the side impact protection and it proved itself to meet or exceed the US standard FMVSS 213.
This ensures small toddlers can stay in the car seat safely.
However, that does not mean the booster mode is not safe. It’s just that the kids growing bigger will have stronger bodies without the extra support but can still sit in the car seat with stability and safety.
The 65-pound top weight limit allows your toddler to stay in the 5-point harness till the preschool ages around 6-7 years.
10-position headrest and harness adjustments make it possible to find a perfect fit for growing toddlers, ensuring your child’s comfort in this car seat.
Graco Atlas 65 provides an option of smoothly transitioning to a booster seat for big toddlers older than 4 years old or at least 40 pounds.
There is a harness storage compartment that allows you to keep the harness stored with the seat after switching to booster mode.
It’s a pity that the Graco Atlas 65 is just a 2-in-1 harness booster seat without the backless mode.
But backless booster seats for 4-year-old toddlers are very cheap, costing around 20 bucks. If you really need one, Graco TurboBooster is a very popular model on the market.
If you prefer a toddler booster seat with a higher weight limit, the Diono Solana 2 is a good choice anyway.
3. Chicco MyFit
Chicco MyFit Harness + Booster Car Seat
A sweet combination of safety, comfort, and classy style, the Chicco MyFit is packed with hauntingly good features. It delivers a fun but practical protection to ride your toddler facing front, allowing them to stay going through two car seat stages from toddler days to youth ages.
$199.99
Weight Limit
25-65-lb. (FF) / 40-100 lb. (Booster)
Height Limit
54" (FF) / 38 to 57" (Booster)
Lifespan
8 years
Type
Combination
Stage
2nd, 3rd
Age Range
2 ~ 10 years old
The Chicco MyFit 2-in-1 harness booster was designed to accommodate toddlers between 25-100 pounds. It is capable of riding your child going throughout two car seat stages – forward-facing 5-point harness and booster.
In the harness mode, MyFit will ride a toddler older than 2 years old between 25 lbs and 65 lbs. This wide weight range lasts for several years to perfectly fit small toddlers to preschoolers, as long as your child doesn’t surpass the maximum height of 54 inches in the harness.
It’s not friendly for small infants as it supports only front-facing. Both the harness and booster modes are installed front-facing, while it’s recommended to keep toddlers below 2 years old rear-facing up to the weight or height limit of their rear-facing convertible car seats.
It’s also suggested to let your toddler stay in the harness as long as possible.
But you should not hesitate to turn this car seat into booster mode when the toddler outgrows the 65-pound weight limit or 54-inch height limit, or if they meet the minimum requirements to fit in this toddler harness booster seat, at least 40 pounds or older than 4 years old.
The Chicco MyFit ranks top position on the best car seat for toddlers for its great safety performance and comfortable fit.
Talking to its safe part, the MyFit features the exclusive DuoGuard technique of two layers of side impact protection to protect the little passenger’s head, body, and torso, along with the help of the thick padding and high strength steel-reinforced frame.
Easy installation adds points for its security. The MyFit comes with premium connectors for LATCH installation, which is commonly considered an easy way to install a car seat.
But it does not feature the Chicco’s SuperCinch LATCH connector that the company boasts of. Luckily, the LockSure system remains. It includes the lock-offs and wide belt routing to let parents easily install the car seat with the vehicle’s seat belt.
The RideRight bubble levels and guide labels provide additional tips to confirm a proper angle for installation in the vehicle.
Moving to the comfortable ride part. The Chicco MyFit was ergonomically designed to fit growing children.
It is a deep ErgoBooster toddler car seat with high density and comfortable padding. The 9-position headrest adjustments and 4-position recline allow you to find the best-fit angle and position for toddlers, even when they fall asleep and the head will flop forward.
A slight recline and supportable headrest provide extra comfort so that they can rest upright at a normal position without neck dangling.
Plus for comfort and happiness, there are two dishwasher-safe CupFolder on both sides, with the snacks and drinks easily touchable.
The silicone-made two cup holders are flexible and removable if you need to install 3 car seat side by side in the back seat. Some parents tried and succeeded and complemented its narrow width.
It’s lightweight to switch between different cars, but still a bit bulky and heavy to take to the airport for air travel.
Please DO NOT use this car seat on an airplane in booster mode. The seat belt on an airplane does not include the shoulder strap and it’s not safe without a harness to fly.
Booster for Big Toddlers over 4 Years Old
1. Diono Cambria 2
Diono Cambria 2 High Back Booster
Award: Best Booster
An awesome entry-level booster seat from budget masters, Diono. The Cambria 2 costs just $99.99 but delivers great protection for big toddlers who can accommodate in a booster. It is designed to support two booster modes – high back and backless, with detachable back support. Plus, with a larger, upgraded space, high weight and height limits, excellent safety features, and everything you need for a comfortable ride, this toddler booster seat is a bargain.
$99.99
Weight Limit
22-65-lb. (FF) / 40-100 lb. (Booster)
Height Limit
up to 49" (FF) / 43 to 57" (Booster)
Lifespan
7 years
Type
Combination
Stage
2nd, 3rd
Age Range
2 ~ 12 years old
The Diono Cambria 2 is a booster car seat for toddlers between 40-120 lbs. It’s a 2-in-1 booster for the third stage only, even including both high back and backless modes.
Both modes come with the same weight range and height limit up to 63-inches tall. But if your child prefers a backless booster, the seat pad can be detached from the back support and used separately.
The Diono Cambria 2 is an upgraded version with more space for big toddlers. The manufacturer boasts that it’s an XL booster seat with a wide contoured seat base and extra length for better leg support and kid comfort.
It’s true and this feature receives a few appraises from the parents with tall and lightweight children.
The 6-position headrest adjustable heights not only provide great support for your child’s headrest when they fall asleep but also add room for the growing children for a safe and comfortable fit.
Plus, the thickly padded headrest enhances the side impact protection in case of a crash.
The steel-reinforced frame ensures safe rides as well as long durability. The Diono Cambria 2 has an 8-year lifespan.
It’s easily understandable for this relatively long-lasting time. After all, the weight range and high height limit of the Cambria 2 toddler booster seat are really good.
You’ll find the 8-years car seat usage time is a bit shorter than those all-in-one car seats with a 10-year lifespan. But think about it’s just a booster seat, you’ll feel the 8-year is still a long time.
The Diono Cambria 2 is available in three colors, pink and blue for girls toddlers, black and blue for boys toddlers.
2. Graco Affix
Graco Affix Highback Booster Seat
Designed with your child’s safety in mind and sporting a durable build, a top weight limit of 100 pounds, and a height limit of 57 inches, the Graco Affix highback booster is exactly what it promises to be: a great budget toddler car seat. This new version upgrades the minimum weight requirement from 30 lbs to 40 lbs for the little passenger’s safety sake. It’s a no-fuss option that’s ideal for big toddlers.
$79.99
Weight Limit
22-65-lb. (FF) / 40-100 lb. (Booster)
Height Limit
up to 49" (FF) / 43 to 57" (Booster)
Lifespan
7 years
Type
Combination
Stage
2nd, 3rd
Age Range
2 ~ 12 years old
The Graco Affix is a great 2-in-1 booster car seat for toddlers between 40-100 pounds and up to 57-inches tall. It improves the minimum weight requirement from 30 lbs to 40 lbs, meaning better suitable for big toddlers.
Actually, almost all the booster seats require the little passenger to be at least 40 pounds in weight or 4 years old in age. It’s better to keep small toddlers younger than 4 years old in a forward-facing harness or smaller toddlers younger than 2 in a rear-facing harness.
LATCH is included for easy installation of the Graco Affix in the vehicle’s back seat. But it’s strongly recommended to use the lap/shoulder belt for installing it.
After all, there is no harness to secure your child in this toddler booster seat. From this point, this car seat is not available for aircraft use.
You should not make it onto the airplane even though it’s a super lightweight booster car seat for toddlers.
The lightweight design allows it easy to switch this Graco Affix toddler booster car seat between different cars if you need to do so. It’s also very portable, especially when you detach the seat pad from the back support and use it alone.
The Affix supports two configurations – high back and backless, with the same weight and height limits anyway.
Two cup holders attach to the car seat for holding your child’s snacks and drinks. But this will take up some side space and is not friendly for installing multiple car seats in the back.
The Graco Affix booster toddler seat is not narrow in width for fitting 3 across. If you want one, the Graco car seats from the SlimFit3 series are good options then.
FAQs about Front Facing Car Seats for Toddlers
The age for front-facing car seats varies a lot depending on the car seat type.
Convertible car seats allow for transition to front-facing with a minimum weight requirement between 20-25 pounds, meaning that the age for front-facing commonly happens between 1-2 years old. So does the combination car seat with a 5-point harness.
The booster only faces the front and asks for a child to be at least 40 pounds to ride in this type of car seat. This generally happens around 4-5 years old.
The leading factor of what age to turn the car seat forward-facing is the local laws.
Typically, there are two ages to switch the car seat to forward-facing – 1-year-old and 2 years old.
Some states allow 1-year-old small toddlers to ride facing forward; Some may state clearly in the car seat laws that toddlers younger than 2 years old should ride in rear-facing, meaning that you can only transfer the toddlers after the second birthday. Others may not say much about the age of rear- or forward-facing. But we do recommend following the NHTSA and AAP’s suggestions. This means 2 years old is a better age to turn the car seat face forward.
It’s the best time to switch the toddlers to forward facing car seat when they outgrow their rear-facing car seats.
However, you should also pay attention to the local laws with some special age requirements that toddlers younger than 2 years old should ride facing rear.