We Try the Graco SmartSeat All-in-One Convertible Car Seat


We have "stair-step" children.  You know, the ones that are less than two years apart in age and come right after the other in size.  Car seats have been a challenge for us, because it seems like we buy the infant rear facing, then the front-facing, then the booster, and they never stay in them very long!  Unlike other items you can easily hand down, car seats are only good for so many years, and they take a lot of abuse in the process.  I was excited to try out our first All-in-one seat ; we had never had one before!

First of all, the Graco SmartSeat All-in-One car seat (in Ryker design) is HEAVY!  Taking it out of the box, it is the size and weight of a child, and it is not recommended that you lug the thing around in one piece.

There are too many instructions with this seat, as well, but I suppose that if you needed to be absolutely positive you were doing EVERYTHING right (i.e., you had never buckled a kid into anything at all before), you could feel good about following every direction.  For the most part, the car seat practically tells you how to put it together.  It comes with several indicators on the seat to let you know everything is facing the right directions, and there is even a level on the side to let you know that it's at the right angle!  (How snazzy is that?!?)

It is super cool-looking.  A boy or girl could enjoy this ride, and it is everything you need for comfort.  There is a seat cushion for little babies that is cozy and helps support them.  There are harness covers to keep the straps from digging into little ones' shoulders, and the head rest is very plush, as well.  This seat is the first-class of baby seats -- it's much nice than anything I've ever sat in!

I was very worried that I wouldn't be able to easily change the seat from a rear-facing to a forward-facing.  It turned out to be a seamless process, however, and you don't need to remove your child from the seat to do most of the adjustment.  (You can change the height of the straps, tightness, etc, while the kid is in the seat.)  This helps quite a bit when you are in the car and realize Junior has grown overnight.



I think that this car seat will be a good addition to our family.  We currently have the choice of letting my youngest use it as a rear-facing, or my second-youngest use it in a front-facing.  Either way, I know they will have a comfy and safe ride.

You can find this deluxe solution for your travel needs at the Walmart site only for around $299.

*I am a participant in the Walmart Moms program. Walmart has provided me the product and compensation for my time on this post. Participation in this program is voluntary. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.


Comments