There’s nothing more stressful than that first car ride home from the hospital. Justin and I drove so slowly, it seemed like time stretched on forever. Although it’s become routine to buckle her into her car seat and hit the road- she’s been traveling since she was three weeks old- it’s still stressful. It’s especially stressful because my husband works in a children’s emergency room as part of his job as a Spanish interpreter.
Although no one expects to be in a crash crash, things happen. That’s why having a good car seat is so important. We started out with a Graco Click and Connect car seat that was easy to transfer onto the stroller base, but as time went on, Critter sprung up in height. As a nine month old in the 78th percentile for height, things were getting a little tight in the backseat. We knew we needed a change. When Graco offered to let us try a Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1 car seat with Trueshield Technology, we said “of course!”
Like I said earlier, Critter has been traveling since she was 3 weeks old, when we had to take her along on a trip to Myrtle Beach. Although she’s a champ on car rides, it’s important that she stays comfortable. That’s why the Extend2Fit With TrueShield Technology car seat was so exciting for us! It offers five extra inches of rear-facing leg room, which means even the longest babies can rear face longer. Since the AAP recommends rear-facing until age two for maximum safety, that means more peace of mind for parents of tall kids, like me.
Five extra inches of legroom isn’t the only good thing about this car seat, though! I’m a fan of anything that grows with your kid. I mean, the more use you can get out of something, the better. This car seat can work for kids from 4 to 100 pounds! That’s a lot of use, right? The Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1 with TrueShield Technology works for babies and toddlers from 4 to 50 pounds as a rear-facing car seat, for toddlers 22 to 65 pounds as a forward-facing car seat, and for kids 30 to 100 pounds as a forward facing booster seat. (If you haven’t guessed, this is what the 3-in-1 in the name stands for.) It will also keep your kid comfy with a six position recline and a ten position headrest.
If you’re a fan of the Graco Latch system, this car seat uses the Latch system for fuss-free installation. Some car seats seem to take a degree in engineering to install correctly, but between the Latch system and the easy to read level indicator, even the average parent should be able to figure this out. Once it’s installed, you don’t have to worry, because this seat has been rigorously crash-tested to make sure it will protect your bundle of joy. And to make it even safer, they offer new TrueShield technology that provides advanced side impact protection from the child’s head to hips. It’s a whole new level of safety for kids!
Critter’s favorite feature? Definitely the cupholders, which let her keep her drink close. When she’s not throwing her cup across the car or drinking from it, it can safely reside within arm’s reach. My favorite feature? Probably the Fuss Free Harness Storage to get even the feistiest baby or toddler in the car seat easily.
We have several road trips coming up in the future, so we’re going to be getting some serious use out of this car seat over the next few months and years. As she grows, and our adventures grow, this car seat will grow with her.
What’s your favorite feature of the Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1 with TrueShield Technology car seat?
Her chest clip is too low.
This looks like an awesome car seat! I have to tell my sister in law about it. I love Graco – such a reliable brand!
That sounds like a nice cart seat. I like the cup holders 😉
Wow! I should have known about this car seat when I gave birth to my baby. It’s nice taht it can accommodate kids up to 100lbs! Great review.
Wow it’s incredible the features in car seats and strollers these days!
We have this same car seat for my son and love it. We enjoyed it so much that my neighbor bought one for her child.
Graco was our first car seat when our son was born. We kept him rear-facing for as long as possible even as his legs got longer.
It’s awesome that it can grow as she grows. It makes it worth the investment when you can use it for a good long time.
I don’t have kids yet but I’ve watched my sister pends hundreds of dollars on new car seats. No thank you!
I feel like we had to buy 80 car seats as my little ones were growing up. This is such a useful tool!
I had to giggle at the fact that you drove so slowly.I remember my first time as well and know the feeling. What a neat car seat! Handy!
I’ve heard a lot about this car seat. I’m sure wishing they would have had this when my little ones needed one!
Look how much she has grown! Oh so cute. That looks like a great seat, I think Graco is a really great brand!
Now this looks like such a usable product. Extend2Fit looks like an excellent product. I am sure parents everywhere can appreciate your view of having a product that can grow alongside your kid!
I am a huge fan of baby products that grow with your children. This Graco Extend2Fit seat sounds like a must have for all new parents.
That seat is like a member of the family, safe, comfortable and adapts to every weight and stage of a growing child. You will be so sad when she outgrows the car seat. I will recommend Graco to my family with young kids.
Car seats have really changed for the better over the years, I remember my first child’s car seat had such little padding it was like just a piece of cloth,
I got a baby seat similar to this and works wonders. Im sure my kiddo is very comfy too…she is always asleep in it
I think this is a wise investment. A car seat that you an continually use as the baby grows is what parents should purchase. I am recommending this to my daughter. They are in the market for a new car seat for their 15 month old.
We have this carseat in the closet for when our next little blessing is a bit older. I’ve got an infant car seat for when she’s born in a few weeks, but in a few months, we’ll be switching to this exact one!
I still remember taking my daughter home from the hospital for the first time 27 years ago. It was so stressful and over time I was so grateful to have a good car seat.
This looks like a great seat. It is so important to have a good seat that is installed correctly.
I remember how longer my sister in-law spent picking out a car seat- its an important purchase. This seat however looks like an amzing choice!
This looks really nice. They sure make better car seats now than when our babies were born. Back then we really had two to chose from.
Really nice you found baby items like a car seat you really like. There are so many different ones out there it is hard to choose what to purchase anymore.
This looks like such an awesome car seat, which is no surprise coming from Graco. The thought of fuss free installation makes me extra excited.
Graco is a great brand and we have them for our grandsons. This one is perfect with the leg room, lets the kids be comfortable!
My sister in law in the process of looking for one of these! I can’t wait to tell her about this one!
This looks like such a great car seat! I’m a new mom and wish I had done more research and got this car seat instead of the one I have!
That is so awesome! Back in the day, I just had to keep buying different size car seats as my kids grew.
I do not have children or drive, so this stuff I forward to/share with my sister so she can be aware of what’s new for my nieces and nephews. Car Safety is super important and it’s important to get the right seat for your littles to keep them safe!
Tracy @ Ascending Butterfly
I love the cup holders too! Graco is an awesome brand! Babies deserve the best when it comes to car seats and this one sure does deliver.
I completely agree – our kids deserve nothing but the best! Graco is the best for sure.
That sounds like an awesome car seat. My boys had Graco car seats back in the day, too – it is a brand I trust.