Graco Extend2Fit 2-in-1

The Graco Extend2Fit rear-faces to 50 pounds. The best practice is to rear-face as long as possible (think age 4+), and with the built-in-leg extension panel, your kiddo will have 5 extra inches of leg room. Curious why rear-facing is safest? Watch this!

The Graco Extend2Fit is one of the best convertible car seats for small cars. It is one of the most compact in front-to-back space!

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Because the seat has numerous recline angles, it can get very upright which lessens the footprint of the seat from front to back. If you have a tall driver or passenger or are just really tight on that legroom in the second or third row of your vehicle this seat is one of your best bets.

While the Graco Extend2Fit has many standout features, Safe in the Seat grades it as a “proceed with caution” seat for one big reason: its forward-facing recline rules. Let’s get technical: The rear-facing height and weight limits of this seat are 49 inches and 50 pounds, which the average-sized child will reach when they are between 5-7 years old. While we always encourage rear-facing to the max limits of the seat, we also know that most parents will not be rear-facing their elementary school-aged kids.

Here’s why that’s an issue. When installing forward-facing, the original Extend2Fit must be installed on a specific recline setting for a child who weighs less than 40 pounds. This is a problem because this recline requirement makes it impossible to safely install the seat sometimes, usually because the bottom of the car seat hangs too far off the vehicle seat. And, in vehicles with non-removable headrests, this awkward recline can make it difficult to raise the headrest high enough for a proper harness fit, too.

So, parents of little littles, unless you plan to rear-face your child until they reach 40+ pounds (which may be when they are 5, 6 or even 7) then this is not the best seat for you. You’ll run into the weird recline rule which could make the seat awkward at best, and impossible to install safely at worst. If you like the Graco Extend2Fit series, check out the Extend2Fit 3 in 1 instead, which does not have this recline requirement.

This seat is 20 inches wide. Most vehicles cannot accommodate a car seat this size in a three-across configuration.

We’ve found this seat fits an infant ok from 8-9 pounds. If you are expecting a smaller baby and want to start with a convertible seat, this is not the best car seat for a newborn on the tiny side. The car seat harness has to be coming from below the shoulders when rear-facing, and it’s unlikely a smaller baby will meet this requirement in this seat as the lowest harness height is about 7 inches high.