The best car seat is the one that fits your child, vehicle, budget, and lifestyle and has the features important to you. The safest car seat is the one you can install correctly and use properly on every ride! Let us know in the comment section what questions you have about this review of the Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35 infant car seat.
Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35 (USA/Canada)
Graco has a great deal of infant car seats and near the bottom of this page, we have listed many of the others along with the differences from this seat. This version is one of the less expensive infant seats available on the market today and also one of the lighter options. Keep reading to find out why we like this seat and if it’s a good option for your needs!
What
An infant car seat
When
From birth
Age
From birth until it’s outgrown, 12-15 months
What you need to know before you go.
Rear-Facing Seat Stats
- height limit: 32″
- weight limit: 4-35 lbs
- head height rules: at least 1″ below the top of the headrest
- preemie fit: might work, but there are better options
Other Seat Stats
- width of seat: 17″
- weight of seat: 7.8 lbs
- crash replacement policy: Replace after any crash
- expiration limits: 7 years
- harness system: rethread
- lock-off: yes
- handle positions for the vehicle: any locked position
✅ Seat is good for you if:
✅ have a small backseat
While not the smallest infant seat front to back, it is one of the more compact infant seats on the market and will work well for most people. If you have very tall front passengers and/or a very compact back seat space, you may want to check out the Clek Liing instead.
✅ need to fit 3 car seats across in the back seat
The Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35 infant car seat is only 17″ wide and it has a seat belt lock-off, which makes it a good choice in a 3 across configuration. The lock-off helps you get a tight, secure installation, even if you need to move the base closer to the door in order to fit another seat beside it.
✅ want a car seat that’s easy to install
The SnugLock mechanism makes proper installation with the vehicle seat belt easy and fast. You open the SnugLock arm, thread the seat belt underneath it in the belt path, tighten it up, and then close the arm. You know it’s closed when it clicks. Check for 1″ of movement and readjust as needed.
🚩 Use Caution If:
🚩You are expecting a small baby.
There are better options for small infants, but you can make adjustments to this seat if needed. The harness straps can be shortened for small babies in order to get a snug harness fit. You can check your manual for how to do this.
️ Stand Out Features:
⭐ lock off
Like many of Graco’s infant seats, the Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35 has a lock-off on the base. The SnugLock lock-off helps you get a tight installation. This is especially nice in the center seating position of most vehicles, as lower anchors are not an option generally. This would also allow you to use the seat in vehicles made before 1996, which would not have locking seat belts. Or in international vehicles, which would also have non-locking seat belts.
✈️ Airplane Use
The Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35 is an FAA-approved car seat. This is a good option for travel. If traveling internationally without the base, you will need a locking clip. Contact the car seat manufacturer to get one for free. We have a video here of how to use it. If you travel with the base, it does have a seat belt lock-off, so you can avoid dealing with a locking clip. For help with all things airplane travel and car seats, check out our Wheels Up Course and private Facebook group.
SITS Bottom Line
The Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35 will meet the needs of many families at a fair price point. This is one of the lighter infant seats on the market. But it’s also very easy to install and pretty compact front to back as far as infant seats go. It’s also a great option for families who need to fit 3 kids in their back seat since it is a narrow option.
Other Versions of this Seat:
Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35* (Canada) – same as above
Graco SnugRide 35 Lite LX* (US) – no load leg, no lock-off, doesn’t have one-hand adjustable handle, has rethread harness, not as many recline options
Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX (US) – no load leg, has anti-rebound bar, Rapid Remove cover
Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 LX* (US) – no load leg, has anti-rebound bar
Graco SnugRide SnugFit Elite (US) – no load leg, has anti-rebound bar, Rapid Remove Cover, all-weather boot
Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 (US) – no load leg, has anti-rebound bar, doesn’t have one-hand adjustable handle, no lock-off
Graco Premier SnugRide SnugFit 35 XT (US) – no load leg, has anti-rebound bar, Rapid Remove cover, storage pocket, canopy has a privacy drape as well
Graco Premier SnugRide SnugFit 35 XT with load leg* (US) – has anti-rebound bar, storage pocket, buckle storage, canopy has a privacy drape as well
*A SITS recommended seat. Recommended seats are in our Buying Kits because they have ranked high on our vehicle, child, ease of use, and features scale.
Compare Car Seats
Looking to compare car seats and narrow down the best car seat for your family? The Infant Car Seat Buying Kit walks you through our 7Cs of selection, then on to an interactive quiz, and finally, a recommended car seat list is generated just for you! If you are overwhelmed and sick of spending hours researching and reading car seat reviews like this one, the Buying Kit will guide you to Safe in the Seat’s recommended car seats for you in under 30 minutes!
We check every day for our recommended car seats on sale, and we have all the deals here for you. Shopping in Canada? Find today’s seat sales in Canada here.
What About Seats We Don’t Recommend?
Just like anyone, we have preferences! This goes for car seats, too. If we don’t recommend a car seat, it’s not because it’s unsafe for your little one. All car seats are safe if they’re installed and used properly, are not expired or damaged, and when they’re made and sold by a reputable manufacturer and/or retailer. Click here for our full list of car seats that we do not recommend.
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