One-and-Done? What to Know About All-in-One Car Seats—and Our Top Picks
These car seats grow with your baby from birth through the big kid years.
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From finding the best infant car seat to researching convertibles and boosters, you’re going to spend a lot of time (and a lot of money) on all things car seats for the better part of a decade. But is there a different way?
Meet the all-in-one car seat, an answer to the multiple car seat conundrum. Designed to work from day one through the elementary school years, all-in-ones aren’t necessarily the only car seat you’ll ever need, but they can replace having to purchase separate infant and convertible car seats and most work through at least a few booster seat years, too. As a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST, a trained car seat educator) and Babylist’s senior gear editor, I view them as an innovative solution that can simplify your car seat needs and be a good choice for certain families—as long as you take the time to learn about their benefits and drawbacks.
We think the Graco 4Ever DLX Grad 5-in-1 Car Seat is the best all-in-one car seat option for most families. It’s easy to install, fits a wide range of children (including newborns) and vehicles well and has a unique booster feature to help older kids learn how to sit properly in a seat belt. We also chose several other best-of options if you’re looking for something more specific, like a more affordable option or a rotating seat.
Why Trust Babylist?
Babylist is the expert in baby; we know baby gear inside and out. We talk with parents face-to-face in our showroom and on our user panels and hear from thousands annually via our Best Baby Products online survey. We know what items millions of expecting parents are adding to their baby registries.
Firsthand professional and personal experience. I’m a CPST, which means I’m specially trained in car seat installation, usage, safety and education. I stay up-to-date on car seat education through continuing education classes, seminars and CPST education groups. I'm also Babylist's gear editor; I've been writing about baby gear at Babylist since 2019 and have been the gear editor since 2021. I’ve personally tested and reviewed dozens of car seats in this role, including many all-in-one car seats. And I’m the mom of two boys who are seven years apart, so I have over a decade of hands-on car seat experience.
Expert POV. I spoke to three additional CPSTs for this guide: Lainie Zedan, CPST-I, Child Passenger Safety Specialist at Safe in the Seat (the “I” in her title means she’s a certified instructor, too); Rebekah Kimminau, founder of The Baby Gear Consultant; and Alli Cavasino, co-founder and CEO of JoyLet, a baby and kids' gear rental membership. They weighed in on the pros and cons of all-in-one car seats, how to install and use them properly and shared a few of their favorite options across different price points.
Car seat data. I regularly analyze which baby products our users are adding to their baby registries the most (and which ones they aren’t) and what our team of Merchandising experts—our buyers who are responsible for ensuring the Babylist Shop is stocked with the best and newest gear—is excited about. Studying this kind of data helped us choose which all-in-ones to narrow in on and which ones to recommend to new and expecting parents.
Feedback and reviews. I reviewed comments and feedback from Babylist’s annual product survey of thousands of parents, read customer reviews from hundreds of Babylist users and spoke to parents on our staff about their real-life car seat experiences.
How We Judged
Best All-in-One Car Seat Overall
Graco 4Ever DLX Grad 5-in-1 Car Seat - Harrison
From $379.99Pros
- Fits newborns and older children well
- Easy to install
- Compact front-to-back
- Seat belt trainer is great for older kids
Cons
- Wide
- May expire before it’s outgrown
A true all-in-one seat should fit a newborn just as well as it fits an older child and should fit well as the child ages. Many all-in-ones don’t fit smaller babies well and fall short as your little kid turns into a big kid—but the Graco 4Ever DLX Grad is a nice exception. It’s also easy to install, moderately priced and has a unique feature for older booster riders, putting it at the top of our list.
The 4Ever DLX Grad is a five-in-one seat that can be used rear-facing, forward-facing, as a high-back booster and in backless booster mode. “But my favorite part is the fifth mode of use, called the seat belt trainer,” explains Zedan. “It's a very small and discreet backless booster for older kids who are at least 50 pounds, so on average, that would be for kids who are seven or older.” Since most kids need a booster until around 10-12 years old—but often don’t want anything that’s big and obvious, like most all-in-one backless options are—this is an excellent option. (My older son needed a booster until he was just shy of his tenth birthday, for example, but complained endlessly about how “embarrassing” it was to ride in one. A smaller, more discreet one like this would have gone over much better than any of the bulkier ones that most all-in-one seats provide.) Another perk is that one child can use the seat belt trainer while another can use a different portion of the seat at the same time, according to Zedan.
A few other features I like about this seat include the extremely easy installation, the Rapid Remove cover (machine washable and easy to get on and off) and the no-rethread harness for easy adjustments. I also appreciate that it’s a fairly compact seat front to back, so it works in smaller cars; just note it is on the wider side, so it’s not the best choice if you need to fit multiple car seats in your back seat. Another con to note is that while the seat belt trainer is an excellent booster option for older kids, it may expire before your child is ready to transition to just your vehicle’s seat belt due to the seat’s 10-year lifespan.
Additional Specs
Seat Modes: Infant, convertible, high-back booster, backless booster
Child Guidelines: Rear-facing: 4-40 lbs, up to 40”; forward-facing: 22-120 lbs, up to 60”
Best Rotating All-in-One Car Seat
Evenflo Revolve360 Extend All-in-One Rotational Convertible Car Seat - Revere
From $259.99Pros
- Swivels 360 degrees for easy loading and unloading
- High rear-facing height and weight limits
- Anti-rebound bar
Cons
- Wide + long front-to-back
- No backless booster mode
- Straps get twisted easily
Rotating car seats hit the scene a few years ago and have quickly become a parent favorite. I’ve owned one for almost two years and absolutely love it for how easy it makes getting my squirmy toddler in and out of his car seat daily. Evenflo’s line of revolving seats was praised by several of the CPSTs I spoke with due to their ease of installation and use, and the Revolve360 Extend is at the top of the list. (Kimminau calls it “one of my favorite seats ever.”) And parents love it, too. “I love being able to move it to the side to put baby in; it makes getting him in the car so much easier,” one parent told us in our annual favorite products survey.
The seat works in three modes—rear-facing, forward-facing and high-back booster. The “extend” part in the seat’s name refers to its extended rear-facing limits (50 pounds), another big safety plus. (Rear-facing is the safest way for children to ride, and you should always max out the rear-facing limit of your car seat before making the switch to forward-facing.) It swivels 360 degrees and only needs to be installed once, unlike some other revolving seats that require you to uninstall and reinstall when switching from rear- to forward-facing. And there’s an anti-rebound bar for an extra layer of safety.
Unlike some of the other all-in-one seats on our list, the Revolve360 Extend does not have a backless booster option, so it will likely be outgrown sooner. (While the seat technically works forward-facing for kids up to 120 pounds and 60 inches, almost all will outgrow it by shoulder height well before then. Plus, most older booster riders won’t be comfortable or confident in this type of high-back booster and will prefer a backless option.) Also keep in mind that this seat is wide and long, so it’s not a great choice for compact vehicles or three-across.
Additional Specs
Seat Modes: Infant, convertible, high-back booster
Child Guidelines: Rear-facing: 4-50 lbs, up to 48”; forward-facing: 22-120 lbs, up to 57”
Best Affordable All-in-One Car Seat
Pros
- Affordable
- Works in a huge range of vehicles
- Easy to install
- Compact front-to-back
Cons
- No backless booster mode
- Wide
- Some parents find straps hard to tighten
The price point of this seat is what might initially catch your eye, but it has a lot more going for it. “The TrioGrow is easy to install, works in every vehicle I’ve ever tried it in (including vehicles with non-removable headrests), is very compact front to back and fits from birth,” says Zadan. That’s pretty impressive for any seat, but especially one that’s well under $200.
Like all seats in the SnugLock family, this one installs in under a minute. The no-rethread harness is a win at this price point, and the six recline positions and infant inserts help smaller riders get a proper fit. And while it’s on the wider side, it’s very compact front to back, so it will work in almost any vehicle.
Like the Revolve360, the TrioGrow does not have a backless booster mode, so according to Zadan, “it won’t be the last seat a child needs.” (It should last you until about seven years old, though.) It’s also fairly wide.
Additional Specs
Seat Modes: Infant, convertible, high-back booster
Child Guidelines: Rear-facing: 5-40 lbs, up to 49”; forward-facing: 22-100 lbs, up to 57”
Best Narrow All-in-One Car Seat
Pros
- Narrow, works well 3-across
- Easy to install
- High shoulder harness height
Cons
- Tall seat front-to-back
- No backless booster mode
As a CPST, one of the most common problems I see is parents trying to fit multiple car-seat-aged kids across their back seat. A narrow seat solves this issue, and the Britax One4Life is a favorite slim option that also happens to be an all-in-one seat.
The One4Life Slim is a new offshoot of the popular One4Life original, an easy-to-install all-in-one that’s been a Britax mainstay for years. The Slim measures 17.5 inches across—a full two inches narrower than the regular One4Life. Two inches may not seem like a lot, but in the world of car seats, it most definitely is, especially when you’re trying to fit multiple seats side by side. It’s a great option for parents who need to go three across or who simply own a more compact car and want as much room as possible in the back seat.
Installation-wise, this seat is as easy as it gets. The seat features the brand’s patented ClickTight technology, an installation system that uses your vehicle’s seat belt and an effort-free belt-tightening system to make it easy to get a proper, secure install every time. “It’s just a great seat overall,” says Kimminau. It works in three modes—infant, convertible and high-back booster—and will get most kids to about nine or ten years old thanks to the seat’s high shoulder harness height. Just note there’s no backless booster option.
Additional Specs
Seat Modes: Infant, convertible, high-back booster
Child Guidelines: Rear-facing: 5-40 lbs, up to 49”; forward-facing: 30-120 lbs, up to 63”
Best All-in-One Car Seat for Tall Kids
Chicco OneFit ClearTex All-In-One Car Seat - Obsidian
From $239.99Pros
- Great for taller kids
- GREENGUARD Gold Certified and flame retardant-free
- Easy to install
Cons
- Sits very high
- Older children may have trouble buckling themselves in booster mode
Before I became a CPST (and before I had a taller kid of my own), I didn’t realize that some car seats are better suited for taller children than others regardless of the manufacturer’s stated height limits. That’s because of a seat’s top harness height: the distance between where your child’s bum sits and where the top of the highest harness slots are located. Not all car seats have the same top harness heights, even seats with the same height maximums, which means that a taller child or one with a longer torso (butt to shoulders) may max out a seat long before they should on paper.
“The Chicco OneFit is a great option for tall kids,” says Zadan. It has a tall harness height at 18.5 inches and a standing height limit of 54 inches instead of the standard 49-inch minimum in forward-facing harnessed mode. It’s easy to install and works well in most vehicles and is on the slimmer side. And it’s GREENGUARD Gold Certified and fire retardant free.
While there’s no backless booster option on this seat, the high-back booster mode will last most children quite a while due to the high limits. Just note that it sits very high in booster mode, according to Zadan, and some children may have difficulty buckling themselves in or may not like such a large, bulky seat as they get older.
Additional Specs
Seat Modes: Infant, convertible, high-back booster
Child Guidelines: Rear-facing: 5-40 lbs, up to 43”; forward-facing: 22-100 lbs, up to 57”
What Is an All-in-One Car Seat?
An all-in-one car seat is a convertible car seat that’s designed to work from the newborn days all the way through the big kid years. All-in-one seats transform from rear-facing seats to forward-facing ones, then ultimately to booster seats. Some convert to both high-back and backless boosters, while other models end up only as high-back booster seats. Most all-in-one seats boast a lifespan of about seven to 10 years.
All-in-One Car Seat Pros and Cons
All-in-one car seats do offer some benefits. They can reduce the number of car seats you’ll need to buy—and install—over time, and can be more eco-friendly. But there are some definite drawbacks that you should learn about before making your decision.
Pros of all-in-one car seats
Convenience. All-in-one car seats "eliminate the need to purchase multiple car seats as their child grows," explains Cavasino. They also remove the hassle of having to research, purchase and install a new car seat every few years.
Longevity. “Some all-in-one seats last longer than convertible car seats since they do have at least a high-back booster mode and sometimes a backless booster mode as well,” explains Zadan. Some even work from birth.
Environment. It’s much more eco-friendly to toss one car seat in a landfill than to throw away multiple seats over the course of your child's early years.
Cons of all-in-one car seats
False advertising. Almost all manufacturers advertise their all-in-one car seats as “the only car seat you’ll ever need.” Unfortunately, this simply isn’t true. While an all-in-one seat may last you longer than some convertibles, the reality is that many children will outgrow an all-in-one long before the seat’s stated limits either by shoulder height, because they feel squished or because they prefer a smaller, lower profile booster seat as they get older. Very few all-in-ones will take a child from birth until they’re seat belt-ready; most families will end up purchasing at least a backless booster or a high-back booster because the fit of their all-in-one isn’t cutting it as their child ages.
Correct use. Because these seats are described as all-in-one, many parents assume this is the only seat they’ll ever need—but that’s rarely the case. “In my experience, it leads to many parents having their six or seven-year-olds use only the vehicle seat belt since they have outgrown the seat that's supposed to be all-in-one,” explains Zadan. “They assume the kids are good now to go without a booster. But in reality, I have never even seen an eight-year-old who fits into the adult seat belt correctly without a booster.”
Poor newborn fit. In my experience, and according to the CPSTs we spoke to, most all-in-one seats don’t fit newborns very well. “The lowest harness height may be too high for a newborn, the recline might not be enough or the headrest may push the baby's head forward into an undesirable position,” says Zadan.
Portability and convenience. If you choose an all-in-one seat over an infant bucket seat, you lose some convenience and portability. "You won't be able to use your all-in-one car seat as a carrier or attach it to a stroller," explains Cavasino. Instead, you'll need to remove your baby every time plus bring a separate baby carrier or stroller along, which many parents find annoying.
Durability. "I find that many parents who buy all-in-one car seats do so for the convenience of only having to buy one seat. However, this doesn’t play out as anticipated for many families," says Cavasino. Ten years is a long time to keep any piece of baby gear, especially one that's likely to endure a lot of wear and tear and mess. There's also changing safety technology to consider, especially over the course of a decade.
There’s also cost to consider when thinking about purchasing an all-in-one car seat—and it can be both a pro and a con. If you’re shopping for high-end seats across the board, then an all-in-one may be more economical than purchasing three or four separate car seats over your child’s lifetime. But it’s also possible to get a very good convertible car seat + a combination high-back/backless booster for the same price as an all-in-one, and these two separate seats will likely offer a better fit along the way.
All-in-One Car Seat Safety
“The most common errors I have seen with all-in-one seats would be using a seat from birth when it does not fit newborns well and not buying a booster when the six- or seven-year-old child outgrows their "all-in-one" seat,” explains Zadan. You’ll also need to make sure you adjust the seat to the appropriate mode for the child’s age and size as they grow. Other common installation errors to look out for include:
Improper recline angles
Incorrect harness positioning
Incorrect use of lower anchors and/or seat belt
Tether (the top strap that anchors the top of a forward-facing car seat to your vehicle) not being used when appropriate in forward-facing mode or being attached to an incorrect anchor
