Graco 4Ever Review

Experts recommend that children remain in car seats and booster seats until they are large enough that an adult lap belt fits and protects them properly. For most kids, this happens sometime between 10-11 years old, when they are 57 inches tall (4′ 9”) and the right proportion for a seat belt.

Until that time, they should be protected in the car, with car seats that can keep them safe and comfortable as they grow.

For parents, this often means buying a succession of different car seats every few years, which can be expensive and cumbersome to install. An alternative is to get an all-in-one car seat, like the Graco 4Ever, that can protect a child in every stage.

Who is the Graco 4Ever Most Suitable For?

For parents who want a single car seat that will keep their child safe and comfortable through all their stages of growth, the Graco 4Ever is just about perfect. It installs easily, converts easily, and headrest and harness adjustments are a snap with no rethreading. It’s easy to clean, from the cover to the cushions to the cupholders, and has a fantastic 10-year life span.

The Graco 4Ever is best for parents who want to install it in a single car and use it forever. At over 20 pounds, it’s not easy to move or travel with. At 19.5 inches across, it is probably too wide for 3-across seating except in the largest vehicles. In smaller cars, rear-facing installations may take up a lot of front passenger space.

The wide base may not fit easily in bucket seats, and the tall back may impede on the rear view in booster seat mode, so people with smaller vehicles will want to take careful measurements before getting this car seat.

If you are looking for a single, long-lived, set-it-and-forget-it car seat, the Graco 4Ever is an excellent choice. While it may be a bit bulky and heavy to move, it’s an excellent investment in years of safety and comfort for a child.

Pros and Cons of Graco 4Ever

Pros

• Incredibly fast and easy installation, with an audible click that lets you know it’s secured correctly
• Easy conversion between seating modes
• Long-lived car seat, with broad weight and height ranges
• Extended rear-facing for added safety
• Two cupholders
• Cover is machine washable, and comes in parts for simpler removal and cleaning without rethreading
• Harness adjusts with no rethreading
• FAA approved

Cons

• The head rest can push the child’s head forward, and some parents continue using the insert pillow after it’s necessary in order to reduce the forward tilt

Overview of the Graco 4Ever

The Graco 4Ever is a single convertible car seat that fits kids from 4-120 pounds, backed by trusted Graco quality. It’s gotten rave reviews from parents and professionals, and been honored as the IIHS Best Bet Booster seat, won the 2018 Cribsie Awards, and won the Baby Center Mom’s Best Award for 2018.

Parents love the long lifespan, easy installation and adjustment, and easy cleaning of this car seat. Kids love the comfy seating, dual cupholders, and padded harness that prevents rubbing.

Safety

What are this model’s NHTSA ratings? Every car seat sold in the United States must meet strict federal crash test ratings, so the NHTSA does not rate car seats for safety or compliance. Instead, the NHTSA rates car seats for ease of use. The NHTSA has rated the Graco 4Ever (in the rear-facing configuration):

• Labels: 5/5 stars
• Instructions: 5/5 stars
• Securing the child: 5/5 stars
• Installation features: 1/5 stars because the padding must be moved to route a belt through the belt path, and it may be uncomfortable for people with large hands to route the belt through the belt path. The LATCH storage area is not clearly labeled, and the LATCH attachments have buttons to press for removal
• Overall ease of use: 4/5 stars
• The Graco 4Ever has also been given and overall 4/5 star rating in the forward facing and booster seat modes, for different reasons.
• Does this model have:

• Side impact protection? Yes
• Energy-absorbing base? No
• Metal frame? Plastic body, steel-reinforced frame

Longevity

What is this model’s child height limit?

• Rear-facing: 1 inch below handle
• Forward-facing: 49 inches, booster seat: 57 inches  

What is this model’s child weight limit?

• Rear-facing: 4-40 pounds
• Forward-facing: 20-65 pounds
• Highback booster mode: 30-100 pounds
• Backless booster mode: 40-120 pounds

Ease of Use

Does this model have:

• LATCH system? Yes
• Seat belt installation? No
• Non-rethread harness system? Yes
• Ease of Installation
• What is this model’s weight? 22.8 pounds
• What is this model’s width? 21.5 inches
• What type of harness adjustment system does this model have? 5-point harness system
• Is the seat cover machine-washable? Yes

Comfort and Quality

• What is the quality of padding (overall)? N/A
• What is the quality of padding in the head area? N/A
• Is the seat fabric breathable? N/A
• Does this model include an infant insert pillow? No

Expiration

• The Graco 4Ever lasts for 10 years.
• Where to find expiration date on Graco 4Ever? You can find the expiration date by looking at the seat’s base, on the right side.

Video Overview of Graco 4Ever 

Graco 4Ever Convertible Car Seat – FAQs

Graco 4Ever Specs

Graco 4Ever Features

What is included with the Graco 4Ever?

The Graco 4Ever comes with a newborn insert pillow.

Graco 4Ever Installation

Graco has produced a number of helpful videos showing how to install the 4Ever, covering all the different seating modes and installation methods.

For rear-facing LATCH installation, check this video:

For rear-facing seat belt installation, check this video:

For forward-facing seat belt installation, check this video:

For forward-facing LATCH installation, check this video:

The Graco YouTube channel also has a number of helpful videos, covering topics like harness adjustment, how to know your car seat is installed properly, and how to know when to switch installation modes.

Graco 4Ever Manual

The Graco 4Ever instruction manual is available here:

Click to download Graco 4Ever manual here. 

Graco 4Ever vs. Graco Extend2Fit

Graco 4Ever

VS

Graco Extend2Fit

Graco has been making innovative, award-winning parenting products since the 1950s. Their car seats always earn high marks for their safety and ease of use. So when choosing between the Graco 4Ever and the Graco Extend2Fit, it isn’t a question of safety or quality. It’s a question of what your needs are in a convertible car seat.

The Graco 4Ever is an all-in-1 car seat that converts from a newborn seat with an infant insert pillow, to a backless booster seat for children old enough to use a vehicle seat belt. It is rated to protect children from a whopping 4 pounds to 120 pounds.

The Graco Extend2Fit is a standard convertible car seat, that transitions from rear-facing to forward facing, so even at first glance it doesn’t have the useful life of the Graco 4Ever. The Graco Extend2Fit fits rear-facing children from 4-50 pounds, and forward-facing from 22-65 pounds and up to 49 inches.

Compared with other convertibles, the Graco Extend2Fit has some nice features. Extended rear-facing keeps kids in the safest installation for longer, with a 4-position extension panel that gives children up to 5 inches of extra leg room when rear-facing. It also has a fuss-free harness storage that holds the buckle out of the way while you are seating a child.

Both the Graco 4Ever and the Extend2Fit have:

• Extensive crash testing
• Side impact testing
• Steel reinforced frame
• The InRight LATCH system for fast and easy installation
• The Simply Safe Adjust Harness system for simple adjustments
• Six recline angles
• Ten head and harness positions
• An easy-to-read level indicator
• Integrated dual cup holders
• Easy machine washable cover
• 10-year lifespan

So both car seats are high in quality and easy to use. The Extend2Fit is much less expensive than the 4Ever, but then, it doesn’t convert into a booster seat and protect children all the way up to 120 pounds.

The Graco Extend2Fit is an excellent car seat for the first few years of life, and it’s offered at a reasonable price for a car seat of this quality and durability. The Graco 4Ever costs more, but will be able to protect a child for the full 10 year lifespan of the car seat, or until they are big enough to use an adult lap belt.

If you looking for a convertible car seat to protect a child up to 65 pounds, the Graco Extend2Fit is an excellent choice. If you want a true all-in-one that will keep them safe until they are big enough to use a lap belt, the Graco 4Ever is one of the best options on the market.

Emeriandkiddos Graco 4Ever Car Seat Review

Conclusion

As parents, we have to consider our budget when we need to invest a chunk of change in anything. The Graco 4Ever 4 in 1 Convertable car seat is quite pricy. However, unlike many things, it is well worth it for most parents.

The price reflects the quality because it is not only a 4 in 1 seat – rear-facing, forward-facing, highback booster, and backless booster but an overall quality seat. Many seats excel at one stage and not the other. The 4Ever 4 in 1 convertible car seat’s unique thing is that it performs wonderfully across the board when it comes to safety.

Graco 4Ever

The 4Ever 4 in 1 has its flaws, but they are only a deal-breaker if you need something that is overall easy to use. As a forward-facing car seat, it is a bit difficult to secure with a seat belt. The same stage also has limited reclining positions as your child grows.

Overall, the Graco 4Ever 4 in 1 Convertible car seat has some of the best scores out there when it comes to all in ones. However, the price is not always doable. Just make sure before you make the investment that it suits your needs, short-term and long-term.