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Safety 1st Grow and Go Review (2021): A Space-Saver at an Unbeatable Price

January 5, 2021 by Sam Webster Leave a Comment

Safety 1st Grow and Go 3-in-1 Car Seat, Blue Coral

Please click image for more info

Many parents want the convenience of a single car seat that will last their child for years to come, instead of getting a new car seat at every stage of growth. The problem is that those car seats tend to be big, heavy, and take up a lot of room in a car, even when a child is small enough that they don't need such a large car seat.

The Safety 1st Grow and Go is an all-in-one convertible car seat that is designed to save space and weight, with the convenience of a single car seat that can protect a child up to 100 pounds or 52 inches. Even better, it's offered at an unbeatable price. Let's take a closer look at this popular car seat.

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Quick Navigation
Who is the Safety 1st Grow and Go Most Suitable For?
Pros and Cons of Safety 1st Grow and Go
Overview of Safety 1st Grow and Go
Video Overview of Safety 1st Grow and Go
Safety 1st Grow and Go Specs
Safety 1st Grow and Go Features
What is included with the Safety 1st Grow and Go?
Safety 1st Grow and Go Installation
Safety 1st Grow and Go Manual
Safety 1st Grow and Go vs. Graco 4Ever
Lauren Happel's Safety 1st Grow and Go Review
Conclusion

Who is the Safety 1st Grow and Go Most Suitable For?

Safety 1st Grow and Go 3-in-1 Car Seat, Blue Coral

Many all-in-one convertible car seats are big and heavy, because they need to be large enough to support and protect children at the upper limits of the car seat's range, even if the child will be smaller than that for most of the years they use the car seat. This can be a big drawback in an all-in-one; if a parent wanted to buy a new carseat every couple of years, they could probably have a series of car seats that are more perfectly sized to their child and to their vehicle.

Unlike many all-in-ones that are extremely large and heavy, the Safety 1st Grow and Go is compact and light weight for a car seat in this class. In fact, it's designed to save front passengers up to 7 inches of leg room when installed rear-facing, making it a more friendly design for smaller cars.


Pros and Cons of Safety 1st Grow and Go

Pros

  • Harness holders keep the harness out of the way while you place the child in the car seat
  • QuickFit harness adjusts the harness and headrest in one quick step
  • Machine washable and dryer-safe seat pad is easy to remove and replace
  • Configured to install rear-facing without taking up leg room for the front passengers
  • FAA approved in harness modes (but not booster)

Cons

  • Harness requires rethreading in the smallest/newborn positions
  • Can be difficult to tighten the harness
  • Can be difficult to tighten LATCH straps and secure the car seat
  • Large percentage of fake reviews on Amazon according to Fakespot give an artificially high product rating
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Overview of Safety 1st Grow and Go

Safety 1st Grow and Go 3-in-1 Car Seat, Blue Coral

The Safety 1st Grow and Go is an all-in-one convertible car seat that transitions from rear-facing, to forward-facing, to a belt positioning booster.

So, it can fit children from 5 – 100 pounds, and fro m19 – 52 inches in height. But it is less than 19 pounds in weight, and just over 19 inches wide, so it saves space and is easier to handle.

The clever design of the Grow and Go also preserves space in the front seat, so that in a rear-facing installation, front passengers can get up to 7 inches more leg room. It's a car seat with everything a growing child needs, and all the convenience that parents need too.

Safety

What are this model’s NHTSA ratings? All car seats sold in the USA must meet or exceed strict federal safety and crash test standards, so the NHTSA does not rate car seats for safety. Instead, they offer ratings and evaluations for ease of use.


According to the NHTSA, the Safety 1st Grow and Go has earned (for the forward-facing installation):

  • Labels: 3/5 stars because the labels lack supplemental sizing information, do not give indication of the correct harness height relative to the child's body, and do not explain how to use LATCH.
  • Instructions: 5/5 stars
  • Securing the child: 4/5 stars because the harness slots are small or misaligned, the harness needs to be rethreaded to adjust and correctly fit the child, the LATCH belt needs to be re-routed when converting between seating modes, and replacing the harness after using the seat in booster seat mode requires referring to the instructions in the owner's manual.
  • Installation features: 3/5 stars because it may be uncomfortable for people with large hands to route a seat belt or LATCH belt through the belt path, the storage location for LATCH belt and/or tether strap is not obvious, and the hook-style LATCH attachments may require twisting to detach from lower anchors.
  • Overall ease of use: 4/5 stars

The Safety 1st Grow and Go has earned an overall 2/5 star NHTSA ease of use rating for the rear-facing installation, and 3/5 stars for booster seat installation, for different reasons than those given above.

  • Does this model have:
  • Side impact protection? Yes, up to 65 pounds
  • Energy-absorbing base? No
  • Metal frame? No

Longevity

  • What is this model’s child height limit? Rear-facing: 40 inches, forward-facing: 49 inches, booster mode: 52 inches
  • What is this model’s child weight limit? Rear-facing: 40 pounds, forward-facing: 65 pounds, booster mode: 100 pounds

Ease of Use

  • Does this model have the LATCH system? Yes
  • Seat belt installation? Yes
  • Non-rethread harness system? No

Ease of Installation

  • What is this model’s weight? 1 p8.7ounds
  • What is this model’s width? 19.2 inches
  • What type of harness adjustment system does this model have? QuickFit harness system
  • Is the seat cover machine-washable? Yes

Comfort and Quality

  • What is the quality of padding (overall)? Adequate Padding
  • What is the quality of padding in the head area? Yes
  • Is the seat fabric breathable? Yes
  • Does this model include an infant insert pillow? Yes

Video Overview of Safety 1st Grow and Go

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Safety 1st Grow and Go Specs

FEATURE

DESCRIPTION

Rear-facing height limit

19 – 40 inches

Rear-facing weight limit

5 – 40 pounds

Forward-facing height limit

29 – 49 inches

Forward-facing weight limit

 22 – 65 pounds

Booster seat height limit

43 – 52 inches

Booster seat weight limit

40 – 100 pounds

Car seat weight

18.7 pounds

Car seat dimensions

24.5 x 19.2 x 24.2 in

Car seat expiration

10 years


Safety 1st Grow and Go Features

FEATURE

DESCRIPTION

Safety features

  • Meets or exceeds federal, ASTM, and JPMA safety standards

Ease of use

  • Harness holders keep the harness open, making it simpler to get children into the seat
  • Compact footprint in rear-facing position gives front passengers more legroom
  • Removable seat pad is machine washable and dryer-safe, and can be removed without rethreading the harness

Longevity features

  • QuickFit harness adjusts the harness and headrest in one step for fast and easy adjustments
  • Converts from rear-facing to forward-facing to belt-positioning booster, protecting children up to 100 pounds

Quality and comfort features

  • Adjustable 3 position recline improves comfort and fit in a vehicle
  • Two integrated cupholders for drinks and snacks
  • Includes a one year limited warranty

What is included with the Safety 1st Grow and Go?

The Safety 1st Grow and Go comes with removable head and lumbar pillows that will help the car seat fit the smallest infants.


Safety 1st Grow and Go Installation

Safety 1st has created a number of videos to help with installation. To prepare the Grow and Go car seat for rear-facing installation, and install rear-facing with LATCH, watch the video here:

To install rear-facing with a vehicle belt, watch the video here:

To install the Grow and Go forward-facing with LATCH, watch the video here:

To install forward-facing with a vehicle belt, watch the video here:

To convert the Grow and Go to booster mode, watch the video here:


Safety 1st Grow and Go Manual

The Safety 1st Grow and Go has different user's manuals depending on the date of manufacture. To find the right user's manual, visit this page and choose the correct date range:

Click to download Safety 1st Grow and Go manual here. 


Safety 1st Grow and Go vs. Graco 4Ever

Safety 1st Grow and Go

VS

Graco4Ever

If you are looking for an all-in-one convertible car seat, it's hard to overlook the award-winning Graco 4Ever. It tops many sites and is highly recommended by parents and experts alike. But is it worth the extra money? Let's compare the Safety 1st Grow and Go  and the Graco 4Ever.

Header

Safety 1st Grow and Go

Graco 4Ever

Rear-facing child weight

5 – 40 pounds

4 – 40 pounds

Rear-facing child height

19 – 40 inches

Head must be at least 1 inch below the red handle

Forward-facing child weight

22 – 65 pounds

22 – 65 pounds

Forward-facing child height

29 – 49 inches

27 – 49 inches

Seat belt booster child weight

40 – 100 pounds

30 – 100 pounds

Seat belt booster child height

43 – 52 inches

38 – 57 inches

Backless booster child weight

N/A

40 – 120 pounds

Backless booster child height

N/A

40 - 57 inches

Car seat dimensions

22.1" high x 19.2" wide x 25.2" deep

24" high x 21.5" wide x 20" deep

Car seat weight

18.66 pounds

22.75 pounds

Car seat expiration

10 years

10 years

Recline angles

3

6

Headrest harness adjustment system

Yes

Yes

Cupholders

Two integrated cupholders

Two integrated cupholders

Machine washable seat cushion?

Yes

Yes

Metal frame?

No

Yes

Simple installation?

No

Yes

As you can see, the Graco 4 Ever, with its metal frame, additional booster mode, and higher weight and height limits, is meant to be a more durable, robust, long-lasting convertible. It has a simple installation system, more recline angles, and more harness and headrest positions to ensure an accurate fit over time. For a convertible car seat with that kind of longevity, reliability, and safety, many people think the Graco 4Ever is worth the money.

However, the Safety 1st Grow and Go is smaller, lighter, and much more affordable. For a car seat with up to 10 years of usability at that price, many parents simply can't pass it up. It's a great option as a backup car seat, or for occasional care givers and family members who don't drive a child every day, and don't want a new car seat every time they grow a few inches.

With its more compact size, and a design that saves front passengers up to 7 inches of leg room, the Safety 1st Grow and Go is also a better choice for smaller cars or multiple car seat installations in the same vehicle.


Lauren Happel's Safety 1st Grow and Go Review


Conclusion

The Safety 1st Grow and Go is a compact, affordable all-in-one car seat with some thoughtful features and convenient use. It's a great choice for parents who want the convenience of an all-in-one without spending a fortune, and without sacrificing space inside a small car. 

The integrated cup holders, harness holders, and removable body pillows help it be easier to use, and the harness adjusts quickly with no rethreading for a convenient, accurate fit over time. It's a solid choice for an all-in-one in this price range.

Safety 1st Grow and Go 3-in-1 Car Seat, Blue Coral

Safety 1st Grow and Go (click image for more info)

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Sam Webster

With two kids of my own, I’m passionate about child safety! I’m a research nerd who’s on a mission to make the world a safer place for kids – starting with car seats!

To contact me directly please click here.

Filed Under: Safety 1st

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Hey! I’m Sam, mom of Sadie and Xavier.

When I started searching for a convertible car seat I was overwhelmed by the choices out there.

But being a research nerd, I relished the challenge of finding the best seat for my needs. And in the process, I gathered a ton of info!

Read More About Me

SafeConvertibleCarSeats is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

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