A good car seat is a must-have safety item to make sure that your infant or preschooler is well-protected while traveling.
Graco is a popular brand known for offering a variety of top-notch car seats, however, parents often have trouble deciding which car seat is the best in a category with similar products.
These days Graco Extend2Fit vs Slimfit comparison is the talk of the town. Graco Slimfit, a relatively recently developed version of the Graco Extend2fit, started to become prominent around 2017 because of high safety ratings.
However, there are various other features that parents consider apart from safety and this is where the confusion begins.
This comprehensive comparison aims to answer all of the questions that you have once and clearly differentiate between the similarities and the differences. Thus, in order to make it easier for you to comprehend and choose the most reasonable option without further delay, let’s get started.
Before proceeding further, the following is the table comprising the specifications of Graco extend2fit and Slimfit.
Parents usually consider Graco Extend2Fit as an option when deciding on a perfect car seat for their little ones. Let’s scrutinize the major and significant properties of extend2fit. The best thing is that it is a 3-in-1 car seat for infants.
Firstly, the most important concern is installation and a number of people struggle while installing a car seat correctly. Well, the good news is extend2fit 3-in-1 is not going to give a tough time in this regard, the base is built-in so it doesn’t need to be removed.
Yet, people prefer to install it by choosing the incline position before they place it into the car’s seat. This is because the accessibility adjustment lever is hindered once the car seat is placed into the vehicle’s seat as it is hidden between both these seats.
Considering its weight, Graco extend2fit is not very heavy and can be effortlessly lifted with one hand. Notwithstanding, if your little one is inside the car seat, it can be a bit troublesome for you to carry it with one hand.
Furthermore, it has a 4-position extension panel and offers additional rear-facing legroom as much as 5’’, and the rear-facing side is safer for children. Another perk of extend2fit is that it is an investment that is going to benefit for a longer period of time.
The adjustable extension belt and 50- lb rear-facing weight limit make this possible for you to set the car seat according to the new requirements, as your child grows.
At times harnessing can really get on your nerves because it usually gets in the way while you put the child in and out of the car seat but extend2fit has something unique to offer, it has special pockets which keep the harness out of the way and make it less tiring for you. Plus its fabric gives kids space to breathe during hot days.
The Simply Safe Adjust Harness System makes it very easy to adjust the height of the headrest and harness. Similarly, LATCH attachment takes only a second, all thanks to InRight. Moving on to the load-bearing capacity, it is capable of bearing up to 100 lb.
Undoubtedly, safety is every parent’s primary concern and Extend2fit gives maximum protection, provided that you keep the child rear-facing for as much time as possible.
It is convenient to keep it clean because it’s easy-to-remove covers, so no worries about the bacteria and germs that can otherwise be harmful to your child. Its special features make this product popular amongst potential customers.
Pros
Easily fits in small spaces
Ensures safety
Covers are washable
Easy to install with latch system
Fuss-free harnessing and cup holders
Cons
Hard to tighten
Putting the cover back on the car seat might require extra effort
Graco Slimfit 3-in-1 is a car seat that grows with your child and unlike many others, it occupies less space in your car because of its state-of-the-art slimmer design.
This fact can be well gauged by looking at the Graco Slimfit 3-in-1 dimensions which are21.5 x 19.9 x 25.5 inches. Moreover, its unique rotating cups make it slimmer by 10%.
Graco Slim fit is one of the best options in terms of providing comfort to your child. It has an adequate cushion at the butt and head area, lowering the chances of your baby getting cranky while traveling. In addition, it has extra lumbar support to offer.
When it comes to the Graco Slimfit 3 safety ratings, the Graco ProtectPlus Engineered seat aids in protecting your child rollover, rear, frontal and side crashes therefore, we can deduce that the Graco slimfit car seat has a lot of strength to provide optimum protection.
I know you are bothered about how to install Graco slim fit 3 in 1? It is super easy to install and operate, from seat belts to safety belts, nothing will cause you problems in terms of installation or use.
This investment will give you advantages in the long run as it has numerous configurations so that it can be modified as the child grows and a 4-position recline is the cherry on top. Its steel-reinforced frame makes it durable for 10 years.
Another thing that makes it highly recommended is the Simply Safe Adjust Harness System that allows you to easily adjust the height of the harness and headrest in a single motion.
Further, it offers you 10 positions and gives you plenty of options to choose from. The cover and pads of this car seat can easily be removed and washed hence, it is easy to clean and the germs can easily be kept away. The InRight latch system is a bonus point for slimfit car seats.
Now that we have a pretty much in-detail and thorough description of both products under discussion let me summarize the differences in some salient features of Graco extend2fit and slimfit and make it even simpler for you.
High Back Belt-Positioning Booster
This is one of the key differences. If your child doesn’t feel comfortable in the forward-facing mode anymore, then Graco Slimfit has got this impressive feature of converting the car seat into a High Back Belt-Positioning Booster.
On the contrary, Extend2fit has no such feature to offer so isn’t suitable if you wish to use forward-facing for a toddler.
3-Position Extension Panel
Graco Extend2fit has a 3-position extension panel whereas the Slimfit lacks this feature. The 3-position extension panel allows you to use the rear-facing mode of the car seat for a longer time and the 5-Inch additional legroom supports this.
Additionally, this additional legroom also lets the kid use rear-facing mode till their weight is 50 lbs. Therefore, Extend2fit can be used for a longer period of time without making your child feel uncomfortable.
Recline Positions
When we talk about recline position I think extend2fit for sure takes the lead. Slimfit offers only 4 recline positions while extend2fit offers 6 recline positions.
More recline positions mean more comfort. From the above information, it is very clear that extend2fit offers more room for customization.
Space Occupation
Slimfit has a slimmer design. Its dual cup holders, when rotated, save 10 % space of the back seat, therefore, making room to accommodate other car seats. For me, the best part is that though it’s slimmer than usual Graco car seats, including Extend2fit, it does not compromise on comfort.
Long-Run Use
Slimfit can fit a child weighing 100 pounds whereas Graco Extend2fit is only usable for a child to the weight of 65 pounds. It goes without saying that Slimfit works for longer as evident from the huge gap between the weight-bearing capacity of the two.
Final Words
Streamlining the above discussion about the uses, pluses, and negatives of Graco Extend2fit and Slimfit we can infer that the best choice depends on the needs and demands of the parents.
In general, both the products offer value for the money and diverse features. If you want to use it for a longer period of time, then Slimfit is suitable for you and if you are taking into account the number of recline positions then extend2fit is reasonable for you.
Hello, This is Erica Wilson and I am a mother of two kids, one Three-year-old daughter and my beautiful 2 year old Son. I studied MA in Social Science at University of Texas at Austin, United States. Please do not hesitate to contact me via email at [email protected].
