The 7 Best Car Seats to Keep Toddlers Rear-Facing Longer (2024)

This groundbreaking convertible car seat was one of the first to focus on toddler travel, and it's still beloved. (It's got more than 65,000 five-star Amazon reviews.) The main feature is an extension panel you can pull out to provide up to five inches of extra legroom to a toddler in the rear-facing position. The caveat is that it then takes up more space in the backseat, so in a small car, you may need to scoot one of the front seats forward to accommodate it. This toddler car seat can stay rear-facing until your child reaches 50 pounds, giving them a good shot at staying in that safe position past their fourth birthday.

The Extend2Fit offers six recline positions. The headrest, with its generous head cushions, can be adjusted to any of 10 heights. Two built-in cupholders hold some of your toddler's stuff. At 19 pounds this is one of the lighter car seats on our list. The fabric can be washed in cold water on the delicate cycle and hung to dry. Your child is likely to outgrow this or any convertible car seat shortly after Kindergarten, at which point you'll need a booster car seat.

If you want to consider a seat that stretches from toddlerhood through the booster years, we also like the Graco 4Ever all-in-one car seat — though the 4Ever only works rear-facing to 40 pounds. If your bigger priority is fitting three car seats across the back seat, the Graco Slimfit3 won one of our Parenting Awards, but again, it only stays rear-facing to 40 pounds. For that reason this Extend2Fit is a toddler-age favorite, having the edge as far as being able to be rear-facing to 50 pounds.

Plenty of families need to zero in on the best car seats under $200, and this is one of them. The Grow and Go is an all-in-one car seat that can accommodate your toddler through the school years. That's because it converts to a belt-positioning booster seat. But it can only stay rear-facing until your child reaches 40 pounds, which is a lower threshold than some other seats on this list.

Online reviewers say it takes some muscle to get this to fit tightly, so installation is a bit of a pain point. Even so, it has more than 25,000 five-star Amazon reviews. Parents appreciate it for its value but say it's also comfortable for a kid — the headrest has a sliding adjustment that helps you get it to just the right height as your toddler grows.

It's also the lightest-weight toddler car seat on our list, which many parents appreciate. The fabric is machine-washable and there are two built-in cupholders.

Chicco's toddler car seat, the NextFit Max ClearTex, can stay rear-facing until your child weighs 50 pounds. That's longer than other versions of the NextFit, so look for the Max ClearTex specifically.

We also like that the ClearTex fabric is Greenguard Gold Certified for low chemical emissions. Online reviewers rave about the comfort of this deep seat that features calf support, especially nice when young kids are moved to the forward-facing position and have their feet dangling. The cupholder is removable and dishwasher-safe, and can be placed on either side of the seat. The seat pad can go in the washing machine.

In Lab testing our pros have come to appreciate Chicco's LATCH connectors with the brand's "SuperCinch" tightener. It's easy to get a tight installation without having to physically climb in and press down on this seat. The LATCH also disconnects easily with the push of a button, in case you need to move this from one car to another. This is one of the heaviest car seats on our list, so it's not an easy one to take on vacation. If you do need to travel with it, consider Chicco's car seat travel bag which can be pushed on its wheels or worn like a backpack.

Fans of Nuna say that their products feel luxe, and that includes this RAVA convertible car seat made with machine-washable knit fabric that's Greenguard-Gold certified. You can find this seat in soft, beautiful colors like beige, blush and blue, some of which are exclusive to retailers such as Nordstrom and Pottery Barn Kids.

The Rava has 10 recline positions and 10 headrest positions, and it can stay rear-facing to 50 pounds. Two cupholders can pop out or be pressed in as needed. But what online reviewers mention often is this fitting well into even small cars. Plus it's got thoughtful details such as pockets you can use to can hold the harness out of the way while you load your toddler in.

Nuna suggests that users install the RAVA using the vehicle seat belt, but it also includes the LATCH system. This is the heaviest car seat on our list and it's not easy to travel with or to move car to car, but it is FAA-certified for use in an airplane. The brand offers excellent customer support including virtual car seat checks. It is, however, the most expensive toddler car seat on our list.

What parents love about any Britax convertible car seat is the brand's ClickTight installation that helps lock the seat in easily and securely using the car's seat belt. Our Lab experts love it too — it's nice to be able to get a tight fit without having to wrestle with the car seat, and you don't need to fuss with LATCH at all. The Boulevard has been around for years but this latest version features machine-washable fabric that's naturally flame retardant. (The fabric can go in the dryer, too!) The Britax cupholder is sold separately.

We also like this seat for toddlers because of how easy it is to adjust. It's got 14 recline and headrest positions, and the harness moves in tandem with the headrest which makes micro-adjustments easier. That's all extra appreciated in the toddler years, when kids are generally at their fussiest. But the Boulevard (and the other popular Britax toddler car seat, the Britax Marathon) can each only stay rear-facing up to 40 pounds.

If you decide that extended rear-facing is a must, see our choice for best all-in-one car seat, the Britax One4Life. It's a little bigger and not as adjustable, but it can stay rear-facing to 50 pounds and then become a booster seat.

The unique feature of this all-in-one car seat: You can fold it and wear it like a backpack for travel, and it's FAA-approved for use in an airplane with its five-point harness. The Radian 3R has that name because of its slim width; you can fit three of these across most vehicle back seats.

But online users are split about how well this works with small cars; it's a little more than 28 inches tall, so in the rear-facing position it might bump up against the front seat. That said, it can stay safely rear-facing for an extended amount of time, until your child reaches 50 pounds.

This all-in-one car seat also has the highest weight limit of any on this list. In booster mode, it can hold your child up to 120 pounds. That means it can last for the rest of their childhood! It's also among the best value for a toddler car seat. There are a few hassles though. The harness must be rethread into new slots each time your child grows large enough to graduate to the next harness height. This also can't be reclined for rests; it stays at whatever angle you install it at. (There's no adjusting the headrest either, but it's so high that your kid will be fine in that regard.) The fabric can be machine-washed and hung to dry. Add Diono cupholders separately as a two-pack.

Italian brand Peg Perego makes this newest seat on our list, and we're impressed by the anti-rebound bar that offers an added layer of crash protection and which is usually only seen on infant car seats. You use it only in rear-facing mode and can stow it away when you turn your toddler forward after they reach 45 pounds. This seat also comes with a spacer you can use in conjunction with the anti-rebound bar to give your rear-facing toddler an extra two inches of legroom.

Consumer testers were impressed with the fabric of the Primo Viaggio Kinetic. ("My other car seats don’t look as luxe as this!" a parent of a toddler told us.) But there are no special helpers for installation and getting this to fit with either the LATCH system or the car's seatbelt might take some muscle. It does have 10 possible positions for recline and the headrest, helping you easily adjust it for your child's comfort and size. The fabric is machine-washable (just hang it to dry) and this comes with a removable, washable cupholder.

Shopping for the safest car seat for your 2-year-old or 3-year-old? During these preschool years you'll want to consider:

✔️ Extended rear-facing: It used to be that we turned babies forward-facing at their second birthday. Then common sense kicked in: If rear-facing is the safest position, why turn them early? Now the guidance from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is to "keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. It’s the best way to keep him or her safe. Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer." If you're curious as to the physics of all this, the Car Seat Lady has a video explaining why rear-facing is safer.

There are now many convertible car seats that are built to face the rear until a child weighs 50 pounds, which for many means about age 5 or Kindergarten age. Others can stay rear-facing to 40 or 45 pounds. Every kid hits weights at different ages, which is why it's important to go by weight (and height) rather than age when deciding how long your child can ride rear-facing.

✔️ Multiple reclines: Your toddler might want to be a big kid and sit up, but in many ways they are still a baby. On long drives, they'll want to rest in a recline. While the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) asks you to not use an infant car seat as a sleep tool in your home, they recognize that kids will likely nap while traveling, especially on a long road trip.

✔️ Easy to adjust harness: Not to harp on the "way back when" but you used to always have to rethread the harness on a convertible car seat as your child grew. One car seat on our list still requires that; the other six have no-rethread harnesses that slide up and down so you can get the right fit without making a big deal of it.

Here's a harness reminder from Safe Kids Worldwide: In rear-facing mode, the shoulder straps should come through the car seat slots at or just below your child's shoulders. In forward-facing mode, the shoulder straps should be at or just above the shoulders.

At every age you have a few choices when it comes to car seats. That's both reassuring (there's not one "right" type of toddler car seat) and confusing (how to choose?). NHTSA explains the different car seats like this (note that there's some crossover with the age categories):

Three Possible Car Seat Types for Babies from Birth to Age 3

• An infant car seat only faces the rear of the car and is designed especially to cradle a baby. You install an infant car seat base in your vehicle and then can take the seat out and carry it around with your baby inside. Most infant car seats are built to stay rear-facing for at least the first two years and hold a baby up to 30 or 35 pounds.
• A convertible car seat can change from rear-facing to forward-facing. You can use one of these from birth, but you won't be able to carry your baby around in it — it's meant to stay in the car. Because it can be used with children of various sizes, it allows for children to stay in the rear-facing position longer, and many parents switch to one of these for the toddler years.
• An all-in-one car seat is like a convertible car seat except that it eventually transitions to a booster seat, and so it lasts even longer. Like a convertible car seat, you can't carry your kid around in one, so though it's money-saving and eco-friendly to buy only one car seat to last from birth to age 10, many parents do opt to start with an infant car seat.

Two Possible Car Seat Types for Toddlers from Birth to Age 7

• As noted above, many parents switch to a convertible car seat for the toddler years if they started with an infant car seat. Many do the switch when their toddler is 1, 2 or 3 years old. In this story we cover several convertible car seats that we feel have features that can be especially welcome in the toddler years. A convertible car seat has a five-point safety harness that can hold a child in a forward-facing position to 65 pounds.
• You could also invest in an all-in-one car seat during the toddler years, if not at birth. Because it will convert to a booster after your child hits 65 pounds, thereafter utilizing the car's seat belt to hold your child in place, you'll be done with car seat shopping. A few of the choices in this story are all-in-one car seats that turn into boosters.

Three Possible Car Seats for School-Age Kid from Age 4 to 12

• If you've been using a convertible car seat, you'll next want to move to a booster car seat with a high back. These seats literally "boost" your kid up so that the seat belt fits properly. A highback booster also provides neck and head support.
• A backless booster also lifts your child up to the right height for the seat belt. It's a little more grown-up because your big kid will just rest their back on the seat back. These are small and portable, easy to move from car to car, but they don't provide head or neck support, so they're not best for young kids who nap in the car.
• Finally, you guessed it: If you got an all-in-one car seat it should take you to the end of car seat use.

These days many kids use a booster car seat through age 10. A child is ready to use a seat belt with no support once they are 57 inches tall and old enough (which varies according to state laws, but usually at minimum 8 years old). When a big kid sits on the car's seat, the seat belt should fit across their shoulder and over their upper legs or hips, not their belly.

Scientists, engineers and journalists have been working together at the Good Housekeeping Institute to test and recommend consumer products for more than 100 years. We work hand-in-hand with GH's editorial staff to be able to offer parenting news and trends as well as reviews of products such as lightweight strollers and the best toys for toddlers.

This list was compiled by Contributing Writer Jessica Hartshorn who has followed the juvenile product industry for 25 years. She was an editor at Parents magazine and American Baby magazine and continues to help judge the annual JPMA Innovation Awards. She also helps judge GH's annual Parenting Awards. For this guide, she relied on the GH Institute's Lab testing data, consumer tester notes and her own extensive experience studying car seat technology. She's also a mom of two.