Let’s talk about baby car seats and travel.! If you are planning a long road trip with a child you will probably be going to need the best baby car seat for long journeys.
And I always recommend bringing your own car seat for the kids when you are on long vacations.
Sometimes when you get to those car rental agencies the car seats are gross and they are broken or they are just really hard to use. So you should always bring your own.
If you are going on highways then you must have a comfortable car seat for your baby.
Let’s get started with a list of the top baby car seat for road journeys.
Best Baby Car Seat for Long Journeys:
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| Car Seats | Convertible | Weight Range | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graco Extend2Fit Editor's Choice | Yes | 4-65 lbs | Check Price |
| Safety 1st Guide 65 | Yes | 5-65 lbs | Check Price |
| Britax Marathon ClickTight | Yes | 5-65 lbs | Check Price |
| Graco Tranzitions 3-in-1 | Yes | 22-100 lbs | Check Price |
| Evenflo Symphony Elite | Yes | 5-110 lbs | Check Price |
| Diono Radian 3RXT All-in-One | Yes | 5-120 lbs | Check Price |
1. Graco Extend2Fit – Best for Long Journeys:
Graco Extend2Fit convertible baby car seat comes with safety surround side impact protection which lets your child safely ride rear-facing longer. Safety surround side impact protection offers the best head protection for your growing child at each stage.
It is designed to help protect your rear-facing infant from 4 to 50 pounds and your forward-facing toddler from 22 to 65 pounds.
Also with a 50-pound rear-facing weight rating, your child can safely ride rear-facing longer. Keeping your child comfortable is simple with a 6 position reclined. The INRIGHT LATCH system provides an easy one-second latch attachment so it is easy to get your child in and out.
Graco’s commitment to car seat safety starts with Safe Seat Engineering. The Graco extend2fit convertible car seat featuring safety surround side impact protection has been engineered and rigorously crash tested to meet or exceed US safety standards.
This seat is also tested to extreme car interior temperatures. Your child can safely ride rear-facing longer with Graco.
Features:
The Graco Extend has some of the really neat features.
- It has a steel-reinforced frame that provides strength and durability which offers up to ten years of use. This is an incredibly safe car seat that you are going to have for a long time.
- Another thing I love is it has the simply safe adjust harness system so with this system you can adjust the harness and the headrest with one simple step and you don’t have to rethread the strap.
- It has 10 different positions which are great for your growing child.
- Another thing that you love is called the fuss-free harness.
The fuss-free harness storage holds the buckle out of the way while you are getting your child in and out of the car seat which is genius.
Because it happens to most of the parents all the time when they are trying to get the kids in and out of the car seat. You are also fighting with the buckle to keep it out of the way but with the fuss-free harness system, it keeps it out of the way. So you can simply and easily get your kids in and out of the car seat.
One of the main features that I love is it has a four-position extension panel that allows five inches of extra legroom in rear-facing mode.
Those five inches of extra legroom in tandem with the sixth position incline. This allows your child to be rear-facing for much longer which is great because rear-facing is up to seven times safer than front-facing.
So you want your child to be rear-facing as long as possible and the Extend2Fit convertible baby car seat allows that to be possible.
- Super comfortable.
- Easy to install.
- Due to its rear-facing limit of 50lbs, your elder children can also sit in it easily.
- Versatile and long-lasting.
- Foot extender.
- Large and sturdy cup holders.
- Several different recline adjustments.
- Difficult to wash as the cover is not easy to come off.
- Does not fit in small cars.
- Legroom extension cannot be used in forward-facing mode.
2. Safety 1st Guide 65 Convertible Car Seat:
The safety 1st guide 65 convertible car seat is a great two-in-one baby car seat. It can be used as a rear-facing car seat for newborns and toddlers and weight can be around from 5 to 40 pounds.
For older kids, it can be used as a forward-facing car seat and weight for these ones is from 22 to 65 pounds.
It also comes with cup holders as well as a baby inserts. So, it includes like paddings for really tiny babies.
Another thing that I really like about this baby car seat is that adjusting the harness is so easy. You just have to move the clip up and down or however, you want to adjust it. This also adjusts the headrest as well as the harness which is awesome because it saves you so much time.
This baby car seat for long journeys is also machine washable so you can take off the cover and wash it if you need to. It also leaves more space when the child is forward-facing so it gives you more space between the car seat and kid’s legs. It also uses a LATCH system and installation is pretty easy.
Features:
- It features a five-point harness with center front adjust.
- A multi-position adjustable headrest.
- It is so compact you can fit three across the back seat of a mid-sized car.
- The safety 1st guide 65 convertible car seat is a great car seat for your long journeys and growing child.
- Side-impact protection.
- Removable body pillow.
- It comes in a variety of colors.
- Very comfortable, it feels like extra padding everywhere.
- Pocket-friendly.
- Durable and easy to clean.
- A little bit heavier but if you don’t often switch seats than there will not be any problem.
3. Britax Marathon ClickTight Convertible Car Seat:
The Britax convertible seat is a new and awesome baby car seat. It has everything that you love about it. First of all, it has a whole new design with new fabric covers. It also has a new level with seven recline positions and it is really user-friendly. So, it will tell you how much you can recline it is forward-facing.
Most important it still has a LATCH system and this will tell you how much weight you can put on it. This will also make sure that you have installed the seat properly.
This car seat has amazing options like it has arrows everywhere that will tell you where the forward-facing and rear-facing belt pack is. Also, it is a bit more user-friendly and so easy to install. You can even install this baby car seat in less than 30 seconds.
It also has the side impact protection plus with a steel frame and a deep protective shell on the outside and then a foam headrest as a second layer of safety and cushioning. It comes with a click and safe feature which takes that guessing out of how tight harness needs to be. All you have to do is pull the strap until you hear that click and the harness should be all set.
The best feature Britax offers is its ClickTight System of installing the seats. Most convertibles baby car seats have threading the seatbelt through the seat and it is often an annoying and difficult process.
Especially when you are in a cramped space but ClickTight allows you to lift the seat after which you place the seatbelt on the path, buckle it, make sure you remove any excess slack and click the seat shut. Once you hear that click you know it’s locked and you are all set.
This feature is especially handy if this is your only seat and you find yourself moving the seat between two family cars. The final thing that I really want to hit on is its cool flow design.
Features:
- Great incline adjustment.
- 14-position adjustable harness which gives you maximum fit and comfort.
- Two-position buckle.
- Easy on and off LATCH connectors.
- This baby car seat greatly exceeds the safety standard.
- Proactive protection with the Impact-Absorbing base.
- It is also certified for Aircraft Travel.
- Superior protection with safety Made in the USA.
- Side-impact protection.
- V-shape Tether.
- Premium fabrics.
- Comfy and solid at the same time.
- Super secure.
- No cup holder.
- Straps are too short.
- The seat cover is not machine washable.
4. Graco Tranzitions 3in1 Harness Booster Car Seat:
This is a forward-facing car seat from Graco, it is called Tranzitions. It comes with a 5-point harness with a No-Rethread harness. It can convert to a high-back booster then later converts to a backless booster.
The Graco Tranzitions has 8 different positions that you will absolutely fall in love with and this also makes it the best baby car seat for long journeys.
It has a weight capacity of 22 to 65 pounds with a five-point harness. You can also remove the harness and without the mock harness, it becomes a high-back booster for a weight capacity of 30 to 100 pounds.
The harness comes with two velcro covers which are of really good quality. It also has a two-finger chest clip which is helpful for the kids if they want to get out on their own. This seat comes with the two removable cupholders on either side. It also has an insert that can be removed.
The headrest of this baby car seat is secure and sturdy, it will not going to move anywhere. The Graco Tranzitions comes with a removable body pillow. It is in one piece which covers the back and bottom portion.
It also got nice storage locations for your lower anchors if you are installing with a seat belt you want to make sure you stow your anchors. You will also get a storage location for your tether.
Features:
- Adjustable headrest.
- Smooth harness adjuster mechanism to tighten and loosen the harness.
- Removable straps and you can also expand it for a high-back booster for your larger child.
- Secure and correct positioning each time.
- Great for older kids.
- Tested for side-impact protection.
- Fairly easy to install.
- Very slim and narrow.
- Easy to transfer in between cars.
- Washable body pad.
- Optional two cup holders.
- Only forward-facing.
5. Evenflo Symphony Elite All-In-One Baby Car Seat:
Evenflo is one of the oldest companies in North America for making quality baby products. This company makes the safest and top of the line premium products.
While traveling with your children safety, comfort and convenience are the key factors for making each trip as enjoyable as possible. The Symphony Elite is their top of the line baby car seat.
The all-in-one seat means this is the only seat that you will ever need. Leading safety advocates suggest keeping children in the rear-facing mode for as long as possible at least two years.
This seat protects children and a five-point harness both from 5 to 110 pounds in rear-facing mode and from 22 to 65 pounds in the forward-facing mode.
When your child is ready the Symphony Elite all-in-one also transitions into a belt-positioning booster for kids 40 to 110 pounds. This means your child can use the seat from the day you bring him home to the day he no longer needs a car seat. With award-winning innovations and a smart design to ensure a proper fit, it is very clear why parents and grandparents love this seat.
Evenflo’s patented SureLATCH connectors make the symphony one of the easiest and safest car seats to install.
Installation:
Start by locating your vehicle’s latch system by referring to the vehicle owner’s manual. Then click in each connector instead of struggling to pull a belt tight simply push down on the seat and the auto retractor tightens and secures the seat in the proper position.
This is one of the easiest and secure installation systems.
The upfront multi-position recline lever allows you to adjust the seat into three different positions so you can choose the one that is best for your child.
Soft fabrics, thick padding and removable head and body pillows provide the utmost in comfort for your little one.
Not only is this seat comfortable but it is convenient too.
One of my favorite parts is that the machine-washable pad is easily removed without having to unthread and rethread the harness.
How does this seat work as a booster?
The adjustable headrest offers five positions to ensure proper head and body positions as he grows. Instead of using the internal five-point harness you can use the guide to properly position the vehicle’s lap and shoulder belt.
Features:
- It has been recognized by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety.
- Suitable and tested for both high and low temperatures.
- Adjustable slide harness.
- Recline adjustment is easy to use.
- Energy-absorbing foam.
The symphony Elite also features the Infinite Slide Harness rather than removing the car seat to reposition the belts as your child grows. You can simply slide the harness up to maintain an accurate fit.
This same feature also means easier in and out for your child each and every time. Evenflo an industry leader with many years of experience in car seat safety and quality. They rigorously test all of its car seats for structural integrity at energy levels nearly two times the federal crash test standard.
It also includes patented E3 technology comprised of three layers. This engineered foam has been designed and tested to reduce side impact forces by up to 50 percent.
- Easy installation.
- Superior comfort for your child.
- Machine washable.
- Permanent cup holders.
- Longer life.
- The seat is weighty and bulky.
- Does not last long for rear-facing.
6. Diono Radian 3RXT All-in-One Baby Car Seat:
The Diono 3RXT is one of the innovative car seats which is different from pretty much all of the other seats that you will see out there on the market. This is well known because it is one of the few car seats that are 17 inches wide and people like this because you can get three across.
Not only that but it is a three in one baby car seat. Meaning that you can go to rear-facing, forward-facing as a convertible seat, and it can convert to a booster seat. So, it has a tremendous amount of longevity.
It also has a rear face in 245 pounds and people like rear-facing for their children as long as possible and you get to do that with the 3RXT.
The thing that people miss and it is so important is that there is actually a steel alloy frame that is super shock absorbing and it is in the interior of the car seat. In fact, it is also a folding car seat.
When you fold this car seat you can actually see the steel and when you close that fold you will listen to a nice strong steel skirt thing. So this is really going to protect your child in a crash.
It comes with an infant insert and also it comes with one of the solid and strong side-impact protection that is really going to protect your child in a side-impact crash.
This baby car seat comes with a nice Merino wool flame retardant free material which is great because you do not want your kids necessarily in the near tons of chemicals.
There is also a slit normal harness. It comes with a detachable rear-facing base that you must always use when you are installing the seat rear-facing. This is one of the few car seats which allows for Top-Tethering in the rear-facing position.
You can use this car seat up to 45 pounds for rear-facing and 65 pounds for forward-facing in the harness. Then booster mode is 50-120 pounds.
Features:
- Fully integrated steel frame.
- It comes with one cup holder with the option of an additional cup holder.
- The Diono 3RXT provides you Top-Tether connector strap which you will wrap around your vehicle seat frame that is bolted to the bottom floor of the car and then you will create a tether anchor for that rear-facing position.
- 5-point adjustable harness with shoulder and buckle positions.
- Comes with premium luxury infant insert.
- It also provides you the lap cushion.
- Rubber bottom grips.
- LATCH compatible.
- Machine washable.
- Very heavy.
- Too tall for mid-size vehicles.
Conclusion:
In the end, I would like to say that the best baby car seat for long journeys is really important for the safety of your kids especially if you are planning a road trip with your child.
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