The best Graco car seats

Parkers choose the best Graco car seats
The key Graco car seat safety features
Which Graco car seats passed ADAC testing?

Written by Eleanor Weaver Updated: 11 March 2024

If someone mentions Graco car seats, you will probably have heard of them. It’s no surprise that, with over 60 years in the baby product business, Graco has become one of the most recognised and trusted car seat companies in the world. From highchairs to travel cots and swings to soothers, it has provided practical, innovative, and dependable products that have been designed to help you feel supported as a parent and that focus on your little one’s safety from their babyhood to the teenage years, exactly what we’re after.

As well as being durable, its range of car seats is surprisingly affordable compared to some other brands on the market, making these an excellent solution for parents on a budget. Sure, the products may not be as stylish or attractive as Cosatto or Britax, for example, but they get the job done, and once you wrap your little one up in a cosy car seat blanket, all you’ll notice is how safe and secure they are.

We’ve shared everything you need to know about the brand and the best Graco car seats worth gracing your back seat so that your youngster will travel safely – just make sure to include some baby car seat toys to keep them occupied during the journey.

The best Graco car seats at a glance:

Editor’s choice: Graco Nautilus – Buy now from Amazon UK
Best for easy access: Graco Turn2Me – Buy now from Amazon UK
Best for budget: Graco Logico L – Buy now from Amazon UK

Parkers pick of the best Graco car seats:

Graco Nautilus

Editor's Choice

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Highly rated, the Graco Nautilus can keep your little one safe for miles on end, from approximately nine months to 12 years old, to be more exact. Converting from a front-facing seat with a five-point harness to a belt-positioned highback booster, your child will be safe all the way. They're protected by a reinforced steel frame, side impact protection, and energy-absorbing foam. And for comfort, they can enjoy three recline positions, the one-hand adjustable headrest, a cup holder and even a storage compartment for their travel must-haves.

Pros

Sturdy
Easy to use and install
Extra comfort for kids with added features, padding, and contoured armrests

Cons

Not ISOFIX compatible

Graco SnugEssentials

Best for newborns

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If you've got a newborn, this car seat will keep them happy, safe, and comfortable for that first year until you have to move on to a car seat for a one year old. Meeting the i-Size safety standards and being awarded four stars by the ADAC, your baby will be in the safest hands. The car seat features a five-point harness that easily adjusts with just one hand and EPS energy-absorbing foam for effective impact energy management.

Super lightweight at just 3.66kg, it has an ergonomic carry handle for taking your little one on the go and a large canopy to provide shade on a sunny day.

Pros

Padded memory foam insert and headrest for comfort
Meets the latest safety regulations
ISOFIX compatible with IsoFamily base (sold separately)

Cons

Can only be used for a limited time, until your baby is approx. 12 months old

Graco Turn2Me

Best for easy access

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With the ISOFIX compatible base included, you can rotate the car seat 360 degrees for easy access - making it much easier to strap in a baby or active toddler. Suitable from birth to approximately four years old, you can position your child rearward-facing and forward-facing with the five-point harness and five recline positions for each angle. Adjust the harness and headrest together as your child grows with the no-rethread harness, and with side ventilation, your child will always be comfy on every journey.

The Turn2Me earned a 'Satisfactory' (2.8) rating from ADAC and a four-star safety rating with a 'Good' (2.3) score.

Pros

360-degree rotating mechanism for easy access
Two-in-one car seat for optimal protection at birth and toddler age
ISOFIX compatible

Cons

The button to rotate is quite low down and takes some getting used to

Graco Slimfit

Best for life span

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Available in a choice of colours, this all-in-one combination car seat should take your child from birth all the way up to 12 years old - fantastic value for the price as it essentially does the work of three car seats.

Keep your little one rearward-facing for longer, up to approximately four years old, switch to forward-facing when they're ready, and then a highback booster to take them into their tweens. The car seat comes complete with side impact protection with TrueShield technology, energy-absorbing foam, a five-point harness, and enhanced head protection.

Pros

Three car seats in one
Easy to use and install
Plenty of safety features for each stage and position

Cons

Not ISOFIX compatible

Graco Avolve

Best for versatility

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The Avolve won't quite take your child from birth all the way through to their tweens, but starting out at nine months isn't bad! Especially if they had a baby car seat they've outgrown. This two-in-one convertible car seat adapts to your growing child with a 10-position headrest, body support cushions for younger children, and two recline positions.
Compliant with the R44 safety regulation, it has a five-point harness, side impact protection to absorb the force of a side-on collision, and a steel-enforced frame for durability.

Pros

Two-in-one - converts from front-facing to highback booster seat
Comfy for kids with armrests, padding, and adjustable positioning
Easy to use and install

Cons

Not ISOFIX compatible

Graco Logico L

Best for budget

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Coming in cheap and cheerful, this isn't the nicest-looking highback booster, but if you're on a budget, it certainly does the trick. Weighing just 3.76kg, it's a Group 2/3 car seat suitable for approximately four to 12-year-olds.

With height adjustable armrests and a one-hand adjustable headrest, your child can keep comfy as they grow with Graco's Pedic foam used on the seat bottom for extra cushioning. The open-loop belt guides help to ensure proper seat belt positioning - making installation that bit easier - and the retractable cupholders are always a bonus.

Pros

Lightweight and easy to install
Adjustable to fit a growing child
Both comfy and sturdy

Cons

Bit basic looking

Graco Affix

Best high-back booster

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For a highback booster with a little more charm but a slightly higher price tag, we'd recommend the Graco Affix. It appears to have a more substantial side impact protection, which gives your child the ideal head and body protection.

Other safety features include a five-position height adjustable head support, energy-absorbing foam, and convenient isoCatch connectors that set it apart from the Logico. Available in 'Stargazer' (pictured) and 'Nickel', it doesn't have a retractable cupholder but it has a handy hideaway storage unit kids will love making use of.

Pros

Better seat security with isoCatch connectors to attach to the vehicle seat
Comfy with built-in armrests and padding
Packs style and safety in one

Cons

Some customers found the isoCatch connectors quite fiddly to deal with

Is the Graco car seat safe?

Don’t worry; even with a lower price tag, Graco car seats are perfectly safe and have plenty of safety features built-in to keep your child comfortable and protected. These include:

IsoCatch connectors: Convenient IsoCatch connectors ensure the car seat stays securely in place, connected to your car’s ISOFIX points.

TrueShield Safety Surround Side Impact Protection: This safety feature ensures your child has powerful side impact protection that safeguards their neck and head in case of an accident.

EPS energy-absorbing foam: The foam works hard to evenly and effectively distribute impact forces in the event of a collision.

Steel reinforced frame: Steel reinforcement is equipped throughout the car seat for improved resilience and durability.

Five-point harness: Easily adjustable with one hand, a five-point harness keeps your child restrained and, in the event of a collision, transfers the force of the crash to the rigid points of the body and into the seat, protecting soft parts of the body.

You’ll find that these safety features may vary across different Graco car seats, depending on the stage group and design, but each has been made to ensure your little one stays safe on the road. Several of their car seats have even won ADAC awards based on their safety features.

What is ADAC testing?

The ADAC is an independent German automobile organisation that sets the standard for safety in car seats. Twice a year, the group chooses a few select products to trial with more rigorous tests than what European safety laws require.

With an emphasis on frontal and side-impact crashes, using Q-dummies with sensors to determine the effects on a variety of ages and sizes, they score tried and tested car seats on three criteria: safety, ergonomics, and ease of use.

A number of Graco’s unique and popular car seats have been assessed by the body and received Good and Satisfactory overall ratings which we’ve of course included in our top picks below.

Eleanor Weaver is the Deputy Homes & Garden Product Editor for A Modern Kitchen, Modern Gardens, Yours, and Take A Break Pets, writing for us here at Parkers.

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