We're right in the thick of the holiday season which (at least for us) means lots of travel. Now that we've got two kids we have double the amount of packing and planning going into our trips. Whether we're driving or flying, one thing that matters most to me is the car seats we will be traveling with. I've partnered with Graco to show you their new Graco SlimFit Space Saving All-In-One Convertible Car Seat and why it's a great slim car seat for holiday travel!
Slim Car Seat
2023 UPDATE: The specific model I am showing is no longer available on the Graco site since it's had some updates over the years. You can see the most recent SlimFit here on Amazon. Thankfully many of the features are still exactly the same.
Graco SlimFit All in One Car Seat Review
Original review: I received the Graco SlimFit in the Camelot colorway. I love the rich tones and the plush seat looks very comfortable. Because it's an all-in-one seat, it can be used from infancy through when your child needs a belt-positioning booster seat.
As you can see, the seat has a large range of height. Graco's Simply Safe Adjust Harness System makes it easy to adjust the height with just one hand. This would really come in handy if you're switching vehicles while traveling or using the seat on an airplane. You don't need to fuss with the harness or adjust the height with the convenient harness system.
At 19.75" wide the Graco SlimFit saves space while still maintaining room for your growing child. It is one of the more slim car seats on the market. It has rotating cup holders that make the seat 10% slimmer. If you have multiple children or need to pack a lot in your backseat (think holiday gifts and luggage!) the SlimFit would be a good choice to conserve precious backseat space. Here's a quick video I took to show how easy it is to adjust the cup holders.
The convenience of this narrow seat would also make it perfect for a flight. I can't be the only one who finds airline seats really small, especially when you're hauling a car seat. The SlimFit is FAA approved and won't have you fighting over precious seat space on a plane.
Graco SlimFit Installation
Installation of the car seat is simple whether you're using it rear-facing or forward-facing. Graco's InRight LATCH system makes it easy to click the latches into place and get a secure fit. You can also install the car seat using your seat belt, which I prefer to do. My daughter fits comfortably rear-facing. I can't stress how easy it is to install this seat-perfect for when you're traveling and need to move the seat as well as luggage and your kids.
The car seat has soft plush supports to keep infants comfortable and as they get older you can easily remove them. The seat cover is machine-washable and is easy to access without removing the harness. I find this to be a great feature because we've had food spill a few times and it's nice to remove the cover to wash it.
She loves putting things into the cup holders and then taking them back out!
Did you know that 80% of car seats in the United States are installed incorrectly? Graco makes the installation of the SlimFit simple with its easy-to-read level. If you have to move the seat from your vehicle to an airplane to a rental car, you'll know you have it installed correctly every time with this handy level.
I love the 4-position recline the SlimFit offers. It's perfect for infants who need to be reclined more and can be brought upright as they grow. Graco outlines which recline levels are for rear-facing and forward-facing too, to take out any guesswork.
SlimFit weight recommendations
The SlimFit is recommended for children 5-40 pounds rear-facing, 20-65 pounds forward-facing, and 30-100 pounds in the high back belt-positioning booster stage. Here's my son in the forward-facing position. As you can see I raised the headrest (super simple, with one hand!) to accommodate for his height.
We're in a rental car right now and here you can see the backseat with the SlimFit. Three car seats wouldn't fit across the bench in this Nissan Sentra, but you couldn't definitely fit two and have extra space.
This car seat was engineered and crash tested to meet or exceed US standards and has been side impact tested with the built-in 5-point harness system. I feel like both of my kids are very safe in the SlimFit which is a necessity with all of the car time we'll be putting in the next month or so.
Overall I really appreciate the narrower design of the SlimFit, the simple latch system that allows for easy installation, and the harness system which makes it so easy to adjust the height of the headrest and harness with one hand. I'd recommend it for holiday travel, especially to families with multiple children that need narrower car seats! It's also going to be a great option for flying and renting a car that will likely have a smaller backseat than your regular vehicle.
BUY IT: You can purchase this Graco slim car seat on Amazon.com (usually for less!).
Be sure to check out our other Graco reviews: Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit review, Graco Extend2Fit review, Graco SnugRide 35 Click Connect Infant Car Seat Review, and our Graco Table2Table High Chair review.
Disclaimer: I received the Graco SlimFit at no cost to facilitate an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.
Linda Manns Linneman says
This is so nice. What a wonderful and safe way to travel with our children. Thank you for sharing
Amber Ludwig says
YES!!! I love the narrower design too!! Nothing is more frustrating than finding our your seat doesn't fit well in your car!! Not every parent has a big vehicle lol!! We are also big Graco fans!! Their seats are the easiest to use and install from what I've seen and dealt with!!