Having a car seat simplifies your life by allowing you to travel with your baby comfortably and safely. Getting a convertible car seat is more convenient as you can use for years and save money instead of buying several car seats.
The Chicco NextFit car seat is an excellent choice that comes with multiple features that you’ll love.
Below is a detailed Chicco NextFit review, and some features that make it unique.
Chicco NextFit is a convertible car seat that works for children between 5-40 lbs. The FAA approved car seat has both forward-facing and rear-facing positions. You can use the seat for eight years before the seat expires.
With six adjustable headrest positions, nine recline positions, EPS foam side-impact protection, and a latch system, you can be sure you’re getting value for money. The NextFit has four color options namely studio, Juno, mystique, and intrigue.
Chicco took time to lengthen the harness strap to make tightening a little easier. The NextFit car seat is huge, which may limit the backseat space. Overall, the NextFit is an excellent car seat makes practicality and compactness intriguing.
Some features make the Chicco NextFit unique, these include:
The Chicco NextFit has extended legroom for its rear-facing version. Chicco asserts that the new version has 25% extra legroom than previous versions. The space is created from extending out the seat’s shell.
The NextFit comes with easy to use belt lock offs. All you need is to thread the seat belt through the belt path, remove the slack, and slide the shoulder part of the seat belt into the lock off. Inclusion of lock offs makes the installation simple.
SuperCinch Tightener and Recline Sure Leveling System
Find the SuperCinch Tightener that makes it a breeze to install the Chicco NextFit. You can tighten the straps safely. Also, the recline sure leveling system comes with a RideRight bubble indicator which allows you to fix the recline correctly.
Chicco as a brand boasts of quality car seats and strollers that can last. You no longer have to worry about your babysitting too far back or too far forward. Most often, you may need a rear-facing car seat, forward-facing, and a booster seat. However, this is expensive, and you may end up with a poorly-made product.
With Chicco NextFit, you don’t need all these car seats. The no-rethread harness has an easy to pull tightening motion.
Below is how the Chicco NextFit performs when compared to other brands we looked at during our Chicco Nextfit Review.
Graco 4ever all-in-one is a favorite with most families. While it’s not perfect, it has some fantastic features like the ten position headrest, no-rethread five-point safety harness, bubble-level indicator, a washable cover, and steel reinforced frame. Its storage compartment for harness comes in handy when you need to bring toys and snacks for a long trip.
The Chicco Nextfit convertible shares some similarities with the Graco 4ever all-in-one like easy installation, extended rear-facing, lack of a rethread harness, and inclusion of a latch system. You can also enjoy the easy converting between modes.
However, the Graco lacks some features that you’d find on the NextFit. For example, Graco doesn’t have a lock off device for seat belt and only comes with a set of latch straps for rear and forward-facing positions.
Also, the headrest on the Graco rattles and the harness can be difficult to tighten. Legroom is an issue when placing the car seat in a rear-facing recline position.
The Peg Perego Primo Viaggio is an older version of the convertible car seat. The Italian manufacturer focuses on the spine, head, and neck stability. Its forward-facing capacity can accommodate up to 65 pounds, while the rear-facing size can allow up to 45 pounds.
Unlike other convertible car seats that come with harnesses, the Peg Perego convertible has deluxe latch straps that make the installation simpler and the seat safer. The model also passes several crash ratings, which ensures that it’s safe for your child.
When compared to the Nextfit, the Peg Perego falls short due to its short expiration date. It also has a unique rear-facing belt path, which makes installation difficult. The Peg Perego seat doesn’t have a booster mode.
The Maxi Cosi is an excellent seat that comes with a rear-facing and a forward-facing mode. Although it lacks a booster mode, it comes with a three-position crotch strap and three recline settings.
Maxi Cosi differs from NextFit as the former has nine recline settings and ten headrest positions. Also, the Maxi comes at a premium budget, which may not fit those on a budget. The lack of coverage on the back of the seat exposes the model info and all the stickers.
Some parents have had issues unbuckling the magnetic chest clip, while others find it difficult to install the seat tightly in the car.
The Diono 2019 Radian 3R All-in-One Convertible Car Seat all-in-one convertible car seats changes between a rear-facing seat to a forward-facing one. It also has a belt-positioning booster seat. Dino and NextFit share some similarities. They both have a 10-year expiration, side-impact protection, and steel frame sidewalls.
Also, their fabric covers are machine washable, and the inclusion of a super latch system makes the installation a breeze. Both the car seats are bulky, which makes them unsuitable for frequent car transfers.
However, the Dino lacks the no-rethread harness. You must rethread it to adjust the shoulder strap height, which is tiresome. Moreover, its rear-facing positions reduce the front passenger legroom.
The Britax Marathon ClickTight is a must-have convertible car seat that comes with seven creative color options. Britax as a brand is famous for its safety ratings, and the ClickTight doesn’t disappoint.
Its ClickTight technology makes the Britax Marathon simple to install. You’ll also find the impressive adjustment, and safety features in the USA made car seat.
The Britax Marathon and NextFit share specific features like the no-rethread harness, steel-reinforced frame, side impact protection, and ten-year lifespan. However, Britax has extra features such as the EZ buckle system and the SafeCell impact-absorbing base which reduces head movement in a crash.
Unfortunately, the Britax has short crotch straps, which may be too tight for the child’s legs. Nonetheless, you can use the two crotch buckle positions to adjust the crotch position. The harness straps do not conform to similar tightness, and you may have to deal with a jammed recline handle.
Some users experienced loosening of the seat pad, and a few had issues fitting the seat in some vehicles.
The Safety 1st Grow and Go is ideal for families handling a newborn and looking for a car seat until their child outgrows the seat. It can switch from a rear-facing seat to a forward-facing seat and a high back belt-positioning booster seat that can handle up to 100 pounds.
The budget-friendly car seat features a shoulder belt positioner and a removable infant padding for safety and comfort. You’ll love the removable seat cover that is machine washable. Its slim design allows you to accommodate extra people in the back seat.
Both NextFit and Safety 1st has a no-rethread harness, inbuilt cup holders, three recline angles, and a ten-year lifespan. Their covers are machine washable and three recline angles.
Unfortunately, Safety 1st cup holders are not removable like those of NextFit. Also, when placed in a rear-facing position, the convertible seat takes up space, which may reduce the front passenger legroom. You can use latch with the booster option, something possible with the NextFit.
You need to get the Graco Extend2Fit convertible if you’re looking for a rear-facing seat that accommodates children from two years. It also features a four-position leg extension, which gives your child more legroom. However, it doesn’t convert to a booster seat.
The InRight Latch system allows you to snap the straps on the car’s anchors. You can release the straps with a push of a button. You may find it challenging to work with seat belt installation with the rear-facing position as the belt path is small. Threading at this point is challenging, not to forget the clunky chest clip.
Graco Extend2Fit and NextFit come with removable cup holders, a ten position headrest, and ten-year expiration. They also have a six-position recline and a no-rethread harness. The inclusion of a secure latch with push-on connectors for both car seats comes as an advantage.
Both convertible car seats passed different crash tests and have machine-washable seat covers. Extend2Fit is more affordable than NextFit.
However, some Graco Extend2Fit users found the harness challenging to tighten, which could make the installation a challenge. Some parents found the convertible car seat small for newborns and too big for preemies.
Chicco NextFit is not your ordinary car seat; it comes with a latch for storage compartments. Its inbuilt lock offs make it easy for vehicle belt installation. The thermal-insulated cup holder allows you to bring along a bottle or a cup with your child’s favorite drink.
Furthermore, it’s simple to install and comes with easy to switch modes that work with any vehicle. The Convertible car seat also has a ComfortFlex Harness Management System. You’ll love the soft fabric, which is durable and easy to clean.
You can fit the car seat in different vehicles, which is another advantage if you prefer to change cars. Also, the reclining positions enable your child to be comfortable at any age. Most parents love the removable infant insert.
Although the NextFit surpasses our expectations, it has some disadvantages. Its 25 pounds weight makes this convertible car seat heavy and tiresome to move around. The weight also takes up a lot of space.
Also, the harness may make tightening quite tricky although it’s meant to be a security feature. You may spend a lot of time and effort trying to tighten the harness to a position that will secure your child.
While the Nextfit comes with extra cushioning and padding, this can be limiting and make the fabric warm for your kid. Its deep construction and lack of air circulation may be uncomfortable for your child to stay in for an extended period.
PROS
CONS
Hopefully, our Chicco Nextfit Review gave you everything you needed to know.
The Chicco NextFit convertible car seat is an excellent product with fantastic features meant to keep your child comfortable and safe. Its ability to work as an extended rear-facing seat and as a front-facing car seat gives it an added advantage. You’ll love its different adjustments that give you the convenience when you have a growing child.
Despite its weight, you can appreciate its quality built and safety features like side-impact protection.
Featured Image via Chicco
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