Who should get the Graco 4Ever DLX and who shouldn’t?

Who Should

The Graco 4Ever DLX convertible car seat is a great solution for parents who want the best for their kids without the hassle of having to learn a new seat every couple of years. In the 4-in-1 car seat market, this seat is a solid contender. Stand-out features include ease of installation and machine-washability.

Caregivers who only want to drop money on one seat will love this option. The 10-year expiration means that your child will be able to use it for the full range of 4-120 pounds.

Two booster modes (highback and backless) allow your child to choose which is right for them. Having a say in the matter will make it so much easier to convince your child to continue using a booster seat! Fewer fights, safer rides, what’s not to love?

Who Shouldn’t

If your baby is under 4 pounds, the Graco 4Ever DLX won’t work for you. It sounds unbelievable, but I do see more and more three-pound babies going home from the NICU! This seat has a minimum weight requirement of 4 pounds, so if your infant is below that, you’ll need to pick a different seat.

Although the installation is easy, the seat is heavy and bulky. If you need to transfer the car seat between vehicles often, this one might be inconvenient.

This 4-in-1 seat is large, so it may not fit properly in some smaller cars. When installing rear-facing, you need to be able to slide a piece of paper between the front seat and the car seat. It can’t be squished in too tight. Additionally, if you need to fit multiple car seats side-by-side in your vehicle, this is probably not the right choice.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• No need to purchase another seat*

• Machine-washable Rapid Remove cover

• No-Rethread Simply Safe Adjust harness

• 10-year expiration date

• Easy installation with InRight LATCH and integrated lockoff

• Harness storage slots

• FAA-approved for use on airplanes (except in booster mode, but no booster seats are allowed on planes)

*Unless your child still doesn’t fit in a seat belt after reaching 120 pounds, or the seat expires, whichever comes first

Cons

• Not an infant carrier

• Cannot be used with a stroller

• Heavy and bulky

• Higher price range than some other 4-in-1 seats

• Seat may become worn after using it for so long

• Older children may feel like they are still in their “baby” seat

What are the child weight and height limits?

Rear-Facing Mode: 4-40 pounds; head must be 1 inch or more below the headrest adjustment handle

Forward-Facing Mode: 22-65 pounds; 49 inches or less

Highback Booster Mode: 40-100 pounds; 43-57 inches

Backless Booster Mode: 40-120 pounds; 43-57 inches

LATCH limits: Child must be 45 pounds or less to use lower anchors. Once over 45 pounds, seat belt installation method must be used.

How easy is the Graco 4Ever DLX to install?

Although this seat is bulky and seems hard to handle at first, it is actually quite easy to install!

Lower anchor installation is a breeze with Graco’s InRight LATCH system. Graco 4Ever seats have push-on lower anchor connectors, which are much easier to install (and uninstall!) over clip-on style.

Graco has made forward-facing seat belt installation easier with an integrated lock-off. This is the feature that differentiates the 4Ever DLX from the discontinued 4Ever.

The belt paths are color-coded, so you never have to guess which openings are for rear-facing (blue), forward-facing (orange), and booster (green). The sections in the manual follow the same color-code. It’s easy to find information corresponding to each mode with this system.

Other general notes: Some overhang is allowed, but 80% of the base needs to be in contact with the vehicle seat. Remember to always choose a level place to park your car for a proper install.

CPST Tip: Before installing in the car, place the seat on the ground in a firm, level location (hardwood floor, sidewalk, etc.). Adjust the recline appropriately for the direction of the seat and weight of the child. Then sit your kiddo in the seat. Use the No-Rethread Simply Safe Adjust Harness to get the straps at the correct height: at or BELOW shoulders for rear-facing, at or ABOVE shoulders for forward-facing. Determine if the crotch buckle is in the right slot. The buckle should be between their legs, not underneath their bottom. If it needs to be moved out to the second slot, do so now by following the instructions and photos in the manual. Ta-da! The seat is ready to be installed! I’ve seen it over and over again where a parent fully installs the seat, thinks they have it perfect, but forgot about harness height, recline, and/or buckle position. TRUST ME– these are all much harder or even impossible to adjust once the seat is installed!

How to Install Rear-Facing with LATCH

To install rear-facing with LATCH, first pick a seating position with dedicated lower anchors. You can’t borrow from another seat. For example, if you want to use the middle seat, it must have its own lower anchors. If only the outboard seats have lower anchors, you can’t use the middle seat. Sharing anchors is also not allowed. Only attach one LATCH connector per lower anchor.

Adjust to the proper recline and harness setting. Check the recline angle indicator to make sure the bubble is completely within the blue line. The harness must be at or below the infant’s shoulders.

Make sure the LATCH strap is going through the BLUE rear-facing belt path. It should be lying flat, free of twists. Press the gray button near the right lower anchor connector and pull to extend the strap.

Connect one LATCH connector to each vehicle lower anchor. Push the LATCH connectors until you hear a click. Tug on them to make sure they have properly connected.

Tighten the strap. Pull on the loop near the right LATCH connector. I like to use my knee to push the car seat into the vehicle seat. You can also push down on the seat panel with your free hand. To get a better angle, you can thread the pull-strap through the fabric of the armrest at the belt path.

Keep pulling and tightening until the seat does not move more than an inch side to side.

How to Install Rear-Facing with Vehicle Seat Belt

Choose a seating position. Any seat with a lap-and-shoulder belt or lap-only belt is acceptable.

Adjust to the proper recline and harness setting. Check the recline angle indicator to make sure the bubble is completely within the blue line. The harness must be at or below the infant’s shoulders.

The LATCH strap must be threaded through the orange forward-facing belt path so it’s out of the way.

Route the seat belt through the blue rear-facing belt path. Once the belt is lying flat and free from twists, buckle it.

For installation with a lap-and-shoulder belt, lock the shoulder belt by pulling it all the way out of the retractor. As you feed it back in, it should make a subtle clicking sound. This indicates that the belt is locked.* Tighten the seat belt by pulling from the buckle and feeding the slack up back through the retractor.

For a lap-only belt, buckle the seat belt and pull on the tail to tighten.

Push down on the seat panel to get out more slack. It’s easier to tighten if you get your hands underneath the fabric cover. Continue to pull and tighten until the seat does not move more than one inch side to side.

*If your seat belt does not lock, you’ll need to use a locking clip. You can order one for free on Graco’s website. These little metal accessories are a real pain in the butt to use. I would suggest setting up a car seat check with a CPST for help.

How to Install Forward-Facing with LATCH

Switching from rear-facing to forward-facing position is NOT as simple as releasing the lower anchor connectors, flipping the seat around, and reclipping. This is a VERY common mistake I see when inspecting this seat installation! After turning the seat, you must re-thread the LATCH strap through the forward-facing belt path (indicated by orange color).

Keep in mind that LATCH can only be used when the child is 45 pounds or less. Once they are over that weight limit, seat belt install is required.

First, choose an appropriate seating location with dedicated vehicle lower anchors. Recline the seat– position 4 or 5 if the child is 40 pounds or less; position 6 if they are over 40 pounds. Adjust the harness height. The harness must be at or ABOVE the child’s shoulders while forward-facing.

Make sure the LATCH strap is going through the ORANGE forward-facing belt path. It should be lying flat, free of twists. Press the gray button near the right lower anchor connector and pull to extend the strap.

Unhook the top tether from its storage location on the back of the car seat. Lay it up and over the front of the car seat so you can access it. We will connect the tether after tightening the lower anchors.

Connect one LATCH connector to each vehicle lower anchor. Push the LATCH connectors until you hear a click. Tug on them to make sure they have properly connected.

Tighten the strap. Pull on the loop near the right LATCH connector. I like to use my knee to push the car seat into the vehicle seat. You can also push down on the seat panel with your free hand. To get a better angle, you can thread the pull-strap through the fabric of the backrest at the belt path.

Keep pulling and tightening until the seat does not move more than an inch side to side.

Attach the tether strap. The location of the tether connection varies by vehicle. Usually these are either on the back of the vehicle seat or on the ceiling. Consult your vehicle’s manual if you can’t find it. If the tether connector is on the back of a seat with a headrest, route the tether underneath the headrest.

Pull on the tether strap to tighten it, removing all the slack.

How to Install Forward-Facing with Vehicle Seat Belt

If the child is over 45 pounds, you must install the Graco 4Ever DLX convertible car seat with the vehicle seat belt.

Choose a seating position. Any seat with a lap-and-shoulder belt or lap-only belt is acceptable.

Recline the seat– position 4 or 5 if the child is 40 pounds or less; position 6 if they are over 40 pounds. Don’t worry about harness height yet. We’ll adjust that towards the end.

Unhook the top tether from its storage location on the back of the car seat. Lay it up and over the front of the car seat so you can access it. We will connect the tether after tightening the seat belt.

The LATCH connectors must be clipped in their storage location underneath the seat panel– one on either side of the recline handle.

One of the great features of the 4Ever convertible car seat is an integrated lock-off for forward-facing installation.

To locate the lock-off, adjust the harness height to the highest position. Undo the chest clip and crotch buckle. Unsnap the cover to reveal the hard plastic seat back. You’ll see the red and gray lock-off in the middle back of the seat. Flip down the gray panel, and the red panel will flip up.

Route the vehicle seat belt through the orange forward-facing belt path and buckle it. The belt should be flat and free from twists.

Press down with one hand onto the seat panel. Use your knee to push the car seat snugly against the vehicle seat. Tighten the seat belt by pulling firmly on the shoulder belt.

Once the seat belt is tight, close the lock-off by first flipping down the red panel then closing the gray panel on top of the red. Check that the lap and shoulder belt are both underneath the lock-off. There is no need to lock the seat belt when you’re using a lock-off.

Check that the seat does not move more than an inch side-to-side.

Rebutton the cover. Adjust the harness height. The harness must be at or ABOVE the child’s shoulders while forward-facing.

Attach the tether strap. The location of the tether connection varies by vehicle. Usually these are either on the back of the vehicle seat or on the ceiling. Consult your vehicle’s manual if you can’t find it. If the tether connector is on the back of a seat with a headrest, route the tether underneath the headrest.

Pull on the tether strap to tighten it, removing all the slack.

How do I know if the car seat is correctly installed?

To test for correct installation, use your non-dominant hand to wiggle the seat at the belt path. The car seat should not move more than one inch side-to-side. Any other movement is actually good. We want crash forces absorbed by the seat, not your child!

When and how do I switch to highback booster mode?

There are a few prerequisites your child must meet to switch to highback booster mode. First of all, they must be at least four years old. They have to be at least 40 pounds and 43 inches (3’7”). These are the minimum requirements. However, the child should remain forward-facing with the harness as long as possible, ideally until they outgrow the weight and/or height limits of that mode.

As with any booster seat, always choose a seating position with a lap AND shoulder belt! Lap belts alone do not secure a child in the event of a crash and are not approved for use with boosters. (This is why boosters are not allowed to be used on planes.)

The first step in switching to highback booster mode is storing the harness system. You’ll find the storage panel on the seat back, underneath the padding, just above the lock-off.

Undo the chest clip and crotch buckle. Open the storage panel by squeezing the tab on the right. With the harness as loose as it goes, tuck the harness including shoulder pads, chest clip, and crotch buckle tongues into the open panel. Hold everything in place and close the panel. Honestly, I find this a bit tricky. You have to have all of the pieces lying very flat and in just the right places in order to close the panel. This is one element in which the Graco 4Ever convertible car seat falls short.