We agree: parenting is hard! Providing a safe environment for your children can be challenging. Parents dread nothing more than unsafe roads. Car crashes are scary!
The best safety measure in a car is buying a car seat that fits properly and fastens your little one securely.
Today we are reviewing one of the best baby car seats on Amazon: Graco Milestone Car Seat.
The Graco Milestone All-In-One is for a fact, one of the best and well built and car seats you can find out there. The outstanding comfort and the ease of this seat are enough for it to deserve a recommendation from us.
Graco Milestone All-in-one Car Seat Review
If you prefer to buy only the best baby car seat, the Graco Milestone may just be what you need. It is designed to be used by infants until they reach elementary school. It starts from a rear-facing seat to a forward-facing one to a booster seat. A stroller may help outside but saftey in car is also necessary.
What makes the Milestone stand out from its competitors is the size limit. Many experts recommend keeping your child rear-facing longer, until age 2. The Graco Milestone Car Seat lets you do just that!
Are you growing your family in the future? If yes, then it is strong and sturdy enough to be passed down to the younger children.
Features of Graco Milestone All-In-One Car Seat
1. The 3-in-1 solution that lasts longer
Yes, you read that right! The Graco Milestone All-in-one Car Seat is specially designed for families. Are you looking for a long-term solution to their car travels? Are you finding it difficult to take out time or the money to buy car seats for your growing children? If you said yes, then highly recommend you to consider this option.
- Infants (5-40 lbs) rear-facing in a harness. Height: up to 1 inch below headrest adjuster button.
- Toddlers (20-65 pounds) forward-facing in a harness. Maximum height: 49 inches.
- Younger children (30-100 pounds) in a booster. Height: 38-57 inches
2. Easy Installation
Believe us when we say this: it is one of the best baby car seats we have ever come across. We finished up the installation process quickly. So quickly that we were doubtful if we had finished all the steps to make the car seat fit. If you are a busy bee and want a hassle-free product then this might just be the right choice.
Once you are done putting your child in, you will hear a click sound. This is great because you will feel a lot more confident about their security.
3. Easy to Maintain
Maintenance of this product is as easy as pie! You can pretty easily get the cover off the car seat and gently wash it in a machine. You only have to let it drip dry before you put it back on. Attaching the cover is also an easy process and time efficient. We highly do recommend that you don’t let food crumbs fall into the seat.
4. 5-Point Harness
The American Academy of Pediatrics is a highly respected source for learning about safety protocols for your child. It states that a child should use a 5-point harness for as long as possible. Either that or when they reach the height and weight limits of their seat. The best baby car seat will almost always have 5-point harnesses.
The Graco Milestone can fit children up to 65 pounds. How? Well, the harness is extended – allowing them to be harnessed for a long time.
5. Plush Inserts
In the rear-facing mode, the plush inserts keep your baby cozy. You can remove them as your child grows. Plus, the seat comes with a removable cupholder. It gives your child quick access to their drink while in forward-facing and booster modes. The 4-position recline keeps your child comfortable in these modes.
6. FAA Approved
Some of the best baby car seats come with the approval of FAA. The Graco Milestone is FAA approved, but only with the 5-point harness. It isn’t recommended in the booster mode because airplanes don’t have shoulder straps.
However, always check for the FAA sticker. Sometimes the product doesn’t have the sticker. It can be problematic for flying, especially internationally.
Now that we are done with the basic features, let’s dive into the additional features. Now that we are done with the basic features, let’s dive into some more. These additional features makes Urbini popular among parents.
An In-Depth Analysis Of The Reported Issues
Just like any product, the Graco Milestone has been reported to have a couple of issues. These are, however, not that drastic and, in fact, easily fixable.
Seat Belt:
Some parents have shown concerns about tightening the latch and seat belt. If the car seat seems too loose, just call the Graco customer service or get it checked by a car seat technician.
Food Crumbs:
If something gets in the harness tension latch, the shoulder straps may loosen. It is more prominent in case of food crumbs. We would recommend that you clean the entire thing with a good vacuum.
- Affordable
- 3 convertible modes
- 4-position recline
- Easy to install
- Infant insert for newborns
- FAA approved
- Moveable Cupholder
- Easy to wash padding
- 5-point harness
- Food crumbs may accumulate
- FAA sticker may be missing
- A bit heavy
How Safe Is The Graco Car Seat?
It is recommended by experts to keep your child in a rear-facing position as long as possible. The Milestone Graco is amazing because it lets you do that until your child is 40 pounds. This is the weight of most 4 to 5 years old children. Generally, this feature is absent from most car seats.
How Big Is The Graco Car Seat?
As you would expect from a convertible seat, the Milestone doesn’t have a base. It is not a portable infant carrier. You can’t use it with a stroller. It is meant to stay in the car at all times.
The Graco Milestone is on the heavier side. However, if you use only one vehicle, then don’t worry. It isn’t too heavy. It can be transferred between vehicles without a hassle.
Details:
- Height of shell : 21 inches
- Seat Depth : 12 inches
- Seat Width : 19 inches
- Crotch strap positions (without infant insert) : 4, 5.5 and 7 inches
- Crotch strap positions (with infant insert) : 3, 4.5 and 5.75 inches
- Weight : 19 lbs
More Recommendations!
Now, many of you will be conflicted about buying either the Graco Milestone or the Graco 4Ever 4-in-1 Convertible Car Seat. Which one is the best baby car seat for your child? Let’s review how these are different from each other.
Graco 4-In-1 Convertible Car Seat
Graco 4-in-1 is more expensive than the Milestone car seat. Obviously, it has all the great features that are found in the Milestone – plus some more.
Features Of Graco 4-in-1 Convertible Car Seat
Let’s take a quick review at its features
1. Weight Limits: Graco Milestone All-In-One Car Seat Review
The Graco 4-in-1 gives a wider range of weight: 4 lbs to 120 lbs. So, you are set for 10 years. The recommended weight limits are:
- Rear Facing: 4 to 40 lbs
- Forward-facing: 20 to 65 lbs.
- Booster seats: 30 to 100 lbs.
- Backless belt-positioning: 40 to 120 lbs.
- The Best Baby Car Seat In Town
2. Saftey
Graco has used some amazing technology to make sure you get the safest car seat for your little one. Some of the safety features are:
- Crash tests exceed US standard FMBSS 213.
- Side Impact Tested.
- Frame is steel-reinforced. Durable and strong for many years.
The 5-point harness provides prolonged safety to your child.
3. Comfort
Just like the Graco Milestone, the car seat comes equipped with plush inserts. Your infant will be comfortable and snug. It also comes with two cupholders, so your child’s drinks and snacks are closer to them. This is also available in the booster seat.
However, it comes with the 6-position recline that can be adjusted easily. Your little one will be using the same car seat to the grade school!
- Stays in place in a car crash
- Durable and very strong
- 5-point harness
- Can bear heavier weights than Graco Milestone
- Lasts longer than Milestone
- Costs more than Graco Milestone
Informational Section: Graco Milestone All-In-One
Keep Kids Rear-Facing As Long As Possible
Children should be kept rear-facing for as long as possible. For example, in Sweden, children are kept rear-facing till they are 4 years of age, unlike in the United States. Therefore, there are fewer infant deaths in car crashes there than the US.
Keep Kids Away From Active Airbags
Never place a rear-facing car seat in front of an active airbag. In case of a crash, it would inflate and hit the back of your child’s head. This may cause very serious head injury or death.
Correct Angle Of The Seat
Place the seat at the correct angle using the instructions given with the product. Make sure your child’s head doesn’t move forward.
How To Choose The Best Baby Car Seat?
According to CDC, securing your child properly in the car seat can be crucial. This is because their chance of dying in a car accident is reduced by 71%. Before you finalize your choice, you should consider the following things:
Newborn To 2 Years
If you have a newborn, you should opt for a rear-facing seat. Always make sure your baby’s weight is within the car seat’s weight limit.
Car Seat Until 40 Pounds
If your child is within the weight limit of 40 pounds and between the age of 2 and 4, use a forward-facing car seat.
If They Are 4 Feet 9 Inches Or Over
Use a booster seat with the belt-positioning if your child is under the age of 8 years and 4 feet 9 inches tall. In case they are older and/or taller than that, use the seat belt and skip the booster seat. However, don’t ditch the booster seat just yet. We do recommend that you first see that your child fits the seat belt properly.
How To Check The Fitting Of The Seat Belt?
To check the fitting of your seat belt, look at the shoulder and lap belts. The lap belt shouldn’t be on the stomach, rather the upper thighs. The shoulder belt should fall on the chest, not the neck.
Children Under The Age Of 13 Should Be At The Back
It is highly recommended by experts that young children should always ride in the back seat. This is because if children are at the front seat, the airbags can potentially injure or even kill them.
How To Check A Car Seat’s Quality
Have a brand or model in mind, but don’t know if it is safe? Here are some tips to help you out.
Check The Car Label
Always check the label of your car seat. It should at least meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213.
Five-Point vs Three-Point Harness vs Seat Belt
The best safety option comes with the five-point harness. Neither the three-point nor the seatbelt would provide as much safety as that.
Rating
If your car seat is rated four or five stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s five-star rating system, then it will be safe and easy to use.
New Vs Old Car Seat
It is always recommended to buy a new car seat. However, if you are getting an old one, make sure that it doesn’t look worn or torn. It should not have any loose parts or been in any accident.
Tips To Install A Car Seat
You can never be too sure about your car seat by the looks of it. 75% of the parents install car seats improperly. This can be dangerous for you and your child. Even the best of the best baby car seats is useless if you don’t do it right.
- It is important that your read both the car owner’s instructions and car seat manufacturer’s installation guide completely.
- Always install the car seat at the back because it is the safest your child will be until the age of 13.
- Follow the car seat’s instructions to the dot.
- Make sure that the safety seat is reclined at the correct angle. Check this by looking at the car seat manufacturer’s guideline.
Final Thoughts?
At the end of the day, what matters is the child’s safety. If that is your one priority, then you will not be disappointed to have either of these amazing seat. It is one of the safest, if not the safest, car seat in the market. Many real-life crash testimonials have proved how safe it is.
Plus, there are few – and easily removable – complaints about the Graco Milestone car seat.
If you frequently switch cars, this probably isn’t the best option for you. There are, however, many great ones to choose from.
We highly recommend you give this a try, especially if your family is growing.
We hope that this article made it a little easier in your search for finding the best baby car seat.
