Single car seat to see your kid through all ages
May 18, 2018
The Graco Sequence 65 Convertible Car Seat is clearly intended to be the only car seat you'll need for your child, from newborn to toddler. It can be front or rear-facing, reclines, has an easily adjustable harness system and headrest, extra padding for newborns...even cup holders, which basically start out as pacifier/lovey holders, and can eventually hold bottles, etc. Our boy is a newborn, so I can't speak for how the seat fits older kids, but the additional padding worked well for him -- he fussed for a bit as we adjusted the harness, then was immediately comfortable and out like a light when the car started, and stayed asleep until we had to lift him out again.
First impression: this is much heavier than the infant car seat we currently use. This is because it's meant to be a permanent fixture, not something you carry with you. It's slightly odd that this doesn't come manufactured with the cup holders already installed.... I didn't find the instructions in the manual very helpful, but looking at the seat, it's pretty obvious how to install them: You need to remove the slipcover. (The manual says this -- it just doesn't say how to do it.) To do this, you just tip the seat back and unlatch the cover on each side -- there's a little plastic hook that holds it in place -- and it's actually quite easy. Then, just pop in the cup holders and put the cover back on.
The LATCH system was really clear -- it's very easy to find the buckles and connect them to the car. But because this seat is intended to last through so many ages/weight ranges, it's more difficult to know whether you're installing it correctly for your child's weight and age. In other words, it's slightly less foolproof than other seats, which just have one correct way to be installed. Also, if you're looking for a system with a base/stroller option, so you can just carry your babe in and out of the car in the seat-proper, this isn't that. It's made to stay in the car. So yeah, you're going to deal with your baby waking up and crying if, like ours, he was just blissfully enjoying the safe car ride home....
That said: it's a truly well-constructed seat, safe for a large range of ages/weights (which is really the MOST important thing), aesthetically pleasing (very pretty grey/purple color! that's the second most-important thing, right?), cushy and well-padded, fully adjustable with numerous reclining and headrest positions.... If you're looking for just one car seat to carry you throughout your baby-to-toddler's entire development, rather than having to buy different seats or systems as they grow, this is a fantastic option and great value.
Thanks so much to the WeeSpring Parent Panel for providing me with this car seat, which will be our next step once we're past the car seat system mode.
This product review was collected by the manufacturer.