Graco SlimFit Review

Graco SlimFit

Families come in all shapes and sizes and have a wide variety of needs when it comes to car seats. One area where we see a lot of questions is what to do when the back seat is full of children, or when two children need to ride next to each other. We call this setup three car seats across and it’s a topic that has a lot of variables.

Manufacturers have heard your struggles and they’re starting to respond! We’re seeing more narrow options for these situations including the Graco SlimFit.

Note: since we wrote this review, the slightly narrower Graco SlimFit3 LX/True3Fit LX has joined the ranks of seats designed for small spaces.

Recline Indicator

The SlimFit has a recline bubble similar to the ones found on the Graco Contender, MySize/Size4Me/Fit4Me and Head Wise, and of course the SlimFit’s cousin, the Milestone.

The SlimFit can be installed rear facing in recline positions 1 and 2. The recline angle can range from 30-45 degrees, the more upright angle is intended for older toddlers who have good head and neck control.

Graco SlimFit rear facing

Installing the SlimFit in rear facing mode is pretty straightforward.  Thanks to an ingenious clip on the cover, just remove that clip temporarily to access the lower anchor strap, then pull straight up on the webbing with one hand while pushing down on the seat pan with your other hand.  This is easier than it sounds!

My car, a 2016 VW GTI, has a pretty serious slope in the seat and a recessed seating area.  This translates to needing a rolled towel or a pool noodle to achieve the proper recline for rear facing car seats.  The SlimFit was no exception.

Graco SlimFit lower anchor connectors

The lower anchor strap remains attached to the seat at all times.  It’s connected by a handy bar — just pull the lower anchors into the shell of the seat, then slide the connectors to the other belt path, then feed the connectors back out through the belt path.

Graco SlimFit: newborn doll

Our Huggable Images newborn doll weighs 7 pounds and is 17 inches long.  The SlimFit’s lowest harness setting was a bit above her shoulders — it should be at or below.  The manual requires that the body support must be used if the child’s shoulders are below the lowest harness setting without the padding. Even with the body support, we wouldn’t assert that the SlimFit is a consistently well-fitting option for newborns.

Graco SlimFit: toddler model

This model is 18 months old, weighs 26 pounds and is 28 inches tall. He loved climbing into the seat when it was in the house, but he had words to say when he was buckled into the SlimFit. Despite his struggling, it was easy to adjust the seat to fit him properly using the adjustable headrest. The distance between each headrest position is small enough to ensure that the harness fits most children well as they grow.

Our model found the SlimFit very comfortable. If he was even close to being tired, he fell asleep without any problems. He didn’t experience much head slump while sleeping in the SlimFit, even when it was installed more upright.

Graco SlimFit: preschooler

This young model is 3 years, 11 months old, weighs 33 pounds, and is 32 inches tall. He was pretty comfortable in the seat. True to toddler/preschooler form, he didn’t want to get out of the seat when we reached our destination. There’s plenty of space above his head, and several more headrest positions higher than the current position as well.

Here, the SlimFit is installed on the middle jump seat of a Honda Odyssey.  It fit very well in that fairly small location and worked as part of three car seats in a row.  In this case, it was a Chicco NextFit, the SlimFit in the middle, and a Graco Extend2Fit on the other side.  Each car seat was independently tight.

Graco SlimFit forward facing

The SlimFit’s forward facing size range is 22-65 pounds, the child is less than 49 inces tall, and the tops of the child’s ears are below the top of the headrest.

Recline angle: 3 or 4

Graco SlimFit: 3 Years Old

At 3 years old, we’d advocate that this model still ride rear facing.  He weighs 36 pounds and is 36 inches tall.  He’s got plenty of room to grow in the SlimFit.  The low sides make climbing into the seat an easy task for him and the smooth harness adjuster makes securing him properly a simple task as well.

Graco SlimFit: 5 Years Old

This model is 5 years old.  He weighs 42 pounds and is 42 inches tall.  The SlimFit fits him well and he’s got a good bit of room to grow in harnessed mode.

Graco SlimFit harness storage

Switching between harnessed and booster modes is another thing Graco has done very well with this seat.  The entire harness tucks into a tidy little compartment behind the cover that closes with a very satisfying snap. Compare this to other combination seats, which require the harness to be removed either partially or taken all the way out, or to the Diono Radian, which requires caregivers to unbolt portions of the seat to access the harness and the SlimFit earns high marks in this area. When we had a forward-facing harnessed child and a booster riding child in our family, we got a lot of use out of combination seats.  I’ve spent more time than I care to admit removing or re-assembling harnesses so that the other child can use a particular seat or take a friend somewhere. The ease with which the SlimFit moves between modes could be a real game changer for families who need to share seats between children.

Graco SlimFit booster mode

This sassy model is 7 years old, weighs 54 pounds, and is 48 inches tall.  In booster mode, the SlimFit provided a great belt fit for her.  She’s got a little room to grow until her shoulder reaches the 18.75 inch top shoulder belt guide.  The SlimFit isn’t the longest lasting booster available but like other multimode car seats, we definitely like it as a transitional booster option once the child has outgrown it in harnessed mode.

Lower anchors and tether can be used with the SlimFit in booster mode.  This is particularly useful in the early days of booster training — if the child weighs 45 pounds or less, the SlimFit can remain installed with lower anchors and switched between harness and booster mode as the child learns to sit properly.

Graco Slimfit: three across with Chicco Nextfit and Graco Extend2Fit

The SlimFit’s claim to fame is the space saving design. The ad attached to the seat shows an older sibling who presumably passes the Five Step Test sitting between two forward facing SlimFits, one in booster mode.

The great news? We found find that the SlimFit worked well with other rear facing car seats in a Honda Odyssey. The narrow base makes it a solid option, especially when it’s next to other rear facing car seats.

However, the wider shoulder area doesn’t make it a sure thing when a mix of forward facing and rear facing car seats are involved.  Our biggest concern is around the width of the SlimFit at the child’s shoulder when it’s installed forward facing — it’s the same 19 inches that we see on the Milestone. While the lower part of the SlimFit is a pretty narrow 17.5 inches that larger width higher up in the seat’s shell may not make the SlimFit the best option for every three across setup. We also wonder if having a person in the middle seat might make buckling the SlimFit in booster mode a bit tricky.  If at all possible, we’d suggest trying the SlimFit in your vehicle with your configuration of car seats before making a purchase.

Graco SlimFit manual storage

Manual Storage — the manual tucks into a compartment on the back of the seat.

Graco SlimFit date of manufacture

Date of Manufacture and expiration — the Date of Manufacture sticker is on the back of the seat, between the manual storage and the FAA approval sticker on the base. The SlimFit expires after 10 years from that date.

Graco SlimFit FAA approval label

FAA Approval — the approval for use on aircraft is the red lettering found on this sticker.  It’s located on the back of the seat, on the top of the seat’s base, underneath the manual storage and Date of Manufacture sticker.