The information in this review refers specificially to the Canadian model.
The Graco SlimFit—officially named the “Graco SlimFit3 LX 3-in-1”— is the latest addition to Graco’s Canadian car seat roster.
It is the narrowest seat on the Canadian market, making it a solid choice in many tight seating arrangements. It is compact front-to-back and can accommodate most kids for extended rear-facing. It has some drawbacks, including a lower-than-average top harness height and a lack of seatbelt lock-off for rear-facing installation. This Graco SlimFit review will help you figure out if this car seat is the right choice for your child and your vehicle.
Graco SlimFit3 LX Rear-facing fit to child
- 5–40 lb (2.2–18 kg)
- 18–43″ (46–109 cm)
- Minimum of 1″ (2.5 cm) between top of child’s head and top of headrest adjustment handle
All of the Graco convertible and 3/all-in-one seats I have used and reviewed do exceptionally well in terms of rear-facing longevity. Like the TrioGrow and 4Ever, this seat rear faces to a maximum height of 43″ OR a maximum weight of 40 lb (whichever is hit first). And like the TrioGrow and 4Ever, the SlimFit delivers on those maximums.
Some seats my children have tested for me are outgrown in rear-facing mode well before my kids hit either of the stated height and weight maximums because there is not 1″ of space above their heads. When we received the TrioGrow, my son was 42″ tall, meaning he was only an inch shy of the seat’s height maximum for rear-facing. He still fit well and had plenty of clearance above his head.
By the time we received the SlimFit, my twins were 5 and were already forward-facing, but it was important for me to test rear-facing mode just the same. There are 3-year-olds the size my twins were at age 5, so it wasn’t unreasonable to see how they fit! The child’s legs being bent, crossed or otherwise positioned to their liking is not a safety concern for rear-facing. It’s important to remember the bizarre and seemingly impossible positions children sit in to play, sleep and watch TV. That said, if extra leg-room is a concern for a lanky kiddo, the Extend2Fit and its foot rest panels would be a better option.
No bitty babies at my house anymore, but my newborn Huggable Images doll, weighing in at 7 lb, got a great fit in the SlimFit using the included bum cushion. The crotch buckle has three positions, and the first position seems to fit a lot closer to the body than other seats we’ve tested which really improves fit for a full-term baby. I always recommend an infant seat (especially a Chicco KeyFit or Graco SnugRide) if you are likely to have a preterm baby.
The infant support cushion must be removed once the child weighs 20 lb (9 kg) and can only be used rear-facing. The head cushion doesn’t have a weight max but is only for rear-facing. (I don’t find it especially useful, but it’s there if you want it!)
Moving up from newborn, I also tested my Huggable Images toddler doll (designed to be an average 18-month-old) who is 31″ tall and thankfully not weighted! Fit looks good on Carlos too.
When my nephew came to visit, I naturally made him test out the seat as well. At the time, he was almost 3, weighed 35 lb and was 37 inches tall.
For rear-facing mode, I think the biggest considerations are going to be your child’s general build and their growth curve, especially for weight. If your kiddo is likely to hit 40 lb well before you’re ready to turn them forward facing, this might not be the seat for you. (Keep in mind that the minimum recommended age to turn a child forward-facing is age 2.)
If your child has a wider build, especially broad shoulders, remember that any seat that is designed to be slim may wind up feeling too cramped for them as they grow.
Graco SlimFit3 LX Rear-facing Installation
When using the SlimFit in rear-facing mode, you must install the anti-rebound bar. It clicks easily into the two slots at the front of the seat. Note that you cannot use the cupholder in rear-facing mode: the cupholder uses one of those slots!
The seat has two rear-facing reclines, you’ll want to select the one that gets the metal ball inside the angle indicator into the blue zone when parked on flat ground. If both angles work in your vehicle, you can choose the one that’s most reclined or most upright, depending on your preference and vehicle spacing.
Graco SlimFit3 LX Rear-facing installation with lower anchors
The rear-facing install with lower anchors is a delight. The seat features an extra wide belt path and snap-off cover for routing the lower anchor strap and for tightening. The premium lower anchor connectors make uninstalling the seat easy, even if your vehicle’s anchor points are deeply recessed.
The wide open belt path also makes it easy to tighten the lower anchor straps using the classic « inside/outside trick, » whereby you pull the tail of the lower anchor strap from the inside of the seat.
Graco SlimFit3 LX rear-facing installation with seatbelt
I usually spend less time on the seatbelt install for rear facing convertibles since the most common install method for this mode tends to be with the lower anchors. But because the SlimFit3 is narrow, and specifically marketed for 3-across installs, it’s important to be able to install this seat using the vehicle belt. Most succesful 3-across installs use the vehicle belt since it allows you to position each seat as needed rather than having to centre them for the lower anchors. And of course, the majority of centre seating positions do not have lower anchors.
It is a huge disappointment to me that the SlimFit3 does not have a Snuglock bar like the TrioGrow. Having a built-in lock off makes a seatbelt install infinitely more user-friendly, and when you’re needing to get the perfect placement of a car seat to ensure it’s not encroaching on adjacent seats, a seatbelt lock off makes all the difference.
That said, with the right technique, I have been happy with my seatbelt installs for the SlimFit thus far. Again, the snap-off cover and wide open belt path really help!
Installation video: Graco SlimFit3 LX rear-facing with seatbelt
The SlimFit, like other Graco seats, is ultra compact in rear-facing mode. In my 2014 Odyssey it fits behind the passenger seat even when it is all the way back, and with room to spare.
Graco SlimFit 3 LX forward-facing fit to child
- 22–65 lb (10–29.5 kg)
- 27–49″ (69–125 cm)
- Top of the ears must be below the top of the headrest, and harness must be at or slightly above the child’s shoulders
- Maximum harness height just under 17” (43 cm)
Because the narrow design of the SlimFit3 has the potential to allow a family to avoid purchasing a new vehicle while still safely accommodating their children, the longevity of fit for this seat is crucial to me. As we saw, in rear-facing mode it will allow for extended rear-facing for most kiddos. Sadly, in forward-facing mode, taller kids, especially those with longer torsos, will outgrow the harness in this seat too soon.
In forward-facing mode, the harness must always be at or above the child’s shoulders. If the child hits a point where their harness is at its highest possible setting, but the harness is now falling behind their shoulders, they’ve outgrown the seat in harness mode. My twins are 6.5 years old and probably have about 6 more months until they outgrow the SlimFit harness. Keep in mind that they’re average to short amongst their peers. I do expect by age 7 that they will be ready for boosters, but a lot of children are the size they currently are at a much younger age, and some children simply need a harness for longer due to a really slim build or because of maturity level.
Keep in mind that it is much easier to use a harnessed seat in a tight 3-across installation than it is to use a booster, so when possible I often advise families to keep their children harnessed longer, since adding a booster to the mix may in fact make the backseat fit impossible. For this reason in particular, I really wish the SlimFit3 had even an inch more of harness height.
Besides the lack of longevity for taller kids (or even just kids who, proportionately, have longer torsos), the forward-facing fit of the seat is overall good. Note that though the crotch buckle has 3 possible positions, I find the third slot to fit pretty snug on my son, and he’s very lightweight and slightly built for his age. I can easily imagine bulkier kids finding the crotch buckle too tight as they get closer to 4-5 years old. As with rear-facing, wider set kids may simply find their shoulders too squished in this seat as it is, of course, purposely narrow.
Forward Facing Installation
The lower anchor weight limit for this seat is 45 lb, meaning that once the child hits that weight, the seat must be installed using the vehicle seatbelt. The same snap-off cover and wide belt path that facilitate rear-facing installs do likewise for forward-facing. The seat has 2 angles for forward facing, and you’ll choose the one that allows the seat to sit flat on your vehicle seat.
Forward Facing Installation with lower anchors
The hardest part about installing this seat forward-facing with lower anchors is probably figuring out how to move the lower anchors to the forward-facing belt path. The lower anchors are secured to the seat thanks to a metal bar that runs vertically along the right side of the seat. If you pull both lower anchor connectors to the inside of the seat, you’ll see that you can shimmy the strap up and then feed it through the forward-facing belt path. Remember to route it under the harness though! I have a video demonstrating this process on another Graco seat.
As with rear-facing, you’ll want to tighten the lower anchor strap by pulling the tail from the inside of the seat, while placing downward pressure on the seat pan.
Forward facing installation with seat belt
Hip hip hurray for the built-in lock off in forward-facing mode!
Although nowhere near as robust and easy to use as the SnugLock arm on the TrioGrow, the SlimFit seatbelt lock off does the trick! With the car seat’s headrest fully raised and the seat cover out of the way, open the lock off by pressing on the red circle. Then you can easily route the seatbelt. Just make sure you don’t accidentally pass the seatbelt OVER the harness. You’ll press down on the seatpan to remove slack from the vehicle belt, then close the lock off, red arm goes first! Remember that you do not lock the vehicle seat belt at the retractor, and remember to always secure the top tether.
Graco SlimFit 3 LX booster fit to child
- 43–57″ (110–145 cm)
- 40–100 lb (18–45 kg)
- Highest shoulder belt guide 18″ (45.7 cm)
- Minimum age 4*
* CPSTs recommend boostering no earlier than age 5.
As with the other Graco seats I’ve tried, booster mode in the Graco SlimFit provides a great belt fit. The shoulder belt fits snuggly across the body, centred between the neck and the end of the shoulder, the lap belt sits across the hips. My daughter usually rides in a backless booster, she’s now 9 years old. Although she’s far from 57″ tall, she’s essentially outgrown the booster mode of this seat as the headrest and thus the shoulder belt guide are lifted as high as they can go.
Graco SlimFit 3 LX booster installation
Converting some seats to booster mode can be exceptionally onerous! Some seats make you entirely remove the harness. This seat converts to booster in a minute or two.
The harness and chest clip are stored inside the storage compartment and the crotch buckle tucks into a pocket inside the shell. The seat cover snaps on and off easily so all of this is easy to access.
The seat must be on recline 4 to be used in booster mode and the seat cannot overhang the vehicle seat. You can secure the seat using the lower anchors if desired and if the seat position allows.
Three-Across with the Graco SlimFit 3 LX
I can confirm that the SlimFit can solve a few family’s 3-across woes, but definitely not all. If it fits in the mix while all the kids are harnessed, there’s a good chance once boosters become a necessity the family will need to size up. So at best, I expect the SlimFit to help families delay a new vehicle purchase, and that could be great news for many!
The third row of my 2014 Odyssey is really squishy. I have never tried to fit 3 harnessed seats back there, but with the SlimFit in the mix I can use all the seating positions in the van (8) when we have company!
If a family is trying to fit a small adult in the back with two car seats, the SlimFit can also be a great option. It’s always important to make sure any backseat adult passengers don’t accidentally unbuckle the car seats. It’s happened to me!
Because the SlimFit doesn’t have a seatbelt lock off in rear-facing mode, I definitely prefer using it 3-across in forward-facing mode. I did use it in the centre of my brother’s Camry though to allow him to transport his son, my eldest (no seat needed) and my daugher in a narrow backless booster.
I have tried without success to get the SlimFit to solve other family’s vehicle woes. For example, it does not allow for two forward-facing harnessed seats (yes, just two!) in the third row of the new Toyota Grand Highlander. (This vehicle places its two top tether anchors next to eachother, meaning the harnessed seats must sit side by side, and there’s just not the width for that, even with a SlimFit!)
General advice for 3-across installations
At its widest point, the SlimFit measures 16.7 inches (42.4 cm). This makes it narrower than other popular “3-across” car seats such as Clek and Diono. The most important thing to remember is that not even the SlimFit will make it possible to safely fit three child passengers in some vehicles. There is no such holy grail of car seating, so don’t assume that buying one, two or even three SlimFits will solve your problems.
My best advice if you’re trying to safely accommodate 3 across is the meet with a certified CPST, and ideally try out some configurations before buying. Some stores allow you to try their floor models and some techs (like me!) have demo seats.
The SlimFit manual features a section with tips for successful 3-across installations.
According to Graco: (with my notes in italics)
- Car seats can touch, but should not overlap. Make sure the base and seat are touching the vehicle seat firmly when installed.
It’s important to remember that “touching” is different than bracing against eachother. If you are having to physically shove each seat in next to the other, your installation is not secure.If you have to give the door an extra shove with your hip so it will close, this is not a secure installtion. No car seat manufacturer has clearly defined « overlap » and it is not covered in our current CPST curriculum. That said, the best way to understand « overlap » for me is to imagine a sheet of thin plexiglass sliding between each restraint in a straight line. If the head rest or the cupholders or other parts of one seat would prevent you from sliding this sheet of plexiglass in between, you likely have overlap. When I am in doubt, I always send detailed pictures and videos to the manufacturers of each seat involved in the install.
- Car seats should not move more than 1 in (2.5 cm) at the belt path and each seat should be independently secure.
This means that each car seat passes the 1 in test for side-to-side and front-to-back movement whether or not there is an adjacent car seat. In otherwords, if being shoved in between two other restraints is the only reason your centre car seat doesn’t move, you do not have a secure installation.
- If using an infant car seat next to a SlimFit3LX, ensure that the infant carrier is attached into the base at all four attachment locations each time you install the carrier into the base.
When clicking an infant carrier into its base with another restraint installed next to it, if the installation is too tight you may think you’ve clicked your infant carrier in properly when it’s actually just jammed against the adjacent seat or being pushed out of alignment by it.
Graco also recommends: (my notes in italics)
- Using the seatbelt instead of UAS for all restraints in a 3-across configuration
This is excellent advice, however I do wish they’d included a seatblet lock-off for the rear-facing installation. Using the seatbelt means you can tug the car seats closer to the door to make more room for the centre car seat, since you do not have the centre the car seat to meet the lower anchors. However, it is difficult to tightly install a car seat with seat belt slightly off centre when you don’t have a lock-off mechanism.
- Positioning and buckling the vehicle seat belts for all three car seats to determine the best fit before installing each car seat.
When you buckle all three belts, you will notice where seatbelts may overlap or if buckles are deeply recessed. You may need to use trial and error to get the right configuration for your seats; you don’t want a belt buckle underneath the base of an adjacent car seat, for example. If you have a booster seat in the mix, remember that the buckle has to be fully accessible so the child can buckle and unbuckle for every ride. (This is why it is often harder to fit 3 restraints across when a booster seat is involved!) Again, when in doubt, reach out to the manufacturer(s).
- Installing the centre car seat first to ensure “the most stability across all seats”
This will also help ensure that each seat is independently tight. I always install the centre seat first and then install the window seats by pulling them as much as possible towards the doors.
- Placing the rear-facing car seat in the centre to provide the best fit across your vehicle
Sadly, installing the SlimFit in the centre of many vehicles in rear facing mode is challenging due to the lack of seatbelt lock off. The centre spots in so many vehicles are oddly shaped, extremely narrow, and have weird seatbelt geometry. It’s also worth mentioning that buckling a rear facing child in the middle seat is extremely challenging.
- Removing a cup holder from the SlimFit if necessary
Remember that some car seats (like the Graco 4Ever or the Extend2Fit) must always have their cup holders in place. The SlimFit’s cupholder is always optional and can only be used in forward-facing mode. (It clicks into one of the slots used for the anti-rebound bar in rear-facing mode so cannot be used.)
My favourite things about the Graco SlimFit 3 LX
- The slimmest seat on the market and it is far easier to use than some of the other seats in the « 3-across friendly » category
- May be the game-changer for families needing to safely fit 3 passengers in the back (remember: there is NO miracle solution in some vehicles!)
- Ultra compact for rear-facing
- Long-lasting fit for most kids in rear-facing mode
- No rethread harness to easily adjust as child grows or for different child passengers
- Very awesome snap-off, easy wash cover
- Lock-off for easy forward-facing install
- Super easy booster conversion
- Extra wide belt paths for easy installs
- Premium lower anchor connectors
Things I love less about the Graco Slim Fit 3 LX
- No lock-off for rear-facing seatbelt installation
- Less than 17″ top harness height means taller kids will outgrow the harness sooner than desired
- The retail price of around $450+ is pretty high, especially if you need more than one (recently spotted at Costco for $349 though!)
Aug. 2024
Bottom Line
If the slimness of the SlimFit is not necessary for your vehicle, I would be inclined to go with a different seat, such as the TrioGrow. The TrioGrow is a similar price (less when on sale), has a far easier installation and will last slightly longer in forward-facing, harnessed mode. You’ll also have fewer concerns if your kiddo is wider set. Plus, it has two cupholders that are available in both rear and forward-facing! (Cup holder quantity has only recently become an issue for my twins.)
If the slimness is a must for you, then of all the « 3 across » seats on the Canadian market that I have tried*, the SlimFit 3 LX is by far my favourite.
*haven’t tried the Britax Poplar yet, it is not as narrow either, mind you.
Laisser un commentaire