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Graco Contender 65 Convertible Car Seat

Review Last Updated: 13 April 2020
Jenny Campbell-Jones
Product Review by Jenny Campbell-Jones
Product Features
  • 8-position headrest
  • Adjustable harness system
  • LATCH equipped with an easy-to-read level indicator
  • Cup holder
  • Removable head and body support
  • EPS foam

Introduction

Safety is at the forefront of every mom’s mind when driving, and a good quality, safe car seat is one less thing to worry about.

A good car seat can significantly lower the chance of severe injury during a crash, and it’s extremely important to have a car seat that matches your child’s size.

It can be difficult trying to find a safe, comfortable, and easy-to-adjust car seat, but the search may be over – keep reading for our review of the Graco Contender 65 Convertible Car Seat, including a list of the features, and of the pros and cons.

Pros

  • Hassle-free installation using LATCH
  • Graco ProtectPlus Engineered so it’s safer than ever
  • Lasts for 7 years
  • Thoroughly tested

Cons

  • Some users complain that the latch can be difficult to operate

Graco Contender 65 Convertible Car Seat Product Review

Before we get into reviewing this car seat, let’s give you a little background on the company behind the car seat – Graco.

Graco is one of the world’s recognized and trusted baby product companies, being a world favorite for over 60 years.

Each and every Graco product is rooted in safety, durability, and the best intentions of loving parents.

Technical specs:

  • Weights 15.2 pounds
  • Dimensions = 27 x 20.8 x 26 inches
  • Minimum weight recommendation = 5 pounds
  • Maximum weight recommendation = 65 pounds

This top-quality car seat comes with a choice of two colors – Glacier (grey and black), and Chili Red (grey with red outlines).

Safety

You can drive easily, knowing that your child will be safe in this car seat. It’s Graco ProtectPlus Engineered, meaning its been through a combination of the most rigorous crash tests.

This comprehensive testing hugely increases your child’s safety in frontal, side, rear, and even rollover crashes.

Graco has used a Simply Safe Adjust Harness System, so you can easily adjust the harness and headrest height together in one simple motion – and there’s no rethreading required!

The harness will keep your child secure even along the bumpiest of roads. Don’t worry about it being too loose or too tight – it’s fully adjustable as your child grows.

There are two buckle positions, so your child will be extra snug and secure in the car seat.

For impact management, the seat is lined with EPS energy-absorbing foam, which absorbs any energy in the unfortunate event of a car crash.

Be sure your child meets the requirements:

  • Front-facing minimum weight = 20 pounds
  • Front-facing maximum weight = 65 pounds
  • Rear-facing minimum weight = 5 pounds
  • Rear-facing maximum weight = 40 pounds

If your child is under or over any of these figures, then the car seats safety features may be less effective.

Comfort

Safety isn’t the only thing that Graco has considered when manufacturing this car seat. They’ve also considered the comfort of your child – especially with the 8-position headrest.

The 8-position headrest is easily adjusted with one hand and is easily adapted to your child’s needs. If your child wants to relax and lie back a bit, then simply adjust the headrest – or if you’d rather your child stay propped up, it’s easily done.

There’s also removable body and head support, which is perfect as your child grows older. You may want to add extra support for smaller children and remove it as your child gets bigger to ensure a better fit.

Cleaning

Children are messy, which unfortunately means we spend most of motherhood cleaning up after them.

Luckily, this car seat is easily cleaned. The seat cushion is machine washable – just be sure to put it on a cold wash. To clean the metal and plastic parts, just use mild soap and warm water.

Summary

Car seats can be extremely expensive, but the Graco Contender 65 Convertible Car Seat is certainly a great choice if you’re on a budget – and even if you’re not!

This car seat is the perfect balance between safety and comfort – with adjustable comfort features such as removable head and body support to keep your baby comfortable, however long the journey.

Have you tried out any of Graco’s car seats? If you have, what are your thoughts? Do they live up to the hype?

Let us know in the comments section below, and don’t forget to share this post with your mom-friends!

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