Convertible Car Seat review: Graco My Ride 65 Price: $96

Type: Convertible seat.

Limits: 4 to 40 lbs., rear facing, up to 65 lbs. forward facing

NHTSA ease of use rating:
Rear facing: Four out of five stars.
Forward facing: Four out of five stars.
The version with Safety Surround earned three out of five stars in both positions.

Pros: Affordable seat that works to 40 lbs. rear-facing and up to 65 lbs. forward. One version (with Safety Surround) has enhanced side impact protection.

Cons: Difficult LATCH installation, strap adjustments.

Comments: The Graco My Ride 65 is Graco’s effort at an affordable convertible seat that works to 65 lbs. Folks love the 40 lb. rear-facing limit, but the complicated LATCH installation (Graco uses a single strap that runs under the seat in rear facing mode) makes a tight fit difficult in some vehicles. Adjusting the straps is also quite difficult, especially when compared to Britax’s seats. That holds down the My Ride 65’s overall rating in our view.

On the up side, the My Ride 65 earned four out of five stars in the government’s ease of use ratings (although the 65 with Safety Surround earned only three out of five). And Consumer Reports picked this seat as a best buy, even though it ended up scoring 11th out of 31 seats in their most recent report on convertible car seats. We can see that point on affordability: under $100 for a seat that works to 65 lbs. is a value.

The My Ride 65 scored “better” in a crash test by Consumer Reports (seats are rated basic, better and best.)

Bottom line: while we salute Graco’s effort to make an affordable 65 lb. limit seat, the trade-offs in ease of use and installation are troubling.

FYI: Some versions of the My Ride 65 feature special newborn insert cushions that enable the seat to fit infants as small as four pounds (parents of preemies, take note).

Rating: C