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One seat to get you from infant to adolescent.

Many new parents begin with an infant car seat. Infant seats are versatile, portable and, importantly, let you transition your sleeping child from house to car to stroller without waking them up. But after that first year, an infant outgrows the infant seat. The next step is a convertible car seat.

Convertible car seats are — as the name suggests — adaptable. These seats can accommodate infants with extra padding. But they also convert to rear-facing and eventually (after the child reaches 40 pounds) forward-facing toddler seats. An all-in-one seat convert to booster seats when needed, accommodating children up to 100 pounds or more. Yes, that's how long children are in car seats now.

3-in-1: Convertible car seats switch from rear-facing to forward-facing. 3-in-1 seats do that and transition into a booster seat. On paper, it saves you a purchase. In practice, booster seats aren't that expensive relatively and the transition from forward-facing to booster could be five to six years away.

Cleaning: Children spill things frequently. The best convertible car seats will have fabric that is easily cleanable if not removable for machine washing.

Comfort: Toddlers have no hesitation about letting you know when they're not comfortable. They can't appreciate the finer points of Alcantara leather. But they do know whether straps are too tight or parts of the seat are scratchy. Added ventilation to keep the seat from getting too hot is always a bonus.

Installation: The absolute last thing you want as a parent is more stress. Look for a seat that is easy to install and easy to install again when you have to move it. Seats that are bulky and heavy will be more unwieldy to deal with. Setting up the seat safety using the LATCH system should not require sweat. Converting the seat between phases should be simple and intuitive.

Safety: All car seats sold in America must meet federal motor vehicle safety standards. Seats from major brands sold from reputable outlets will display that information prominently; be wary of cut-rate prices and buying used. Some seats promise additional safety features above and beyond those required.

Width: Car seats take up a lot of space. But certain seats are designed to be particularly narrow, making it easier for parents to fit three across the second row or use the other two seats for human or canine passengers.

We enlisted multiple Gear Patrol parents to test the best convertible car seats. New seats were tested with our children in real-life conditions ranging from everyday school runs to family vacations. Staffers also provided thoughts on seats they currently own.

We tested seats looking primarily for those that were easy to use, easy to install and comfortable for children. We also looked at long-term durability for seats that staffers owned.

We did not simulate crash testing to assess manufacturer safety for obvious reasons. But all seats tested meet NHTSA safety requirements.

When you reach the convertible car seat stage, you'll likely need more than one. Both parents will be doing pickups. Multiple children get into the mix. The grandparents may want one. That's where the Graco Extend2Fit comes in. It delivers the functionality of an expensive seat but at a considerable discount compared to fancier rivals.

Our tester owns a rotating fleet of four or five Graco Extend2Fit seats that cycle between personal vehicles, press fleet cars and grandparents.

The Graco Extend2Fit is lightweight and supremely easy to install — an awesome feature when you have to move it frequently. LATCH straps stay in place with only one to pull. The headrest and harness adjust simultaneously. Converting from forward-facing to rear-facing can be done in seconds, with one or two adjustments and one-handed.

The Graco Extend2Fit is bulky and not aesthetically pleasing out of the box (or after a year of kids spilling on it). The LATCH strap tightener — especially after a year or so of use — can also require some brute force to loosen.

The Extend2Fit 2-in-1 only goes up to 65 lbs. But you can buy the 3-in-1 model which can convert to a booster seat and accommodate children up to 100 lbs. Graco also sells relatively affordable standalone booster options.

The RAVA is a convertible car seat from Dutch manufacturer Nuna. It marries a sleek Red Dot Award-winning design with easy-to-use features. Though it is a bit pricier than other options on the market. Distinctive RAVA features include the ability to use the seat rear-facing up to 50 pounds and a steel frame combined with energy-absorbing foam for advanced impact protection. Our tester owns this seat and enjoys its great looks, simple design and ability to easily transfer from vehicle to vehicle; Nuna's preferred method is a simpler installation using the seat belt. Our tester also likes the easy-on and easy-off fabric that comes in handy for the occasional vomit cleaning. That said, the RAVA is one of the heavier options on the market, weighing a little over 27 lbs and, according to our tester, is a bit too bulky to bring on the plane. Our tester also found that the RAVA fit better in some vehicles (a Honda CR-V) than others (a Subaru Impreza). Size Range: 5-65 lbs Seat Weight: 27.2 lbs

The Chicco OneFit ClearTex All-in-One car seat is designed to run the full gamut of your car seat needs from the hospital ride home through the booster seat. ClearTex fabrics have no added chemicals. Our tester spent a month using the seat on both rear and forward-facing everyday school runs.

We found the seat has a slimmer profile than other seats with folding "CupFolders" allowing the seat to fit three across. It does that without sacrificing comfort as the seat has a bevy of adjustment options and an extra long seat for more leg support.

The Chicco OneFit was more of a challenge to convert from rear-facing to forward-facing. The process involves removing multiple storage panels and sliding the LATCH straps to a different position. Our tester could not intuitively figure it out and was forced to consult YouTube. The installation requires pulling two tightening straps (and reaching into the vehicle to do so).

Padding on the Chicco OneFit, while comfortable, is also easily removable, which is something a younger toddler will discover rather quickly.

The Graco SlimFit3 LX3 is (as the name suggests) a slimmer car seat designed to fit 3 across; it's just 16.7 inches wide. As a 3-in-1 seat, it converts from rear-facing to forward-facing to an eventual booster seat and accommodates children up to 100 lbs. Our tester used this seat for a month or so on daily school runs.

The slim profile is a handy feature, whether you're trying to fit three seats across a Subaru Outback's rear seat or need to slot an adult between two seats for an airport run. Installation is a fairly straightforward procedure using the Latch system. So is the conversion between rear and forward-facing, which involves few movements and no moving of straps.

One issue we had with a taller four-year-old was that the buckle strap between the legs is short and does not adjust. This resulted in a tight squeeze to use the buckle every time the child entered and exited the seat.

The best and worst part of a convertible car seat is that it never leaves your car. The Evenflo Revolve 360 attempts to swing this balance in your favor with its ability to swivel 360 degrees, so you don’t have to climb into the backseat to strap your squirming child into a five-point harness. It has the widest rating of any seat we tested, accommodating children from 4 to 120 lbs. Our tester used the seat as a rear-facing car seat over a long weekend trip.

The Revolve 360 works beautifully once installed. Our tester found it to be a godsend compared with climbing into a cramped Kia Soul (installing the seat in the center eliminates some of that utility). Rotating the seat 90 degrees into the rear-facing position after buckling was complete proved a delight for both father and child.

The trouble with the Revolve 360 was installing it. The base of the Revolve 360 is effectively a large bowl, which limits your ability to use your body weight to hold the seat down when tightening. Our tester resorted to putting his feet in the bowl and tightening the belt while squatting in the back seat. It's not a seat you want to move often once installed.

The WAYB Pico isn't technically a convertible car seat. But it is a compelling (though pricey) portable car seat option that overlaps with the weight requirements of many portable car seats. It folds into a low profile that allows it to be stashed with carry-on luggage on a plane. Our tester used the Pico on a summer vacation to Nantucket.

The Pico performed its primary task well, being easily portable on a trip while many car seats are not. Though our tester found it hard to secure using the latch system and resorted to securing it with the seat belt. The harness pads proved a bit flimsy and easily got turned around which led a four-year-old to complain about scratchy velcro. The seat also lacks the side support of a conventional seat, which is not great if the child falls asleep.

Our test seat arrived with a cupholder and a travel bag. Though if you're buying a Pico those are pricey extras, on top of a seat that already costs nearly $500.

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