Best Travel Car Seat for 3 Year Old (2023)

Finding the right travel car seat for a 3-year-old can be an overwhelming task. But I have got your back. 

As a parent, I know the challenges that you might face while traveling with your kid. That’s why I have spent so many hours finding the best travel car seats. 

Keep reading this post to know about the popular car seat options.

Best Travel Car Seat for 3 Year Old

Here are seven of the best travel car seats you can purchase for your 3-year-old:

#1 Best Overall: Graco SlimFit 3-in-1 Car Seat -Slim

Do you want a stylish car seat that can easily fit into your vehicle? If yes, you can purchase Graco SlimFit 3 in 1 Car Seat -Slim. It’s a 3-in-1 car seat designed to grow with your child, from a rear-facing to a forward-facing harness. 

This car seat for 3 years old gets an overall rating of 4.9/5 

• This car seat comes with a dual-integrated cup holder. 
• It has passed rigorous crash testing. 
• It has a simple adjust harness system. 

Graco SlimFit 3-in-1 Car Seat -Slim is the true best overall car seat for 3 years old because it looks stylish and is super comfortable. 

Why buy Graco SlimFit 3-in-1 Car Seat -Slim?

• The cup holder can rotate away, making the seat 10% more slimmer. 
• The seat has a No-Rethread harness. 
• It has 10 headrest positions so your kid can have a safe and comfortable journey. 

Graco SlimFit 3 in 1 is an amazing car seat for 2 to 3 years old that comes with 4 position recline. Its headrest and harness can be adjusted with the same motion, allowing maximum ease in using the car seat. 

The car seat can be easily installed and takes very less space. That means you can put multiple Graco SlimFit 3 in 1 car seats in your vehicle. You can recline the seat to the most comfortable position so your kid feels comfortable.  

You can easily remove the cushioning and cover of the car seat for machine washing. But the harness straps are permanently attached to it. Thus, you can only hand wash the straps.  

It has a ProtectPlus engineered system, which allows it to protect your kid from frontal, rear, rollover, and side crashes. The steel-reinforced frame of the car seat keeps it in good shape for around 10 years. 

What You’ll Love About This Product 

• It has InRight LATCH for easy and one-second attachment. 
• It has a slim design and two cup holders that can rotate away. 
• It offers sufficient legroom. 

What You Won’t Love About This Product 

• The harness straps are not easy to use. 
• Car seat covers are not easy to remove. 

#2 Best Stylish: Graco Tranzitions 3-in-1 Harness Booster Seat, Proof

Are you looking for a stylish car seat? If yes, you can purchase Graco Tranzitions 3-in-1 Harness Booster Seat, Proof. It looks stunning and comes in a beautiful black color. 

This car seat for 3 years old gets an overall rating of 4.5/5 

• It’s a 3-in-1 harness booster seat. 
• It is lightweight and ideal for active parents. 
• It has open-loop belt guides. 

Graco Tranzitions 3 in 1 is the best stylish car seat for 3 years old because it comes in an elegant black color. 

Why buy Graco Tranzitions 3-in-1?

• It has a seat pad and offers proper body support. 
• It exceeds the child restraint criteria for the frontal crash. 
• It has two easy-to-clean cup holders. 

Graco Tranzitions 3-in-1 is the perfect lightweight car seat for 3 years old. It grows with your child from a forward-facing harness to the high back booster and backless booster. 

It’s an affordable option that will perfectly suit your tight budget requirements. It comes with harness padding and large strap scaping. It has two cup holders, which can be flipped inward to conserve space. You can put three of these car seats at the back of your car.  

It has an 8-position adjustable headrest, which can easily adapt to your growing child. It has open-loop belt guides, which correctly position the vehicle’s seat belt. 

What You’ll Love About This Product

• The seat pads are comfortable and machine washable. 
• The harness and headrest of this car seat adjust together. 
• It has Graco ProtectPlus engineered design to protect against frontal, rollover, rear, and side crashes. 

What You Won’t Love About This Product 

• Installation is not easy. 
• The base and back can click apart while traveling. 

#3 Best lightweight: WAYB Pico Travel Car Seat with Premium Carrying Bag- Lightweight

If you want the best lightweight travel car seat for a 3-year-old, WAYB Pico Travel Car Seat should be your choice. It has a compact design and can be easily folded for traveling. 

This car seat for 3 years old gets an overall rating of 4/5 

• It is designed for kids above the age of 2, with a range of 22-50 lbs and 30-45 inches. 
• It comes with a 5-point harness system. 
• It has a standard backpack, which can be used for carrying this car seat as a backpack.  

WAYB Pico Travel Car Seat is the best lightweight car seat, designed with an aluminum alloy steel frame. 

Why buy WAYB Pico Travel Car Seat?

• This car seat comes with a mesh seat. 
• It meets all the requirements of US safety standards. 
• It is FAA approved. 

WAYB Pico Travel Car Seat is one of the coolest kid travel car seats. It is ultra-light and ultra-compact. It is designed for families who want to travel without compromising the safety of their kids. 

This car seat easily folds up, which makes it easy to transport while traveling. It has a 5-point harness for better safety and comfort. The premium aerospace-grade frame offers the best strength. 

The polyester mesh of the car seat keeps the kid cool and comfortable throughout the journey. The travel bag of this car seat is made of recycled polyester. 

What You’ll Love About This Product 

• It is easy to install. 
• It is FAA-approved. 
• It keeps the kid harnessed throughout the journey. 

What You Won’t Love About This Product 

• It has a low height limit. 
• The strap can be too short for some kids. 

#4 Best Easy to Install: Evenflo Sonus 65 Convertible Car Seat, Rocco Red

If you are looking for a car seat for 3 years old that is easy to install, Evenflo Sonus 65 Convertible Car Seat should be your choice. It comes with all the features you look for in a car seat. 

This car seat for 3 years old gets an overall rating of 4.2/5 

• It has a dual cup holder. 
• The fabric is easy to remove and machine washable. 
• It has 6 shoulder position harnesses, perfect for growing kids.

Evenflo Sonus 65 Convertible is the best car seat you can install without professional help. 

Why buy Evenflo Sonus 65 Convertible Car Seat?

• It is an FAA-approved car seat. 
• It has two position recline wedges. 
• The compact size of this car seat can fit 3 seats across in most vehicles. 

Evenflo Sonus 65 Convertible is an outstanding travel car seat. It comes with two position reclining wedges for autos and aircraft. 

This seat has a built-in ventilation system to keep your child comfortable during long and short trips. The dual cup holders are removable and machine-washable. It meets industry standards and has undergone dynamic rollover tests. 

What You’ll Love About This Product 

• It can be used as an everyday car seat. 
• It comes with more comfortable features. 
• It has a generous size limit. 

What You Won’t Love About This Product

• It is pricey. 
• It is heavier than other car seats available in the market. 

#5 Best Booster Seat: Cosco Finale Dx 2-In-1

Are you looking for the best booster seat for your 3-year-old? If so, you can purchase a Cosco Finale Dx 2-in-1 car seat. It is forward-facing and designed for extended use. It is a great option for growing families. 

This car seat for 3 years old gets an overall rating of 4/5 

• It is lightweight and easy to carry. 
• It comes with a cup holder. 
• It has an IIHS Best Bet rating for use in booster mode. 

Cosco Finale Dx 2-in-1 is one of the best booster seats you can purchase for your 3-year-old.

Why buy Cosco Finale Dx 2-in-1?

• This car seat is designed using deluxe fabric to offer a comfortable ride. 
• The cup holders are detachable and dishwasher-safe. 
• It comes with a 10-year expiration. 

Cosco Finale Dx 2-in-1 is definitely one of the best booster seats, as it keeps kids from 40 to 100 pounds safe. It is an IIHS Best Bet rating for use in booster mode. You can use the 2-in-1 as a belt-positioning booster for your growing kid. 

As the car seat is lightweight, it can be easily transported. It comes with deluxe fabric and a washable seat pad. It is machine washable and dryer-safe. 

The cup holders are detachable and can be installed on any side of the car seat. You can easily clean the dishwasher-safe cup holder and use it for your next trips. 

What You’ll Love About This Product 

• It is perfect for kids from ages 3 to 7.
• It is very narrow. 
• It is pocket-friendly. 

What You Won’t Love About This Product 

• When using this car seat in booster mode, you cannot use LATCH. 
• It has sparse padding on the seat. 

#6 Best Convertible: Safety 1st Jive 2-in-1 Convertible Car Seat

Safety 1st Jive 2-in-1 is the best convertible car seat you can purchase at a pocket-friendly price. It comes in four attractive colors for an attractive look. Its lightweight and compact design make it possible to fit three 3-across in most vehicles.

This car seat for 3 years old gets an overall rating of 4.4/5 

• It comes with labels and instructions for easy usage. 
• It offers the best side impact protection. 
• It has a 5-point harness. 

Safety 1st Jive 2-in-1 falls correctly under the best convertible car seat category. It puts all your regarding safety at rest and offers the most comfortable ride to your kid. 

Why buy Safety 1st Jive 2-in-1? 

• This car seat is FAA-approved. 
• It has an adjustable headrest. 
• For accurate fit, it comes with up-front harness adjustment. 

Safety 1st Jive 2-in-1 is an extraordinary convertible car seat that comes with a 5-point harness for easy up-front adjustment. It has a removable head pillow and body pillow for easy cleaning. 

The car seat has two removable cup holders, which are super easy to clean. The fabric of the seat is machine washable and dryer safe. It is an FAA-certified car seat that easily passes all the security checks at the airport. 

What You’ll Love About This Product 

• For proper fit, it has 3 buckle positions. 
• It is great for small cars. 
• It has rear-facing and front-facing car seat modes. 

What You Won’t Love About This Product 

• The car seat is difficult to install. 
• It doesn’t look strong. 

#7 Best for road trips: Safety 1st Guide 65 Convertible Car Seat, Chambers

Safety 1st Guide 65 Convertible is the best car seat for road trips because it is compact and lightweight. It comes in an attractive black color with forward and rear-facing orientation. 

This car seat for 3 years old gets an overall rating of 4.1/5 

• This car seat has energy-absorbing foam. 
• It is FAA approved. 
• It comes with labels and instructions. 

Safety 1st Guide 65 Convertible falls correctly under the best for road trips category because it has a compact design. 

Why buy Safety 1st Guide 65 Convertible?

• It has up-front harness adjustment.
• It has an adjustable headrest. 
• It comes with side impact protection. 

Safety 1st Guide 65 Convertible is a popular car seat for 3-year-olds for road trips. The impressive features of this car seat make it a must-have.  

This car seat has three buckle locations and 5 harness heights for proper fit. It has a removable cup holder for easy cleaning and usage. The removable pillow of this car seat keeps kids safe and comfortable. 

You can customize the headrest of this car seat to the comfort of your kid. It is a great option for growing families. 

What You’ll Love About This Product

• It is designed for small cars. 
• It has two modes. 
• It has 3 buckles. 

What You Won’t Love About This Product 

• It is difficult to install. 
• The cup holder doesn’t have the required grip to hold the cup. 

Buying Guide for Car Seat for a 3 Year Old 

Are you purchasing a car seat for your 3-year-old kid but getting confused by the endless options? Don’t worry; I have got your back. 

Check the below-mentioned factors to make sure you pick the best car seat:

Easy Install 

One of the first few things you need to look for is the ease of installation. A 3-year-old car seat must be easy to install. This way, you can easily remove and reattach the seat when needed.

Look for car seats that can be installed within a few minutes without an expert’s help. It’s advised to pick a car seat that can be installed in multiple ways, like using the seat base with LATCH or the base with the car’s seat belt. But make sure you don’t use different installation methods together.  

Safety

Besides ease of installation, safety is one thing that cannot be overlooked. After all, the whole point of purchasing a car seat is to offer your kid a safe and comfortable ride. Make sure you pick a car seat with NHTSA crash-testing and ease-of-use reports. 

In addition, an anti-rebound base or load legs also makes a car seat a must-have. But if you have a tight budget, you can skip the additional features and stick to the main safety features. 

Lightweight

If the car seat for a 3-year-old is not light, you won’t be able to carry it anywhere you want. If the seat feels heavy, it’s definitely failing on one of its key purposes. 

The seat’s handle needs to be easy to hold so you can use it without hassle. Also, heavy car seats do not always pass airport security checks. Thus, always check the seat’s weight and pick the lighter one.

User-friendly

A car seat is designed to make traveling with kids easier and safer. However, if the seat is not user-friendly, you won’t be able to use it easily. As a result, it will become a source of frustration. 

Easy-to-use car seats mostly come with harness straps, which can be buckled and adjusted in no time. The car seat cover should be easy to remove and clean. Lastly, the seat should have interesting features like a no-rethread harness and a well-designed LATCH system. 

High Height and Weight Limit 

While purchasing a car seat for a 3-year-old, you need to be mindful of the height and weight of the seat. 

When you consider this factor, the chances of your kid outgrowing it in a few years decrease. But if you ignore these factor, you will have to purchase a new car seat very often, which would be a waste of money. 

Accessible

The car seat for 3 years old should be accessible. For instance, it should have features like cup holders, snack tables, and more. Also, it must be available in different colors.   

Conclusion

Finding the most comfortable and safe car seat for a 3-year-old can be difficult. That’s why I have mentioned 7 of the best car seats in this post. The recommended car seats ensure the comfort and safety of your little kid.