Comparing the Graco Milestone Car Seat and the Safety 1st Grow and Go, I would prefer the Safety 1st Grow and Go. See why.
Graco Milestone*
Vs
Safety 1st Grow And Go*
Ideal Use
| Graco Milestone | Safety 1st Grow and Go | |
| Rear-Facing Weight: | 5 to 40 pounds | |
| Rear-Facing Height Limit: | the head must be at least 1-inch below the handle | 19 to 40 inches |
| Forward-Facing Weight: | 20 to 65 pounds | 22 to 65 pounds |
| Forward-Facing Height Limit: | 27 to 49 inches | 29 to 49 inches |
| High Back Booster Weight Limit: | 30 to 100 pounds | 40 to 100 pounds |
| High Back Booster Height Limit: | 38 to 57 inches | 42 to 52 inches |
- Rear-Facing
Both car seats share the same weight limits in rear-facing. Reading reviews about these 2 child restraints, parents will know that neither of them can securely hold the tiny body of smaller newborns. Both of them can provide snug fit for average-sized newborns roughly 7 pounds in weight. Grow and Go has a separate harness slot (not included in the no-rethread harness – more on this below) for newborns, so I think that this will be more appropriate for the smallest passengers that the car seat could accommodate.
- Forward-Facing To Belt Positioning Booster
Their advertised forward-facing capacity is similar so I believe that for the sake of picking which one is better, we need to extend the comparison to how each of them could perform in booster mode. Milestone has initial booster weight limit of 30 pounds while Grow and Go imposes a 40 pounds minimum limit. With this, I think that Grow and Go will permit parents to have their children sit in the car with the 5-point harness longer than Milestone, which could be safer for the children.
On the other side of the spectrum, however, Milestone can be used longer as a belt positioning booster since it has higher maximum height limit. Similar to the Graco Slimfit, Milestone would be able to accommodate a child until 11 years old while Grow and Go could be used by the same child only until 9 years old. This is based on the values for an average child’s weight and height found here. In real life usage, parents should also consider the lifespan of the car seat versus how long the car seat can be used based on the child’s height. Nonetheless, the 2 years difference makes Milestone more practical in booster mode than Grow and Go.
Good All-In-One Car Seats
Will It Fit In My Car?
| Graco Milestone | Safety 1st Grow and Go | |
| Width | 17 inches | 19 inches |
| Height | 18.88 inches | 24 inches |
| Depth/Length | 24 inches | 23.75 inches |
- 3-Across Installation
Whether it’s a compact vehicle or a large SUV, many parents would like to have a car seat that can save space for other car seats that need to be installed and for other passengers. It is for this reason that 3-across car seats are in demand these days. Graco Milestone is as well known as the truly narrow car seats like Diono Radian 3RXT, and Clek Fllo. A parent who owns a Toyota 4Runner said she was able to install 3 Milestones in one row with the configuration: 1 forward-facing at the left + 1 rear-facing at the center and 1 forward-facing at the right. Another parent claimed she was able to place Milestone, Nautilus and and infant carrier in her Ford Edge.
This 3-across setup, apparently has a catch since it can be affected by several factors other than the width of the child passenger seat. To determine if 3 car seats can be placed side-by-side in a single row, you need to know the width of your vehicle. Compact cars are said to be 48 inches wide; a mid-sized sedan is about 52-56 inches wide and a minivan could be 63.5 inches wide. 3-across installation is also made possible by the available method of installation (LATCH or seatbelt) and the orientation of the car seats (forward-facing or rear-facing).
Thus, even though Safety 1st Grow and Go is wider than Milestone, there is a possibility that it will fit 3 across in a row inside a vehicle. You may install Grow and Go with other slim car seats and make them all fit in one row using an appropriate configuration.
- Fit In Vehicles
Milestone fit in a Toyota Highlander and still left lots of space. It was easily installed in a 2014 VW Jetta without taking lots of space. It fits well also in a Jeep Cherokee, but was a tight fit in Honda Civic. Parents also said they have installed this car seat with ease inside a Ford F150 and a Subaru Outback.
A set of parents tried to install Grow and Go in at least 2 locations inside a 2018 Toyota RAV4. They said it was ideal at rear-facing position in the middle back seat as they had to scoot the front seat when installed at either side. There was a parent who said that this also mounted well in a Jeep Cherokee. The back seat of a 4-door Chevrolet Silverado is a bit smaller than that of a full crew cab, but the Grow and Go fit well at full recline. It was likewise mounted in an older model of Nissan Sentra and the mother encountered no issues.
Good Two Way Car Seats
Installation
| Graco Milestone | Safety 1st Grow and Go | |
| Do I need to use a pool noodle/rolled towel? | Yes, manual mentions only rolled towel | Yes, allowed according to manual |
| Easy To Install Rear-Facing? | No | Relatively |
| Easy To Install Forward-Facing? | No | Relatively |
| Easy To Uninstall? | Yes | |
| Recline Position | 4 | 3 |
| Lower Anchor Weight Limit | 45 pounds | 40 pounds |
- Pool Noodle/Rolled Towel
The use of rolled towels in propping up either seat is allowed, according to their respective manuals. Consider contacting Graco Customer Services or consulting with a child passenger safety technician first if you prefer to use a cut-out pool noodle as this is not contained in the manual of Milestone.
- Installation
The color coding in safety 1st product helps facilitate its installation. Both the Graco Milestone and Safety 1st Grow and Go are not equipped with built-in lock-off device to keep the seatbelt and car seat locked in place. As for LATCH installation, you would likely prefer Milestone’s push-on InRight LATCH connector than the Grow and Go’s standard hook connector.
- Recline
In terms of recline, Milestone will be more favorable to many parents not only because it offers more recline positions than Grow and Go (4 vs 3), but also because ball angle level indicator is easier to use than the decal level line found in Grow and Go.
- Lower Anchor Weight Limit
If you ever end up installing these child restraints using LATCH, you may not change it to vehicle seatbelt a little longer with Milestone than with Grow and Go.
Safety
| Graco Milestone | Safety 1st Grow and Go | |
| Country Of Origin: | China | USA |
| Steel Frame: | Yes | No |
| Five-Point Harness? | Yes | |
| Side Impact Tested: | Yes | |
| Approved For Airplane Use: | Yes | |
| Easy To Buckle And Unbuckle? | Yes | |
- Country Of Origin
Safety 1st Grow and Go would score higher than Graco Milestone for parents seeking for US-made products.
- Steel Frame
Milestone would be regarded as the sturdier and better option than Grow and Go because it has steel frame construction. However, you could see from reviews than even though Grow and Go has no steel frame, it still performed well especially during real-life accidents on the road.
- Safety Testimonial
Milestone is regarded by one parent as something that saved her son’s life from peril and harm after they got in an accident that made their car hit a guard rail and turned over five times.
A mother’s car was hit by another vehicle at a stop sign and she ended up with whiplash and bruises. Luckily with the help of Grow and Go, her daughter sustained no injuries and even slept through the ordeal.
The Seat
| Graco Milestone | Safety 1st Grow and Go | |
| Is The Material Breathable? | No | Yes |
| Seat Weight: | 19.4 pounds | 15.4 pounds |
| Machine Washable Cover? | Yes | |
| Roomy? | Yes | |
| No-Rethread Harness? | Yes | Yes (excluding newborn harness) |
| Comes With An Infant Body Support? | Removable head and body support | Yes, back and head pillow |
| Easy To Remove Cover? | Yes | |
| Expiration | 10 Years | |
| Comes With A Cup Holder? | Yes, 1 | Yes, 2 |
| Shoulder Harness Has Pads? | Yes | |
| # Of Crotch Strap Positions: | 3 | |
- Breathable
You would hardly read reviews about how the cover of Milestone helped keep babies cool, but such reviews are common with the Grow and Go. A mother from Florida, for example noted that summertime is certainly hot especially for her kids, but she had no issues with Grow and Go when the weather became too hot and it kept her baby cool.
- Harness
Grow and Go has a specific harness slot for newborns.
For booster fit, you might find the Milestone better because of its 2014 IIHS Best Bet rating. Grow and Go only has IIHS Good Bet rating. Both car seats do not require the harness system to be removed when switching to booster mode.
Check Out The Graco Milestone Colors*
Check Out The Safety 1st Grow And Go Colors*
Compare The Price
Graco Milestone |
Safety 1st Grow And Go |
Check The Latest Price* |
Check The Latest Price* |
Conclusion
There is an approximately USD 70 price difference between the Graco Milestone and Safety 1st Grow and Go. The Milestone is more expensive.
Graco Milestone
- has higher a booster height limit
- is more compact
- has a ball indicator for easier leveling
- has more recline positions
- has higher lower anchor weight limit
- has a steel frame
Safety 1st Grow and Go also has some features you would certainly consider, such as:
- US-made
- more breathable fabric cover
- lighter weight
- more snug fitting for smaller babies
- extra cup holder
Do You Need More Help To Decide Between
The Graco Milestone Car Seat Or Safety 1st Grow and Go?
See My Graco Milestone Review
Read My Safety 1st Grow And Go Review
What do you think?
I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Cheers!
*affiliate links
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