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In January 2017 Graco introduced SnugLock – a new addition to the Snug Ride Click Connect line. We are ONLY recommending the SnugLock models (of the Graco infant car seats) from here on out as the SnugLocks have 2 significant improvements:
Jealous? If you have an older Click Connect and want the easy-install of a SnugLock base, you can buy a SnugLock base (this one or this one) separately and use it with any Click Connect carrier ever made.
There are 2 varieties of carriers used in the SnugLock line – one weighs approximately 8 pounds and has a rethread harness, and the other weighs 10 pounds and features a no-rethread harness. The extra weight is due to the no-rethread harness hardware.
All SnugLocks, and the Baby Jogger city GO, offer a European belt path on the carrier. The video below shows the city GO – but can be used to learn how to install the SnugLocks as well (just note the difference in the shoulder belt placement for the SnugLocks, as noted in the picture below). With the SnugLocks the shoulder belt goes behind the red hook on the back of the carrier – it does not go in the hook.
The harness straps pull pretty smoothly when loosening/tightening on the rethread harness carriers, but are significantly more difficult to loosen/tighten on the no-rethread harnesses due to extra friction as a result of the harness taking a more circuitous path. We therefore recommend the rethread harness option – as the easier it is to tighten baby’s straps, the more likely you will do it properly. The straps can not get uneven on these seats. The straps twist an average amount and can be untwisted with the triangle trick shown below.
The fabric & padding on the no-rethread harness models’ structural head rest is better than average in that it doesn’t seem to push the baby’s head forward like happens on many seats, which can worsen the head position for newborns.
The fit for preemies is good in the SnugLocks. On the carriers with a no-rethread harness you will want to J-loop the crotch buckle to improve the fit for preemies & low birthweight newborns. The SnugLock models we recommend (see above) have a better infant insert than the other SnugRides and should fit preemies & smaller babies better.
Weight & Height Limit
All SnugLocks have a 35 pound weight limit – but all kids will be too tall first – which is when their head is 1 inch below the top (which may happen before, or a little after, the child reaches the 32 inch standing height limit). Most kids are too tall around 12-15 months of age for these seats.
Shoulder strap covers: Called harness covers in the manual, these are found on some models and are never required. We recommend removing them from day one.
Head & Body Inserts: Called the head pillow & body support in the manual, these are found on some of the SnugLock models and are never required. If your model comes with a head pillow and it seems to be pushing your baby’s chin to his chest, then we recommend removing it. Note: the no-rethread harness models have a structural head rest that moves up and down – this is NOT removable.
We wish the body supports had a firmer foam/filling in them to provide more lift for the smaller babies.
The taller the adults sitting in front, and/or the smaller the back seat is, the more attention you’ll want to pay to this image below. Many parents are shocked by how much room a rear-facing car seat can take up into the front seat’s territory.
All of the SnugLock bases have built-in multi-position recline mechanisms which allow you to get the base reclined to the proper angle in most vehicles (except for those with very deeply sloped seats) without adding towels or pool noodles under the base.
Here is where the SnugLocks really stand out. Not only do all SnugLock bases have a built-in seat belt locking device – but also this locking device will help tighten the belt for you. It is simply fabulous – and it’s a must have if getting a new Graco infant seat.
With the introduction of SnugLock we are now only recommending the SnugLocks, from within the Graco SnugRide line of seats.
SnugLock offers the easiest LATCH installation of all the Snug Rides, as the SnugLock arm will help tighten the LATCH belt – letting your bicep off the hook for some of the tightening. Some of the SnugLocks feature push-on LATCH connectors, making it easier to uninstall the base than if it had hook-on LATCH connectors.
We’ve included the Baby Jogger city GO in here – as it is really a Snug Ride 35 LX carrier (no-rethread harness) with a modified 35 LX base. Graco and Baby Jogger are owned by the same parent company. The Baby Jogger city GO has the same stroller compatibility as the Graco Click Connect car seats.
There are 2 varieties of carriers used in the Click Connect line – one weighs approximately 8 pounds and has a rethread harness, and the other weighs about 10 pounds and features a no-rethread harness. The extra weight is due to the no-rethread harness hardware.
The number in the model name indicates the weight limit – but realize that almost no baby is short enough to fit in these seats until 30 pounds, let alone 35 or 40.
The Baby Jogger city GO offers a European belt path on the carrier. The city GO has a designated guide for the shoulder belt to go into. The video below shows the installation of the city GO without the base using the European belt path.
Graco is in the process of allowing the European belt path on the Click Connect infant seats, but this process is lengthy as there are literally dozens of different Click Connect models past and present. Once the manual is changed for a specific seat, the change is retroactive – meaning that all models with that specific model number – both past and present – can use the Euro belt path.
For the Click Connects, the European belt path looks like this from the back of the carrier, with the shoulder belt going behind the red hook, not in the hook:
The table below lists the model numbers for the Snug Ride Click Connects that currently allow the European belt path (i.e. Graco has finished changing the manual for this model).
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For Click Connects without the European belt path, you’ll need to install using the American belt path as shown below.
The harness straps pull pretty smoothly when loosening/tightening on the rethread harness carriers, but are significantly more difficult to loosen/tighten on the no-rethread harnesses due to extra friction as a result of the harness taking a more circuitous path. We therefore recommend the rethread harness option – as the easier it is to tighten baby’s straps, the more likely you will do it properly. The straps can not get uneven on these seats. The straps twist an average amount, and can be untwisted as shown below.
The fit for preemies/newborns is generally fair in many models due to a high crotch strap that is far from the baby’s bottom, which causes the baby to slouch which can worsen head position. In the models with a no-rethread harness, you can J-loop the crotch buckle for preemies and small newborns which will lower the crotch buckle and drastically improve the fit for a tiny baby. The fit could be improved on the seats with rethread harnesses (i.e. the seats that don’t allow J-looping the crotch buckle) if Graco offered better inserts that had firm foam or filling to provide the necessary lift the smaller babies need to fit well.
The weight limits range from 30-40 pounds, but this is irrelevant since nearly every child is too tall well before they are anywhere near 30 pounds, let alone 40 pounds which is the average 4 year old! The Click Connect seats are essentially the same in terms of the seated height they offer (the room between the child’s bottom and the top of the seat). Therefore, even though the height limits vary from 30-35 inches on these seats, it won’t matter since the kids will be too tall for all models at essentially the same time – which is when the child’s head is 1 inch below the top of the seat. Most kids are too tall around 12-15 months of age for these seats.
Shoulder strap covers: Called harness covers in the manual, these are found on some Click Connect models and are never required. We recommend removing them from day one.
Head & Body Inserts: Called the head pillow & body support in the manual, these are found on some of the Click Connect models and are never required. We recommend removing the head pillow from day one as it can encourage a chin-to-chest position which is not good for breathing. Note: the no-rethread harness models have a structural head rest that moves up and down – this is NOT removable.
In some models the body support has a firm filling which improves the baby’s fit – whereas other models have a flimsy insert which does nothing to improve fit.
The taller the adults sitting in front, and/or the smaller the back seat is, the more attention you’ll want to pay to this image below. Many parents are shocked by how much room a rear-facing car seat can take up into the front seat’s territory.
All of the Click Connects – EXCEPT the 30 – have built-in multi-position recline mechanisms on their bases which allow you to get the base reclined to the proper angle without adding towels or pool noodles under the base.
The recline mechanism on the 30 base is really cheap and lousy; it features a detachable slab of plastic that you put under the base that doesn’t really work well and gets lost easily. If you are getting a 30, we suggest spending a few extra dollars and at least getting the 30LX in order to get a recline foot that is adjustable with a simple turn of a red knob on the base.
A few of the more expensive non-SnugLock bases have built-in seat belt locking devices – BUT none of them will tighten the belt for you, like the SnugLocks will. The seat belt locking device on the 40 is a completely different lock-off than that used on the 35’s. The Baby Jogger city GO – which is really a Snug Ride 35 LX carrier in disguise – has a different, and better, lock-off on its base than the other non-SnugLocks offer (but the SnugLocks are far better than even that on the city GO). We find that of the non-SnugLocks, the 40 and CityGo lock-offs work much better than those of the 35. None of the 30’s and only some of the 35 Click Connects offer any type of a seat belt locking device in the base.
The seat belt installation on the 40 and cityGO is nearly identical to that shown in the video below, except that on the 40 you adjust the recline when the carrier is in the base (after installation is complete).
Installing the base using the seat belt’s own locking mechanism typically causes the base to tip to the side as all the tension is pulling upwards in the shoulder belt. Therefore, if you get a Click Connect without a lock-off, we recommend installing the base with LATCH instead of the seat belt.
The LATCH installation typically goes OK with all the Click Connect bases – but the ones with hook-on connectors have much stiffer LATCH belts that require the most brute force to tighten properly. Push-on connectors (Graco sometimes calls them InRight LATCH) offer an easier attachment & detachment of the connectors to the anchors in your vehicle. Loosening the LATCH strap on models that have the hook-on connectors can be VERY difficult when the base has been installed securely – and loosening the LATCH strap is the first step in uninstalling the base. So, if you think you’ll need to be taking the base in and out you definitely want a model with InRight LATCH.
The Graco Snug Ride 35 Classic Connect is now discontinued. We chose to include this older model as we know that many families have this seat and may want to re-use it for a 2nd child. Note the expiration date on the bottom of the carrier – it is typically 7 years from the date of manufacture (but older models expired in December of the 6th year).
IMPORTANT: The 22 & 30 Classic Connects are NOT the same seat as the 35 Classic. The 22 & 30 do not have a seat belt lock-off on the base, and do not feature a European belt path on the carrier. The 35 Classic is the only Classic we recommended.
This carrier has a tall shell which means your baby will last in this seat longer than average – as kids are always too tall for their infant seats long before reaching the 30-35 pound weight limits on most infant seats. Too tall is when the baby’s head is an inch below the top of the car seat.
When adjusting the harness straps as your baby gets bigger – specifically moving the straps up to higher shoulder strap slots – make sure to watch the video below as there are some “hidden” settings you’ll want to know about.
The harness straps tighten and loosen smoothly and twist an average amount – you can untwist them with the triangle trick shown below.
Shoulder Strap Covers: These are never required, and we recommend removing them from day one.
2-Part Body Support: Infants 4-4.9 lbs. must use fully assembled 2 part body support. Infants over 5 lbs. may use both parts if their shoulders are still under the bottom harness slots. CHECK infants shoulder height without the bottom support attached; once infant’s shoulders are higher than bottom slots, stop using the bottom support. You will remove the bottom support typically by 6-7 pounds in our experience – and continue to use the top part of the support until the baby’s head reaches the pillow at the top, as you don’t want the pillow to push the baby’s head down to their chest. You will typically remove the top part by 8-10 pounds.
Older models of this seat will have a 1-piece body support – which we recommend removing from day one.
Room into the Front Seat
The taller the adults sitting in front, and/or the smaller the back seat is, the more attention you’ll want to pay to this image below. Many parents are shocked by how much room a rear-facing car seat can take up into the front seat’s territory.
This seat is not a good option for a 3-across typically.
The seat belt installation is a very easy 2-person process (trust us… use 2 people and things are super easy) that will install securely in nearly any vehicle on the road. The seat belt lock-off (red & gray clamp at the top of the base) is great in that the belt never slips through. Opening the lock-off on the base can be a little difficult – make sure you have unbuckled the seat belt first.
Not exaggerating, there are nearly a dozen different Graco Snug Ride Click Connect models, all with nearly identical names… which makes distinguishing between them enough to make your head spin. You’ll find our features table below to be invaluable – it includes all Click Connects, both the SnugLock and non-SnugLock ones.
Filter to find the features you want – scroll to the bottom of the column, click on the funnel icon, and check the boxes for the features you want to have.
Sort in ascending or descending order by clicking the triangle in the column header
Click on thepink model name to go to Graco’s webpage for that specific model.
Hide columns (or show them) by clicking on the eye at the top right next to “columns”. We hid the following columns:
Load Leg: no Graco or Baby Jogger seats have a load leg
Recline Mechanism in Base: All bases, except for the $100 Click Connect 30, have sufficient recline mechanisms built in.
Uneven Straps: no Graco or Baby Jogger seats in our table can have uneven straps
Height Limit: Since the number given isn’t what matters most (the child’s head reaching 1 inch below the top is what matters) we hid this column
Exclusivity: Some models are exclusive to a particular store
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Do NOT copy, share, or reproduce any information, text, or images from this page or others in our car seat/stroller buying guide without our written permission.
The Car Seat Lady is not responsible for errors or omissions. We’ve tried VERY hard to ensure 100% accuracy… but we’re human, and car seat and stroller manufacturers are constantly making changes!
This information is applicable to the car seats as sold in the US. Car seats listed above with similar or identical names may be sold in other countries but are NOT the same seat.
