REASONS TO BUY
Budget-friendly
Better crash test result
Lighter weight
REASONS TO AVOID
Hard to loosen
Poor install stability
No comfort padding
Graco SnugRide 35 Lite LX Review
Better crash scores make this wallet-friendly seat a good buy despite its hiccups in comfort and ease of install
Credit: Abriah Wofford
By Wendy Schmitz ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ October 1, 2023
Contributions From: Juliet Spurrier, MD
Our Verdict
The Graco SnugRide 35 Lite LX is a favorite tight-budget infant car seat because every budget is different, and no one wants to sacrifice safety. What sets this Graco apart is the impressive higher crash test analysis results. We rarely see an inexpensive option perform so well in crash tests. While this seat is challenging to install, has no padding for comfort, and is harder to use, we think it is a contender for the tightest budget or a second seat. We believe the key to choosing an infant car seat starts with crash testing. This seat is a standout in this metric, making it one that parents can feel good about using even if their budget doesn't allow for the higher ranking or absolute best seat.
Our Analysis and Test Results
In 1942, Russell Gray and Robert Cone launched the Graco Metal Fabrication Company. They make everything from car seats and some parents' favorite strollers to top-ranked travel cribs and favorite high chairs.
This is the Graco SnugRide 35 Lite LX crash test video.
Credit: GearLab & MGA Research
Crash Testing
The higher-than-average crash test analysis results are the primary reason we like this seat.
With lower head (HIC) and chest sensor results than most other seats (lower is better), it is hard to argue with the potential safety of this inexpensive seat. This Graco has one of the group's lowest chest clip sensor results, giving it an initial edge over the competition. Combined with the impressively low HIC sensor result, it is easy to see how it became one of the top scorers in our analysis. All of the car seats in this review are considered safe and meet the federal guidelines for crash testing. We ran our test a little faster and used a sled that more closely mimics modern vehicles. Given the more stressful testing, we think the impressive results for this seat indicate it potentially offers an additional margin of protection over the average infant car seat. Given that it has one of the lowest prices in the group, we find the results even more impressive.
We wish that the LATCH installation on the Lite LX was more straightforward and easier to tighten.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Installation LATCH
This seat is one of the most difficult to install using the LATCH method. Given that the entire concept behind LATCH functionality is to make installation easy, it is a huge disappointment.
The Graco Lite LX is harder to install using LATCH than we'd like.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
It does not have an anti-rebound bar or load leg. It features the less expensive hook-style LATCH clips, which are easy enough to attach but significantly more challenging to release from the anchor points.
We wish the belt pathway slots on the Lite LX base were larger and easier to manage.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Releasing the LATCH anchors was such a chore. It would be best if you had excessive slack to push the clip forward to twist and unclip it from the anchor point. This is hard because you can't see what you are doing, and if your hands are larger, it could be hard to get them inside the cushions to operate the clip.
We had to get into the vehicle to apply pressure to the Lite LX to help get the strap tight enough for stable installation.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The direction of the strap pull is intuitive, and there is nothing in the way, but we struggled with getting it tight enough and found ourselves wishing for a lock-off or at least a tensioner. It passes the wiggle test, but it wouldn't be hard for Graco to make this easier.
The SnugRide is a lightweight seat that offers good crash test performance in our tests.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Recline Adjustment
The recline has four adjustment levels. The handle is easy enough to push down for angle adjustments.
The level indicator on the Lite LX is not as useful as those with a bubble indicator.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The level indicator is a needle-style/notch attached to a hinge that flutters somewhat and requires patience when assessing.
Ease of Installation - Belt
This Graco did not perform well in any installation test, and this method is also a disappointment. The inability to keep the vehicle belt tight hurt its assessment results.
The Lite LX uses stickers to indicate the belt pathway instead of color-coded slots.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The belt pathway is not color-coded; sticker indications point to the path. The belt slots are smaller than we'd like, and it felt busy and challenging to ensure our belt wasn't twisted. The base lacks a lock-off or tensioner, making it hard to get tight and stay tight. This lack of tensioner or lock-off was disappointing, given how many options include one or both. No matter how successful we thought we were getting the vehicle belt tight, it always got looser before installation was over. It passed the wiggle test, but we suspect many parents won't like how wobbly it feels. The recline adjustment is designed better than some, and the indent helps avoid searching for it smashed into the vehicle seat. The dial indicator takes time to settle, so you won't know if you have it right immediately.
Installation without the base for the Lite LX uses the American belt pathway across the foot of the carrier only.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Installation - w/o the Base
The easiest installation method for this Graco is without the base, but before you think this method is a breeze, it was still more challenging than almost every other seat.
While the belt pathway on the Lite LX is straightforward, we prefer those with color-coding to help guide parents during installation.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The Lite uses the American belt pathway, which is the vehicle belt's lap portion across the carrier's foot portion. This option is not color-coded but is pretty straightforward and obvious with decal stickers. It also has a decal with a line on it for leveling.
Installation of the Lite LX using the vehicle belt is the American belt path across the foot portion of the carrier.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
It wasn't easy to tighten the belt enough to get it snug and pass the wiggle test. We ended up using a rolled-up towel, getting in the car, and pushing on the carrier to get the vehicle belt tight enough to feel okay with the installation.
We prefer the European method, which uses the shoulder portion of the vehicle belt around the back of the carrier. This seems to snug it in tighter to the vehicle seat and, in our opinion, feels more stable.
The Lite LX is harder to use than most of the competition.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Use
The SnugRide is below-average for ease of use. With everyday features that make life a little more frustrating than is necessary, this seat was not a tester favorite. It uses the simple American belt path, where the lap portion of the belt goes across the foot of the carrier. It isn't color-coded, but a straight path with obvious side clips to thread through. There is a line on the side decal for leveling purposes.
It was hard to get this seat tight enough, and without the shoulder strap around the back, it never felt all that stable. We prefer the European style for this reason as the shoulder strap use helps snug the carrier into the vehicle seat, giving, at the very least, the appearance of being more stable. We ended up using a rolled-up towel and had to install it a handful of times in each test car before we had it right.
The buckle and the chest clip work well and are easy to use.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Buckle
The buckle is large and fits our tester's thumbs horizontally and vertically. It is somewhat indented, and the design means those with longer nails will be relegated to one-way pushing, but it worked well. Hitting the button left or right will release only one side, though we struggled to do this. The shoulder strap prongs take a little effort to pop in place, but there is a loud click for connection confirmation. You have to pull them out when released, as they don't pop out independently. They have no internal friction mechanisms, and they tend to slide down the strap and can end up under the baby.
The chest clip has a pinch mechanism for release and works well. The sides are easy to pinch. The clip includes instructions and a diagram to remind you of proper placement.
Harness Tightening/Loosening
This Graco has the traditional strap pull to tighten and button push to release the harness assembly. The strap moves smoothly, and there is no resistance or feeling of hindrance. The button is hidden inside a slit in the fabric, and the slit is very small. Larger fingers might have trouble getting inside far enough to press the button.
The harness height adjustment on the Lite LX is a rethread style that requires removing the straps from a splitter plate and moving them from one slot to another and reattaching.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Harness Adjustment
This seat has a rethread style of height adjustment for the harness. The harness shoulder straps must be removed from a splitter plate in the back, unthreaded through the slots on each side, and rethreaded through a different slot. The process isn't hard, but it is involved, and you can't do it with your baby in the seat. It has four possible shoulder positions and two crotch strap positions. The real bummer here is that the “head padding” doesn't move with the straps.
Carrier to Base Connection
Installing the carrier onto the base is better than most, but there is no indicator when you get it right. The lightweight carrier makes it easier than heavier or more bulky carriers. Removing is also pretty easy with a straightforward release lever, but it can get hung up on the base if you don't lift up enough.
The Lite LX handle works well but it uses the same rotation pathway as the canopy and this can cause the two to move at the same time.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Handle
The handle button is at the joint just before it goes from around the joint to handle. The button position is intuitive, and you can use your thumbs or the base of your thumbs to engage it. The handle brushes the canopy and can pull the canopy from the carrier.
The Lite LX canopy is adequate for coverage but is a similar height to the handle, which is problematic.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Canopy
The canopy comes forward about halfway over the carrier foot portion, and a bigger shade would offer more protection. It has several midway position options, and the canvas is thick enough to keep out the sun or bright lights, but the movement isn't even on both sides when you open it.
LATCH and Manual Storage
The LATCH storage on the base is disappointing and below average. Storage is under the base, so you must flip it over to access it. You need to loosen the straps, and the button for this doesn't work well. The space is limited, where you need to loosen the strap, and we found ourselves banging our hands around in frustration. We suspect this will likely be harder for those with bigger hands.
The Lite LX is not the best for quality or comfort.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Comfort/Quality
Given the lower price tag, it isn't a surprise that this seat offers some of the worst comfort and quality, in our opinion.
Fabric and Padding
Overall, the fabric and padding on this Graco are below average, and there are no pads on the shoulder or crotch straps. The lighter grey material in the head is softer and more skin-friendly than the black fabric underneath. The black fabric has a plastic feel and looks like a ripstop material.
The Lite LX has EPS foam for impact absorption.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The head has a halo-style thin padding that is more for looks than support, given its thinness. The infant insert is not much better and resembles the thickness and look of a pancake. The lack of padding or consideration for comfort is disappointing, but the price reflects this.
Handle and Canopy
The handle is somewhat better than the average for the group, but it still suffers from the handle/canopy collision we hate. The middle of the handle is slightly thicker and “pops out” for a better grip. It flattens out as it gets to the downward bend on each side. It lacks the rubber grip of other Gracos we've seen, which helps keep the unit lighter.
The canopy canvas is average size for the group and feels flimsy and somewhat like plastic more than fabric. It doesn't move evenly on each side and can get hung up on the handle.
Shell
The shell sides are very smooth, and two rubber-type strips are on the bottom to prevent the carrier from slipping on hard surfaces. Most of the warning labels are on the lower part of the shell.
The Lite LX is truly lightweight and one of the easiest to carry as a result.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Weight/Size
If your goal is a lighter gith carrier you transport by hand and an impressive crash test score, then the SnugRide is one to consider. This Graco carrier weighs 7.6 lbs and is one of the lightest we've seen. This seat is one of the few that claim to be “Lite” and is.
The Lite LX is not our favorite car seat because it is harder to install and use. However, if your budget is tight, this seat doesn't compromise on crash test results and could be one to consider if crash testing is your top priority but your budget is limited.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Should You Buy the SnugRide 35 Lite LX?
This Graco offers better crash test results and analysis than much of the competition. Combining this with the wallet-loving price makes it easy to see why we gave it a thumbs up for Best Value. While it lacks in many key metrics and is not the best seat in the group or even the right fit for most families, we think there is a niche of folks out there who will love the peace of mind this seat can bring with its better crash test score. If your budget can't be stretched, this is the one we'd choose. If you have wiggle room or a generous family member willing to help, other reasonably priced options provide similar or better crash test results with less frustration during use.
What Other Infant Car Seat Should You Consider?
We prefer the Chicco Keyfit 35 or the Chicco Keyfit 30 over the Graco if you can swing a slightly higher budget. Both perform well for crash test analysis and are easier to install in every method. Given that installation mistakes can lead to potential industry (as indicated by studies), the Chiccos are good options. Add to this the higher performance in comfort, quality, and ease of use, and you have infant seats that are sure to please almost everyone. Another below-average priced option is the Britax Willow S, which earned a higher-than-average crash test analysis result and is easy to install with easy-to-use features. Also, while all of these competitors are more expensive than the SnugRide, they are reasonably priced seats in our lineup, with many sporting a higher price. If you can extend your budget, we think you'll be glad you did.
Manufacturer Video
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Graco SnugRide 35 Lite LX versus top competing products:
You Might Also Like
