Graco EasyTurn 360 Review

The Graco EasyTurn 360 is Graco's second rotating seat to hit the market, and they managed to give us a pretty impressive rotating option for the price. It does come with a major catch, so read on to make sure the price isn't too good to be true for you!

I'm Carly, a CPST and mom of 3, and I've been taking the EasyTurn 360 for a spin with my 2 year old to see if it will be the one to make me a rotating seat convert. I don't exactly need one for my own car seat setup to function well in my minivan, but with so many different car seat options available these days, usually there's some room for "nice to haves" in car seat selection, too!

Still comparing? See how the EasyTurn 360 stacks up against our most recommended rotating car seats.

Consider the Graco EasyTurn 360 if:

• You need a more compact or narrow rotating seat. The EasyTurn 360 is one of the more compact rotating seats, both in width and depth. At just 17" wide, it stands a good chance of working in some 3 across setups.
• You want a rotating seat on a budget. At $349.99 MSRP, it's about half the price of our top pick for tight front-to-back space, and it still rotates smoothly and installs easily.

Keep looking if:

• You want to share the seat between two children. The tether is only used for forward-facing installation, which makes this a much less ideal contender for a seat shared between a rear-facing and a forward-facing child.
• You don't want to buy another harnessed seat later. With a relatively low top harness height of just 16", the seat will be outgrown for many kids before they are ready for a booster.

Graco EasyTurn 360 Height, Weight + Key Specs

• MSRP: $349.99
• Expiration: 10 years
• Width: 17"
• Seat weight: 27.4 lbs
• Rear-facing: 4–40 lbs, up to 49"
• Forward-facing: 26.5–65 lbs, up to 49"
• Top harness height: 16"
• Lower anchor limits: 35 lbs rear-facing, 40 lbs forward-facing

The height limit for both directions is 49", and for rear-facing, the top of your child's head also needs to be at least 1" below the headrest adjustment handle.

Although less explicitly stated, a very important rule for forward-facing is the harness position. Like all forward-facing harnessed seats, the EasyTurn requires the harness to be positioned above (or just at) the tops of the shoulders for forward-facing. With a relatively low top harness height of just 16", this can mean that the seat will be outgrown for many kids before they are ready for a booster. More on that below.

The lower anchor weight limits are 35 pounds for rear-facing and 40 pounds for forward-facing, so you'll need to remember to switch to the seat belt for those last 5 pounds if you're maxing out the seat by weight in rear-facing mode.

Graco EasyTurn 360 vs. Other Rotating Car Seats

The EasyTurn 360 is the value pick among our most recommended rotating car seats. It's the least expensive of the five, but it also has the shortest top harness and is the only one that doesn't use the tether rear-facing.

• Price: At $349.99, it's $50 less than the Evenflo Revolve360 Slim and less than half the price of the Cybex Callisto G 360.
• Rear-facing room: Its 49" rear-facing height limit ties the Britax Galaxy360 for the tallest of the five, but the Galaxy360 and Revolve360 Slim go up to 50 pounds rear-facing.
• Harness height: It's the shortest of the five, compared with 18" on the Chicco Fit360 and 19" on the Callisto and Revolve360 Slim.
• One-piece design: Like the Callisto and Galaxy360, the EasyTurn 360 is one piece. The Fit360 and Revolve360 Slim are two pieces.
• Tether: It's the only seat of the five that doesn't use the tether rear-facing.
• Fabric: It's the only one without a chemical flame retardant-free fabric option.

Is the Graco EasyTurn 360 Good for Small Cars?

It's a strong budget option. The EasyTurn 360 is one of the more compact rotating seats, both in width and depth.

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Less Front-to-Back Space for Half the Price

While the Cybex Callisto G 360 is our top pick when front-to-back space is limited, at half the price, the EasyTurn 360 might get the job done.

A Smaller Turning Radius Than the Revolve360 Slim

The EasyTurn 360 is pretty comparable to the Evenflo Revolve360 Slim, but has a smaller turning radius, since it stays more upright when rotating, rather than swinging on its axis. This can be an important distinction, because what good is fitting a rotating seat in your car if you can't actually rotate it?

Can the Graco EasyTurn 360 Fit 3 Across?

At just 17" wide, it stands a good chance of working in some 3 across setups, though actually rotating the seat might be a different story. That said, it's a bit of futureproofing in case you don't need 3 across capability now, but might need it later.

Rotating Around Non-Removable Headrests

The EasyTurn 360 doesn't have any restrictions on forward-facing use with interference from the vehicle head restraint, but if the car seat does come into contact with a non-removable headrest, you may not be able to easily rotate it in and out of position.

A Recline Trick for the Honda Odyssey Captain's Chair

In the captain's chair of my Honda Odyssey, the top of the seat shell rubs against the top of the vehicle seat during rotation when installed in the most upright position for rear-facing. Although counterintuitive, "reclining" the seat during installation actually puts it more upright for forward-facing, and this solves the problem.

How Does the Graco EasyTurn 360 Fit Babies and Kids?

Does the Graco EasyTurn 360 Fit Newborns?

So far, I'm pretty pleased. I haven't had a chance to try the fit on a real live newborn, but my newborn demo doll tends to do a great job helping me out with this. I am pretty pleased with the fit on the admittedly non-squirmy baby. I don't even need to use the lowest harness position for my 19.5" doll, which is about 6" with the insert in. The recline in the captain's chair of my Honda Odyssey looks appropriate for a newborn, which is not always the case for convertible seats.

Although head inserts sometimes just end up being in the way or pushing the head forward, this one helps keep the whole body aligned so the head doesn't slump down. The body insert, which can be used up to 20 pounds, does a great job of adapting the seat to itty bitty size by lifting the baby up, adjusting the buckle position, and stabilizing the hips and torso to keep the baby centered.

Even with the insert, though, the buckle strap is long, making it sit higher up on a small baby's torso. This in itself is not a safety concern, but it can make it more difficult to remove slack from around the hip and get the chest clip correctly positioned.

Room for Babies and Kids With Bigger Thighs

The EasyTurn 360 might be a good contender for babies and children with larger thighs. The buckle strap is especially long, which keeps the hip straps from pressing into the thighs. This is a common complaint with the Evenflo Revolve360 Slim, so consider your child's body type if you're debating between these two options.

Graco EasyTurn 360 Harness Height: The Biggest Downside

The EasyTurn 360's top harness height is just 16", which is low. This is the major downside of this seat. Unfortunately this isn't just a less ideal feature. It can seriously impact the long-term use for many families.

When the harness can no longer be positioned just at or above the child's shoulders, the seat is outgrown in forward-facing mode. At this point, one of three negative outcomes might occur:

• The seat will inadvertently be used unsafely.
• The child will be transitioned to a booster too early.
• The family will need to purchase a different harnessed seat.

The EasyTurn isn't the only seat committing this offense, but it's not something that most people are aware of when buying a convertible for their one year old. One of my least favorite moments as a CPST is the one where a family buys a car seat with unrealistic expectations, and my job here is to make sure that doesn't happen to you.

However, with so many other redeeming qualities, this certainly does not mean that the seat is no good for anyone. It might be a great fit if:

• You'll eventually be passing down the seat to a younger sibling and purchasing a different seat for the older child.
• You're aware that you'll likely need another harnessed seat, and you're okay with the idea of getting just a few years' worth of use out of it, especially at the lower price compared to most other rotating seats.
• You need the functionality of the seat's other features for some period of time to make your car seat setup work.
• Your child lands in a sweet spot of size, age, and maturity for a booster just as they outgrow the harness on this seat. (Not sure where that is? Here's when it's safe to transition to a booster.)

How to Install the Graco EasyTurn 360

The EasyTurn 360 features Graco's SnugLock arm, which greatly reduces the muscle needed to achieve a tight installation. It is used for both seat belt and lower anchor installations.

The trickiest part of either installation is the tight workspace and limited visibility. You'll likely find yourself inside the vehicle for this one. There are belt guides that must be used for installation, and it can be easy to miss them, so take your time when routing the seat belt or lower anchor strap.

Installing With the Seat Belt

Although the SnugLock feature is a lock-off that secures the installation when using a lap and shoulder belt, the manual instructs you to also lock the seat belt at the retractor to prevent the child from playing with the shoulder belt, which is a potential strangulation risk.

Installing With the Lower Anchors

Getting the lower anchor strap out of the storage compartment and correctly oriented was a bit of a to-do, so unless you need to use the lower anchors for a specific reason, such as to maintain 3rd row access, you may just want to pretend they don't exist and leave them stored away.

Using the Tether

The tether is only used for forward-facing installation, making this seat a much less ideal contender for a seat to be shared between a rear-facing and a forward-facing child, which is one benefit of some other rotating seats that use the tether for both directions of installation.

How Easy Is the Graco EasyTurn 360 to Rotate?

Very easy. The EasyTurn 360 lives up to its name: it rotates very easily.

A Two-Part Handle You Can Use One-Handed

The rotation handle has two parts, but is activated with one hand. This two-part mechanism can help keep other kids from rotating the seat, and may be challenging for those with limited dexterity. As an alternative method, you can also push the blue trigger with the heel of your hand while pulling the gray handle, all in one motion.

A Smooth, Full 360-Degree Spin

The spin itself is very smooth, even compared to some of the more expensive rotating seats. The seat rotates a full 360 degrees in both directions, locking when completely forward or backward, with a red/green indicator to confirm a locked position.

It Stays Level When Turned to the Side

One pleasant surprise about the rotation of the EasyTurn 360 is that the seat stays level when rotated to the side. Many other rotating seats do not share this trait, and I often find it a little trickier to get kids harnessed when the seat is slightly tilted, because their body shifts to one side.

Is the Graco EasyTurn 360 Easy to Buckle?

Mostly, yes. Harnessing a child in the EasyTurn 360 ranks well in my experience. The harness is smooth when loosening and tightening, and the seat includes elastic buckle tongue holders on the sides to keep the harness out of the way. While not as quick and easy as the magnetic version of this feature found on some seats, it's a nice option to have at this price.

Points get docked for the long buckle strap, which finds its way all the way underneath the child's bottom and takes longer than I'd like to dig out.

Is the Graco EasyTurn 360 Worth It?

It can be, as long as you go in with realistic expectations. Graco managed to give us a pretty impressive rotating option for the price: a compact 17" footprint, a smooth spin that stays level when turned to the side, an easy SnugLock installation, and a newborn fit I'm pretty pleased with.

The catch is the low 16" harness height, which can mean buying another harnessed seat before your child is ready for a booster. If you'll be passing the seat down to a younger sibling, or you're okay with getting a few years' worth of use out of it at this price, the Graco EasyTurn 360 is a solid budget rotating seat.

Still can't decide? Check out our comparison of our most recommended rotating seats!

Graco EasyTurn 360 FAQs

How wide is the Graco EasyTurn 360?

The Graco EasyTurn 360 is 17" wide. That makes it one of the more compact rotating seats, both in width and depth.

What are the Graco EasyTurn 360 rear-facing limits?

The EasyTurn 360 rear-faces from 4 to 40 pounds and up to 49". The top of your child's head also needs to be at least 1" below the headrest adjustment handle.

What is the Graco EasyTurn 360 top harness height?

The top harness height is 16". The harness has to be at or above the shoulders forward-facing, so even though the forward-facing limits are 26.5 to 65 pounds and up to 49", many kids will outgrow the harness by shoulder height first.

Can the Graco EasyTurn 360 fit 3 across?

At 17" wide, it stands a good chance of working in some 3 across setups. Actually rotating the seat in a tight 3 across setup might be a different story.

Does the Graco EasyTurn 360 use the tether rear-facing?

No. The tether is only used for forward-facing installation, which makes it a less ideal choice for a seat shared between a rear-facing and a forward-facing child.

Does the Graco EasyTurn 360 work with non-removable headrests?

There are no restrictions on forward-facing use with interference from the vehicle head restraint. But if the car seat contacts a non-removable headrest, you may not be able to easily rotate it in and out of position.