If you were stuck in deciding between Chicco KeyFit 30, Keyfit 35, or the Fit2 baby car seat, you are on the right page. Below you are going to get a simple but comprehensive explanation of the key differences between these Chicco car seats to help you make the final decision TODAY.
Similar to the Apple Eco-System with the Macbook, iPad, and iPhone, all of which can be used together, the Chicco Fit series of car seats are designed as part of a travel system that includes a baby carrier, a car seat base, and a stroller base.
| Chicco Keyfit 30 | Chicco Keyfit 35 | Chicco Fit2 | |
 |  |  | |
| Extra Leg Room | No | Yes | Yes |
| Install Without Base | Yes | Yes (European Belt Route) | Yes (European Belt Route) |
| Newborn Positioner | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Expiration | 6 Years | 6 Years | 6 Years |
| Integrated Belt Lock Off | Yes | Yes (LockSure) | Yes (LockSure) |
| Dimensions | 27.5″ x 16.5″ x 24″ | 28″ x 16.5″ x 24″ | 28″ x 17″ x 24″ |
| Weight | 16.5 lbs (7 lbs without base) | 18.5 lbs (8.5 lbs without Base) | 19.5 lbs (9.5 lbs without Base) |
| 5 Point Harness | Yes (padded) | Yes (No Rethread, Padded) | Yes (No Rethread, Padded) |
| Adjustable Headrest | 3 Positions | 5 Positions | 7 Position – Easy Pull |
| Cup Holder | No | No | No |
| Special Fabric | Woven | Premium Cushioning with Soft Knit Fabric | Dual Density Foam Cushioning Premium Fabric, Made in Italy |
| Front Facing Adjustment Options | – | – | – |
| Front Facing Weight Limit | – | – | – |
| Rear Facing Adjustment Options | 5 Positions | 6 Positions | 6 positions |
| Rear Facing Weight Limit | 4-30lbs (30-inches max) | 4-35lbs (32 inches max) | 4-35lbs (35 inches max) |
| High Back Booster Weight Limit | – | – | – |
| Backless Booster Weight Limit | – | – | – |
| Recline Positions | 5 Positions | 6 Positions | 6 Positions |
| Anti Rebound Bar | No | Yes | Yes |
| Safety | JPMA Certified | JPMA Certified | JPMA Certified |
| Stroller Compatibility | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Canopy | Full Size | UPF 50+ Protection Full Size | Full Size |
| Single Hand Adjustable Carry Handle | No | No | Yes |
| 2 Stage Base | No | No | Yes |
| EPF Energy Absorbing Foam | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Installation Latch | Supercinch LATCH | Supercinch LATCH | Supercinch LATCH |
| Removable Cover | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Washable Cover | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Harness Storage Compartment | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Level Indicators | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Average Customer Rating | |||
| Where to Buy | Click here for price | Click here for price | Click here for price |
The Similarities
As you may have noticed from the table above, Chicco Keyfit 30, 35, and Fit2 (being from the same family) have quite a lot of features in common.
Key similarities include the SuperCinch Latch System, Easy to Remove and Washable Covers, Built-In Level Indicators, New Born Positions, Harness Storage compartments, and more.
These Keyfit models are a great investment if you plan to use the complete travel system which includes a compatible stroller or stroller caddy.
Key Differences
Single-Hand Adjustable Carry Handle
The carry handle helps you carry the car seat around outside your vehicle without disturbing the baby. The base stays put in the vehicle while you click out the car seat to carry it around – this is one of the best parts.
The handles on the Keyfit 30 and 35 require contribution from both hands to adjust into one of the 3 positions – Carry, Store, Stand. This can be quite inconvenient, especially when pulling the car seat out of the vehicle without disturbing a sleeping baby.
The Fit2 on the other handle comes with a Single hand adjustable carry handle which comes with a handle release button on the side allowing you to get the job done fast without much commotion.
Canopy
The canopy is a nice feature on these car seats. It protects the child from sunlight, direct light when sleeping, or other weather inconveniences. It’s the simplest way to get your child some privacy. Chicco Keyfit 35, 30, and the Fit2 all come with full-cover canopies which can be removable and stowed away when not in use, but the Keyfit 35 has something unique in play with the canopy.
It comes with UPF50+ protection which provides sunlight protection to a much higher degree in comparison to the canopies built onto the Keyfit 30 and the Fit2 models.
Although not a feature that can make or break a purchase decision, it does come into play if you live in a state where sunlight and heat waves are pretty common.
Install without Base – Carrier Only Installation
The Keyfit and Fit2 models include a base with every purchase. This base is installed in the backseat of your car making life so much simpler. All you have to do is place the carry car seat onto the base until it clicks and you are done. It’s that simple and all 3 models have this feature.
Sometimes you may need to install the car seat on a different vehicle that doesn’t have the base installed – maybe a taxi, a friend’s vehicle, etc… In this scenario, you need to be able to install the car seat without the base.
The 3 models in comparison today, can all be installed on any vehicle without the base. Unlike the Keyfit 30, the Keyfit 35 and Chicco Fit2 come engineered with the European Belt Routing system with 3 points of contact which is even more safer and effective than the American Belt Routing System.
The European Belt Path prevents the carrier from moving downwards in the event of a crash, thus reducing the impact on the baby’s head and neck.
- Chicco Keyfit 30: 0
- Chicco Keyfit 35: 1
- Chicco Fit2: 1
Anti Rebound Bar
The Anti Rebound Bar is a key safety feature in many baby car seats, not just in the Chicco Brand. This bar not only allows for other benefits such as extended legroom (as will be explained below), but allows provides additional protection space for your child in case of severe impacts.
If you had to choose a key safety feature, the Anti Rebound Bar would be one of the highly recommended features to invest in – although it does add a bit of weight which is noticeable when you carry it for a while.
The Chicco Keyfit 30 being one of the older models does not come with an Anti Rebound Bar, but the Keyfit 35 and Fit2 do come with this safety feature making them better choices in comparison.
- Chicco Keyfit 30: 0
- Chicco Keyfit 35: 1
- Chicco Fit2: 1
Extended Leg Room
Leg room, no more how extended is always comfortable, be it for kids or adults. The Chicco Keyfit 35 and Fit2, thanks to the anti-rebound bar, provide extra legroom for growing babies and toddlers for an extended period in the rear-facing position.
The Keyfit 30 on the other hand does not include the anti-rebound bar nor does not it come with a foot extension panel for extra leg room. This makes it the only infant car seat among the 3 to not provide extra legroom for growing babies.
- Chicco Keyfit 30: 0
- Chicco Keyfit 35: 1
- Chicco Fit2: 1
Height Weight Limit
As you may have noticed in the table above, the Keyfit 30 supports a maximum child height of 30-inches with a maximum weight of 30 lbs. This is the limit set after rigorous tests to ensure maximum safety for the child passenger. If the weight exceeds the threshold, the car seat may fail to provide maximum safety during an impact.
The Keyfit 35 and Chicco Fit2 both support maximum 35 lbs weight limit for the child but the Keyfit 35 only provides space up to 32-inches while the Fit2 has a large room to accommodate up to 35-inches.
This gives the latter 2 infant car seats an edge against the Keyfit 30 since it provides an extended usage period with maximum safety and comfort.
- Chicco Keyfit 30: 0
- Chicco Keyfit 35: 0.5
- Chicco Fit2: 1
Recline Positions
Recline positions allow for more
Chicco Keyfit 30 comes with 5 recline positions while the Keyfit 35 and Fit2 Car seats come with 6 recline positions. The 6th recline position does seem ignorable but Chicco made the right choice by increasing the recline positions in the latter two since they accommodate extra 2-5 inches of the child’s height.
The Keyfit 30 doesn’t require extra options since it’s limited to 30-inches max length of the child.
- Chicco Keyfit 30: 0
- Chicco Keyfit 35: 1
- Chicco Fit2: 1
Headrest Adjustment Options
The child’s neck always has to be supported. As the child grows taller, the headrest needs to be adjusted to make sure the child’s head is always comfortable resting on the headrest in the optimum position.
The Chicco Keyfit 30 comes with 3 adjustable headrest positions, the Keyfit 35 with 5 positions, and the Chicco Fit2 tops them all with 7 adjustable positions.
The taller the child, the higher the position has to be and it’s self-explanatory the Chicco Fit2 supports the tallest height of 35-inches. This justifies the number of headrest positions provided in each model.
Nevertheless, there is one more difference to note. In the Keyfit 30 and Keyfit 35, you must adjust the headrest from behind the seat before you latch it to the base or directly to the car. It takes some work.
The Chicco Fit2 on the other handle has a simple no-rethread pull system that does not require the removal of the car seat carrier from the base or the latch for any adjustments. Simply press the button and pull the headrest as required with minimal effort or disturbance to the child.
You can see more of this difference in the video below
- Chicco Keyfit 30: 0
- Chicco Keyfit 35: 0.5
- Chicco Fit2: 1
5 Point Harness (No Rethread)
There is a difference between rethread and a no-rethread harness. A rethread harness is a more manual process where you loosen the straps and re-adjust until tight and secure, but with a no-rethread harness, all you have to do is press a button or pull a lever to adjust the harness until it’s tight and secure.
Some parents prefer the rethread harness while most prefer the no-rethread as it’s easy and convenient. The Chicco Keyfit 30 comes with a rethread 5-point harness while the Chicco Keyfit 35 and Chicco Fit2 car seats come with 5 point no-rethread harness.
We choose to support the no-rethread feature as it is newer and preferred by the majority.
- Chicco Keyfit 30: 0
- Chicco Keyfit 35: 1
- Chicco Fit2: 1
Fabric / Cushion
As adults, we obsess over car seat cushioning – leather, Italian leather, premium stitch fabric, etc… Should we provide our babies with the same comfort as well? If they could speak and understand, we are sure they would want to be more comfortable too.
The Chicco Keyfit 35 comes with Premium cushioning with Soft Knit Fabric that allows for more breathability and comfort – especially during long journeys. The Chicco Fit2 goes a notch further with Premium Fabric – Made in Italy. It does make a lot more difference in appearance and comfort for the child.
The Chicco Keyfit 30 comes with standard but high-quality woven fabric with cushioning for comfort, but the Keyfit 35 and Fit2 did much better in this department
- Chicco Keyfit 30: 0
- Chicco Keyfit 35: 0.5
- Chicco Fit2: 1
Weight
The Keyfit and Fit2 Series car seats are designed to be carried around with a comfortable handle. Not everybody is a hulk or a fitness buff. An additional pound of weight on the car seat frame can add to the difficulty and torment of carrying the car seat around especially for weak shoulders.
The baby is growing and its weight also adds to the frame.
With each new model, the Chicco car seat weight has increased without the weight of the base included.
The Keyfit 30 weighs 7 lbs, Keyfit 35 weighs 8.5 lbs, and Fit2 weighs 9.5 lbs without the car seat base.
The Keyfit 35 includes an Anti Rebound Bar which justifies the increase in weight, while the Fit2 includes the Anti Rebound Bar along with Premium Level Cushioning that provides comfort to the child but more weight and discomfort to the person carrying it.
If the weight of the car seat matters, the Fit2 may be totally out of the picture but we would recommend not skipping the Anti Rebound bar feature on the Keyfit 35.
- Chicco Keyfit 30: 1
- Chicco Keyfit 35: 0.5
- Chicco Fit2: 0
Belt Lock Off System
All 3 models in comparison come with Belt-Lock off system which makes it very easy for parents to lock the car seat with the seat belt of the vehicle for maximum safety. It allows you to slide the seat belt of your vehicle through the car seat for extra safety.
The Chicco Keyfit 30 and 35 provide an additional steel-reinforced frame integrated with the 5-point harness for a stronger and more secure installation – also known as LockSure. This makes them safer and stronger than Keyfit 30. This frame also contributes to the additional weight gain in the Keyfit 35 and Fit2 car seat carriers.
2 Stage Base
The 2-stage base is a new feature that can be found in the Chicco Fit2 car seat – which is why it’s labeled Infant and Toddler car seat, while the Keyfit 30 and 35 are labeled as Infant Car Seat.
Although there is a small difference in the maximum height limit of the child between the Chicco Keyfit 35 and Chicco Fit2, the latter is recognized for toddler-level capacity.
This is mainly due to the 2 stage base in the Fit2 which allows you to adjust the car seat to a more upright position without taking up extra space in the back of your car. This upright position provides more leg room for the growing toddler instead of the compact discomfort feeling they can get – especially in the rear-facing position.
The Chicco Fit2 allows you to buy more time with your 2nd-year toddlers in the Rear Facing position. This feature cannot be found in the Keyfit 35 or the Keyfit 30 – these car seats cannot be used with the Fit2 base either.
- Chicco Keyfit 30: 0
- Chicco Keyfit 35: 0
- Chicco Fit2: 1
Will a Chicco KeyFit 35 fit a Keyfit 30 base?
No, the Chicco Keyfit 35 will not fit a Chicco Keyfit 30 base. On the other hand, the Keyfit 30 will fit onto the Keyfit 35 base.
Conclusion
- Chicco Keyfit 30: 1 points
- Chicco Keyfit 35: 9 points
- Chicco Fit2: 11 points
Among the 3 Chicco car seats compared, the Fit2 leads the rank with the Single Hand Adjustable Carry Handle, the 2-Stage Base, High Premium Fabrics, and more. The Keyfit 35 comes in a close second with Keyfit 30 staying put as the original which is good on its own turf.
