How to Choose the Best Infant Car Seat

Consider what you would like from your car seat. "If you need a car seat that will expand with your child think about an all-in-one seat like the Graco 4Ever DLX," Saxton says. The seat has a long rear-facing weight limit and is able to be converted into a high-back and backless booster.

The soft, machine-washable cushioning is also an advantage. Load legs are a useful feature. These are shock-absorbing elements which are attached to the car seat base and help to limit movement in a crash.

Safety

They are designed to fit babies with smaller sizes better, which is why they have more padding than convertible car seats. They also tend to be lighter and easier to lift out of the car or put onto a stroller frame than convertible car seats, which is important since you'll likely need to transport your baby in the seat frequently outside of your vehicle. The infant car seats offer the benefit of being designed to last through your child's first year, so you don't have to worry about them growing beyond their weight or height in the same way that convertible car seats can.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's guidelines for car seats are extremely stringent, but it is still recommended to conduct your own research prior to purchasing. Consider reading reviews by other parents and reading car seat safety guidelines from organizations like Consumer Reports or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Both have crash test results that can be shared with families.

You should also examine whether a seat has features that could be especially beneficial for your family, like a one-handed strap release and a harness with no rethread or a spring-loaded foot for leveling. These kinds of features can make buckling up your baby quicker and easier however, you must remember that even the safest seats can be a waste when you don't use them correctly.

Other things to keep in mind are the weight and width of the car seat. A lot of infant seats can be placed in your vehicle along with older car seats. Some of them can expand with your child, and convert to an adult booster simultaneously. And finally, if you intend to use your car seat to transport or to take taxis, an infant car seat that is fitted using only the seatbelt of your vehicle is a convenient option.

In general, you should buy the most safe seat you can afford. The cheapest models don't always meet the highest standards of crash safety. Avoid models that do not include side impact tests and allow manufacturers to self-certify.

Convenience

The best car seats for infants are those that can fit in the car of your family and are easy to install, and include useful features such as a built-in jogging stroller or rotation capability. It must also be affordable. Infant seats range in price from about $180 to more than $500. They may cost more when they are convertible and used as a toddler and infant seat.

Convenience features include how simple it is to put in the seat using either the LATCH system or a seatbelt and whether it is possible to adjust the headrest and harness without taking the baby out of the seat. Installing and removing the seat should be simple, especially when your child rides in Ubers or you often switch between cars. The seat should be light, with clearly labeled instructions for installation and bubble levels to help you quickly install the car seat.

You must also be able to rotate the seat and lock it when not using it, and have easy access to the buckles and harness straps. Before you buy an infant car seat, be sure to verify its weight and height limits. Also, consider whether your child will outgrow the seat by the time they reach their first birthday. A good guideline is to select a car seat that will grow with your baby until they reach the 90th percentile.

Some manufacturers go over the federal safety standards and include additional features such as crash-testing, comfort and convenience in their car seats. The Clek Liing, a top pick from our gear editors and Consumer Reports, is an excellent example of an infant seat that offers more than just excellent crash protection. It also has legs that help stabilize the seat during an accident, reducing the force on the child by 40%. This feature could save a child’s life. It's worth spending more on car seats with added safety and convenience features.

Comfort

One of the most important aspects to consider when choosing an infant car seat is the comfort, as infants spend a lot of time in their car seats. The most comfortable ones have comfortable, breathable fabrics and generous padding for the harness and headrest. They also offer simple adjustment mechanisms, like strap covers, buckles, and headrest adjustments that do not require rethreading.

The weight and size of the infant car seat will also affect comfort especially if it's going to be used in multiple cars or for frequent travel. Certain models are smaller than others, which makes them more suited to be placed in the back seat with another car seat or other siblings' seats. While all models come with weight and height limitations Some are lighter. This will help you from sore biceps when you carry it between cars.

Certain infant car seats come with additional features that make them more flexible, such as rotational options or the ability to click into a stroller without the need for extra adapters. Some models come with high-end features, such as an adjustable no-rethread strap or anti-rebound bar to provide extra safety in case of a crash. These features aren't essential to ensure safety, but they can enhance the overall experience.

In addition to convenience and safety factors, many parents need a clean and comfortable infant car seat for their baby. Pick a car seat that is machine washable, stain resistant and easy to remove for cleaning. Some seats are even dishwasher safe, making it even easier to keep them looking new.

Certain models go above and beyond to ensure that their customers enjoy a safe and comfortable experience. For instance, the Graco SnugRide (tm) Elite has an anti-rebounding bar and meets Graco ProtectPlus Engineered(tm) which is designed to withstand rear and front collisions. The seat also comes with a Silent Shade canopy that keeps baby safe and quiet and an indicator that informs you whether it's securely attached to the base. Its adjustable carry handle and harness tightener make easy one-handed adjustments.

Design

The manufacturers of infant car seats design them with safety and comfort as their main goals. However, the vast selection of features makes it difficult to decide which is best car seat for your family. You'll want to consider factors such as weight and height limits as well as the number of belt paths and buckles. Additional features like anti-rebound bars load legs, harnesses that do not have a rethread can increase the price but may improve the comfort of babies. Consider features that help you get your child in and out of the seat, like rotating mechanisms. You'll also want to be aware of the dimensions and weight of the base because not all seats are suitable for every vehicle.

The ease of attaching and detaching the base is one feature that is important. This is affected by the quality of the LATCH connectors as well as whether they are rigid or flexible. You should also consider whether the straps can be easily tightened and loosened and if they have a one-hand release mechanism to remove and install the seat.

Some models let you use the seat without a footrest, which can be useful if your plan is to switch cars or take taxis frequently. Find models with a built-in lock and bubble level indicators to help ensure that your seat is set correctly.

Other features worth the cost include a headrest that increases with the growing Kinderkraft I-360 Baby Car Seat I-Size Gray 0-36kg as well as a recline that can be adjusted to five positions and an extendable canopy that locks in the position. Our product testers also said that having a seat which can be used for a highback booster with belt positioning or a backless booster when the baby has completed using it is a nice benefit.

The Doona is an infant car seat that delights parents. It's packed with features that address almost every complaint parents have about infant car seats, which is the reason our test participants gave it top marks in all categories. It's affixed for air travel, has an anti-rebound handle and is able to be converted directly into a stroller. Its crash test results are excellent and it is GREENGUARD Gold certified.