Top Rated Infant Car Seats
A quality infant car seat is a safety requirement, but not all seats are created equal. The most effective ones have features that increase crash test performance, like load legs--shock absorbing parts on the base of the seat that reduce movement in a collision.
Chicco KeyFit is a favorite of CPST instructors. It features an rear-facing weight, a the height limit is high and a bubble-level indicator and a spring loaded reclining foot to make it easy to put in.
Graco Mesa Max
The Graco Mesa Max is one of the highest-ranked infant car seats in terms of ease of use. It is a simple design and great fabrics. It also comes with an innovative feature that lets you connect the harness of your child directly to the headrest. It has a large canopy that can be put away to keep your child protected while traveling. It's a bit heavier than the typical stroller, which is a problem if you want to transport it around or use it in conjunction with your award-winning UPPAbaby.
Mesa Max's impressive crash test results show its commitment to top-quality safety. It scored highly in both the frontal and side impact tests, which means that your child will be protected from the two sides of a collision.
Another notable safety feature is the Graco's antirebound panel, which helps reduce the forces of rebound in a crash and protects your child's head. This is a rare feature in car seats for infants and makes the Mesa Max stand out among its competitors.
Graco Mesa Max can easily and securely be installed in your vehicle using LATCH when combined with the base. The load leg, recline angle adjustment and the indicator of tightness help ensure a fast, accurate installation. The base weighs 12.6 It is a little higher than the typical infant car seats however not enough to cause a problem.
The UPPAbaby Mesa V2 uses the same fabric with the same dual-knit construction as its predecessor. It is free of harmful chemicals that are fire-resistant. It comes with an infinitely adjustable backrest, as well as an extremely durable insert for infants who weigh between 4 and 11 lbs. The fabrics are GREENGUARD gold certified, which ensures low VOCs and chemical emissions.
The UPPAbaby UPPAmax Mesa Max may be slightly more expensive than other options, but offers premium features and the latest technology to ensure the most secure travel experience. The base is included and is available in a variety of attractive colors. This adds to the value proposition. Its thoughtful features and robust design provide parents with peace of mind on every trip.
Britax Boulevard ClickTight
The Britax Blvd ClickTight is a fantastic choice for parents looking for an automobile seat that they can expand with. The weight limit for rear-facing is 40 pounds which is higher than other infant car seats. It can be used forward-facing as well until your child reaches 65 pounds.
The ClickTight Installation System is its major selling feature. It is the safest, easiest and most secure system on the market. The seat belt can be tightened by pressing a red release and pulling the harness strap. This makes it unnecessary to unwind and rethread the seat belt. This reduces the chance of incorrectly tightening the belt, which is the most common reason for car seat failure.
The EZ-Buckle Pad is a further security feature that keeps the buckle out the way while you place your child in the car seat. travel infant car seat with beltpath cutouts on both sides of the seat makes it simple to get your child into and out of the car.
The three ClickTight convertible seats (Boulevard, Marathon CT, and Advocate CT) have the identical features. These include the ClickTight Installation System and an impact-absorbing base with 7 recline positions and a rip-stitch energy-absorbing harness pad, a tether that is HUGS, a steel-reinforced frame, and EPP energy-absorbing foam.
It is a heavy seat, so it might be worth looking at a lighter alternative in case you plan to use it frequently for car swaps or for travel. The seat is large and therefore may not be suitable for smaller vehicles.
If you want a more affordable option that is comparable to look into the 4Ever DLX by Graco. The seat has lower crash test analysis scores than the Boulevard however it's an excellent seat for your baby.
The Graco also has push-on connectors for LATCH, which allows you to easily remove the seat. The LATCH connectors on the Boulevard have a different release mechanism which requires you to press a gray button and pull on the webbing to loosen it. It can be difficult to accomplish this if the webbing isn't fitted properly. However, this seat does come with a handy storage compartment for belt straps when they are not in use.
Clek Liing
Clek Liing is the ideal infant car seat you should consider If you're looking for everything in terms of style, safety and comfort. This rear-facing only car seat has an excellent crash test score, a wide range of features and is easy to install within most vehicles.
The Liing is designed to protect newborn darlings with features that meet and exceed both US and Canadian safety standards. It is designed to allow for simple and secure installation in any seating position. It also features advanced safety features such as an energy-absorbing metal leg and two pieces of shell that is lined with EPP for increased side impact protection. The base has seven recline positions and a trusty bubble indicator to let you know exactly when the seat is at the right angle for your infant.
The Liing is a sleek, modern stroller that parents are raving about. It has innovative safety features such as rigid lower anchors which are much easier to attach than hook-and-loop connectors. The Liing also has a handy quick release with a single-handed button that makes it easy to remove it from the base or to use with a variety of strollers that are compatible with it. It's also narrow enough to fit three-across in many vehicles, and is a good fit in many convertible car seat as an added travel aid.
This infant seat scores first place for ease of installation thanks to its unique rigid-LATCH system. The Liing's lower anchors click directly into the lower seat belt slots and the seat's top tether strap snaps onto the vehicle's headrest to create an extremely secure, tight fit that eliminates the risk of the child being thrown around in the event of a crash.
The seat is lightweight, with the base weighting 9 lbs and the carrier itself weighing just 10.5 lbs. Other rear-facing seats are heavier in weight however if you're planning to carry this car seat and its base everywhere, the slight difference won't be too noticeable (especially once you add a baby into the equation! ).
Parents love the Liing's built-in canopy and 100+spf sun protection that comes with an open mesh window. Caregivers appreciate the blanket made of merino that keeps the baby warm, and the capacity of the handle to pivot away from the canopy. This makes it easier for them to grab the seat whenever they need it.
Graco Trio Grow SnugLock LX
The Graco Trio GROW SnugLock is an all-in-one seat that converts from rear-facing infant to forward-facing harness, and later to a highback booster. It features the SnugLock system, which allows for a simple and smooth installation using lower anchors or vehicle seat belts. It can be installed using the top tether in booster mode. (We suggest using the lower anchors for additional security.)
We love that this chair is suitable for children of various ages. It comes with an infant insert for younger infants that can support their necks and backs. As they grow older the insert can be removed and the seat is used as a regular car seat for toddlers. This car seat is among the few that allow you to use the top tether when in booster mode, which we highly recommend.
Its base is compact from front to back, which means it shouldn't pose a problem fitting into the majority of vehicles. It requires the headrest to be raised, however, to allow an easy way for the lower anchor webbing. Fortunately, there's a headrest adjustment knob that can easily do this, and you can observe the position of the headrest in the display window.
The SnugLock system is among the coolest features about this seat. It's a bar that is in the belt path. This makes fitting this car seat with the lower anchors an easy task and is nearly as simple as using the car seat belt.
The manual offers a wonderful illustration of how to guide the lower anchor connectors in a correct manner through the new belt path which at first can be confusing. Keep them clear of the chest clip and crotch loop to prevent interference with the buckle system.
The Graco Trio Grow is part of the Protect Plus Engineered family, which means it's been tested to some of the most rigorous crash tests in the industry. This includes tests for rear, side and rollover accidents and frontal impact.