Top Rated Infant Car Seats

Not all infant car seats are created equally. The top ones come with features that improve the performance of crash tests, such as load legs, which are shock absorbing components in the base or car seat that help reduce movement during the event of a collision.

A popular choice among CPST instructors is the Chicco KeyFit, which has a large rear-facing weight limit and height limit, a bubble level indicator, and the reclining foot is spring-loaded, which makes it easy to set up.

Graco Mesa Max

The Graco Mesa Max ranks as one of the easiest infant car seat that swivels car seats to use. It has great fabrics, a simple design, and a convenient feature for attaching a child's harness to the headrest, making it easier to tighten. It also comes with an enormous canopy which makes it easy to keep your baby shaded during travel. It is a bit heavier than the typical stroller, which can be a problem if you want to transport it around or use it with your award-winning UPPAbaby.

Mesa Max's remarkable results in crash tests demonstrate its commitment to safety. It scored well in both frontal and side impact tests, ensuring that your child will be safe from the two sides of a collision.

Another notable safety feature is the Graco's anti-rebound panel which reduces rebound forces during an accident and protects your child's head. This feature is unique in infant car seats and makes the Mesa Max standout among its peers.

When paired with the base, the Graco Mesa Max can be installed quickly and safely in your vehicle using LATCH. The load leg as well as recline angle adjustment and tightness indicator all help ensure a quick, accurate installation. The base weighs 12.6 This is a bit more than the average infant car seats but not enough to cause an issue.

Similar to its predecessor, the UPPAbaby Mesa V2, the Mesa Max uses dual-knit fabric which is free of harmful chemicals. It comes with an infinitely adjustable backrest, as well as an extremely durable insert for infants who weigh between 4 and 11 pounds. The fabrics are GREENGUARD gold certified, which means they test for low chemical emissions and low VOCs.

The UPPAbaby UPPAmax Mesa Maxi is a little more expensive than other models, but offers premium features and modern technology for a safe travel experience. The base included and a selection of stylish colorways enhance the value proposition. Its thoughtful design and sturdy features provide peace of mind for parents on their every trip.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight

The Britax Boulevard ClickTight is a great choice for anyone who wants a car seat that can grow with their child. The rear-facing weight limit is 40 pounds, which is more than most infant car seats. It can also be used forward-facing until your child weighs 65 pounds.

The ClickTight Installation System is its most popular selling point. It is the most secure, easiest and most secure system on the market. It lets you tighten the seat belt by pressing an orange release button and pulling the harness strap without the need to untie it, then re-thread. This reduces the risk of not tightening the correct belt which is the main cause of car seat failure.

Another safety feature is the EZ-Buckle Pad, which holds the buckle in place when you're putting your child in the seat. This feature, along with beltpath cutouts on both sides of the seat, makes it easy to get your child in and out of the car.

The three ClickTight convertible seats (Boulevard, Marathon CT, and Advocate CT) have the identical features. ClickTight Installation System is one of them. Also included is an impact-absorbing frame that can accommodate seven recline positions.

The seat is quite heavy, but you may want to think about a lighter option if are planning to use it for frequent swaps of cars. The seat is large, so it might not fit in smaller cars.

If you're looking for a affordable option that is comparable to take a look at the 4Ever DLX from Graco. The seat has lower crash tests scores than the Boulevard however it is still a great option for your child.

The Graco also comes with LATCH connectors with push-on connections, which make it easier to remove the seat. The Boulevard's LATCH connectors feature an additional release mechanism, which requires the user to press a grey button and pull on the webbing to loosen it. It's not easy to accomplish this if the webbing isn't fitted properly. However, this seat does come with a convenient storage cubby for the belt straps when they are not in use.

Clek Liing

Clek Liing is the infant car seat for you If you're looking for everything: style, safety and convenience. This rear-facing car seat has a high crash test score, a wide variety of features, and is simple to install on most vehicles.

The Liing is made with features that go beyond US and Canadian safety standards. It was designed for easy, secure installation in any seating position. It also features advanced safety features like an energy-absorbing metal foot and a two piece shell that is lined with EPP to provide enhanced side impact protection. The base features seven recline positions and an indicator bubble that tells you that the seat is just the right angle for your child.

The Liing is modern and sleek stroller that parents love. It comes with innovative safety features like strong lower anchors that are much easier to connect than hook-and-loop connectors. The Liing has a one-handed quick release, making it simple to remove the base and use it with compatible strollers. With less than 17 inches wide it's small enough to fit 3-across in most vehicles and is a good fit in many convertible car seats as a travel booster.

This infant seat is an impressive 1st place in terms of ease of installation with its unique rigid-LATCH system. The lower anchors of the Liing snap into the lower seat belt slots of the vehicle, and the top tether strap snaps onto the headrest of the vehicle. This ensures a tight snug, secure fit that will eliminate the possibility that the child might be thrown around during an accident.

The seat is light, with the base weighting 9 lbs and the carrier itself weighing a manageable 10.5 lbs. Other rear-facing seats have a much heavier weight, but if you're planning to carry this car seat and its base around, the slight difference won't be too noticeable (especially when you add a baby into the equation! ).

Parents love the Liing's integrated canopy and 100+spf of protection from the sun's rays by the mesh peekaboo. Parents appreciate the merino blanket that keeps the baby warm, and the ability of the handle to pivot away from the canopy. This allows parents to grab the seat whenever they need it.

Graco Trio Grow SnugLock LX

The Graco Trio SnugLock is a 3-in-1 seat that can be converted from rear-facing best infant car seat to forward-facing harness, and later to a highback booster. It is equipped with the SnugLock installation system which allows for a smooth and simple installation using either the car seat belts or lower anchors. It can be installed using the top tether when in booster mode. (We suggest using the lower anchors to provide extra security.)

This seat is great for children of all different ages. It has an infant car seat travel insert for smaller babies that supports their backs and necks. This insert can be removed when the child is older and the seat can be used as a regular car seat for toddlers. This car seat is one of the few that allows you to use the top tether in booster mode, which is what we recommend.

Its base is quite compact from front to back and it shouldn't be a problem to locate a place for it in the majority of vehicles. It does require the headrest to be raised, however, to give you a clear route for the lower anchor webbing. There's a convenient knob to adjust the headrest and the display window displays the location of the headrest.

One of the most unique features about this seat is the SnugLock installation system that's a bar that is located within the belt path. Installing this car seat using lower anchors is easy, and is almost as easy as putting it on the car's seat belt.

The manual offers a wonderful illustration of how to guide the lower anchor connectors properly through the belt path which may initially be confusing. It is important to keep them away from the crotch buckle loop and away from the chest clip, to ensure they don't interfere with the buckle system.

The Graco Trio Grow belongs to the Protect Plus Engineered Family, which means it has been subjected some of the most rigorous testing in the field. This includes tests for side, rear and rollover accidents as well as frontal impacts.