Top Rated Infant Car Seats
Not all infant car seats are created in the same way. The best ones have features that increase the crash test's performance, for instance 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 comes with a rear-facing weight and height limit that is high and a bubble-level indicator and a spring-loaded reclined foot that makes it simple to set up.
Graco Mesa Max
The Graco Mesa Max is one of the highest-ranked infant car seats due to its ease of use. It is an easy-to-use design and top fabrics. It also has a handy feature that lets you attach the harness of your child directly to the headrest. It has a large canopy that can be tucked away to keep your child protected while traveling. The only downside is that it is a bit heavier than normal and could be a problem if you are planning to transport it or if you want to pair it with your UPPAbaby stroller, which is a winner.
The Mesa Max's impressive results in crash tests demonstrate its dedication to safety. It scored well in both frontal and side impact tests, meaning that your child will be protected from both sides of a collision.
Another notable safety feature is the Graco's antirebound panel, that helps to reduce the force of rebound during an accident and ensures that your child's head is protected. This feature is unique in infant car seats and makes the Mesa Max standout among its rivals.
If used with the base, the Graco Mesa Max can be installed quickly and safely in your vehicle by using LATCH. The load leg, recline angle adjustment and the indicator of tightness help ensure an accurate, quick installation. The base weighs 12.6, which is slightly higher than the typical infant car seats however not enough to cause an issue.
Like its predecessor, UPPAbaby Mesa V2, the Mesa Max uses dual-knit fabric that is free of chemicals that cause fire. It also has an infinitely adjustable headrest and an extremely durable infant insert that enhances the body's fit and positioning for babies approximately 4-11 lbs. The fabric is GREENGUARD Gold Certified, which ensures low emissions of chemicals and VOCs.
The UPPAbaby Mesa Max is slightly more expensive than other options, but it offers top-quality features and the latest safety technology to ensure a safe travel experience. The included base and a selection of stylish colorways enhance the value proposition. Its thoughtful features and robust design offer parents peace of mind for every trip.
Britax Boulevard ClickTight
The Britax Boulevard ClickTight is a great choice for parents who want an automobile seat that can grow with their child. Its rear-facing limit is 40 pounds, which is greater than the majority of infant car seats, and it can be used as a forward-facing seat until your child is 65 pounds.
The ClickTight Installation System is its major selling point. It is the most secure, easiest and most secure system on the market. It allows you to tighten the seat belt by pushing a red release button and pulling the harness strap without the need to untie it and re-thread it. This reduces the risk of not tightening the correct belt, which is the leading cause of car seat failure.
The EZ-Buckle Pad is another security feature that keeps the buckle out the way when you put your child in the car seat. This feature, along with beltpath cutouts on the sides of the seat, make it easy to get them into and out of the car.
The three ClickTight convertible seat models (Boulevard CT, Marathon CT, Advocate CT) share the identical features. They include the ClickTight Installation System with an impact-absorbing base with 7 recline positions and a rip-stitch energy-absorbing harness pad, a tether that is HUGS as well as a steel reinforced frame and EPP energy-absorbing foam.
It's a hefty seat, so it might be worth looking at an alternative that is lighter when you are planning to use it frequently for car swaps or travel. The seat is large, so it might not fit in smaller cars.
If you're looking for a budget-friendly option, but with the same quality take a look at the 4Ever DLX by Graco. It has lower crash test scores than the Boulevard however it is still an excellent choice for your child.
The Graco also has connectors with push-on connectors for LATCH which allows you to easily remove the seat. The Boulevard's LATCH connectors have a different release mechanism, which requires you to press a gray button and pull the webbing to loosen it. This can be difficult if your webbing is tight. This seat comes with a convenient storage compartment for the belt straps.
Clek Liing
Clek Liing is the infant car seat you should consider if you want it all with style, safety, and convenience. This rear-facing car seat is simple to install, has an impressive crash test score and a range of features.
The Liing is designed to protect infants with features that meet or exceed both US and Canadian safety standards. It is designed to allow for simple, secure installation in any seating position. It also comes with advanced safety features such as an energy-absorbing metal leg and two-piece shell that is lined with EPP for enhanced side impact protection. The base has 7 recline positions, and a bubble indicator that lets you know whether the seat is just the right angle for your child.
The Liing is loved by parents for its sleek and modern design, and also its innovative safety features, such as rigid lower anchors that are simpler 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 many strollers that are compatible with it. It's also slim enough to fit three-across in many automobiles, and it is a good fit in many convertible car seats for an added travel aid.
The Liing infant seat earns an impressive 1st place in terms of ease of installation with its unique rigid-LATCH system. Lower anchors of the Liing snap into the lower seat belt slots in the vehicle and the top tether strap snaps onto the headrest of the vehicle. This creates a tight, secure fit which eliminates the chance that the child will be thrown around during a crash.
The seat is light, with the base weighing 9 pounds and the carrier itself at just 10.5 lbs. Other rear-facing seats have a much heavier weight, but if you're planning to carry the car seat and its base around, the slight difference won't be too obvious (especially once you add a baby to the equation! ).
Parents love the Liing's integrated canopy and 100+spf protection from the sun's rays by mesh peekaboo. Parents appreciate the blanket made of merino, which keeps the baby warm and the ability of the handle to move past the canopy. This makes it easier for parents to reach for the seat if they need to.
Graco Trio Grow SnugLock LX
The Graco Trio SnugLock is a 3-in-1 seat that converts from a rear-facing infant to a forward-facing harness, and then to the highback booster. It comes with the SnugLock installation system which allows for a smooth and simple install with either car seat belts or lower anchors. It also allows you to use the top tether in booster mode (although we recommend using the lower anchors at all times to ensure security).
We love that this chair is suitable for children of different age groups. It has an infant insert for younger infants that can support their necks and backs. This insert can be removed when the child is older and the seat can be used as a normal 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 recommend.
Its base is fairly compact front to back, so it shouldn't be difficult to find a spot for it in the majority of vehicles. It is required for the headrest to be raised, however, to allow a clear way for the lower anchor webbing. best infant carrier car seat , there's a handy headrest adjustment knob that allows you to accomplish this, and you'll be able to view the position of your headrest in the display window.
One of the coolest things about this seat is the SnugLock installation system that is a bar that's within the belt path. This makes installing the car seat with the lower anchors an easy task, and it's similar to using the seat belt of your vehicle.
The manual offers a wonderful illustration on how to route the lower anchor connectors correctly through the belt path, which can initially be confusing. It's crucial to keep them away from the crotch buckle loop and away from the chest clip, so 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 tests in the field. This includes side, rear and rollover crashes, as as frontal impact tests.