Top Rated Infant Car Seats

Not all baby car seats are created in the same way. The most effective seats come with features that enhance the performance of crash tests. For example load legs -- shock-absorbing elements which are attached to the base or seat and limit movement in the event of a collision.

Chicco KeyFit is a favorite of CPST instructors. It features an upper-right rear-facing weight and a the height limit is high as well as a bubble-level indicator and a spring-loaded reclined foot that makes it easy to put in.

Graco Mesa Max

The Graco Mesa Max is one of the highest-ranked infant car seats in terms of convenience of use. It comes with great fabrics and a simple design and a handy feature that allows you to attach a child's harness to the headrest, making it easier to tighten. It also has a huge canopy that allows you to keep your baby shaded during travel. The only drawback is that it is slightly heavier than the average this could be a problem if you plan to lug it around or want to use it with your award-winning UPPAbaby stroller.

Mesa Max's remarkable results in crash tests reflect its dedication to safety. It scored high in both the frontal and side impact tests, meaning 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 an accident 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 rivals.

Graco Mesa Max can easily and securely be installed in your vehicle with LATCH used with the base included. The load leg, recline angle adjustment as well as the indicator for tightness ensure an accurate, quick installation. The base weighs 12.6, which is slightly higher than the typical car seat for infants, but 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 chemical that are fire-proof. It also features an adjustable headrest that can be adjusted infinitely and an extremely durable infant insert that helps improve fit and body positioning for babies approximately 4-11 lbs. The fabrics are GREENGUARD Gold Certified, which tests for low chemical emissions and VOCs.

The Mesa Max from UPPAbaby is more expensive than other alternatives, however it comes with top features and modern safety technologies for an optimal traveling experience. The base is included and is available in a variety of attractive colors. This adds to the value proposition. Its thoughtful features and sturdy design give parents peace of mind for every trip.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight

The Britax Blvd ClickTight is a great option for parents who want an automobile seat that they can develop with. Its rear-facing limit is 40 pounds, which is greater than most infant car seats, and it can also be used as a forward-facing seat until your child reaches 65 pounds.

The ClickTight Installation System is its biggest selling feature. It is the most secure, most simple and secure system on the market. It lets you tighten the seat belt by pushing a red release button and pulling the harness strap without the need to untie it, then re-thread. This minimizes the chance of not tightening the correct belt, which is the leading cause of newborn Car Seat seat failure.

The EZ-Buckle Pad is another security feature that keeps the buckle away 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 in and out of the vehicle.

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

It's a hefty seat, and it could be worth looking at alternatives that are lighter when you are planning to use it for frequent car swaps or for travel. The seat is large and therefore may not fit in smaller vehicles.

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

The Graco also comes with LATCH connectors with push-on connections which make it much easier to remove the seat. The Boulevard's LATCH connectors have a different release mechanism, which requires the user to press a grey button and then pull on the webbing to loosen it. This can be difficult if your webbing is tight. However this seat comes with a storage cubby to store the belt straps when not in use.

Clek Liing

If you're in search of a child car seat that offers all of it -- style, safety as well as convenience and luxuryyou'll love the Clek Liing. This rear-facing car seat can be easy to install, has an impressive crash test score and a range of features.

The Liing is made with features that go beyond US and Canadian safety standards. It is designed for easy installation and security in all seating positions. It also features advanced safety features such as an energy-absorbing metal leg as well as two-piece shell that is lined with EPP to provide increased side impact protection. The base features seven recline positions, and an indicator bubble that lets you know whether the seat is just the perfect angle for your child.

Parents love the Liing's sleek and modern design, and its unique safety features, such as rigid lower anchors that are simpler to attach than standard hook-and-loop connectors. The Liing comes with a single-handed release, making it easy to remove the base and use it with strollers that are compatible with it. With less than 17 inches wide it's just narrow enough for 3-across use in most cars and can easily fit into convertible car seats as a travel booster.

This infant seat scores an impressive 1st place in terms of ease of installation with its unique rigid-LATCH system. The lower anchors of the Liing click right into the vehicle's lower seat belt slots. Additionally, the seat's top tether strap snaps into the vehicle's headrest to create an incredibly secure, tight fit that eliminates the possibility of the child being thrown around during a crash.

The base weighs 9lbs, and the carrier weighs 10.5 lbs. Other rear-facing only seats are heavier in weight however if you're planning to carry the car seat and its base around, the slight difference won't be noticeable (especially once you add a child to the equation! ).

Parents love the Liing's built-in canopy and 100+spf of protection from the sun's rays with mesh peekaboo. Caregivers love the merino cover that keeps baby cozy and they also love the ability of the handle to pivot over the canopy, making it easier for them to grab when needed.

Graco Trio Grow SnugLock LX

The Graco Trio Grow SnugLock LX is a 3-in-1 car seat that can be used from rear-facing infant to forward-facing harness, and finally to highback booster. It has the SnugLock system that allows for a simple and smooth installation using lower anchors or best car seats for infants seat belts. It also has the option to use the top tether when in booster mode (although we recommend using the lower anchors at all times to ensure security).

This seat is perfect for children of all age groups. It comes with an infant car seat cheap insert for smaller babies that helps support their necks and backs. As they grow older, this insert can be removed and the seat is used as a normal car seat for toddlers. This car seat is among the few that allows you to use the top tether when in booster mode, which we highly recommend.

Its base is quite compact from front to rear which means it shouldn't be a problem to locate a place for it in the majority of vehicles. The headrest needs to be raised to allow for the lower anchor webbing to pass through. Thankfully, there's a handy headrest adjustment knob that can easily do this, and you'll be able to view the position of your headrest in the display window.

The SnugLock system is one of the most unique features of this seat. It's a bar that is inside the belt path. This makes fitting this car seat using the lower anchors a breeze and similar to using the seat belt of your vehicle.

The manual also has a great illustration of how to properly route the lower anchor connectors when routing them through the new belt path, which can be confusing initially. It's important to keep them out of the crotch buckle loop and away from the chest clip so they don't interfere with the buckle system.

The Graco Trio Grow is part of the Protect Plus Engineered family, which means it's been subjected to some of the most rigorous crash testing in the industry. This includes side, rear and rollover crashes, as well as frontal impact tests.