How to Choose the best car seat Infant Car Seat

What do you want from your seat? "If you're looking for a car seat that will grow with your child look into an all-in-one model like the Graco 4Ever DLX," Saxton says. The seat can be transformed into a high-back booster, or an unbackless booster. It comes with a huge rear-facing weight limitation.

It also scores high for comfort and quality with soft and machine-washable padding. Load legs are an additional useful feature. These are shock-absorbing elements that are attached to the base or car seats and reduce movement during a crash.

Safety

Car seats for infants are designed to fit tiny babies best car seat newborn, and so they usually offer more cushioning and padding than convertible carseats. They are also lighter and easier to take out of the car or put onto a stroller frame, unlike 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 for the first year of your child's life, so you don't have to worry about them outgrowing their weight or height as quickly as a convertible car seat may.

It's an excellent idea to do some research prior to you purchase. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has strict standards for car seats. You should consider reading reviews from other parents and checking out car seat safety guides from groups like Consumer Reports and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, both of which have plenty of crash test data to give to families.

Look for features that will be useful to your family. These include an easy release of the strap, a no-rethread harness, or a leveling foot with spring-loaded mechanisms. These kinds of features can help you buckle your lightweight baby car seat quicker and easier however, you must remember that even the safest of seats are useless when you don't use them correctly.

The weight and the width of the car seat are also important. A lot of infant car seats are designed to fit alongside older car seats in the back of your vehicle Some can grow with your child and transition to an adult seat simultaneously. If you plan to use your car seat to travel or to take taxis, an infant car seat that is installed with only the seatbelt of your vehicle is a convenient alternative.

In general it's best to buy the most secure car seat you can afford, as the most affordable models don't meet the highest safety standards for crash safety. Beware of models that don't include side impact crash tests, and allow manufacturers to self-certify.

Convenience

The best car seats for infants are those that can fit in your family vehicle They are also easy to install, and include useful features such as a built-in running stroller or a rotation feature. It should be affordable. Infant seats can vary in price from about $180 to over $500. If they are convertible, and are intended for both infants and toddlers the cost could be higher.

Convenience features include how simple it is to put in the seat using either the LATCH system or a seatbelt, and whether you are able to adjust the headrest and harness without removing the infant out of the seat. You want to be able to install and remove the seat easily, especially if you switch frequently between vehicles or take Uber rides with your child. The seat should also be light and clearly labeled for installation guides and bubble levels to ensure you can easily install the car seat properly installed.

You should also be able turn the seat around and lock it when you're 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, think about whether your child will outgrow the seat before they turn one. As a rule, choose a car seat for your child that grows with them until they reach 90 percentile.

Some manufacturers go above and beyond federal safety standards and include other features, such as crash testing, comfort and convenience in their car seats. The Clek Ling is a top pick among our gear editors as well as Consumer Reports is a great example of an infant car seat swivel seat that offers much more than just good crash protection. It also comes with a leg that stabilizes the seat in crashes, reducing the forces on the child by 40%. This alone could save the life of a child, which is why it's worth paying more for a car seat that's secure and comes with additional convenience features.

Comfort

One of the most important aspects to consider when selecting a baby car seat is the comfort, as babies spend a significant amount of time in their car seats. The most comfortable ones have thick, breathable fabrics and plenty of padding for the harness and headrest. They have easy-to-use adjustments, like strap covers, buckles and headrest adjustments which don't require to be rethread.

The weight and size of a baby car seat can also impact the comfort of your child, particularly if you plan to switch cars or travel with the seat often. Some models are narrower than others, making them easier to fit in the back seat alongside another car seat or other siblings' seats. And, while they all have minimum and maximum height and weight limits, certain models are lighter than others--which can prevent your biceps from becoming sore when carrying it around town or between vehicles.

Some infant car seats have additional features that make them more versatile. For instance they can rotate or be clicked into a stroller with no need for adapters. Other models have premium features like an adjustable no-rethread harness or bars that prevent rebounding to provide additional security in the event of an accident. While these extra features aren't essential to a safe ride, they can contribute to the overall experience using the seat.

Parents want their infants to be comfortable and have a clean car seat. They also care about safety and convenience. Find a seat that's machine washable and stain-resistant, as well as easy to take off for cleaning. Some seats can be cleaned using the dishwasher making it easier to keep them looking new.

Some models go the extra mile to ensure their customers' experience is safe and smooth, such as the Graco SnugRide(tm) Elite, which comes with an anti-rebound bars and is compliant with Graco ProtectPlus Engineered(tm) standards to withstand front and rear facing infant car seat collisions. The seat comes with a Silent Shade canopy to keep baby quiet and comfortable and has an indicator to let you know when the seat is properly attached. And, its adjustable harness tightener and carry handle provide easy, one-handed adjustments.

Design

Car seat manufacturers create infant car seats with safety and convenience in mind, however the variety of features available makes it difficult to decide what's the best fit for your family. You'll need to take into consideration aspects like weight and height limits as well as the number of belt paths and buckles. Other features like anti-rebound bar, load legs, and no-rethread straps may increase the price of the seat, but they will improve comfort for your baby. Look for features that make it easy to get your child into and out of the car seat, for example rotational mechanisms. You should also be aware of the dimensions and weight of the base, as not all seats fit in every vehicle.

The ease of attaching and detaching the base is a feature that is crucial. This is affected by the quality of the LATCH connectors as well as whether they're rigid or flexible. Also, you should consider whether the straps can be easily tightened or loosen and if they have an easy release mechanism that allows you to remove and install the seat.

Certain models let you use the seat without a base which can be convenient for those who frequently use taxis or plan on switching cars frequently. Look for models that come with a built-in lock as well as bubble level indicators to ensure your seat is installed correctly.

Certain features could be worth the extra expense like the headrest that grows with your child, a five-position recline feature and an extension canopy that is locked in the position. Our product testers also mentioned that having a seat which can be used as a highback booster with belt positioning or a backless booster after the baby seat is no longer using it is a nice benefit.

The Doona is the type of infant car seat that delights parents. It's packed with features that solve nearly every complaint parents have about infant car seats, which is the reason our product testers scored it highly across all categories. For instance, it's certified for airplane travel, features a unique handle that doubles as an anti-rebound bar and transforms directly into a stroller (no need for separate stroller adapters). The crash test results are excellent and it's GREENGUARD Gold Certified.