Top Rated Infant Car Seats
Not all infant car seats are created in the same way. The best ones have features that increase the performance of crash tests, such as load legs, which are shock absorbing components on the base of the seat that reduce movement in a collision.
A popular choice among CPST instructors is the Chicco KeyFit, which has a high rear-facing weight limit and height limit, an indicator for the level of bubbles, and an reclining foot with a spring that makes it easy to set up.
Graco Mesa Max
The Graco Mesa Max ranks as one of the easiest infant car seats to use. infant car seat rear facing Pushchairs & Prams is made of great materials and a simple design and a convenient feature to connect a child's harness to the headrest, making it easier to tighten. It has a large canopy that can be tucked away to keep your child protected when they travel. The only downside is that it is a bit heavier than normal, which might be a problem if plan to lug it around or if you want to pair it with your UPPAbaby stroller that has won awards.
The Mesa Max's impressive crash test results show its dedication to top-tier safety. It scored high in both frontal and side impact tests, which means that your baby will be safe from both sides of a collision.
The anti-rebound panel is another notable safety feature. It helps reduce rebound forces in a crash, and protects the child's head. This feature is unique among infant car seats, and makes the Mesa Max standout among its peers.
Graco Mesa Max can easily and securely be installed in your vehicle using LATCH when used with the base included. The load leg, recline angle adjustment, and tightness indicator ensure a quick and accurate installation. The base weighs 12.6 lbs it is slightly heavier than the typical car seat for infants but not enough to be an issue.
The UPPAbaby Mesa V2 uses the same double-knit fabric that was used in its predecessor. It is free of chemical that are fire-resistant. It also comes with an adjustable headrest that can be adjusted infinitely and an extremely durable infant insert that improves the body's fit and positioning for infants weighing between 4-11 pounds. The fabrics are GREENGUARD gold certified, which means they test for low VOCs and chemical emissions.
The UPPAbaby UPPAmax Mesa Max is a little more expensive than other options, but offers premium features and the latest technology to ensure an enjoyable and safe journey. The included base and a range of stylish colors enhance the value proposition. Its thoughtful design and robust features offer peace of mind for parents on their every trip.
Britax Boulevard ClickTight
The Britax Blvd ClickTight is a fantastic choice for parents who are looking for a car seat that their child can grow with. Its rear-facing capacity 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.
Its most prominent selling factor is the ClickTight Installation System, which is the safest and easiest on the market. It lets you tighten the seat belt by pushing the red release button and pulling on 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 most common cause of car seat failure.
Another safety feature is the EZBuckle Pad, which keeps the buckle in place when you're putting your child in the seat. This feature together with beltpath cutouts on both sides of the seat makes it simple to get your child in and out of the car.
All three ClickTight convertible seat models (Boulevard CT, Marathon CT, Advocate CT) share the identical features. ClickTight Installation System is one of them. Also included are an impact-absorbing frame that has 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 traveling. The seat is also big, so it may not fit well in smaller vehicles, particularly if it's installed on the rear.
If you're looking for a budget-friendly option, but with the same quality, check out the Graco 4Ever DLX. It has lower crash test analysis scores than the Boulevard, but it's still an excellent seat for your baby.
The Graco also comes with push-on LATCH connectors, which make it easier to remove the seat. The LATCH connectors on the Boulevard have an additional release mechanism, which requires the user to press a grey button and pull on the webbing to loosen it. This isn't easy if the webbing is tense. This seat has a handy compartment to store the belt straps.
Clek Liing
If you're looking for an infant car seat that has all of it -safety, style as well as convenience and luxury- you'll love the Clek Liing. This rear-facing car seat is simple to put in, has a high crash test rating and a variety of features.
The Liing is designed to protect babies with features that meet and surpass both US and Canadian safety standards. It's engineered for a simple, secure installation - in every seating position. It's packed with safety features that are advanced like an energy-absorbing steel load leg as well as a two-piece shell lined with EPP foam to provide greater side-impact protection. The base comes with 7 recline positions as well as a reliable bubble indicator to let you know precisely when the seat is at the proper angle for your baby.
The Liing is modern and sleek stroller that parents love. It has innovative safety features, like rigid lower anchors that are more convenient 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 and to use with various strollers compatible with it. It's also slim enough to fit three-across in many vehicles, and it can be easily inserted into a convertible car seats as a travel boost.
The Liing infant seat earns an impressive 1st place in terms of the ease of installation due to its unique rigid-LATCH system. The Liing's lower anchors click right into the vehicle's lower seat belt slots, and the top tether strap snaps into the headrest of the vehicle to create an incredibly secure, tight fit that eliminates the risk of the child being thrown around during an accident.
The base weighs 9lbs and the seat weighs 10.5 lbs. Other rear-facing seats weigh more, however, the difference isn't evident if you intend to carry the car seat and base around. ).
Parents appreciate the Liing's built in canopy and 100+spf sun protection that comes with a mesh peekaboo window. Caregivers love the merino-covered cover that keeps baby cozy and also appreciate the handle's ability to pivot away from the canopy, making it more comfortable to grab whenever they need.
Graco Trio Grow SnugLock LX
The Graco Trio GROW SnugLock is a 3-in-1 seat that can be converted from a rear-facing infant into a forward-facing harness and then to a highback booster. It has the SnugLock system which allows for an easy and smooth installation with either lower anchors or car seat belts. It also allows you to use the top tether in booster mode (although we recommend using the lower anchors in all times for greater security).
This seat is ideal for children of all different ages. It comes with an infant insert for younger babies that helps support their backs and necks. When they get older, this insert can be removed and the seat used as a normal car seat for toddlers. This is the only car seats that allow the top tether to be used as a booster. We highly recommend it.
Its base is pretty compact from front to back, so it shouldn't be hard to find a spot for it in the majority of cars. It does require the headrest to be raised, in order to provide a clear way for the lower anchor webbing. Fortunately, there's a headrest adjustment knob that can easily do this, and also observe the position of the headrest in the display window.
The SnugLock system is one of the most exciting features of this seat. It's a bar that is inside the belt path. This makes installing this car seat using the lower anchors a breeze and is nearly as simple as using the seat belt of your vehicle.
The manual has a great illustration of how to run the lower anchor connectors in a correct manner through the belt path, which can initially be confusing. Keep them from the chest clip and crotch loop in order to avoid interfering 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 industry. This includes tests for rear, side and rollover accidents as well as frontal impacts.