What are the main types of infant car seats? Sometimes a premium-priced infant car seat is worth it. The fit-to-vehicle is important to every occupants safety. Parents with infants that regularly carpool or use public transportation tend to benefit the most from the Graco Snugride Snuglock 35 rear-facing car seat and its features. It is not budget-friendly, so making sure it is the right investment takes a little extra consideration. With two kids of my own, Im passionate about child safety! Unless your vehicle has legroom to spare, a dedicated infant car seat makes far more sense for the first year. However, one drawback is that you will need to thread the harness manually to adjust the height or reassemble it after washing. The Chicco KeyFit is the right combination of safety, comfort, and ease of use. The biggest thing you could do, you are already doing. Being able to move your sleeping little person without waking them up is always a plus, too. BabyGearLab was founded by a Pediatrician Mom with a mission to provide a reliable, independent, source of information to new parents. Britax believes parents and children should enjoy every moment and live life to its fullest potential. The B-Safe 35 infant car seat really shines in the area of use. If you want compatibility with a stroller that doesnt come from your car seat manufacturer, there are still options. No, you cant buy the bar separately.). Spending more than that doesnt seem to get you more features than the Britax has, while the sacrifices you make at a lower price point are pretty big losses in convenience. The Gold SecureMax is one of their quality rear-facing car seats that have the best crash test resultsand safety features they offer. When you click on links to buy products we may earn money to support, Nice fabric, easy to use LATCH, works with Britax strollers. Do you already have an infant car seat but need to replace itfor various reasons? Part of Chiccos charm is striving towards parent-friendly car seat systems that are also safe. It is lightweight and easy to carry if you take taxis or long walks. All of the models we tested except for the older Graco have a front-adjusting harnesses. At 11.5 pounds, its the heaviest, and at 26.5 inches its the longest carrier front to back. Coming from three years of using various Graco seats with fiddly strap-mounted tensioners, one tester admired the way Britax lets you pull on two independant LATCH straps directly. We spend tens of thousands of dollars crash testing car seats to inform our ratings. We couldn't find information on if or how they test these features. Your email address will not be published. The Chicco is the shallowest seat we measured measured along the back-board part of the seat, with 17.5 inches of room for your babys torso to grow compared to Britaxs 19.6. Whether you are a brisk walker or a full-on jogger, the Britax B-Safe 35 rear-facing car seat might be the right infant car seat for you. People with small vehicles have fewer options. City dwellers are the biggest beneficiary of the Nuna Pipa. The Britax B-Safe 35 ranks around average when it comes to crash tests; however, it has features like added side impact protection and an impact zone on its deep shell that improves its safety. Baby Trend focuses on being affordable to everyday parents while providing them the best baby solutions. Also, it is a good policy to keep up with infant car seat recalls. As a result, it is not a seat we would recommend to a friend, and we believe there are better options available for every safety seat goal. This car seat was designed with the newborn insert in mind, so you can rest easy. The NHTSA does provide a rating on how easy a car seat is to use. The Clek Liing is a model of infant car seat that is specifically geared to people who are looking for a narrow, fit-to-vehicle infant car seat model. It has above average crash testresults, but the addition of an anti-rebound bar and a steel-frame ups its overall safety score. The canopy on the 35 is nice and is large compared to the competition; it doesn't have a peek-a-boo window but is one of the better-looking canopies in the group. Releasing tension to make unbuckling easier was simple for all of these systems. We checked the car seats for seat back length in the chart above by measuring along the back-board where your babys spine rests, from the bottom of the seat to the rim of the seat. One of our testers, A.M., seemed entirely too small in the Graco and Chicco. An infant car seat has different protections than a lot of convertible child restraint systems. It is super easy to mount on a stroller and safe for your little bundle. However, if you use rideshares, you have no idea what size the car will pick you up. You may even want to read online user manuals before you make the investment, so you know if the task is something you are prepared to do. You want to avoid any loose harnesses. One of the top picks in our review of the best double strollers, the Contours Options Elite, makes adapters to fit all major car seats. Review publications like Consumer Reports have chosen to run crash tests themselves. This feature helps parents find the right angle for installation. But, that is not the only thing to look for. Installing a car seat in the back also often means losing some leg room in the front; about the only way to get around that is to drive a minivan. The NHTSA rates this car seat a 19 out of 25, docking points for label clarity and the harness system. These tests are looking at factors outside the scope of federal regulations to see if they can find differences between car seats. As a child grows, there are other convertible and combo child restraints and highback and backless booster seats. Infant car seat use in smaller vehicles is not always cut and dry. Seat size and adjustment: Most parents dont know exactly how big their baby is when they buy a car seat, so its important to have a seat that can fit a range of heights. It is not every day that you find a safe infant car seat that is a safe stroller option, too. The B-Safe Ultra has easier strap adjustment, better options for temporary installation in Grandma's car or an Uber, and a great look and feel. Our Editors independently research, test, and rate the best products. You might want to find a model with great labeling, too. First and foremost, you will need room if your family budget for a hefty investment. While we don't think making a buying decision based solely on weight is a good idea, we believe that it can be helpful when choosing between two similar options. Check out our review of forward-facing booster seats for big kids here. You dont want to be caught off guard if baby arrives early! The general limits are birth to 35 pounds and 35 inches. It is an overall great performer when it comes to infant car seats and will not break the bank. Choosing your first car seat can be intimidating. This seat has a built-in recline foot on the base (above left). Maxi-Cosi is a German company, but it does not stop them from surpassing expectations in North America. In our tests, we didnt have any difficulty wiping off spit-up and snacks, but its also easy to remove the cover for washing. A convertible can replace three different car seats and thats a big money saver. Certain price ranges typically contain certain features. Instructions on installation that have both diagrams and text are the best at walking a new parent through the steps of an infant car seat. This helps the harness fit small infants better and makes the angle of your babys body a little bit flatter to help out babys developing neck. Your email address will not be published. We will explore what is out there and see what fits you and your little ones needs. The Doona Infant Car Seat Stroller has above overage crash test results. It is overwhelming to have a new baby, much less the thought of riding around with your new bundle of joy. Another rule of thumb is that if the carrier is too heavy to carry, it might be a good time to looking at transitioning to a different child car restraint system. It does not have a lot of the premium features that other infant car seats have, but the Ally 35 gets the job done with it comes to protection. The second distinct feature is the European-style belt path for installing without the base. The B-Safe 35 crash test results demonstrate a basic level of protection when looking at the competition. For a runner-up, we also like the Cybex Aton2. You buy just one seat and can use it in different positions for years maybe even until your child is tall enough to use a seat belt without a booster. The release button is at the carrier's foot on top of the padding near the tightening belt. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. On basic models like the Graco Snugride 30, you have to adjust the fit of the harness from the underside of the seat, which is awkward at best. It has a SuperCinch LATCH system that makes securing it easy, and the KeyFit 30 rear-facing car seat has a 5-point harness that adjusts one movement. The charts show the Britax 35 (in black) compared to the top-performing products in each sensor region. It is part of doing your research, and you will want to avoid getting an infant car seat with recalls. Are infant car seats safer than convertible car seats? Along with the safety features and ease of use, it is indeed a premium model. However, following the 35 pounds and 35 inches limit rule helps. Squeezing both levers allows the handle to rotate. We spent three weeks checking reviews from the top baby product test websites, like Wirecutter, Consumer Reports and BabyGearLab. It factors into the ease of use and what you feel comfortable with. The labeling and user manual needs a little work. It does not matter which type it is; it is dangerous when they all do not fit properly. For some reason, it comes with two manuals, one for the base and one for the carrier. Also, the belt path is not color-coded, and it is hard to thread the belt through. A rear-facing car seat needs to always be in the back seat and away from all airbags. The NHTSA rates this a 24 out of 25 for ease of use and an easy-to-use car seat is a safe car seat. Your little person is ready to move to a new car restraint system when there is less than an inch from the top of your kids head to the carrier. All things considered, this is a quirky little car seat that has a lot to offer at a competitive price. It isnt that hard to repeat once you learn the feel of it, but four of our testers said it was a deal-breaker after seeing a demonstration. Alternatively, if budget isn't a concern and you want the best crash tests score, the Cybex Aton 2 is the one for you. Parents with smaller-sized infants or preemies benefit the most from the Britax Endeavours. We asked a team of five moms and one dad to try out these car seats. It is always good to check your user manual when installing it and learning how to use it. This Britax claims some level of side impact protection (SIP) and a specially designed shell for absorbing forces. The padding on this Britax is relatively thin and flexible compared to the competition. Im a research nerd whos on a mission to make the world a safer place for kids starting with car seats! Clips and belt-paths are color coded, and safety labels point out exactly what to do for an installation. It has top-end crash test scores. The other adjustment that youll need to make periodically, though, is harness height. Parents that live in the city or take public transportation loves the KeyFit rear-facing car seat because it is slim, narrow, and compact, making it easily portable. Extra crash-protection features: Most car seats will make claims about design considerations that specifically go above and beyond the baseline crash test performance allowed under federal regulations. It does have a sturdy and helpful Silent Shade Canopy to protect your baby from UV rays and the dangers of the sun. However, for parents that are city-dwellers, the Maxi-Cosi Mico Max 30 infant car seat works well because it is highly compatible with many strollers, and it is lightweight and easy to transport. We checked the length of the seats in a few different positions, and found that the Cybex Aton2 gives you the most space. The features we prioritized when shopping were all related to daily use: adjusting the fit of the harness, moving the seat from one car to another, and using the seat bucket without its base (like you would in a taxi or Uber). Unfortunately, the harness shoulder height adjustment on this infant seat is a rethread style adjustment with four positions. The overall ease of use of the Clek Liing rear-facing infant car seat is pretty great, too. It works with a wide range of stroller brands and model that makes it easy to take walks or transfer a sleeping child from the car to their warm beds. You don't need all these extra features to have a safe car seat, but it sure can't hurt. This dark horse contender comes from Germany, and it comes with distinctive features that set it apart. It makes for an infant car seat and stroller combination that provides the best security for your little human. Rear-facing car seats are both best practice and legally required. Nobodys saying that side-impact performance isnt something worth paying attention to, but you should spend more time reading an instruction manual and finding a way to install your car seat in a center seat than you do combing through crash test results. It has a great fit-to-vehicle score that makes it easy to use in a variety of vehicles. Cybex is one of the few companies bringing the latest European design features stateside. After comparing all of the features and using the car seats, our testers nearly all said the Britax B-Safe Ultra is the car seat theyd choose to take home. Theres a two-step removal procedure, where you have to lift the foot end of the carrier out of the base before the head latch will unlock. Cheaper is not always better. We took four top-rated car seats and asked six experienced parents to size them up. Its amazing crash test resultsonly impress that much more. The back of a convertible is so tall that when its reclined in rear-facing mode for an infant, it takes up a lot of extra room. If your precious cargo gets too heavy before they are ready for a forward-facing seat, it might be time to buy a new one. In the case of the B-Safe 35, they offer you an option when it comes to taking sunset jogs with your baby. If you want a little bit more in the way of safety-conscious design, the Britax Endeavours is the same as the B-Safe, but the base has an anti-rebound bar bolted on for about $60. Graco has addressed this with a front adjustment on the Snuglock 30. All of our reviews are unsponsored, so we earn money by using affiliate links. The rear-facing infant car seat is a bit heavy, but the entire system is safe and super handy. The marketplace is full of rear-facing infant seats that meet federally mandated safety standards, and it is overwhelming. Every parent is looking for different features. The LATCH anchors store by tucking under the base on each side. A parent that commutes or uses public transportation benefits the most from the Maxi-Cosi Mico Maxi Plus rear-facing infant car seat because of its lightweight build and easy portability. Its good to plan ahead and make sure you buy and know how to install your car seat a few months before your due date. The ease of installation and use is above average. The overall use is spot-on, and the user manner and directions are great guides to using the Endeavors. It could be a bit more parent-friendly, but when it comes to its portability, it hits all the right notes. It has an overall balance of safety, comfort, and ease of use. Materials: All the big car seat manufacturers target parents with exclusive materials and patterns. It is a quality model at an affordable price. After two months of testing and a thorough debrief, our team picked the Britax B-Safe Ultra as the best infant car seat. It is highly affordable and makes a great and safe spare infant car seat. Second, the seat has to recline quite low, but not too low. The Britax Endeavours rear-facing car seat uses the traditional LATCH system, which helps tons with the installation. While it received a higher than average score for installation using LATCH, it did not score above average for any other metric. The center space minimizes many risks that come with car accidents. The ease of use and installation reflects the overall quality of the premium-priced Mico Max 30 infant car seat. And, not all child car restraint systems have a great fit-to-vehicle. We have tested over 60 car seats, including 29 infant car seats. Gets a near-perfect score for ease of use from the NHTSA and from our testers. The Britax B-Safe 35 had disappointing overall performances in most test metrics earning it a lower rank compared to the competition. We prefer the high ranking Chicco Keyfit 35, which is compatible with most of our favorite strollers, has a higher crash test result and is easy to use and install. If you can afford to spend a little more, the Aton Q adds a bigger sun canopy and non-rethread harness adjustment, but the tricky carrier release latch is still the same. Let us know! Recline is necessary so a newborns head wont just flop down onto their chest, but if its too low the momentum in a crash would just go into the shoulder straps instead of the back of the seat. Youre usually ready for this shift when your baby is one year old, but follow manufacturer instructions about height and weight limits. The Britax Endeavours go above and beyond. The Nuna Pipa infant car seat is an average performer oncrash tests. The Evenflo LightMax DLX has SureSafe push-on LATCH connectors with guides to make installation breezy. We do not always have the funds to make a massive investment in an infant car seat, but we want the safest journey for our little people. An example is side-impact testing: some review tests are designed to show an absolute worst-case scenario of a vehicle sliding sideways at 30 miles per hour and colliding with a stationary object exactly on the door next to a car seat installed in a side seat. The LATCH system helps with installation as well as make for a safer infant car seat. Again, always check your specific model for their recommendations. Rethreading isnt very difficult if you read the directions carefully and pay attention to which slot youre coming from and which slot youre moving to but it takes time and you have to take your baby out of the carseat. Learn about how the anchors in your car and attachment systems on your car seat work together to make a tight, secure installation. The Britax company launched in the United States in 1996 after a successful run in Europe as the best-selling car seat option. If the fit-to-child is poor, safety is poor. To assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. This design means you adjust the height with the baby out of the seat and from behind. They then rethread through higher slots and reattach to the splitter. All the car seats we checked provide a mechanism for leveling out the base when on an angled car seat, and they all provided a nearly identical degree of adjustment. It is hard to trust anyone or anything to have our babies best interests at heart. What are the height and weight limits for infant car seats? And, we combine our review work with gobs of expert parenting advice. The other unique feature is a linear side-impact protection (LSP) system. It is incredibly expensive, but you will not find a better overall performer in the marketplace. It has an exceptional fit-to-vehicle score that goes a long way towards its parent-friendly use. Easy-to-use installation and harness adjustment features make this a great seat to work with and you get extra installation flexibility with European-style shoulder belt routing. This gives a little bit more control and feedback than tying them together in a single pull-strap, like Chicco does, or forcing you to rely on a lever, as Cybex does. It is expensive, but the two-in-one is worth it to many parents. Installation aids: The more readily apparent benefits come from systems that make securing your car seat to the anchors in your car quick and simple. We didnt find anything ultra-luxe like flame-retardant-free wool in the $200 price bracket we tested. The Graco Snugright Snugride 35 is affordable and goes above and beyond to prove a parent-friendly experience. It wasnt the most convenient to use every day, so it narrowly missed top spot, but its still a car seat we like. The Graco Snugride Snuglock 35 rear-facing infant car seat uses SnugLock Technology that you can install in one minute, whether with your vehicle seat belt or the LATCH system. The affordable model is one in a line of Chiccos KeyFit infant car seats. Evenflo has a line of top-notch infant car seats. It uses updated technology like True lock and other features that make it a premium infant car seat. European standards include the option to wrap the shoulder belt around the front of the carrier for easier and more secure installs you never know when you may need it. Given the number of drunk and distracted drivers on the road, your newborn deserves no less than the best. Yes, there was more leg room with the Cybex, but when its in the base the Britax is slightly shorter than the Chicco despite giving more room to grow. That said, you can still have a safe car seat without these features and U.S. safety agencies arent currently testing them: The Cybex is tested and approved with these two features folded in, and U.S. standards dont currently test side impacts. The Gold SecureMax is the next generation rear-facing car seat by Evenflo. Adjustments are easy-to-handle, and lock-off is simple to use. The infant insert is also great for smaller babies and this takes up less of your front row legroom than any other seat available in the U.S. Also, the sun visor on the Cybex is fairly small and doesnt extend far enough to prevent low-angle sunset glare when used in a stroller. This is also one of the lighter car seats we found, less than nine pounds. We dont want the ranking in this review to be overstated: if it werent for a few features that made other car seats easier to use in specific cases, this car seat would have been very close to the top pick. We looked at compatibility across all the major stroller and car seat brands, and theres a pattern: the strollers from big-name manufacturers like Britax, Graco and Chicco just dont work with other car seat brands. Installing the B-Safe base is a breeze. The LATCH tethers will do a great job of preventing a car seat from flying forward, but as the seat cushion underneath compresses theres still room for momentum to rock the seat forward, then rebound. To contact me directly please click here. Thats not unusual, especially at this price point, but the fact that the Britax manages to provide a non-rethread harness at a similar price is a real bonus. Weight: If you leave the car seat installed in a car all the time, this may not be a critical feature. The Doona Infant Car Seat Stroller is a good solution. When do babies grow out of infant car seats? Just real, honest, side-by-side testing by people who care. Sometimes it is model-specific, and other times it is user error. tested thousands of baby and kids products. And, every parent loves a no-rethread harness when making adjustments. You can find premium choices that work with different brands of strollers and joggers. They have been manufacturing children's products for over 70 years. It does lack a lot of informative labeling, and the user manual does not explain how to use the LATCH system for new parents fully. (Yes, its literally the same base with an added part. You can get the same effect by pushing down on a base and pulling hard, but some people will prefer this mechanical advantage. The ease of use is straightforward. The mechanism that keeps this car seat locked in the base is a bit tricky to work with. It is 11 pounds and safe for babies that weigh only 4 pounds. The center of the backseat is the best position your infant car seat can be in. It is not without a few issues, but it has far more benefits than drawbacks. This chart shows the B-Safe 35 crash test data for the chest sensors vs the Graco SnugRide Click Connect 40 data, which has the best crash test results for the chest region, This chart shows the B-Safe 35 crash test data for the head sensors vs the Chicco Keyfit 30 data, which has the best crash test results for the head region, The B-Safe 35 offers relatively thick dense foam padding that potentially increase safety, The B-Safe 35 earned its highest install score for the LATCH system, The LATCH anchors are definitely easier to use on vehicles with pre formed LATCH pockets, The B-Safe 35 earned a below average score for installation with the belt despite the seat lock off, The lock off on the B-Safe 35 is a result of side threading mechanisms that prevent the belt from sliding through, The B-Safe 35 uses the American belt path across the lower portion of the carrier, The larger side clips on the B-Safe 35 make threading the belt a little easier, The release button on the B-Safe 35 is easy to press but also easy for baby to play with, The buckle on the B-Safe 35 is easier to use than the buckle on the B-Safe, The handle on the B-Safe 35 is easy to use, The carrier release handle on the B-Safe 35 is easy to use, The Britax B-Safe 35 is somewhat disappointing for comfort compared to the other seats in the group, The B-Safe 35 has a very nice looking canopy, This is the heavier of the two Britax seats we reviewed, BabyGearLab is reader-supported. We do extensive research and hands-on testing, so you can trust the products we recommend. Storage prevents the straps and anchors themselves from getting in the way of the carrier connecting firmly to the base. How to choose an infant car seat - Top Tips. The Graco Snuglock 30 is a budget-friendly, lightweight car seat that will keep your baby safe. But, you need to consider that infant car seats are specifically designed for tiny ones.