15 Startling Facts About Best Car Seats For Infants That You Didn't Know
Best Car Seats For Infants and Babies
While convertible car seats work great for children who are growing, an infant seat works best for infants. They're also lighter and easier to click into strollers than their larger counterparts.
Kecia Healy Instructor at CPST Kecia Healy liked the recline leg that is spring-loaded and also the bubble indicator at the base of the Chicco KeyFit, as well as the user-friendliness. (The more user-friendly the car seat is, the more likely it is that parents will install it correctly. The model also fits three across in the majority of mid-sized vehicles.
1. Clek Liing Car Seat for Infants
The Canadian manufacturer Clek is renowned for its top-rated convertible car seats, and the infant Liing is among the best infant seats. The seat comes with top-of-the-line safety features including a steel load-leg, and easy installation. It also features 7 different recline positions that can be adjusted to fit the slope of your vehicle's seat. A bubble indicator allows you determine if the seat is set at the right angle prior to your child riding in it.
The base for the Liing is simple to set up using rigid LATCH connections that fit into your vehicle's lower anchors, making the seat easier to anchor. The Liing is a great choice for families that are planning to change cars frequently or want a simple and reliable method of installing car seats for babies. If you prefer, you can utilize the belt-tensioning system included to buckle your child in.
One of the things that distinguishes the Liing apart from other infant car seats is its two-piece Newborn Support System. Pushchairs And Prams includes an insert that slides over the crotch strap and an attached headrest to the harnesses to prevent infants from slumbering forward or pulling their heads backwards in the seat. This is a game changer for tiny babies and preemies. It's also one of the few rear-facing infant car seats that provide this degree of support.
The Liing's crash-test framework made of metal reduces crash forces up to 40% compared to other infant seat. The seat's shell is bolstered by EPP foam, which protects your child's head and body from the event of a crash. The base of the seat has a metal load leg which absorbs energy and helps to reduce the risk of collisions.
2. Chicco KeyFit
This is a consistent top-rated infant car seat. It's easy to set up, simple to use and will grow with your baby. It can also be used together with strollers to create a travel system.
The KeyFit is a good pick for parents looking for an easy-to-use, safe and flexible seat. It scored high in crash tests and is lightweight and easy to carry. It also has a wide range of weight and height limits. It was also designed to guarantee the safety of babies. The click-in area is surrounded by soft materials to prevent your baby from getting burned by the metal. The insert for babies comes with a head-cover that protects their tiny heads. The seat pad, on which the baby sits on, nestles the infant in energy-absorbing foam cushions.
It's also among the easiest infant seats to set up correctly every time. This is important because incorrectly installed infant seats can increase the chance of injury to your child. The KeyFit's premium LATCH connectors and a SuperCinch tightener ensure a secure fit that requires minimal effort. The base also has a ReclineSure leveling foot as well as two RideRight bubble level indicators that help ensure the correct angle of the vehicle and a fast installation. In addition, for a different installation using the vehicle seat belt clear belt routing and lock-offs make it simple to set up, install and tighten the belt on the car seat.
It does lose some points in the user-friendliness category due to the rethread-style harness height adjustment--a common feature on a lot of Chicco seats (and also on their OG Keyfit model). This means that you need to manually re-thread the straps to move from one level to the next. This is a minor disadvantage for the ease of use of this seat.
3. Joie i-Snug 2
The light Joie i-Snug 2 is an i-Size infant car seat that is built to the most stringent safety standards. It features a no-rethread belt and is compatible with Joie Strollers that accept Maxi Cosi style adapters. The installation guide is clearly marked and bubble levels are built-in to help align the seat. The car seat is comfortable with plenty of padding. It also has a convenient canopy that shields your baby from the sun.
The iSnug 2 comes with an ISOFIX base to ensure a secure vehicle attachment and can be used in tandem with a compatible stroller for an entire travel system. It's an infant car seat that is rear-facing that offers the best head and neck protection for babies and newborns. The exclusive Tri-Protect Headrest is equipped with a layer of Intelli-Fit Memory Foam to protect your child from side-impact crashes.
You'll require a new infant car seat when your child is at the weight and height limits, or their first birthday. You can then upgrade to a convertible car seat or an all-in one car seat. This will allow your child to be rear-facing for longer, and is safer.
A convertible car seat is larger and more spacious than an infant car seat and has a higher weight and height limit when facing rearward. It is a good idea to change to a convertible car seat as soon as possible to avoid your child from outgrowing it too quickly. In some cases, parents can even transition their child into an all-in-one car seat, without ever having to purchase another new car seat for their infant. It's therefore important to choose the best convertible car seat for your family. Our extensive guide will give you all the information you need to make a wise choice.
4. Nuna Pipa Aire RX
Nuna Pipa RX is a top-rated infant seat due to its safety features, light design, and its flexibility. It can be installed using rigid anchors for the lower part of the outboard seats in the majority of vehicles and also with a seat belt for the vehicle that utilizes Euro routing (which makes use of all of the length of the vehicle's seat belt to ensure the most secure installation). It also comes with an organic baby insert from GOTS, which is a great option for parents who are eco conscious and prefer organic products for their child.
The Pipa Aire RX weighs only 6 lbs. without the canopy or inserts. It's among the lightest infant car seats available. Aeroflex foam is a lightweight material that is durable, but also extremely light helps reduce the force transferred to your child during a crash. Other security features include a five-second steel-reinforced True lock base installation, side impact protection and a multi-position stability leg with a crumple zone that limits forward rotation, resulting in greater rear-facing security.
Other highlights include an ergonomic aluminum carry handle that's light and luxurious with leatherette accents to ensure easy to carry and excellent grip. Magnetic buckle holders keep straps out of from the way when you buckle your child and color-coded indicators for installation ensure that the correct connections are made. The low-profile base enables easy, super-fast loading and the belt's open path with lock-offs secures shoulder and lap belts.
The process of parenting can be messy, but cleaning up shouldn't need to be. The fabrics and inserts of the Pipa Aire RX can be machine washed so that your car seat looks like it did after each use.
5. Nuna Pipa Urbn
Nuna's PIPA air rx and PIPA Rx car seats are excellent choices. However, the new Pipa Urbn is a step above. This ultralight infant seat is easy to carry and weighs less than 7 pounds once the canopy and insert are connected. It also has a luxe user-friendly design with useful features such as buckle holders that are magnetic to keep straps out of the way while you buckle baby in and a red/green indicator to ensure the installation is secure (we would like to see that all car seats came with this! ).
This innovative pipaFIX system allows it to be used without the base, unlike Pipa RX or other base-compatible PIPAs that need a base to be installed. This makes it an ideal option for parents who regularly take taxis or rideshares, travel, or just need the ability to move their car seat more quickly and easily.
Like other Nuna products, the Pipa Urbn is designed with environmentally-friendly materials that are free of added fire retardant chemicals, and is GREENGUARD Gold certified. These eco-friendly materials include a Merino Wool and Tencel blended lyocell fibres headrest as well as an waterproof machine washable cover.
The Pipa Urbn has an upper weight limit of 30 to 35 pounds when rear-facing. This means that you might need to upgrade to a convertible seat sooner than with other brands. It's still a great choice for babies. This car seat is compatible with Nuna's travel systems, and can be connected to all strollers with the Ring adapter.