A Complete Guide To Best Car Seats For Infants Dos And Don'ts
Best Car Seats For Infants and Babies
While convertible car seats are great for growing children but an infant seat is best for babies. They're also lighter and easier to click into strollers than their larger counterparts.
Kecia Healy, CPST instructor, liked the recline leg with springs and a bubble indicator on the bottom of the Chicco KeyFit, as well as the ease of use. (The more user-friendly the car seat is, the more likely it is that parents will install it correctly. This model can also fit three across in the majority of mid-sized cars.
1. Clek Liing infant car seat
Clek, an Canadian manufacturer, is renowned for its top-rated convertible car seat. The infant Liing is among their top infant seats. The Liing seat is designed to offer top-of-the-line safety features, including a steel load leg, which is easy to install. user-friendly installation and seven different recline positions to adapt to the slope of your car seat. A bubble indicator helps you ensure that the seat is at the right angle prior to letting your child ride in it.
The base for the Liing is easy to install by using LATCH connections that are rigid and slide into the lower anchors which makes the seat much easier to secure. The Liing is a great choice for families that are planning to change cars frequently or want a simple and secure method to install a baby's car seats. If you prefer, you can utilize the belt-tensioning feature to secure your child's seat.
One of the features that sets the Liing apart from other infant car seats is its 2 piece Newborn Support System. It includes an insert that can be placed over the crotch strap, and a headrest that attaches to harness to prevent newborns from slumbering forward or moving their heads backwards in the seat. It's a game-changer for tiny infants and preemies, and it's one of the few rear facing infant car seats that offer this kind of support.
Another great feature of the Liing is its metal crash-test frame, which reduces crash forces by up to 40 percent when compared to other infant seats. The shell of the seat is reinforced with EPP foam, which shields your child's head and body from a crash. The base of the seat is a metal load leg which absorbs energy and assists in reducing the risk of crashes.
2. Chicco KeyFit
This is a consistently top-rated infant car seat. It's simple to put in place, easy to use, and grows with your child. It can also be combined in conjunction with strollers to create an travel system.
The KeyFit is a good pick for parents who want an easy-to-use, secure and versatile seat. It scored high in crash tests and is light and easy to carry. It also comes with a wide range of weight and height limits. It was also designed to ensure the safety of babies. The click-in point has soft material around it to ensure that your baby doesn't get burned by the metal. The newborn insert has a head cover to protect their heads and the seat pad your baby sits on has cushions that absorb energy for comfort.
It's also one of the most simple infant seats to install correctly, every time. It is important to install the seat correctly, as incorrect installation can increase the danger of injury. The premium connectors of KeyFit's LATCH and a SuperCinch tightener guarantee an ensconced fit with minimal effort. The base also has a ReclineSure leveling foot and two RideRight bubble-level-indicators to ensure that the vehicle's angle is correct. For alternate installation, clear belt routing, lock-offs and the car seatbelt allow for easy positioning and tighten.
However, it isn't as good in the user-friendliness category due to the rethread style harness height adjustment, a feature that is common on many Chicco seats (and also on their OG Keyfit model). This means that you must manually re-thread straps to move from one level to the next. But this is still a relatively minor tradeoff for the convenience this seat provides.
3. Joie i-Snug 2
The lightweight Joie i-Snug 2 infant car seat is built to the most stringent safety standards. It comes with a no-rethread strap and is compatible with Joie Strollers that can accept Maxi Cosi style adapters. The installation guide is clearly labeled and bubble levels are built in to aid in aligning the seat. The car seat is comfortable with plenty of padding. It has a convenient canopy that protects your child from direct sun's rays.
The i-Snug comes with an ISOFIX vehicle base that allows for a secure vehicle attachment. It can also be combined with a compatible stroller to create a complete travel system. It's an infant car seat that is rear-facing that offers maximum head and neck protection for newborns and babies. The exclusive Tri-Protect Headrest features a layer Intelli-Fit Memory Foam that protects your child from side-impact crashes.
As with any infant car seat, you'll have to replace it once your child reaches the height and weight limits, or when they turn one. You can then upgrade to convertible car seats or an all-in one car seat. This will allow your child to travel rearwards for longer, and is safer.
A convertible car seat is more spacious and has a higher rear-facing weight and height limit than an infant seat, and generally has a bigger and more spacious interior. To avoid your child becoming too big for the seat in a hurry, it's best to switch to a car seat that can be converted as quickly as you are able to. In certain instances parents may be able to transition their child to an all-in-one car seat, without ever having to purchase another car seat for their infant. It is therefore crucial to select the right convertible car seat for you and your family. Read our complete guide to provide all the details you need to make the right decision.
4. baby seat is a highly rated infant seat because of its safety features, lightweight design, and its flexibility. It can be used with a rigid lower anchor in the outboard seats of a majority of vehicles, or with the vehicle seat belt that uses Euro Routing (which uses all of its length to secure the installation). It also comes with an organic baby insert from GOTS that is a great choice for parents who are eco conscious and prioritize organic products for their child.
With a weight of just 6 pounds without the canopy and inserts, the Pipa Aire RX is among the lightest infant car seats available on the market. This is due to the revolutionary Aeroflex foam, which is extremely light yet resilient, minimizing the force that is transferred to your baby in the event of a crash. Other safety features include a 5-second steel-reinforced True lock base installation, side impact protection and a multi-position stability leg with a crumple zone that reduces forward rotation, resulting in greater rear-facing security.
The ergonomic aluminum handle is lightweight and luxurious with leatherette accents that provide an ergonomic grip and a convenient method to carry the bag. A buckle holder with a magnetic buckle keeps straps out of the way when you buckle your child and color-coded installation indicators confirm correct connections. The low-profile base enables fast loading, and the open belt path with lock-offs secures lap and shoulder belts.
Parenting can be messy, but cleaning up shouldn't be a chore. The inserts and fabrics of the Pipa Aire RX can be machine washed so that your car seat appears like it did after each use.
5. Nuna Pipa Urbn
Nuna's PIPA air Rx and PIPA Rx car seats are great options. However, the recently launched Pipa Urbn is a step above. This ultralight infant car seats is incredibly easy to carry, weighing less than 7 pounds with the canopy and insert. It also comes with a luxe user-friendly design with convenient features like magnetic buckle holders to keep straps out of the way while you buckle baby in and a red/green indicator to ensure the installation is secure (we wish that all car seats came with this! ).
Contrary to the Pipa RX and the other base-compatible PIPA models that require a car base to install the model, this one can be used without a base thanks to its unique pipaFIX rigid latch system. This makes it an ideal option for parents who regularly use taxis or rideshare services for travel, or simply want the ability to transfer their car seat between vehicles faster and more 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 green-friendly materials include a Merino Wool and Tencel blended lyocell fibres as a headrest, and a water-resistant machine washable cover.
The Pipa Urbn has an upper weight limit of 30 to 35 pounds when used rear-facing. This means that you may have to upgrade to a convertible seat earlier than with other brands. That said, it is still a top pick for most infants. This car seat is also compatible with Nuna's travel systems and can be attached to all strollers by using the ring adapter.