Best Car Seat Newborn Explained In Less Than 140 Characters
How to Choose the Best Car Seat Newborn
The best car seat for newborns is one that is compliant with federal safety standards, is compatible with your vehicle, comes with useful extras (like turning into strollers) and works with your budget. It is also important to ensure that the car seat is easily removed and put into of any vehicle, particularly when you're constantly switching between rental cars, taxis or the vehicles of your grandparents.
Safety
A quality car seat will have extra features that go above and beyond federal safety standards. They include padded inserts for the head and shoulders as well as air-repellent fabric to help keep them cool in hot vehicles and side-impact safety.
The ease of installation and use of the seat is an important aspect of safety. Ideally, you should be able to snap it into place with minimal effort, and with clear signs that it's secure, level, and positioned correctly.
Find features that allow you to do that, like built-in locks and belt guides that can help to align the car seat with the seat belt. Avoid buying used car seats that may not have been tested for safety, or which might have been involved in an accident. They might not be safe for your child. If you must buy an old one, make sure it's not expired and isn't being sold by an individual who doesn't have proof of ownership.
It's also important to remember that you should only leave your child in the car seat for up to two hours a day, unless you are in an upright position. This will help prevent strain on the spine of your child, and ensure that they are able to breath regularly.
You'll want a seat to last a long time, as it is a significant investment. Look for one that's designed to adapt with your child that will last through the toddler years and on into the teenage years. Our parent testers were very pleased with the Axkid i-Size. It is suitable for babies from birth, and can be used up to age 7.
The Nuna pipa air rx is a different option that can be used for a lengthy time. It can rotate 360 degrees so you can change it from rear-facing into front-facing as your child grows. It is also one of lightest rotating car seat available, weighing less than nine pounds. It's a great choice for parents who move their infant frequently between vehicles or are planning to use it for taxi rides, holiday fly-drives and trips with grandparents.
Comfort
It is crucial that your baby feels at ease in their car seat, both in it and after you install it. Find straps that are padded to are comfortable to wear around their shoulders, and look for plush fabric that feels good under their tummy. This is crucial when you intend to use the seat for a long period of time.
The most effective infant car seats are simple to use. Some have LATCH connectors of premium quality with a SuperCinch force multiplier and tightener. Some also come with spring-loaded leveling legs as well as belt paths to make installation without a base easier than ever. Other features let you adjust the height of the headrest and harness that is essential as your child grows.
One example is the Cosatto All in All Rotate that our testers from the past gave 10 out of 10 for ease of use. It comes with an easy-to-use interface and an easy-to-adjust no-rethread harness, as well as a recline lock indicator and 360-degree rotation. This means you can switch from forward-facing to rear-facing as your child grows without having to remove the seat and replace it.
Another option is the Nuna Pipa aire rx, which our testers who were parents loved for its comfort, ease of use and flexibility. Its padded shoulder straps as well as headrest are designed to support your newborn's head and includes a soft infant cushion to ensure they are comfortable. It can be used as a rear-facing car seat up until your baby is at the maximum height or weight limit, and it converts into a stroller without the need for a separate adapter.
A quality car seat is sturdy and many come with a guarantee. Look for a seat with solid materials and plenty of padding to shield your baby from accidents and a steel frame that absorbs the impact energy and has a "crumple zone" to reduce the risk of damage. It must also be easy to clean, as messes are inevitable with a baby. Find a car seat with removable seat covers and a machine-washable pad to make cleanup a breeze.
Easy of Use
A car seat needs to be simple to install and use especially if you're going to use it in the same vehicle from time to time. To make it as simple as possible look for features like a belt that can be released quickly, an indicator to show the status of the latch (e.g. green for locked), and a manual that is easy to read.
The Best of The Bump winner includes a variety of useful features that our parents were pleased with, including a padded headrest and harness, plush material, and a cupholder. It also features a recline feature that allows your child to sit in an ergonomic position for longer journeys. It can be combined with a buggy that is compatible to create an entire travel system. This is a great option if you are planning to travel for a long period of time.
Suitable from birth, our panelists found this car seat easy to install and adjust. It has recline locks and an excellent connector that has a SuperCinch tightener. This makes it easy to secure your child. It can also be moved from side to side in the vehicle easily without the need for tools.
One of our favorite features is the recline feature that allows you to easily get your infant in and out of the car. This is especially useful when you have back pain or have a small car. It also has an adjustable drink holder that can be reversible, as well as a convenient storage compartment for toys and snacks.
The seat weighs just nine pounds and can be used with or without its base. It can also rotate 180 degrees, which could be a huge help if you have limited space or suffer from back pain. Our panelists were impressed by this new feature which earned a spot in our 2021 Mother&Baby awards.
This is an excellent option for those who want to convert their car seats into strollers at affordable prices. Its streamlined design and high-quality fabric will stand the test of time, too. Don't forget to wash the cover regularly as spills of yoghurt or biscuits that are crushed, and even sickening accidents with toddlers will leave their mark.
Design
Car seat designs are as varied as the vehicles they're placed in. While some parents opt to skip infant car seats and opt for convertible models, the majority of new moms want something that can develop with their baby as they reach toddlerhood. All-in-one car seat are the most flexible, allowing you to switch between forward-facing and rear-facing. It typically has a higher weight and height limit, and can also be used as a booster when your child is old enough.
A great car seat for your infant newborn is lightweight which makes it easy to lift from the base and then carry your child. Our testers with parents loved the Maxi-Cosi Coral, which is only available in a few colors, but has a lot of safety features and is incredibly lightweight (at 8.4 pounds with seat inserts and canopy). Nuna PIPA URbN is another model that stands out, as it won Gold in the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards Best Car Seat Group 0/0+ category, thanks to high-end features such as the Dream drape, and a full-coverage canopy with UPF 50+.
The design of the base and the seat should be considered. Some car seats come with an attached base that is locked into the buckles for seat belts. Others have steel-reinforced connectors for LATCH that flip out of the sides of the base once properly joined. www.pushchairsandprams.uk found these convenient especially when their vehicle had only front-facing seatbelts with no ISOFIX anchor points.
Some infant car seats can be used with a standard seatbelt that is not base-less that is great for parents who regularly use taxis or travel with their baby. The Nuna TODL NEXT was a popular choice among our parents who tested it. It can be used either with or without the base and features a smooth swivel that allows you to easily take your baby in and out.
Other important design considerations are whether a car seat comes with an open design, and how it fits into your particular car (see our guide to car seat compatibility). If you're in search of an infant car seat that can develop with your child's growth to become a booster seat make sure you choose a seat with an adjustable backrest as well as side impact protection. It is also important to ensure that your selected infant car seat is i-Size compliant and uses the correct car seat attachment points as per UK law.