Best Infant Car Seats

Infant Car Seat Buying Guide

What Is an Infant Car Seat?

Infant car seats are designed to protect a baby from birth until the infant reaches the seat’s height or weight limits recommended by the seat’s manufacturer. An infant car seat should always be placed in the back seat facing the rear of the car. Studies have shown that an infant is much less likely to be seriously injured or die when in a rear-facing seat.

There are features common to most infant seats. All use a five-point harness system and come with an insert to provide additional support and padding for a newborn. The most common infant car seats snap in and out of a base which can be left in the car. Families with multiple cars usually buy additional bases separately and just use one seat. Every new car seat on the market must meet government safety regulations. So, spending less money does not mean the car seat will be less safe; however, more expensive car seats may have additional safety features that are not required by law.

Infant Car Seats vs. Convertibles

A convertible car seat can be used as a rear-facing car seat or a forward-facing car seat and used either from birth or from when the child outgrows the infant car seat. So why not start with a convertible? The primary reason is convenience. An infant car seat can be snapped out of a car and clipped into a stroller or taken inside without interrupting a nap; convertible seats can be more economical (because you don’t need to buy an infant seat), but they are heavy, not very portable and do not fit a stroller.

Which Car Seat Should You Buy?

The safest and best infant car seat is the one that will install correctly and securely in the vehicle, that fits the child’s weight and height, and can be used properly every time. The car seat must work for BOTH you and the child.

Here are some factors to consider when choosing a car seat:

Car Fit. Infant car seats may be a better fit in some cars than others. (We provide seat dimensions and user manuals for all our recommendations to assist you with this.)

Child fit. Consider buying a seat that has high height and weight limits. This will keep the child rear-facing longer and the best way to keep a child safe in the car.

Installation. Most infant car seats can be installed using either the vehicle’s seat belt or LATCH system. All our recommended seats are compatible with LATCH for ease of installation and come with built-in leveling systems or indicators to signal they’ve been correctly installed.

Fabric. Besides choosing a fabric style that suits your taste, look for fabrics that are durable and machine washable.

Safety Extras. Premium car seats usually have additional safety features such as extra padding and enhanced side impact protection.

Stroller compatibility. Many infant car seat manufacturers have compatible strollers for their seats. Adapters can also be purchased for most of the popular stroller models (including our recommendations) so you have lots of options here. You should base your stroller purchase on the car seat and not vice versa because the car seat and not the stroller may one day save the child’s life.

We do not recommend buying a used infant car seat. A used seat may have been involved in a crash, may not meet current safety regulations, may be expired (yes, car seats do have an expiration date) or may be subject to recall (the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Check your car seat safety page is a good source for recall information).

Have a question? Contact us.