Top Rated Infant Car Seats

Not all infant car seats are made equally. The best infant seat seats have features that increase crash test performance. For instance load legs -- shock absorbing parts that are attached to the seat or base and limit the movement of the seat during the event of a collision.

Chicco KeyFit is a favorite of CPST instructors. It features a rear-facing weight and height limit that is high as well as a bubble-level indicator and a spring-loaded reclined foot that makes it simple to set up.

Graco Mesa Max

The Graco Mesa Max is one of the highest-ranked infant car seats in terms of convenience of use. It is made of great materials, a simple design, and a convenient feature that allows you to attach the harness of a child to the headrest to make it easier to tighten. It also has an enormous canopy that allows you to keep your baby cool while traveling. The only downside is that it is a bit heavier than normal this could be an issue if you intend to carry it around or if you want to pair it with your UPPAbaby stroller, which is a winner.

Mesa Max's impressive performance in crash tests demonstrate its commitment to safety. It scored highly in both frontal and side impact tests, meaning that your baby will be protected from both sides of a collision.

The anti-rebound feature is a notable safety feature. It reduces rebound forces in a crash, and safeguards the child's head. This is a rare feature in infant car seats and makes the Mesa Max stand out among its competitors.

When paired with the base when used with the base Graco Mesa Max can be installed quickly and securely into your vehicle using LATCH. The load leg, the recline angle adjustment as well as the indicator of tightness help ensure a fast, accurate installation. The base weighs 12.6 pounds it is slightly heavier than the average infant car seat but not enough to cause an issue.

The UPPAbaby Mesa V2 uses the same fabric with the same dual-knit construction as its predecessor. It is free of chemical that are fire-resistant. It has an infinitely adjustable backrest and an extremely sturdy insert for infants weighing 4-11 lbs. The fabrics are GREENGUARD Gold Certified, which tests for low chemical emissions and VOCs.

The UPPAbaby Mesa Max might be a bit more expensive than other models, but offers premium features and modern technology for the most secure travel experience. The included base and a selection of stylish colors add value to the. Its thoughtful design and robust features provide peace of for parents on every journey.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight

The Britax Boulevard ClickTight is a fantastic choice for parents who want a car seat that can grow with their child. Its rear-facing limit is 40 pounds, which is more than the majority of infant car seats, and it can be used as a forward-facing car seat until your child reaches 65 pounds.

Its main selling feature is the ClickTight Installation System, which is the most secure and user-friendly on the market. The seat belt can be tightened by pressing a red release button and pulling the strap. This makes it unnecessary to remove and rethread your seatbelt. This decreases the chance of incorrectly tightening a seat belt, which is the leading cause of car seat failure.

Another safety feature is the EZBuckle Pad, which keeps the buckle away from the way when you're placing your child in the car seat. This feature along with beltpath cutouts on the sides of the seat, makes it easy to get your child into and out of the car.

All three ClickTight convertible seat models (Boulevard CT, Marathon CT, Advocate CT) share the similar features. ClickTight Installation System is one of them. Also included is an impact-absorbing frame that has seven recline positions.

The seat is fairly heavy, however, so you may want to consider a lighter option if plan to use it for travel or frequent swaps of cars. The seat is quite large, so it might not be suitable for smaller vehicles.

If you want a more budget-friendly option with similar quality take a look at the 4Ever DLX by Graco. The seat has lower crash tests scores than the Boulevard but is an excellent option for your child.

The Graco also has LATCH connectors that can be pushed on which make it much easier to uninstall the seat. The Boulevard's LATCH connectors feature a different release mechanism, which requires you to press a grey button and then pull on the webbing to loosen it. It can be difficult to do this if the webbing is tight. However this seat comes with a convenient storage cubby to store the belt straps when not in use.

Clek Liing

Clek Liing is the ideal infant car seat to choose If you're looking for everything in terms of style, safety and comfort. This rear-facing only car seat has a high crash test score, a wide variety of features, and is easy to install within most vehicles.

The Liing is designed to safeguard infants with features that meet and surpass both US and Canadian safety standards. It is designed to allow for simple installation and security in all seating positions. It also features advanced safety features such as an energy-absorbing metal leg as well as a two piece shell lined with EPP for enhanced side impact protection. The base comes with 7 recline positions, and an indicator bubble that tells you whether the seat is just the right angle for your baby.

The Liing is modern, sleek stroller that parents are raving about. It comes with innovative safety features, like strong lower anchors that are easier to attach than hook-and loop connectors. The Liing also comes with a convenient one-handed quick release that makes it simple to remove it from the base, or to use with a variety of strollers compatible with it. With less than 17 inches wide it's small enough to fit 3-across in the majority of vehicles. It also can easily fit into convertible car seats to act as a travel booster.

This infant seat is rated first for its unique rigid-LATCH installation system. The lower anchors of the Liing snap into the lower seat belt slots in the vehicle and the top tether strap snaps on to the headrest of the vehicle. This creates a tight snug, secure fit that will eliminate the possibility that the child will be thrown around in an accident.

The seat is light with the base weighting 9 pounds and the carrier itself weighing just 10.5 pounds. Other rear-facing seats are heavier, but the difference isn't evident if you intend to carry the car seat newborn seat and base around. ).

Parents love the Liing's built-in canopy and 100+spf sun protection with the mesh peekaboo window. Caregivers love the merino-covered cover that keeps baby cozy and also appreciate the ability of the handle to pivot away from the canopy and make it easier for them to grab when needed.

Graco Trio Grow SnugLock LX

The Graco Trio GROW SnugLock is an all-in-one seat that converts from a rear-facing infant car seat for travel to a forward-facing harness, and later to the highback booster. It comes with the SnugLock installation system which allows for a smooth and simple installation using either a vehicle seat belt or lower anchors. It is possible to install it using the top tether in booster mode. (We recommend using the lower anchors for extra security.)

We love that this seat does so much for children of all age groups. It comes with an infant insert for younger babies that supports their backs and necks. As they grow older, this insert can be removed and the seat can be used as a regular toddler car seat. It is one of the only car seats that allows the top rated baby car seats tether to be used as a booster. We recommend it.

Its base is fairly compact from front to back, so it shouldn't be a problem to locate a place for it in most vehicles. It does require the headrest to be raised in order to provide an open route for the lower anchor webbing. Luckily, there's a headrest adjustment knob that allows you to accomplish this, and also observe the position of the headrest in the display window.

The SnugLock system is one of the coolest features about this seat. It's an anchor that is located within the belt path. Installing this car seat using lower anchors is simple and as simple as installing the car's seat belt.

The manual also includes an excellent diagram of how to properly route the lower anchor connectors while routing them through the new belt path, which can be confusing initially. Keep them from the chest clip and crotch loop to avoid interfering with the buckle system.

The Graco Trio Grow belongs to the Protect Plus Engineered Family, which means it has been put through some of the most rigorous tests in the industry. This includes side, rear facing infant car seat and rollover crashes as well the frontal impact tests.