Best Car Seats For Infants and Babies

While convertible car seats work great for growing children but an infant seat is best car seats infant for babies. They're also lighter and easier to clip into a stroller than their larger counterparts.

Kecia Healy, CPST instructor, 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. This model can also fit three across in most mid-sized vehicles.

1. Clek Liing infant car seat

Clek, a Canadian manufacturer, is known for its top-rated convertible car seats. The infant Liing is among their best infant seats. The Liing seat is designed to offer top-of-the-line safety features like a metal load leg that is simple to install, user-friendly installation and seven different recline positions that can be adjusted to the slope of your car seat. Plus, a simple bubble indicator makes it easy to ensure that the seat is at the correct angle prior to your child's first ride in it.

The base for the Liing is easy to put in using rigid LATCH connections that fit into your vehicle's lower anchors which makes the seat much easy to secure. The Liing is a great option for families who are planning to change cars frequently or who want an easy, reliable way to install car seats for babies. If you prefer, you could use the included belt-tensioning system to buckle your child in.

The Liing's 2-piece Newborn System is just one of the features that set it apart from other infant car seats best car seats by age seat models. The system comes with an lower insert that is able to slide over the crotch strap as well as an attached headrest to the harnesses to stop newborns from slumbering forward and moving their heads backwards in the seat. This is an amazing feature for tiny babies and preemies. It's also among the few rear-facing infant car seats that offer this degree of support.

The Liing's metal crash-test framework reduces the force of a crash by up to 40% when compared to other infant seat. The seat's shell is reinforced with EPP foam, which shields your child's head and body during a crash. The seat's base is engineered with a load leg made of metal that absorbs energy and reduces the risk of crashes, as well.

2. Chicco KeyFit

This is a top-rated infant car seat. It's simple to set up, simple to use and will grow with your baby. It can also be used in conjunction with strollers to create an travel system.

The KeyFit is a fantastic option for parents looking for a safe, flexible and easy-to-use seat. It scores a top score in crash tests, is light and comfortable to carry and offers a wide range of height/weight limits. It was also designed to ensure the safety of babies. The click-in point is made of soft material around it to ensure that your baby isn't burnt by metal. The newborn insert also has an enclosed head-skirt to protect their little heads and the seat pad that baby sits on has cushions that absorb energy to ensure comfort.

It's also one of the easiest infant seats to set up correctly every time. This is crucial because improperly installed infant seats can increase the risk of injury to your child. The premium connectors of KeyFit's LATCH that come with a SuperCinch tightener ensure a secure fit while requiring minimal effort. The base also has a ReclineSure leveling foot and two RideRight bubble level indicators to ensure correct vehicle angle and a fast installation. For a second 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.

However, it isn't as good in the user-friendliness category because of the rethread type harness height adjustment, a feature that is common on many Chicco seats (and as well on their OG Keyfit model). This means that you must detach and manually re-thread the straps from one level to another, which takes longer than adjustments that aren't rethread. But this is still an acceptable trade-off for the convenience this seat offers.

3. Joie i-Snug 2

The lightweight Joie i-Snug 2 infant car seat meets the most stringent safety standards. It has a harness that is not rethread and is compatible with Joie strollers that use Maxi-Cosi style adapters. It's easy to use, with clear installation guides as well as built-in bubble levels to help in alignment. The car seat is comfortable with plenty of padding. It also has a useful canopy to shield your baby from the sun.

The i-Snug 2 comes with an ISOFIX base for secure attachment to vehicles and can be used with a compatible stroller for a complete travel set-up. This rear-facing infant seat provides the highest level of cervical and head protection for infants. The exclusive Tri-Protect Headrest is equipped with a layer of Intelli-Fit Memory Foam to protect your child from side-impact crashes.

As with any infant car seat, you'll need to replace it once your child outgrows the height and weight limits or when they reach their first birthday. After that you can upgrade to a convertible, or an all-in-one car seat, which allows children to sit rear-facing for longer and is safer for them.

A convertible car seat inserts for newborns seat is bigger and more spacious than an infant seat and also has a higher weight and height limit when facing rearward. To avoid your child growing out of the seat too quickly, it's best to change to a car seat that can be converted as quickly as you are able to. In some instances, parents can transition their baby to an all-in-one car seat without having to buy an additional infant car seat. This is why it is crucial to select the best convertible car seat for your family. Read our complete guide for all the info you need to make the right choice.

4. Nuna Pipa Aire RX

The Nuna Pipa Aire RX is one of the most rated infant car seats due to its safety, light design, and versatility. It can be used with rigid lower anchors in the seats that are outboard of a majority of vehicles, or with the seat belt of the vehicle using Euro Routing (which utilizes the entire length to anchor the seat). It also comes with an organic GOTS baby insert, which is a great choice for parents who are environmentally conscious and prefer organic products for their children.

The Pipa Aire RX weighs only 6 pounds. without the canopy or inserts. It is one of the lightest infant car seat available. Aeroflex foam, which is lightweight and durable, but also extremely light helps reduce the force that is transferred to your child during the event of a crash. Other security features include a five-second steel-reinforced True base lock installation side impact protection and a multi-position stability leg with a crumple zone that reduces forward rotation for enhanced rear-facing security.

Other highlights include an ergonomic aluminum handle that's light and luxurious with leatherette accents for comfortable toting and superb grip. Magnetic buckle holders keep straps off from the way while you buckle your child and color-coded indicator lights to ensure proper connections. The low-profile base allows super-fast loading, while the open belt pathway with lock-off secures shoulder and lap belts.

Parenting is messy But cleaning up doesn't be a chore. The fabrics and inserts in the Pipa Aire RX are machine washable, which means you can keep your car seat looking as fresh as new after each use.

5. Nuna Pipa Urbn

While Nuna's PIPA rx and PIPA aire RX car seats are both excellent options, the newly launched Pipa Urbn takes it all to a whole new level. This ultralight infant car seats is incredibly easy to carry and weighs less than 7 pounds with the canopy and insert attached. It also has a luxe, user-friendly design that includes useful features such as buckle holders that are magnetic to help keep straps out of the way while you're buckling baby in, and a green/red indicator to ensure the installation is secure (we would like to see that all car seats came with this! ).

In contrast to the Pipa RX and the other base-compatible PIPA models that require an automobile base to be installed, this one can be used without a base due to its unique pipaFIX rigid latch system. This makes it the perfect choice for parents that frequently use taxis, rideshare services, or travel.

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 the Merino Wool and Tencel brand-name blend of Lyocell fibres for the headrest and a water-resistant machine washable cover.

The Pipa Urbn has a weight limit of only 30 to 35 pounds when used rear-facing. This means that you may have to upgrade to a convertible model sooner than with other brands. That said, it is still a top pick for the majority of infants. The car seat is compatible with Nuna's travel systems and can be attached to all strollers by using the rings adapter.