In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician
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Searching for the best car seat for your little one? After spending tens of thousands of dollars on crash testing car seats in a certified testing lab, we discovered that not all car seats are created equal, despite their ability to pass basic federal crash test requirements. Since 2012, we've tested over 70 seats, including crash testing, to help you determine which car seat is the best for your baby, toddler, or child. We purchase each seat and conduct intensive side-by-side testing, including crash tests at the exact location used by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). We combine crash test results with our extensive hands-on testing to analyze which competitors are the top performers. Choosing a safety seat can be challenging, but you can buy with confidence using our detailed test results and analysis to help you. Below is the list of our favorite award-winning seats across all categories.
Over time, you will need three different kinds of car seats based on your baby's age and size (height and weight). If you know the kind you need, you can check out our comparison test ratings on the best infant car seat, best convertible car seat, and the top-ranking booster seat. These reviews include more products in each category than in this comprehensive review.
Editor's Note: We updated this car seat review on October 1, 2023, including all new infant car seat testing, analysis, and award winners.
The Nuna Pipa is an impressive infant car seat that performed well in most metrics. It has higher crash test analysis results with lower G forces recorded in the dummy sensor during crash testing. It comes with a load leg and rigid LATCH system for foolproof installation to ease installation anxiety. We love the features on this seat, the sleek look, lighter weight carrier, and the large canopy with privacy pull-out.
The Nuna could offer more features for comfort and failed to meet the comfort performance of the UPPAbaby Mesa Max. It also is not compatible with as many strollers as the Chicco Keyfit 35, which could make some parents reluctant to choose it. However, this car seat has a very reasonable price and offers so much more than much of the competition; we think it is a standout suitable for most families regardless of their goals.
The Chicco Keyfit 35 is a higher quality infant car seat with an easy LATCH installation with the SuperCinch center pull strap. This option has a polished look with a rubbery grip handle and a headrest with a non-rethread harness adjustment. The Keyfit 35 earned better crash-test analysis than most infant competitors and works well with various award-winning strollers.
The Keyfit 35 is somewhat heavier, which could be a deal-breaker if you plan to carry your baby in it. Overall, we believe this top-ranking infant seat is ideal for most families regardless of their infant seat goals, and it is compatible with various strollers from multiple manufacturers.
The Chicco Keyfit 35 is better than much of the competition, with an attractive price, better than average crash test performance, easy LATCH installation and high compatibility with award-winning strollers.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Baby Wearing
If you don't plan to use your infant car seat carrier with a stroller, or you won't carry it often or far, then you might want to consider a top-ranked baby carrier as an alternative. Wearing your little one close (in a baby carrier) is a wonderful way to facilitate bonding and often keeps babies calm and soothed. This practice can potentially reduce crying or emotional moments. Many modern carriers keep your hands free, so you can get things done with your baby on board without needing a bulky or expensive stroller!
The Clek Liing is a well-designed infant car seat with a load leg. The Liing offers impressive crash test sensor results, with some of the lowest in the group (lower is better) and one of the highest analysis scores in the group. It is also the easiest to install using LATCH with color change indication of connection on rigid LATCH connectors that are unbelievably easy to use. This seat is easy to install no matter what method, and it offers above-average quality and features for comfort.
The Liing is expensive, and unless your budget can stretch, it might be a deal-breaker. The Nuna Pipa is much cheaper and also has good crash test results if your budget is closer to average. It also isn't the easiest seat to use, and it doesn't pair with many strollers, unlike the Chicco Keyfit 35. We would love to see a non-rethread harness adjustment on a seat in this price range, but can accept its lack, given the ease of installation. Overall, there is no better infant seat if your goal is crash test best and the installation will keep you smiling.
The Clek Liing had the best crash test performance in our tests. And, if you are anxious about installing your car seat properly, the Clek Liing rigid LATCH with color indicators makes it a breeze.
The UPPAbaby Mesa Max is a looker of a seat with quality and comfort you can see before you even get to touch it. The headrest has a load of cushion and support for napping, and the material is skin-friendly for sensitive newborns. We love the self-retracting tightening strap for LATCH installation and the anti-rebound bar and load leg. This seat has one of the best harness adjustment systems with a simple push/pull of the headrest assembly, and the canopy is large enough for most sun protection.
This seat is a little more expensive than the average option, but it offers more consideration for comfort and quality, somewhat justifying the added expense. It also only has an average crash test analysis score, which means it isn't the one for you if the best crash test score is the goal. You'll have to look at the Clek Liing for the best or the Nuna Pipa for better-than-average results. Overall, we love this UPPAbaby offering more than the UPPAbaby Mesa V2 and think it offers more than most seats for comfort, quality, and ease of use.
The harness height adjustment on the UPPAbaby Mesa Max consists of moving the entire headrest assembly up or down. You can see the assembly has significantly more padding than much of the infant seat competition.
The Britax Emblem has impressive test results for almost every metric, with a performance that shows an exceptional all-around seat that is virtually unmatched. While some competitors earned higher scores in some metrics or overall, the Emblem is the only option with above-average scores in every test. Because it earned one of the top crash test results and it is easy to install with a budget-friendly price tag, we think it is an option every parent should add to their shortlist. This Britax features an easy-to-use non-rethread harness adjustment; we prefer it over rethread styles. It is comfortable, well-made, and relatively light compared to other high-scoring seats.
The Emblem is arguably not as easy to install as the Britax ClickTight options, and it has less padding than the more expensive Britax options. However, it is an excellent choice for every family with its reasonable price that is good for most budgets.
The Graco Extend2Fit earned the best score in our analysis of crash test results. The Graco had one of the best combined head and chest sensor results, indicating an additional margin of protection over the competition. This convertible seat has excellent results for LATCH installation. Because installation errors have been implicated in injuries and death, correctly installing a safety seat is critical. The big plus is that the Extend2Fit can stay rear-facing for up to 50 lbs, creating a safer baby environment.
The Extend2Fit has below-average quality and isn't as comfortable as seats with similar prices. Despite this, this option is the right one for anyone looking for the best crash tests or who values the potential safety aspects of remaining rear-facing for longer.
The Britax Boulevard ClickTight is the perfect seat for anyone concerned about installing a seat correctly (arguably all of us), which is why we like this choice. This convertible seat earned 10 of 10 scores for installation using the LATCH system and the vehicle belt, making it a standout choice and a product we believe is almost foolproof. This seat is easy to use and offers impressive comfort and quality construction. We think most parents will love this quality contender's look, feel, and features.
The ClickTight has a slightly above-average performance for crash test results. This data means it exceeded the federal requirements. Given that poor installation often translates to more injuries, we think this seat's top installation performance makes up for the only slightly above-average crash-test results to create a tough seat to beat.
The UPPAbaby Alta is a quality, high-backed booster with crash test results and comfortable features. We like the rigid LATCH connection that prevents a free-floating seat, and passengers like the belt retainers and adjustable height headrest. The Alta offers supportive padding, a slight recline, and a handy side cup holder. The cover is also machine washable, something every parent will appreciate.
This booster is somewhat heavy and perhaps not the best choice for travel or carpooling. Alternatively, it is relatively narrow, making it a potential seat if you need to fit multiple safety seats in a vehicle row. This booster will please children and parents with better crash test analyses and a comfortable seating area.
The Clek Oobr is a steel frame high-backed booster that can go backless for older children or kids on the go. This booster earned the highest combined crash test results in our booster test, and it is easy to install with a rigid LATCH system. This booster is similar to your vehicle seat, with an adjustable headrest, armrests, and quality fabric that is easy to clean.
This seat is stupidly heavy and awkward to lift and carry, so you aren't going to want to travel with it or carry it very far. However, the back is removable for occasional travel needs if you need to. Also, we think the impressive crash test results and quality construction more than compensate for the heft of the Oobr. We also like that you can quickly secure the booster in the vehicle, so it doesn't move in the car when your kids aren't using it. If you have safety on the brain and won't move the seat from car to car very often, the Oobr is an excellent seat for you.
For crash testing, we work with MGA Research, the same certified testing lab the US Government relies on for their safety certification tests.
Credit: MGA Research
Why You Should Trust Us
Our testing protocol for car seats is intense and highly detailed; we've conducted more than 6,000 individual tests to evaluate the more than 200 safety seats we've tested since 2014. Our tests show that car seats vary significantly in their performance. To help you determine which option is the best for you, we purchase two seats of every brand and model ourselves for testing. We do NOT accept free products from manufacturers to assure our readers that our opinions are entirely independent and unbiased.
We commissioned professional lab crash testing in the certified crash test facility of MGA Research so that BabyGearLab could evaluate the performance of each seat in our review in an objective manner.
Credit: GearLab & MGA Research
We send one car seat to the same professional crash test facility the National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA) uses for testing and keep the other seat in-house for over 45 detailed scientific tests on each seat. In-house, we use and assess all features and functionality, from the stiffness of the buckle and how challenging it is to change shoulder strap height to the difficulty of installation for every method possible. Our extensive, months-long testing process means you can feel confident in our test results and analysis to help you find the best car seat for your family and budget.
We buy two of each product and send one to MGA for crash testing. MGA is the same crash testing facility used by the National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA).
Credit: MGA
Car seat testing is divided into five test metrics (with some variation based on car seat type):
Crash Test Analysis
Ease of Use Installation (multiple methods in multiple vehicles)
Ease of Use
Comfort/Quality tests
Weight & Size
Over time, we've tested hundreds of different car seats across categories, including the infant car seats seen here.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Our exhaustive testing and rating process provides the information you need to make your family's best car seat purchase. Each metric's weighted contribution to the overall score is based on how important we believe it is to the purchasing decision. Weighting varies somewhat for each car seat category, as some features or functionality could be more critical from one product type than another.
We contracted with the same national testing facility used by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) for crash tests.
Credit: MGA Research
With over 100 car seats under our testing belt, it is easy to say you're in good hands with an expert crew for safety seats and crash testing. This team is led by our founder, Dr. Juliet Spurrier uses her experience as a board-certified pediatrician to select products with safety and installation in mind, as these are the key factors in creating a safe car environment for little passengers. Bob Wofford, father of 7, Senior Review Analyst and Certified Passenger Safety Technician, leads the in-house testing team with extensive side-by-side testing for ease of installation and more. Given our test process of installing every seat in at least three different vehicles and Bob's seven years of seat testing prowess, you can rest assured that Bob has more installation and car seat experience than probably anyone on the planet. Wendy Schmitz, mom of two boys and Senior Review Editor, takes part in score analysis as well as hands-on testing and installation with over six years of experience testing seats of every kind. Abriah Wofford, Senior Review Analyst, rounds out the team and provides another set of hands and alternate experiences to give more insight on installation and ease of use. Abriah has been testing car seats since 2016.
This is just a small collection of the convertible seats BabyGearLab has tested over time.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Types of Car Seats
If you are a new parent, the world of car seats could be brand new and somewhat daunting. We remember all too well wondering what to choose, when to switch to a new seat, and why installing them was so darn complicated. Luckily, we have the information you need to decide which safety seat is right for your little one.
Infant car seats allow you to remove the carrier portion holding your baby from the base which remains in the car.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Infant Car Seats
Parents must have a safe car seat when leaving the hospital with their new baby. Infant car seats are designed with little bodies and systems in mind. From proper positioning to avoid positional asphyxiation to narrower shoulder harness straps, serious engineering goes into a safe infant car seat. Infant safety seats combine a carrier and a base to create a system that allows you to install the base in your car one time and carry your infant in the carrier to and from the car base or attach it to a compatible stroller. Unlike "all-in-one" seats or convertible seats that claim suitability for infants, infant car seats are only for infants and babies typically up to about 9 months or 30-35 lbs. We believe they are uniquely qualified to potentially better protect your little than a seat designed for children from 4-80 lbs. Most parents find infant carriers to be valuable tools and are grateful for the ability to leave a child to sleep while running errands using a stroller or the carrier handle.
The Chicco NextFit Zip is an example of a convertible car seat that installs both rear and forward facing.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Below is a chart with the overall performance scores of all the infant car seats in our current review of the best infant car seats available today.
Convertible Car Seats
Convertible seats are for older babies (around nine months) and can last until your little one is about 3-7 years old, depending on the model and your child's size. The seat starts facing the vehicle seat or backward (the safest position for little ones). Depending on the manufacturer's recommendations, you turn the seat to face forward when your child reaches a certain weight or height range. The moniker "convertible" is related to the seat facing backward and then "converting" to a forward-facing seat.
A booster-style safety seat helps raise little bodies up to avoid side-impact intrusion during an accident and to position the shoulder belt in the correct position on the body.
Once your baby outgrows their convertible seat, they're ready for the big kid favorite booster seat. This transition will depend on the manufacturer's guidelines and your child's size. Pay special attention to weight and height restrictions, as most children outgrow one before the other. Depending on the seat, your child will likely need a booster around 5-7 years old, but child size is more of a factor than age. Just as you wanted to stay rear-facing as long as possible, we think it is wise to stay in a convertible seat as long as the seat user manual allows before swapping it for a booster. We believe the 5-point harness and side shell of the convertible seats potentially offer more protection.
We don't care for a one-and-done style car seat and believe an infant car seat should be your child's first car seat from birth until they meet the limit of the manufacturer's guidelines.
While convertible seats can work for babies from 5 - 50 lbs and beyond, we don't believe it is good to choose a one-and-done seat regarding safety.
Why?
Infant seats are designed for smaller newborn bodies. These seats are configured for a baby's anatomy and provide posture positioning for optimal breathing and protection in a crash. The harness design is narrower and more appropriate for an infant than that on a convertible seat, designed for older babies and modified for infants. Many convertible car seats have an infant insert to make the car seat more suitable for smaller passengers. We believe it is smart to purchase car seats specifically for each age/size instead of opting for one product that can accommodate a baby but isn't explicitly designed for infants. If you want to save money on baby gear (don't we all?), we do not think car seat purchasing is the time to do it, given the potential safety implications.
The UPPAbaby Vista can be used with 2 infant car seats for easy transportation of up up to 2 infants. This photo shows the Vista with two UPPAbaby Mesa infant car seats.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff
The other advantage of infant seats is they are handy. Infant seats have a carrier with a handle for easy carrying from one location to another.
Infant car seats allow you to carry your baby in the seat so you can transition sleeping little ones to a compatible stroller without waking them.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
This design allows you to move a sleeping infant from a car to a stroller or car without disruption. This function may seem small before your baby is born, but trust us, you will do this more than once, and you'll be grateful for the carrier.
Crash test results are important, so we invest tens of thousands of dollars to crash test every seat. But crash testing isn't the whole story. It also is important how easy a seat is to install since installation mistakes can create an unsafe riding environment.
Credit: GearLab & MGA Research
Is Ease of Installation or Crash Test Results More Important?
While many parents are concerned with crash test safety (as you should be), few parents know that improperly installing a seat or not using it as indicated is a significant cause of infant injury in car accidents. In our research on car seat safety testing, safety engineers at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) emphasized that improper use is a more significant safety concern than the differences in crash test performance results.
In fact, an NHTSA study showed that 79% of infant seats exhibited a critical misuse related to either installation of the seat or incorrect restraint of the infant, or both. Another study by Portland's top Children's Hospital followed 267 families as they left the hospital with their infants after birth. The study showed that "93% made at least one critical error — a mistake that put their infant at increased risk for injury in a crash — when positioning their infant in a car safety seat or installing the safety seat in their vehicle."
The "linear side-impact protection" on the Cybex is a nice to see feature but its true efficacy is difficult to determine without more information on the testing of this feature and how the 25% claim was assessed.
Installing the Advocate is very easy using LATCH and it earned a perfect score during testing.
Ninety-three percent is a significant number. That is why we feel that ease of use and installation are critical components of seat safety, potentially more so than the crash test results. So, while crash test analysis is important, it should not overshadow how challenging a seat is to use or install. Many award-winning seats are easy to install, with at least one installation method. Some even have perfect scores and were practically foolproof, or at least as infallible as possible.
The Clek Oobr has impressive crash test results.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
All of the Safety Seats Offer a Basic Level of Protection
All seats for sale in the United States and our reviews should have passed federal safety standards for crash testing. As a result, the products we tested can be considered safe and provide a basic protection level required by US Federal law. With this in mind, our focus for crash test scoring is to identify safety seats with crash test results that go beyond the federal requirements and exceed the crash test performance of the competition. As a result, these seats can be considered as providing an extra margin of protection based on their crash test performance.
Parents who frequently ride in taxi cabs or use services like Uber, will want to look for a car seat that offers easy installation without the base, just using the seat belt.
Your lifestyle might be a consideration in your selection process for a new car seat. Suburban parents typically have a personal car and a semi-permanent location to install their seats with limited alterations. Other parents might live in a larger city where they frequently use Uber and taxis, requiring a relatively mobile option with frequent installations in multiple vehicles. Therefore, a lightweight, easy-to-install car seat is more critical to urbanites than others. If you aren't carrying your seat frequently, you have more options because weight is less of a determining factor. If you need to carry the seat frequently, some heavier products are likely non-starters.
The Evenflo Spectrum can be lightweight, especially with the back removed.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The weight of your booster seat could play a role in your decision-making if you carpool or travel. Your child may need a booster seat in some locations to participate in camp vanpooling or sharing rides with friends from school activities. A heavy steel frame seat like the Clek Oobr is a beast and isn't something you want to move very often. It is a poor choice for carrying or stuffing in a backpack without the back. The Evenflo Spectrum is significantly lighter and can go backless for even easier carpooling.
The Evenflo Tribute is one of the lighter seats in the group.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
A convertible seat's weight is less of a consideration for most people because it typically spends most of its life installed in a single location. However, if you need to catch a taxi with your seat and your baby, you will likely prefer the lightest seat possible.
For infant seats, the weight of the carrier can play a role for similar reasons. Carriers can be cumbersome when combined with the baby's weight. If you plan to attach your carrier to a stroller, the weight is less critical, but if you plan to hold your carrier or travel frequently, its weight plays more of a role.
The Keyfit 35 is easy enough to install without the base and uses the European belt pathway. Plus, it is compatible with many strollers (including frame strollers), making it good for urban living.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Are you an urban dweller looking for an infant carrier? Then you should consider the ease of installation without the base, as you are more likely to install the seat in an Uber without the base than you are to carry the base with you. This installation style is a safe practice, and the seats have a method for this practice. However, some seats are significantly more straightforward to install without the base than others, so choosing the easiest, high-ranking option could make your life easier. Alternatively, the Doona is easy enough to install without the base and includes an attached stroller that takes the weight off you and puts it on wheels.
What About Weight Range?
Infant seats claim to be appropriate for a baby from 4 lbs to typically up to 30-45 lbs; convertible seats also have limits, usually between 5 to 55 lbs (or higher, depending on the seat). Manufacturers advertise these ranges and make them seem very important. Should this weight range be a consideration when making your purchase? No, probably not.
Why no?
Despite the manufacturer's focus on weight, most babies will outgrow the height limits before reaching the weight limit for most infant seats. The same is typically true of convertible seats.
According to the CDC's infant boy age vs. weight growth chart (pdf), a 95th percentile baby boy (which means a baby growing faster than 94 babies out of 100) will still weigh under 28 lbs and be close to 32 inches on their one year birthday. Based on height, most infants will transition out of their infant seat and into a convertible seat between 9-12 months. You can see from the data that even the fastest-growing boy will fail to exceed the maximum weight of the majority of seats in our tests, but he might grow too tall, which means a transition to the following safety seat style before his weight impacts a change. So, while having a general idea of how long your baby can use a seat is helpful, it is only an estimate.
In the end, the restrictions have more to do with height than weight. For this reason, we wouldn't necessarily make the weight range a deciding factor in your buying decision unless it is below 30 lbs for an infant seat (very rare). Even if your little one is exceptionally tall, you will simply move to a convertible seat sooner than other babies of the same age, which isn't a big deal, is safe, and will occur eventually, no matter what.
Rear-Facing Installation
Your baby should stay rear-facing as long as possible. This position will be determined by your baby's weight/height and the manufacturer's recommendations, as not all safety seats allow for extended rear-facing time. The laws in most areas require that babies sit rear-facing until two years old, but it is ideal for children to sit in a rear-facing seat as long as the manufacturer says it can. Even if your toddler's legs are longer, rear-facing is still the safest installation within the seat's limitations.
There are many varieties of combinations when it comes to strollers and their car seat counterparts, and many strollers will work with a variety of seat options with the purchase of the appropriate adapters.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
What About Travel Systems?
A travel system is a package deal that includes an infant car seat and a compatible stroller. These combinations are traditionally a predetermined set from the same manufacturer. Pre-arranged sets (in our experience) often include less impressive choices than you get if you create your own combination, so we prefer to create our own. Alternatively, you can skip the pre-packages to create your own mix where you purchase a seat and compatible stroller separately (which may require buying adapters). Manufacturer sets, however, may be less expensive.
Because safety is paramount, we believe you should choose your car seat before a stroller. We think it is wise to choose the right infant seat before selecting a must-have compatible stroller. Most infant safety seats are compatible with at least a couple of strollers, and if they aren't, you still have the option of wearing your baby in a carrier.
The car seat recommendation from the NHTSA website
Credit: NHTSA Website
How to Choose
You can narrow your options to a handful of top contenders by considering how you plan to use your seat and how easy it is to install. First, we believe you should choose a seat that corresponds to your little one's appropriate age and size. We strongly encourage you to resist the temptation of buying an "all-in-one" or "lifetime" product for your infant. From there, you can narrow your search by the crash test results. Last, while we understand budget can be a concern, and some new parents have the tightest of budgets, we believe that car seats are not the right product type to try to save a few bucks. Our tests reveal that there are affordable seats that are easy to install with impressive crash test analysis results in every category, but they could still be slightly more expensive than the cheapest options.
Booster seats are the last style of safety seat your child will use before graduating to the vehicle seat belt alone.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Conclusion
The award-winning car seats we include in this lineup are exceptional options with impressive features and functionality appropriate for various lifestyles and car seat goals. Because every family and lifestyle is different, there is no one perfect seat for all. The seats in this round-up encompass a wide range of prices, providing products for almost every budget in each safety seat category. We believe that the details in this review can help you choose the perfect car seat for your needs, your baby's age/size, and your wallet.
—
Juliet Spurrier, MD, Wendy Schmitz & the BabyGearLab Testing Team
