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If you’re looking for an infant car seat that will meet both you and your baby’s needs, then we highly recommend you check this guide on the safest infant car seats 2024 to find out the top rated infant car seats on the market right now.
Most parents prefer infant car seats because of their convenience, lightweight characteristics and the snug fit they provide to newborn babies.
Unlike convertible car seats which can be used in the forward-facing mode and rear-facing position, infant car seats on the other hand are built and designed to be used only in the rear-facing position and this makes them very safe since the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that small infants should ride in the rear-facing position up to at least 2 years as a safety precaution.
Additionally, infant car seats come with a few benefits that other types of car seats don’t have. First, they can be snapped in and out of a base quickly and easily and allow parents to carry it from one place to another with the baby inside.
Secondly, they provide even the smallest of infants with a snug fit for proper support and comfort. Lastly, infant car seats tend to be lighter than convertible car seats and all-in-one seats and this makes them convenient to carry around.
But with all the brands and models to choose from, most parents can get confused on which infant car seat they should get for their babies and more specifically which model will meet their needs as a parent.
This is in terms of ease of use, cleaning, installation and price while also meeting the baby’s needs in terms of comfort, safety and proper support. With this in mind, we have created this guide that features the latest infant car seat reviews so you can pick the right model for you and your baby’s needs.
Safest Infant Car Seats 2024
1.Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35 Infant Car Seat
The graco snugride click connect 35 should be at the top of any parents list if an infant car seat that’s ultra-lightweight, very safe and compatible is what you’re looking for.
At only 7.5 pounds in weight, it’s ultra-light in weight so you can easily transport your baby from home to your car or stroller and everywhere in between hassle free.
As a rear-facing infant car seat, it can safely protect infants from 4 – 35 pounds with a maximum height of up to 32 inches tall and this makes it an excellent first car seat for your baby.
For safety purposes, it features an EPS, energy absorbing foam for effective impact energy management during a collision. Equipped with click connect technology, it provides a secure, one-step attachment between infant car seats and all graco click connect strollers to allow you create your own custom travel system whenever you like.
In addition, the base is designed to provide parents with an easy and simple installation process since the convenient stay-in-car base is LATCH-equipped to provide hassle-free installation and an easy-to-read level indicator helps to eliminate any guesswork during installation.
With your baby’s comfort in mind, it features a newborn head support that offers a soft cushioning and support for your baby’s head. This head support can be removed when your baby grows to create more space.
There’s also a rotating canopy for sun protection when your baby is riding in a stroller. The seat can be reclined to 6 different positions to provide your baby with the most comfortable sitting angle and a five-point harness that adjusts from the front makes it easy to get your baby in and out of this infant car seat.
A removable boot or foot/leg cover also helps to create a cozy and comfortable ride for your baby. We like the sleek pierce fashion that features shades of taupe and solid black to create a modern, gender-neutral style that basically goes with anything.
For ease of use and convenience, the seat cushion together with the harness can be removed and machine-washed when they get dirty. And if you’re curious to know whether this infant car seat has any downsides or issues, you’ll be relieved to know there aren’t any faults we could find on this car seat from graco snugride click connect 35.
In fact, this is one of the best infant car seats you can get for your newborn baby due to the safety, ease of use and comfort it provides at such a reasonable price.
Pros
Comfortable and supportive
Easy to use
Gender-neutral style
Ultra-lightweight for easy transportation
Crash tested to exceed US safety standards
5-point safety harness
Rotating canopy for sunshade
Cons
None
2.Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat
With the chicco keyfit 30 infant car seat, your baby will benefit from the safety and comfort expected to be found in an infant car seat of this caliber.
As a number 1-rated infant car seat in America, it’s engineered with innovative features that make it one of the easiest infant car seat to install simply, accurately and securely every time.
You can easily achieve the best installation and comfortable sitting angle for your baby thanks to the stay-in-car base that features a ReclineSure spring-loaded leveling foot and two RideRight bubble level-indicators for a quick and easy installation every time.
Additionally, it has premium LATCH connectors together with a SuperCinch one-pull tightener with force-multiplying technology to help parents achieve a tight and secure fit without using much effort in the process.
Since the base is designed with easy belt routing and integrated lock-offs, you can easily alternate and install this infant car seat with your vehicle’s seatbelt and the enclosed underside also helps to protect your vehicle’s seat from damage.
With the comfort of your baby in mind, it features ergonomic supports for both your baby’s head and body and these supports can be easily removed to create more room or space as your baby continues to grow.
A five-point safety harness also helps to keep your baby safe, comfortable and secured in this car seat and an adjustable canopy provides maximum sun shade when riding along. For safety purposes, the carrier shell is lined with EPS, energy-absorbing foam to protect your baby from harmful or fatal impact during collision.
Additionally, you can use this infant car seat with any stroller from chicco and create a travel system anytime for on-the-go convenience. It secures very easily to the base and stroller with a quick and simple reassuring audible click that lets you know you’ve installed it correctly.
You can also easily detach or remove this infant car seat from your vehicle or stroller using the one-hand release and a two-position ergonomic carry-handle that also provides for convenient transportation from your home to the vehicle or stroller.
However, with a maximum height recommendation of 30 inches, this infant car seat isn’t ideal for tall babies and it’s a bit on the heavier side if you carry it with your baby inside it. The strap covers aren’t removable for washing if your baby spits up on them.
All in all, this is a great infant car seat with the ease of use and installation together with the comfort and safety that your baby will benefit from it.
Pros
Easy to use
Easy to install
Comfortable with removable head and body supports
Easy to adjust straps
Carry-handle for easy transport
Cons
A bit heavy
Not for tall babies
3.Evenflo SafeMax Infant Car Seat
As the first roll-over tested infant car seat, the evenflo safemax is designed to provide little babies with extended safety that’s combined with a lightweight design for easy transport or travel even with the baby inside it.
For even more safety, it comes as a rear-facing infant car seat for babies from 4 – 35 pounds in weight and it has a stay-in-car convenience SafeZone base combined with premium materials designed to absorb and dissipate crash or impact forces through an anti-rebound bar.
The use of Sure Safe Latch guides provide for a proper and easy installation in any vehicle that is equipped with lower latch anchors so you can quickly secure your baby in a matter of seconds. We like how the base has 3 different recline angles to help parents achieve the perfect installation on different types of vehicle seats.
Additionally, the recline angle indicator has three colors which are red if the seat isn’t installed at an allowed recline, blue for babies from 4 – 20 pounds in weight and green for babies from 20 – 35 pounds to provide your baby with a higher sitting position as they get older.
We really like the temperature regulating fabric that keeps your baby cool during hot seasons and warm during cold seasons for a safer, more peaceful ride for you and your baby. The cushion material is very soft and thick with padding around the waist belt and shoulder straps to keep your baby comfortable and provide him/her with a snug fit when riding along. The canopy included does a good job in protecting your baby from bright sunlight.
The padded ergonomic handle bar that’s uniquely crafted together with the lightweight design make it very convenient for parents to carry around this infant car seat even with the baby inside it.
However, this handle bar is a bit of a pain to move it from the down position to the up position and it makes this car seat to occupy much more space in your vehicle. Another issue with this infant car seat is that there’s no compatible stroller that allows you to attach this infant car seat into it to create a travel system for on-the-go convenience.
With that said, this infant car seat is still one of the safest you can get on the market right now considering it is side impact tested and the first to be rollover tested. It’s also high in quality, very easy to install, comfortable and the seat pad can be removed and machine-washed when dirty.
Pros
High quality
Very safe
Comfortable
Lightweight for easy transportation
Easy to install
Comfortable handle bar
Machine-washable seat pad
Cons
Lacks compatible stroller
Inconvenient handle position
4.Britax B-Safe Gen2 Infant Car Seat
With the Britax B safe 35 infant car seat your baby is sure to get unmatched protection from the number one brand in safety technology.
It features the SafeCell impact protection which is an integrated system of safety components found exclusively in Britax car seats.
This safety system consists of an impact-absorbing base that compresses to reduce the rough force of impact during a collision together with an impact-stabilizing steel frame that offers superior strength at the point where you need it the most and that’s at the connection point to your vehicle.
A deep shell lined with energy-absorbing foam shields your baby from front impacts while providing one layer of side impact protection. As a rear-facing infant car seat, it can be used on babies from 4 – 35 pounds in weight and can also be easily attached to any stroller from britax and create a custom travel system thanks to the click and go stroller compatibility.
Thanks to the SafeCenter latch, you can easily and safely install this infant car seat without any struggle or guesswork on your part. The center-pull straps and the quick, push button lower latch anchors allow you to safely and correctly install or secure the seat’s base with ease.
The smart design and the contoured shell enable it to take up little space in your car while minimizing side-to-side movements to maximize protection. We like the fabric used on the seat pad that’s easy to wipe clean and has a smooth touch to it unlike the grabby and rough fabrics of other car seats.
The carrier handle is also comfortable on your hands when you’re carrying the baby and the harness is easy to adjust when tightening or loosening them so as to secure your baby on the seat. You can easily remove the newborn body pad and machine-wash it when it gets dirty.
However, this infant car seat feels a bit heavy even when you carry it without your baby in it and this is due to the base that makes this infant car seat to be one of the safest you can get.
Though there’s a canopy for protecting your baby from the sun, it’s not fully extendable and that’s something a few parents find to be an issue.
All in all, this is a great infant car seat that’s not only one of the safest you can get, but also one that’s incredibly well built with great structure and comfortable padding that’s easy to clean.
Pros
One of the safest
Easy to install
Comfortable
Easy to clean fabric
Compatible with britax strollers
High quality and well made
Cons
Heavy to carry
A bit narrow for big babies
5.Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4/35 Infant Car Seat
Though it’s more expensive than most of the infant car seats on this list, the peg perego primo viaggio 4/35 comes with important features that most of the car seats don’t have.
As a rear-facing infant car seat, it’s designed for babies from 4 – 35 pounds in weight. It’s built and designed to provide your baby with safety, comfort and style all in one package.
An energy absorbing EPS lined shell enhances protection during impact and is perforated to ensure there’s maximum air circulation for ultimate comfort. The side impact protection can be easily adjusted to 6 different positions to help protect your baby’s head and shoulders at any growth stage with no re-threading needed even with your baby in the seat.
We really like the dual stage cushioning system that creates a safe and snug environment for even the smallest of babies. The first stage cushion offers extra support on your baby’s neck and bottom and is for infants from 4 pounds and above.
The second stage cushion correctly supports your growing baby and both cushions are made of soft, breathable fabric for comfort. With the ease of use in mind, it has a patented handle design that’s short and compact to make it easy to move it in and out of your vehicle.
The seat and handle bar have color coded belt paths to help in belt routing when the base is not in use. The innovative base features the “right tight system” that easily and securely locks the base in place for added stability when used with either the latch strap or the vehicle’s seat belt.
The base also has an anti-rebound bar to prevent it from rotating during a collision. You can also create your own travel system since this infant car seat is compatible with all peg perego strollers without the need of adapters.
A five point harness enables you to securely fit your baby on the seat and the large adjustable canopy will protect your baby from bright sunlight or heavy rain. Even though this infant car seat isn’t the lightest, it’s also not heavy and you can easily transport it from your vehicle to your baby’s stroller even with the baby in it.
It’s also very well built, sturdy and the materials feel high quality. All in all, this is a great infant car seat that peg perego has brought to the consumer market. Even though it’s pricey, it comes loaded with more features than some of the less expensive options in our list.
Pros
High quality
Sturdy and well made
Very comfortable
Adjustable canopy
Easy to clean
Adjustable side impact protection
Easy to use
Dual stage cushion system
Cons
Pricey
6.Baby Jogger City Go Infant Car Seat
With the baby jogger city go infant car seat you can create your own travel system by attaching it to your favorite baby jogger stroller with a car seat adapter that’s sold separately even though it takes a number of tries to figure out how to fit it into a stroller.
As a rear-facing infant car seat it can be used on babies from 4 to 35 pounds and up to 32 inches tall. Thanks to the taxisafe belt path you can quickly, easily and safely install this infant car seat without a base in taxis and even rental cars when you’re not using your own vehicle.
Additionally it has a 6-position base that can be easily adjusted to ensure you get a proper and level installation in your vehicle. There are bubble level indicators that allow you to easily see and provide confidence that you’ve installed the base correctly and securely.
The fabric used on the seat is soft and has plenty of padding to keep your baby comfortable when riding along. When it gets dirty you can easily remove this padding and throw it in a washing machine.
Unlike the britax b safe 35 which is narrow and doesn’t fit a bigger baby comfortably, the baby jogger city go is wide enough to comfortably fit a big baby without squishing him/her too much.
The whole infant car seat can also be used as a stationary rocking chair by placing it on the floor and moving it back and forth to rock your baby. The extended uv50+ canopy does a great job in shielding your baby from the sun or rain and can be pushed back when not in use.
The safety harness doesn’t need any re-threading when you want to adjust it to provide your baby with a safe and snug fit. However, you have to turn the seat over to be able to move the straps up or down and this provides for a little difficult adjustment than that of other infant car seats on our list.
At just over 7 pounds in weight, you can easily transport it from your car to your baby’s stroller and everywhere in between even with your baby in it. The only issue with this infant car seat is that the fabric is not breathable and your baby might sweat like crazy on a hot day.
The sun shade is also very noisy when you’re extending it forward or backwards. All in all, we like this infant car seat with all the important features and functionality it provides to both parents and babies alike.
Pros
Functional
Easy and quick to install
Rocking feature
Easy to use
Comfortable
Safe and sturdy
Cons
Noisy canopy
Cheap and flimsy chest clip
7.UPPAbaby MESA Infant Car Seat
Parents really like the uppababy mesa infant car seat for all the safety and important features it provides to both parents and babies alike.
This infant car seat was awarded a 5-star rating by the NHTSA for ease of use and is the first to pass NHTSA’s proposed standard for side impact protection making it one of the safest infant car seat you can get for your baby.
Thanks to mesa’s smartsecure system that utilizes a tightness indicator and self-retracting latch connectors, you can quickly, accurately and easily install this car seat in only 10 seconds. An indicator window turns from red to green to let you know you’ve installed the base correctly.
We really like the adjustable headrest with side impact protection that’s reinforced with EPP foam to provide your baby with additional protection. This integrated design keeps your baby’s head stationary during a side impact collision which results in up to 4x better test scores than other premium infant car seat brands.
The fabric used is softer, breathable and has moisture-wicking materials on the adjustable headrest, infant insert and harness cover to keep your baby comfortable and cool during hot seasons. Even better, you can quickly and easily remove this seat fabric and throw it in a washing machine when your baby spills on it.
You can pair this infant car seat with the VISTA or cruz strollers to deliver a performance travel system that’s the ultimate in safety and portability. There’s also no need to sacrifice performance for convenience since the one-handed release from stroller lets you switch from stroller to your car in one motion.
The adjustable harness and crotch strap settings enable you to securely fit a baby as small as 4 pounds and can be adjusted to fit babies as large as 35 pounds. Mesa’s infant insert is ideal if your baby is between 4 to 8 pounds since the built-in wedge creates a flatter and safer sitting position for small newborns and preemies.
The whole infant car seat is also light to carry around from home to your vehicle or stroller even with the baby in it. The only issue with this car seat is the high price.
But even though it’s pricey, this is still one of the safest, most convenient and comfortable infant car seat you can currently get on the market. It’s also sturdily built, easy to clean and easy to operate every time you’re on the road with your baby.
Pros
5-star rated for safety and ease of use
Very comfortable seat fabric
Easy to clean fabric
Easy to operate
Quick and easy to install
Adjustable headrest with SIP
Compatible with vista or cruz strollers
Light to carry around
Cons
Pricey but worth it
8.Maxi-Cosi Mico Max 30 Infant Car Seat
Infants from 4 – 30 pounds will greatly benefit from the safety, comfort and convenience provided by the maxi-cosi mico max 30 infant car seat.
For superior safety and protection during a collision, it features an air protect side impact protection to shield the head, neck and torso areas of your baby from dangerous impacts and an anti-rebound bar prevents the car seat from rotating during an impact.
We like the reversible cozi-dozi insert that provides smaller babies with head and neck support for a safer and snug ride. Thanks to the one-click Latch system, you can quickly and easily install this car seat in a matter of few seconds and the adjustable stay-in-car base ensures you get a proper fit in your vehicle every time.
You can easily carry this infant car seat even with your baby in it thanks to its carrier weight that’s one of lightest in class and the contoured handle that’s designed to curve around your hip to provide you with a more comfortable carry.
Less bouncing also provides a better experience for both you and your baby. Being fully compatible with strollers from maxi-cosi, quinny and other premium stroller brands means you can create a custom travel system anytime you want for more convenience when on the go.
The extra large canopy included does a great job in shielding your baby from bright sunlight and any elements from harsh weather even though few parents find this canopy to be flimsy and cheaply made.
Designed to make the life of parents easy and convenient, it comes with a seat pad that’s not just easy to clean but one that’s easiest to clean. The innovative seat pad can be quickly and easily removed in a few seconds with no unthreading or re-threading of the harness required.
Once taken off, you can throw it in a washing machine and quickly dry it in a dryer since it is dryer safe. Putting it back on is also easy if you want to get back on the road quickly.
Additionally, the self-wicking fabrics composed of bamboo and other natural fibers deodorize and suck liquids away from your baby’s skin keeping him/her dry and comfortable while riding along.
The only issue with this infant car seat is that it’s a bit pricey but that doesn’t seem to bother most parents considering the ease of use, ease of cleaning, safety and comfort that both parents and their babies get from this infant car seat.
Pros
Superior side impact protection from air protect technology
Very comfortable
Easy and quick to remove, wash and dry fabrics
Light to carry around
One-click latch for easy installation
Compatible with most strollers
Contoured handle for comfortable carrying
Cons
Flimsy canopy
A bit pricey
9.Evenflo LiteMax DLX Infant Car Seat
The evenflo litemax 35 shares most of its features with the evenflo safemax that’s reviewed above even though the litemax is slightly much more affordable.
As a rear-facing infant car seat for babies from 4 – 35 pounds in weight, the evenflo litemax 35 platinum is finely-tuned and boosts of features designed to minimize overall parent-effort.
Just like its name suggests, this infant car seat is very light in weight and just at over 9 pounds in weight it can be easily carried from home to car or stroller even with your baby in it.
You can get a proper and easy installation in cars that are equipped with lower latch anchors thanks to the sure safe latch guides together with a central pendulum level indicator that helps to ensure you achieve the proper incline during installation.
A stay-in-car convenience base also provides for easy installation while minimizing overall parent effort. Your baby is sure to get the necessary support and comfort since it comes with head and body pillow inserts for a safer and snug fit for smaller babies.
These inserts can also be removed for more room and space when your baby starts to grow. For the purpose of comfort, it’s equipped with temperature regulating fabric that helps a lot in keeping your baby comfortable both during hot and cold seasons.
The pads can also be removed and machine washed when your baby messes or spits up on them. It’s easy to tighten or loosen the harness and straps when securing your baby on the car seat and you can also adjust the straps to provide a safe and snug fit for growing babies.
The canopy included provides a full coverage to protect your baby from bright sunlight and heavy rain and you can remove it by zipping it out if not in use. We like the nice handle that’s comfortable on your hands when carrying it around.
You can even create a custom travel system of your own but there are few stroller options that are compatible with this infant car seat.
So this litemax infant car seat is very similar to the safemax model that’s reviewed above even though the safemax is more expensive and has been rollover tested for extended safety during a collision.
So based on the features and price of these two models it’s up to parents to decide which model will be best suited for them.
Pros
Light to carry around
Quick and easy installation
Comfortable fabric
Removable head and body inserts for support
Machine washable pads
Full coverage canopy
Stylish and nice color options
Cons
Limited stroller options
10.Safety 1st Onboard 35 Air Infant Car Seat
This infant car seat from safety first also comes with some important features at a reasonable price.
Ideal for babies from 4 – 35 pounds in weight, it features air protect technology that provides your little baby with advanced side impact protection around the head region during an impact or collision.
This provides babies with protection where it’s needed the most so parents can feel prepared to enjoy every moment of travel together with their babies. The fact that this infant car seat meets and exceeds federal and ASTM safety standards is enough proof that it’s been designed and built with safety of your baby in mind.
We like the updated base that offers up to 5 different installation angles to choose from to make it easy and convenient to get the correct fit in your vehicle while giving your baby a safer ride at the same time.
The safety harness is specially designed to provide smaller babies with a safe and snug fit and the car seat has additional leg room to easily accommodate the growth of babies in the rear-facing position starting from 4 pounds up to 35 pounds.
There’s a cozy infant insert that you can fit in case your baby is very tiny and needs additional support. Life of parents has also been made easier thanks to the machine washable seat pad that makes it easy to keep the seat clean.
You can quickly remove the seat pad and throw it in a washing machine if a thorough cleaning is required. Additionally the updated carry handle with comfort grip makes the whole car seat even easier to carry from home to your car and everywhere in between with the baby in it.
The sunshade that’s included provides your baby with sufficient protection from bright sunlight when on the road. At 18 pounds in weight, this infant car seat is a bit on the heavy side but it’s not difficult to transport around.
The only issue we found on this infant car seat is that it’s hard to unlatch from the base since the release on the back is a bit hard to grip and squeeze to unlock from the base but this may only be a case by case issue and not a common issue.
All in all this is a great infant car seat that’s very safe, sturdily built, comfortable and easy to clean and operate. The little body support pillows also create a perfect fit for newborns and can be removed for more room when the baby starts to grow.
Pros
Sturdily built
Safe and comfortable
Easy to install
Easy to clean seat pad
Convenient carry handle
Advanced side impact protection
Cons
A bit hard to unlatch from base
The Lowdown On Infant Car Seats
An infant car seat only faces the rear of your vehicle and is suitable for use on babies from 4 pounds up to 35 or 40 pounds and 32 to 35 inches tall. Infant car seats fit newborn and small babies snugly during the first year of birth since most of them feature additional inserts for the head and body to provide your baby with additional support.
When your baby starts to grow you can remove these inserts to create more space for your growing baby. The most important reason for buying an infant car seat is safety. This is because babies less than 20 pounds are best secured in an infant car seat as opposed to a convertible car seat or all-in-one seat.
Convenience is also a big factor with infant car seats since they are lighter and smaller than convertible car seats and all-in-one car seats and usually have a convenient carry handle that makes it easy for parents to carry it even with the baby inside.
Infant car seats also snap in and out of a base installed in your vehicle and also in or out of your baby’s stroller allowing you to carry or transfer your baby from one place to another without waking him/her from sleep.
Another thing to consider is that babies should ride at an angle of about 30 to 45 degrees to provide them with optimum protection from crash or impact without interfering with their normal breathing.
Some convertible car seats are inconvenient since they tend to take up a lot of space back-to-front when installed at an angle between 30 – 45 degrees and this may force the driver or passenger to pull up their seats uncomfortably for the convertible car seat to fit properly.
Being rear-facing, infant car seats are safe for your baby since the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children to be driven in the rear-facing position until at least 2 years of age.
Important features to look for in an infant car seat
Ease of use – it’s important to look for the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s five-star rating since the more stars an infant car seat has the easier it is to use. These ratings usually take into account the content and clarity of the instruction manual together with how easy it is to install the infant car seat in your vehicle and secure your baby in it.
A car-seat base – a car seat base enables you to easily snap the infant car seat in and out of your vehicle and most infant car seats come with this base. When you want to travel with your baby, all you need to do is snap the infant car seat into the base and then buckle up your baby to be ready to go.
Once you reach your destination, you simply unlatch the infant car seat from the base and carry it with your baby in it. Additionally, the bases of some infant car seats have add-ons like an adjustable foot that helps you get the proper angle of recline and a bubble level indicator to show you precisely if you’ve achieved the correct installation angle.
Easy adjustments – in order to accommodate the growth of your baby, the infant car seat you choose must have adjustable harness and headrest and the straps and harness height should be easily adjustable from the front.
Most high end models have harnesses that don’t require re-threading together with single-hand belt adjustments with quick-release buckles and single-hand height-adjustable headrests.
LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) – the LATCH system basically allows parents to attach the infant car seat directly to their vehicles instead of using the seat belt to secure the car seat safely.
This helps to make the installation process easier and most infant car seats only use the lower anchors but not tethers. Latch connectors normally come in two styles: a “rigid latch” that sticks straight out of the seat’s back or one that’s attached to a flexible strap threaded through the car seat.
Easy to clean – the fabrics and the seat pad of an infant car seat should be removable and machine washable whenever your baby messes or spits up on it. This will make it easy for you to quickly wash the seat pad and dry it quickly for use when you want to hit the road quickly.
Comfort – an infant car seat that’s well padded should be more comfortable than one that’s not padded properly. Additionally, there must be removable inserts for the head and body areas to provide your baby with proper support, snug fit and comfort.
Side impact protection – this is very important if your baby is to get optimum protection around the head and chest areas during a collision.
Some infant car seats feature special energy-absorbing foam and side impact protection that employs air protect technology to ensure your baby is very safe during impact.
How to install
According to NHTSA many car seats including infant car seats are not properly installed even after the parent has read and followed the directions in the instruction manual.
For the purpose of safety, you can have your infant car seat and its installation checked by a professional to ensure you get the correct way of installing it.
How much is it going to cost you?
The price of most infant car seats start from about $50 for the cheap options to about $470 for the most expensive models. If you know your baby will be riding in more than one vehicle, it’s more convenient to buy an infant car seat and base for each vehicle.
If you want a more affordable approach, you can buy additional bases and move the same infant car seat from one vehicle to another. Extra bases can start from about $25 all the way to $220.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do all infant car seats fit strollers?
A: In some instances, most infant car seats can fit into a stroller without the need of separate adapters. This is especially true if both your infant car seat and stroller are from the same brand manufacturer.
Often times, the manufacturer won’t provide information on every car seat specifically, but it’s highly likely that the car seat will STRAP onto this “universal” adapter and fit properly.
Q: How long do infant car seats last?
A: Most car seats including infant car seats have an expiration date of about 6 years from the date of manufacture. This expiry date information is usually printed somewhere on the car seat, if you check your owner’s manual.
However, if you’re still in doubt about the exact expiry date for your child’s car seat, the best option is to call the manufacturer and ask them.
Conclusion
As you can see from this guide on the best safest infant car seats, the process of buying and selecting an infant car seat is very similar to that of a convertible car seat and an all-in-one car seat.
And even though all types of car seats are safe, you may want to choose an infant car seat if you want the convenience of being able to easily transfer your baby from one car to another, install the car seat in your vehicle without it taking up much space and the ability to carry your baby around easily even when he/she is in the car seat.
You also want to ensure that the infant car seat you choose for your baby has all the features listed above for it to meet your needs in terms of ease of use, ease of cleaning and ease of installation while also being safe and comfortable for your little baby at the same time.
If you plan on traveling soon, we recommend reading our review of the best mini pack n plays.