If you have no experience with infant car seats, here's what you need to know: An infant car seat is a bucket-like carrier that secures a baby with a five-point harness. It is designed to face the rear of the car, and the bucket carrier clicks in and out of a base that stays installed in the back seat. (The seats in the photograph above are shown clicked into their bases.) You install the bases using either the vehicle's seat belt or the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system, which lets you attach a pair of metal hooks built into the base to a set of anchors built into the car. If you choose, you can buy multiple bases, so you can use the same seat in different cars without having to reinstall anything. You could also install the seat on its own with just a seat belt (no base)---say, if you're traveling or taking a taxi. Whichever infant seat you choose, we've included helpful tips on how to safely use and maintain it.
Our pick: Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX
The SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX is easier to install, adjust, and operate than seats that cost far more. And it has an added safety feature: an anti-rebound base.
The Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX provides the total package of user-friendliness, quality, and value. It's one of the simplest infant car seats to install when you're using the base, whether you install it with a seat belt or the LATCH method. The SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX is a stylish seat with a high-end feel. And it has some bells and whistles usually reserved for pricier seats, such as a removable seat pad for quicker cleanup, harness straps that you don't have to undo and rethread to adjust, and one-handed handle adjustment. This seat also has the added safety feature of an anti-rebound base (a metal bar built into the base of the seat), which can help limit the amount the seat rotates (or rebounds) after the initial impact of a crash. At 10½ pounds, the SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX is the heaviest of our picks. But our testers didn't think it was too heavy to carry comfortably, and we found it was easy to operate and to click in and out of its base. The seat can accommodate babies up to 32 inches or 35 pounds (this is the upper range of the category, and it's likely more than most people end up needing). The only real drawback to the SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX is that we found its no-base, seat-belt-only install tricky to pull off; we had difficulty getting the seat in snugly (a common problem with infant seats that have an American belt-path configuration, including this one). Most people prefer to use the base with their infant seat anyway, so this may not be an issue for you. However, if you plan to often go without a base---say, for frequent taxi rides or travel---you might want to consider our also-great pick, the Chicco KeyFit 35, or our upgrade pick, the Clek Liing, both of which are better for baseless installs. Also, the SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX is not as compatible with as many strollers from various brands as our other three picks are.
Seat weight (without base): 10½ pounds
Baby height, weight limits: 32 inches, 35 pounds
Stroller compatibility: Without the purchase of an extra adapter, this seat works with Graco strollers, the Baby Trend Snap-N-Go, and many Joovy strollers (PDF). With an adapter (sold separately), it's compatible with more brands' strollers, including those from Baby Jogger, BOB, Mockingbird, and Thule.
Runner-up: Chicco KeyFit 30
The Chicco KeyFit 30 is easy to install and to use, and it delivers on its good reputation.
The Chicco KeyFit 30 is the Coke Classic of infant car seats: It's a crowd-pleaser, and it's been a longtime favorite for a reason. The KeyFit 30 is easy and intuitive to install, particularly when you're installing the base with the LATCH system. Installing the base with the seat belt is also simple, though that method does require some force to get the base in tightly (we had to physically sit on the base to apply enough pressure). As with our top-pick Graco seat, this Chicco model's seat-belt-only, no-base install leaves a lot to be desired, and installing it snugly is a challenge. The KeyFit 30 is relatively lightweight---about a pound lighter than the SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX---and comfortable to carry, and it's simple to adjust. The bucket seat smoothly clicks in and out of the base. It has a lower weight and height limit than our other three picks, so it may not be ideal for larger-than-average babies or for families that want to use an infant seat longer. But it should be able to accommodate most tots for over a year, which is usually plenty. Although the KeyFit 30 typically costs a tad more than the Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX, the KeyFit 30 is missing some of the convenient extras that the Graco seat has, such as a no-rethread harness, a removable seat pad for easy cleaning, and one-handed handle adjustment. The KeyFit 30 also lacks an added safety feature, like the anti-rebound base on the SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX and the Chicco KeyFit 35 or the load leg on the Clek Liing. We consider those to be bonuses rather than essentials, however. (Note: The Chicco KeyFit 30 ClearTex is the same seat, available at the same price. But rather than the standard polyester fabric, its cover is made with Chicco's newer ClearTex fabric, which has no added chemicals and has received a Greenguard Gold Certification for lower chemical emissions.)
Seat weight (without base): 9½ pounds
Baby height, weight limits: 30 inches, 30 pounds
Stroller compatibility: Without the purchase of an extra adapter, this seat works with many Chicco strollers (not all Chicco strollers accept infant car seats, and some require an extra adapter), the Baby Trend Snap-N-Go, and many Joovy strollers. With an adapter (sold separately), it's compatible with strollers from many more brands, including Baby Jogger, BOB, Britax, Mockingbird, Thule, and Uppababy. (Note: We've been alerted that the Chicco adapter no longer fits as it should on the Baby Jogger City Mini 2 stroller, following a minor model update to the stroller in 2021. It also doesn't work with the Britax B-Lively.)
Also great: Chicco KeyFit 35
This seat is just as simple to install and use as the KeyFit 30, and it has some upgrades---including an anti-rebound base and a European belt path for easier no-base installs when you're traveling.
$270 $192 from Albee Baby | $216 from Amazon | $237 from Walmart
The Chicco KeyFit 35 offers all of the things we love about the Chicco KeyFit 30, our runner-up pick---namely, it's super user-friendly and easy to install---plus a few appealing upgrades. The KeyFit 35 comes with the added safety feature of an anti-rebound base, like our top pick, the Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX. And like our upgrade pick, the Clek Liing, the KeyFit 35 has a European belt path (a rarity in the US); this allows you to install the seat more securely when you're not using the base---a major plus for families that frequently travel or take taxis. This seat also has a convenient no-rethread harness (similar to the Graco seat's), so you won't have to take apart and reassemble the harness to make height adjustments as your child grows. The KeyFit 35 can accommodate passengers up to 32 inches and 35 pounds (hence the "35"), in contrast with the KeyFit 30's 30-inch, 30-pound maximum; this may not be an issue for most folks, but it could be helpful if you have a bigger baby or you'd prefer to use your infant seat longer (before switching over to a convertible seat). The main downsides of the KeyFit 35 are its weight and price: It's half a pound heavier than the KeyFit 30, and it costs more than the KeyFit 30 or the SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX; the KeyFit 35 is still a very good value considering its combination of desirable features. (Note: The Chicco KeyFit 35 ClearTex is the same seat, available at about the same price. But its cover is made with Chicco's newer ClearTex fabric, which has no added chemicals and has received a Greenguard Gold Certification for lower chemical emissions.)
Seat weight (without base): 10 pounds
Baby height, weight limits: 32 inches, 35 pounds
Stroller compatibility: Without the purchase of an extra adapter, this seat works with many Chicco strollers (not all Chicco strollers accept infant seats, and some require an extra adapter) and many Joovy strollers. With an adapter (sold separately), it's compatible with strollers from many more brands, including Baby Jogger, BOB, Mockingbird, Thule, and Uppababy. (Note: We've been alerted that the Chicco adapter no longer fits as it should on the Baby Jogger City Mini 2 stroller, following a minor model update to the stroller in 2021.)
Upgrade pick: Clek Liing
This model is amazingly easy to install and is engineered to prevent user error (color-coding galore!). Plus, it has a huge sun canopy and the added safety feature of a load leg.
If it weren't for the price of the Clek Liing, we'd tell everybody to get one---it's an exceptionally well-designed, well-executed car seat. We've never come across another infant seat that is quite this easy to install; it is so cleverly engineered that installing it with the base (using either the LATCH system or the seat-belt method) requires minimal effort. Part of what makes the Liing so simple to install and operate is that Clek has incorporated color-coded indicators throughout the seat (green means you're good, red means something is amiss), which takes the guesswork out of using it correctly. And unlike the Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX and the Chicco KeyFit 30, the Clek Liing is also easy to install snugly if you're using it without the base. This is because, like the Chicco KeyFit 35, it has a European belt-path configuration, which provides a more secure fit than the American configuration. The Liing comes with the added safety feature of a load leg, a metal support rod that sits between the car seat and the vehicle floor; in an accident, the load leg absorbs some of the initial impact of the crash and limits the amount that the seat can move. At 9 pounds, the Liing is the lightest of our picks to carry. The seat has the same height and weight allowances (32 inches and 35 pounds) as the SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX and the KeyFit 35, and it comes in a range of stylish, high-end fabric options. Unlike our top pick from Graco, this Clek seat does not offer a no-rethread harness, a removable seat pad to make cleanup easier, or one-handed handle adjustment, and those omissions are disappointing (especially considering how much this seat costs). But the Liing's sun canopy is the biggest we've seen, and this seat has the longest life span and best warranty of our picks.
Seat weight (without base): 9 pounds
Baby height, weight limits: 32 inches, 35 pounds
Stroller compatibility: Without the purchase of an extra adapter, this seat works with the Baby Trend Snap-N-Go and many Joovy strollers. With an adapter (sold separately), it's compatible with a wide range of strollers from other brands, including Baby Jogger, Babyzen, Bugaboo, Colugo, Thule, and Uppababy. (See the full list on the Clek website.)
Over the course of researching this guide, we spoke with more than 20 industry experts, including current and former employees of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the federal agency responsible for vehicle and car seat safety. We consulted multiple certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs), engineers, and physicians, and we conducted interviews with representatives from seven leading car seat manufacturers.
We also talked to scores of caregivers about their car seat experiences, scanned hundreds of online owner reviews, and read dozens of articles and reviews from reputable sources, such as BabyGearLab and Car Seats for the Littles.
The 2018 version of this guide was written by Rebecca Gale, a Washington, DC--based reporter; as part of the research and testing process, Rebecca became certified as a CPST herself. Rebecca's articles on policy and parenting have appeared in outlets including The New York Times and The Washington Post. She's also the author of Wirecutter's guide to the best booster car seats.
Christina Szalinski, the current author of this guide, is a Philadelphia-based science writer with a PhD in cell biology whose reporting on health has appeared in Scientific American, Undark, and more. In addition to writing Wirecutter's updated guides to infant car seats and convertible car seats, she is responsible for Wirecutter's guides to the best baby formula and kids face masks. Christina has three children, ages 3, 5, and 8; she can frequently be found ferrying them to soccer practice and play dates in her Honda Odyssey minivan.
Amid all the lengthy lists of baby "must-haves," the one item that's not up for debate is a car seat. If you're going to ride in a car with your baby, you need one. And most hospitals, in compliance with guidelines established by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), do not discharge a newborn until a staff member has visually confirmed the presence of a car seat to transport the baby safely home.
Several qualities distinguish dedicated infant car seats from larger convertible and all-in-one car seats, many of which have been designed to accommodate a wide range of weights and heights (from newborns on up). For starters, while convertible and all-in-one seats start out in a rear-facing position for younger passengers and then eventually get turned around (we have tips on when to make the switch), an infant seat is designed to be used rear-facing only. And with good reason: This position is the safest, and it provides the most protection for small children.
Unlike convertible car seats, infant seats are bucket-shaped and come with a detachable base and a handle so that parents or caregivers can easily click the seat in and out of the vehicle and carry the baby around in the seat (or attach it to a compatible stroller). This is a handy design because it saves you the trouble of taking your baby out of their infant car seat every time you need to make a transition---say, from the car to the pediatrician's office. Just keep in mind that even though infants do sleep a lot---and they're likely to doze off during outings---it is not safe to use car seats as primary sleeping devices or to let your baby sleep in one for an extended period of time. (They should be sleeping on a flat, firm surface instead.)
Babies outgrow most infant car seats by the time they reach 30 to 32 inches in length or weigh 30 to 35 pounds, whichever comes first. The average baby reaches that height range sometime between 12 to 19 months. But they'll probably be over 3 years old before they hit 35 pounds, so for most people the height limit is more relevant than the weight limit.
Many of the caregivers we interviewed acknowledged that they had moved their child to a rear-facing convertible car seat long before the child officially outgrew their infant seat---typically at the point when the caregivers found the baby had become too heavy to carry in the bucket seat. Most people don't use an infant car seat for more than a year or a year and a half before switching to a convertible. But the click-in, click-out option during those early days, when the child is still light enough to be easily portable, is certainly convenient.
For trips that involve plane travel and a different car at the destination, we recommend that caregivers use their regular infant car seat, but without the base---that is, installed with the seat belt only. And for caregivers who expect to travel quite a bit, or those who rely heavily on taxi services and want to have a single seat-and-stroller combination, we recommend the Doona, a pick in our guide to travel car seats.
When we wrote the first version of this infant seat guide, stroller compatibility (the ability to click an infant seat into a stroller base, with or without the help of an added adapter) was one of the main criteria we considered. This time around, we haven't highlighted stroller compatibility as much. That's not because we don't think it's important---many caregivers appreciate the convenience it affords, and we've included a list of the major stroller brands whose models are compatible with each of our car seat picks. However, stroller compatibility is now pretty common: With some notable exceptions, you can match up most popular infant seats with a wide range of popular strollers. Therefore, we do not consider this to be a feature that truly sets an infant seat apart or one that deserves the same weight as the other criteria listed above.
We also caution car seat shoppers against getting talked into infant seat and stroller "systems" where compatibility is the main selling point, since the payoff is bound to be short-lived. The time period in which most families actually use an infant seat and a stroller together is relatively brief---usually around a year or so---whereas a stroller is likely to be around a lot longer. So we believe it makes sense to choose the best infant seat and the best stroller individually, each on its own merits, rather than settling for a subpar version of either.
Some infant seats---including three of our picks in this guide---come with an anti-rebound base or a load leg, added safety features that can improve the seat's performance and stability in a crash. (The Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX, our top pick, and the Chicco KeyFit 35, our also-great pick, have an anti-rebound base; the Clek Liing, our upgrade pick, has a load leg.) Both features have been popular on infant seat models sold in Canada and abroad for years, but they have only recently become more common in the United States.
An anti-rebound base, also known as an anti-rebound bar, is a metal bar built into the foot end of the seat base, which rests flush against the vehicle seat; it's designed to help decrease the car seat's movement. In a front-impact collision, an infant seat moves forward and down and then "rebounds" back, potentially sending its passenger face-first into the back of the vehicle seat. The anti-rebound base can minimize that rebound effect.
A load leg is a metal pole that connects from the base of the infant seat to the floor of the car, making the seat more stable and absorbing some of the impact of a crash. Load legs can be installed in most---but not all---cars. So before you buy a seat with a load leg, you should confirm that your car's make and model can accommodate one. And you should find out if there's a particular position in the back where you must install it.
Both anti-rebound bases and load legs have the potential to improve the performance of an infant car seat. Of the two features, a load leg may be more effective, since the load leg serves the dual function of reducing movement and absorbing some of the initial impact of the crash without transferring it to the child.
Consumer Reports, in its independent crash testing of infant car seats, concluded that the risk of a head injury was about 46% less with the use of a load leg. (CR also noted, however, that a load leg isn't required to achieve the best-possible crash-testing results; some of the seats it tested that didn't have a load leg still achieved those results.) Another example: Clek put its Liing infant seat through crash testing with and without the load leg, as documented in this video. Clek found that using the load leg could reduce the potential for injury by up to 40% compared with using the same seat without the load leg.
Although support for using load legs and anti-rebound bases is growing---as is buyer demand---there's still a long way to go before these components can be required as standard safety features. For one thing, the crash tests that the NHTSA performs do not currently allow for the use of load legs, so the safety advantage that load legs may provide is not reflected in current government data. Miriam Manary, lead research engineer at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, pointed out this strange disconnect: "The US does not regulate or encourage the use of load legs, [but they do] have a safety benefit, for sure."
For the first version of this guide, published in 2018, we elected to perform independent crash testing on the infant car seats that we considered as our top contenders. We commissioned MGA Research, a lab in Burlington, Wisconsin, to conduct the tests, and we factored the results into our final recommendations.
When we began working on the newest update to this guide, in late 2021, we were open to pursuing independent crash testing once again. We were eager to take a thorough and comprehensive approach, one that would arm us with information to inform and improve our decision-making. To help us better understand the latest crash-testing protocols, we reached out to three industry experts: Alisa Baer, a pediatrician, CPST, and co-founder of the website The Car Seat Lady; Matt Maltese, an engineer and crash-testing expert who has worked for both NHTSA and CHOP; and Jessica Jermakian, VP of vehicle research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to automotive safety.
Much to our surprise, the more we learned about independent crash testing, the less certain we became that it made sense in our particular circumstances. (To be clear, this in no way diminishes our faith in the mandatory, regulated crash testing that the government requires of all car seat manufacturers; this is essential to maintaining high safety standards and accountability.) Our conclusion: Although we could certainly conduct a series of crash tests that would generate plenty of data, that data would likely not be meaningful or serve its intended purpose---that is, to provide us with information that would help us zero in on the best options among a small group of high-quality seats.
Our plan had been to crash test the four to six infant seats that had already performed the strongest in our field testing, based on the criteria laid out in How we picked. But as advanced as today's crash-testing tools are, we learned that they still aren't advanced enough to help reviewers reliably differentiate among a number of well-engineered seats or to tease out an A+ from an A-. In a nutshell, crash testing can be extremely useful for determining good versus bad. But it is less helpful for determining really good from really, really good. Jermakian said, "I'm not sure that crash testing would give you meaningful results. If you've already picked the four best seats from all the other perspectives, then you can feel confident that engineers have spent a lot of time designing those seats for a good and safe user experience."
Here are some of our key takeaways in this regard:
Our biggest complaint about the Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX is that installing it tightly and securely is difficult if you aren't using the base. This problem isn't unique to this seat---we encountered the same issue with our runner-up pick, the Chicco KeyFit 30, which also employs the American belt-path configuration.
If you're planning to use the SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX mostly with its base, this shouldn't be a big deal. But families that regularly rely on taxis, or that plan to travel frequently and leave the base at home, may be better served by a seat with a European belt path (such as our upgrade pick, the Clek Liing, or also-great pick, the Chicco KeyFit 35); this allows for a tighter no-base install.
Also, the SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX is not compatible with as many strollers from various brands as our other picks, including strollers from the popular Uppababy line. If you have your heart set on using an Uppababy stroller with your infant seat, you may be better served by our runner-up pick (Chicco KeyFit 30), upgrade pick (Clek Liing), or also-great pick (Chicco KeyFit 35), all of which are compatible with Uppababy strollers.
Like our top-pick seat from Graco, the Chicco KeyFit 30 is tricky to install tightly without its base, since it uses an American belt-path configuration. We wish that weren't the case, and if no-base installs are a priority for your family, the KeyFit 30 probably isn't your ideal seat. (Our also-great pick, the Chicco KeyFit 35, is very similar, except it has a European belt path that allows for more secure no-base installs.) Also, although installing the KeyFit 30 with the base using the seat belt (rather than the LATCH method) is not difficult or complicated, it does require some force.
The KeyFit 30 has the lowest child height and weight limit of our picks (respectively, 5 pounds and 2 inches less than the limits of the Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX, the Chicco KeyFit 35, or the Clek Liing). That is unlikely to be an issue, but it is something to keep in mind, especially if you have an unusually tall baby. The car seat technicians we interviewed confirmed that a child is likely to reach an infant seat's height limit before they reach the weight limit. Still, many parents choose to switch over to a convertible car seat well before a child reaches either of those limits, simply because it's no longer comfortable or easy to carry a bigger baby around in a bucket seat.
Though this is not necessarily a flaw, note that the KeyFit 30 is a bit no-frills. It lacks some of the bells and whistles that we'd put into the "nice but not necessary" category, such as a no-rethread harness or an added safety feature like an anti-rebound base or a load leg. These features can be a bonus, but they are ultimately not required for a quality infant car seat.
This seat is compatible with strollers from many brands. But we have learned that the Chicco adapter no longer fits as it should on the Baby Jogger City Mini 2, following a minor 2021 model update to that stroller. There are workarounds for the problem, but they're a hassle. So until the issue is resolved on a deeper level, it is unlikely that the KeyFit 30 and the City Mini 2 will work together seamlessly.
Another consideration: If you anticipate more babies in your future and you'd like to reuse your infant seat for the next round or more, keep in mind that the KeyFit 30 expires after six years, so it has a shorter lifespan than our top pick from Graco (seven years) or our upgrade pick from Clek (nine years).
Many of the things we consider to be flaws of the KeyFit 30, including its American belt path and barebones features, are resolved in the KeyFit 35; the seat even looks a little more stylish. It does weigh half a pound more than the KeyFit 30---10 pounds instead of 9½---but that's still less than our 10½-pound top pick from Graco. It costs more than the Graco seat and the KeyFit 30, but we've concluded that what it delivers---in particular, an anti-rebound base and a European belt path---justifies the price. As with the KeyFit 30, you could encounter compatibility issues in using this seat with the Baby Jogger City Mini 2 stroller, following a minor 2021 model update to that stroller. Also, if you'd like to reuse your seat, note that the KeyFit 35, like the KeyFit 30, expires after six years, so it has a shorter lifespan than our top pick from Graco (seven years) or our upgrade pick from Clek (nine years).
Upgrade pick: Clek Liing
This model is amazingly easy to install and is engineered to prevent user error (color-coding galore!). Plus, it has a huge sun canopy and the added safety feature of a load leg.
$470 from Amazon
Clek is a Canadian car seat manufacturer best known for its high-end convertible car seats, which have a reputation for weighing a ton and being built like tanks. The company came out with its first infant car seat, the Clek Liing, in 2019, and it has yet to appear on some people's radar. But during our recent round of testing, we were---at the risk of gushing---blown away by the Liing's functionality, engineering, safety features, and overall design.
The instruction manual for this seat is detailed, but don't let the thoroughness intimidate you: Installing the Liing with the base is impressively straightforward. (As one CPST pointed out, it's so simple that her 5-year-old could do it, with some adult oversight. We don't doubt that.) Like our other picks, the Liing has additional guides and instructions printed on the seat itself. Those on-seat instructions are the most thorough we've seen, and they repeat some of the most essential information from the manual on the part of the seat where it applies. Installing the seat took me a couple of minutes the first time I tried; after that, it took about a minute.
To begin the install, first you pull out the load leg from the bottom of the seat. The load leg is an added safety feature on the Liing; it's a metal rod that telescopes out and serves as a support beam between the base of the seat and the vehicle floor. If an accident occurs, the load leg can help to absorb some of the initial impact of the crash, and it also limits the amount that the seat can rotate or rebound. You can install the base without the load leg, too, but in Clek's crash testing of the Liing (video), the company found that using the load leg could reduce the potential for injury by as much as 40%. (For more information on load legs, see Understanding optional safety features.)
The Liing's load leg can help absorb some of the initial impact of a crash as well as reduce the rebound motion (the secondary motion in a crash, when the infant seat rebounds back toward the car's seat). Photo: Michael Hession
To fasten the Liing's base to your car with the LATCH system, you extend metal arms built into the base and push them straight into your car's LATCH anchors. (When you make the connection, the color on the indicator window next to the connectors turns from red to green.) This type of LATCH system is known as rigid LATCH, and it's our favorite kind because it facilitates the safest and most secure install. (Releasing the base with rigid LATCH is also easy: You just push down and slide back the red LATCH release buttons near the LATCH anchors.) The final install step is to adjust the base into one of seven recline positions; a liquid-filled bubble level indicator shows you which recline setting to choose, according to the baby's weight. Between the rigid LATCH and the load leg, once you've installed the Liing's base, it doesn't budge or even wiggle---it feels as if it's built into the vehicle.
When you're paying this much for a seat, it's easy to start nitpicking and finding slight room for improvement. For example: As your baby grows, you have to adjust the Liing's harness by removing the straps and rethreading them. The task isn't tough to do, and the absence of a no-rethread harness keeps this seat lighter, since that feature adds a bit of weight. Still, once you've experienced the convenience of a no-rethread harness (as on our top pick from Graco and our also-great pick, the Chicco KeyFit 35), you're likely to miss it when it's not there. Ditto for an easy-off seat cover and a handle that you can adjust using one hand.
Finally, we have to address the elephant in the room: Even by upgrade-pick standards, the price of the Liing is pretty eye-watering. This seat costs about twice as much as some of our other, perfectly good picks; as far as we know, the Liing is the most expensive infant seat available. We understand how spending this much on an item that you may own for just a year could be seen as egregious. In the lead-up to publishing this revision to this guide, we had multiple internal conversations about the implications of giving such a glowing recommendation to an infant seat that is inaccessible to so many people, particularly when you consider that this is a product intended to save children's lives. And, unfortunately, due to the practical safety concerns related to secondhand car seats, we can't suggest (as we would with a bike or a stroller) that you try to find a used one---unless you are certain of the seat's history and confident that it has never incurred any damage.
Ultimately, we didn't think it was fair to eliminate the Liing or ignore its merits purely because of its price. Although we acknowledge that it is cost-prohibitive for many families, we have made an effort to include other excellent options in this guide that suit a wide range of budgets, and we're confident in all of our picks.
If you want a less expensive version of our top pick from Graco: The Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35---which usually costs about $60 less than our pick---has a four-position base, versus the five positions of our pick. According to Graco, when a seat has more positions to choose from, it's easier for the base to fit in a wider range of vehicles. Even so, Graco's instruction manual (PDF) says on page 20 that you can use a rolled towel under the base if further adjustments are necessary. Additionally, the SnugRide SnugFit 35's handle requires two-handed operation, and this seat has less head padding. The Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 LX offers the same one-handed adjustable handle and five-position base as our top pick but has less head and body padding; it usually costs about $30 less.
If you want an upgrade to our top pick from Graco: The Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 Elite has the same padding as our top pick, plus fancier-looking fabric and a removable all-weather boot (aka partial cover); it usually costs about $40 more. The Graco Premier SnugRide SnugFit 35 Elite has all of the features of the regular Elite, plus a see-through peek-a-boo window in the sun canopy and the premium Savoy fabric (which comes in a sophisticated gray with brown piping); it's usually about $60 more. A boot can be a nice feature in certain climates, especially for providing a bit of extra warmth, since a child should not wear a thick, puffy coat under the harness. But a regular blanket tucked over the legs of the buckled-in child should work just as well.
If you want a less expensive version of our runner-up pick from Chicco, and you don't mind a lower weight limit: The Chicco KeyFit (sometimes referred to as the KeyFit 22, due to its 22-pound weight limit) has a weight limit that's 8 pounds less than that of the more popular KeyFit 30, our runner-up pick; both have the same, 30-inch height limit. Many caregivers are likely to find carrying a 22-pound baby in a 9-pound bucket seat difficult enough to warrant switching to a convertible seat at that point, anyway; others may prefer an infant seat with more longevity, considering that some babies may reach 22 pounds at as young as 6 months. The KeyFit features the same easy-to-install base as the KeyFit 30, but the bucket seat itself weighs half a pound less. The NHTSA has given this seat four out of five stars for ease of use.
If you want our runner-up Chicco pick but with different fabric options: The Chicco KeyFit 30 ClearTex is the same seat as our runner-up pick, the KeyFit 30, but it is made with ClearTex fabric rather than the standard polyester; the ClearTex fabric has received a Greenguard Gold Certification for lower chemical emissions and is made with no added chemicals. The Chicco KeyFit 30 Zip comes with a quick-remove seat pad for easy cleaning (which multiple Wirecutter staffers have prized highly), a zip-open boot (or partial cover), and a zip-open mesh panel in its sun canopy. The Chicco KeyFit 30 Zip Air, the most expensive model in the line, has the same features as the KeyFit 30 Zip, as well as a mesh-like fabric in the backrest, which Chicco claims improves ventilation and airflow.
If you want our also-great Chicco pick but with additional upgrades: The Chicco KeyFit 35 Zip ClearTex is the same seat as our also-great pick, the KeyFit 35, with a quick-remove seat cover for easier cleaning (a big draw for some people) and ClearTex fabric; the ClearTex fabric has received a Greenguard Gold Certification for lower chemical emissions and is made with no added chemicals. This seat usually costs around $30 more than the KeyFit 35. Also, the sun canopy on the KeyFit 35 Zip ClearTex can unzip completely and extend to fully shade the seat.
If you want a load-leg-equipped seat that costs less than our upgrade pick: The Maxi-Cosi Mico XP Max comes with a load leg, the same added safety feature that's on our upgrade pick, the Clek Liing. We tested the Mico XP Max in 2022 and found it was easy to use and install, though it wasn't quite as straightforward to install as our three main picks. (As a Wirecutter staff tester put it, "I liked that the instructions were plastered on the base itself, like with the Liing, but they were not as clear to read as the Liing's.") The Mico XP Max's base has LATCH connectors that automatically retract to self-tighten, as well as indicators that turn from red to green when the base is in tight. To install the base using the seat belt, you route the belt through the slots on the sides of the seat, and then a blue lock-off helps to make it secure and tight. Like most of our picks, the Mico XP Max isn't easy to install snugly with the seat belt only (that is, without the base), since it has an American belt-path configuration (we much prefer a European belt path). At 12 pounds without the base, the Mico XP Max's bucket seat is heavier than any of our main picks. The Mico XP Max is an attractive seat that comes in a range of stylish colors; a staff tester praised its fabric for being particularly easy to keep clean. "The fabric could be cleaned with a damp cloth, which we did for minor spots and messes," she said. "I found it straightforward to take the seat cover off, wash it per the instructions, and air-dry. It was also no trouble to get the seat cover back on." The sun canopy, which comes with a flip-out visor, proved problematic for this staffer, however: "It's flimsy, and it would sometimes flop all the way forward and collapse." The NHTSA has no ease-of-use rating for this seat. Note: A version of this seat, the Maxi-Cosi Mico 30, is available without a load leg for around $100 less; we did not test it.
If you love Uppababy models or want a high-end seat with a European belt path: The Uppababy Mesa V2 is an update of the original Mesa; the changes aren't dramatic, but they are welcome. If you're traveling without the base, you'll appreciate the revamped seat's European belt path (as on our upgrade pick, the Clek Liing, and our also-great pick, the Chicco KeyFit 35); it allows for a far more secure no-base install than the American belt path, which comes standard on most infant seats. Uppababy has also added more side-impact protection and a larger sun canopy to this version. The Mesa V2, like the first version, has an easy-to-use self-ratcheting system: When you're installing the base with LATCH, after you've attached the LATCH clips, you just push down on the base, and it tightens itself (an indicator turns from red to green once it's tightened properly). The seat without the base weighs a manageable 9.9 pounds, and fans of Uppababy's aesthetic will like the high-end look and feel. (And if you have an Uppababy Cruz or Uppababy Vista stroller, the seat clicks right in without an adapter.) But this is an expensive seat, and installing the base with a seat belt rather than LATCH requires a lot of force. Still, since most vehicles have LATCH anchors, that may not be a dealbreaker. The NHTSA has not given an ease-of-use rating for this seat.
If you travel frequently or rely heavily on taxis: You might like the Doona, a pricey car-seat-and-stroller combo that's a pick in our guide to the best travel car seats. Its unique design can be convenient for city dwellers who don't have their own car or for people who might not have the space for a regular stroller. The price is steep, but NHTSA gave this seat five out of five stars for its ease of use. For most families, a better choice is to have a separate stroller and car seat, since a baby is bound to outgrow the Doona long before they outgrow a standard stroller. But if you're looking for the most convenient option for when your child is small, the Doona could be it.
All US states have child-safety-seat laws that require the use of car seats for kids under a certain age. For infants younger than a year old, that means a rear-facing car seat. Dedicated infant seats---including all the seats we review in this guide---are designed to be used rear-facing only. Convertible car seats are intended to be used rear-facing for younger children and then turned around later to be front-facing. The laws vary by state when it comes to the age and size at which a child can legally move to a front-facing seat; many states now require all children younger than 2 to be in a rear-facing child seat.
It is becoming increasingly common for caregivers to keep their children rear-facing beyond the age of 2 because research indicates that children are safer in rear-facing seats. And policy experts believe that the longer a young child remains rear-facing, the safer they are. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (PDF) both recommend that children remain rear-facing for as long as possible, ideally until they reach the rear-facing height or weight limit of their car seat. (Before 2018, the AAP had advised that it was fine to turn a child around at 2 years of age.)
The stringent rules surrounding infant car seats are warranted. Despite the fact that deaths in car crashes have plummeted since the 1970s, motor-vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of injury death for US children. (Crashes are the top injury death for those ages 5 to 19. Suffocation is an even bigger risk for infants younger than 1, and more kids ages 1 to 4 die in drowning incidents than in car crashes.) The reduction in car-crash fatalities is partly due to the now-ubiquitous use of child-restraint seats, and both car seats and cars have continued to become safer over the past 15 years. The NHTSA estimates (PDF) that the lives of 11,274 children younger than 5 were saved by the use of car seats or safety belts between 1975 and 2016. The nation's first child-restraint law was enacted in Tennessee in 1978, and within four years the number of traffic-crash deaths among children under the age of 4 declined by more than 50% in the state. By 1985, all 50 states had passed child-restraint laws. Purchasing the correct car seat for your child's age and stage and installing it correctly may be one of the most critical choices you make for their well-being.
Although individual states are responsible for regulating how car seats are used, any car seat sold in the US must meet federal safety standards set by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The NHTSA requires that all car seats be subjected to a set of regulated crash-testing protocols to confirm that they meet or exceed established benchmarks.
Current front-impact crash testing relies on three measurements to judge safety performance: HIC (head injury criterion), a composite measure that combines time and acceleration to measure the likelihood of a head injury in a car crash, which must be under 1,000; G-clip (also called the 3 ms chest clip), the chest-acceleration measurement, which should be under 60 g; and maximum seat-back angle (to provide adequate neck support in a crash), which should be less than 70 degrees from vertical. Lower numbers are better: With all three tests, the lower the number, the further the seat is from exceeding NHTSA front-impact injury-criteria limits (PDF).
Currently, the NHTSA compliance testing has no side-impact standard. However, there has been a push to create side-impact tests for car seats. Many car seat manufacturers voluntarily conduct their own side-impact testing, and a standard is already in place in Europe.
US car seat manufacturers are required to self-certify each model's safety. To ensure that the manufacturers are practicing due diligence and that their car seats are safe, every year the NHTSA conducts random compliance tests, in which the agency selects a subset of car seats and contracts a private crash-testing facility to run tests that simulate a head-on crash at 30 mph. If a car seat fails the test, a recall is instituted. European authorities rely on different---arguably more stringent---standards, including requiring car seat manufacturers to pass certification standards before putting a model on sale and requiring a side-impact standard in addition to front-impact standards.
The NHTSA also rates car seats within different categories on their ease of use, evaluating them on criteria including how clear the instruction manuals are and how easy it is to correctly install the seats. (It's no secret that incorrect installations are all too common; the NHTSA estimates that nearly half of all car seats%2C%20have%20been%20installed%20incorrectly.) are installed incorrectly.)
Note: Counterfeit car seats---that is, car seats that may look like the real thing but have not actually been crash tested for adherence to safety standards---are becoming more prevalent. (They're often sold online by third-party overseas retailers.) Upon closer inspection, these seats may have "tells," such as a three-point harness rather than a five-point harness. Never purchase or use a car seat that doesn't come with many prominently displayed safety labels, including a yellow warningthat states, "This child restraint system conforms to all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS)." For more tips on how to spot a counterfeit seat, review this advice from a CPST.
The Britax B-Safe Gen2 is the successor to the Britax B-Safe 35, a former runner-up pick in this guide. But when we field-tested it in 2021 and 2022, we found that it couldn't stand up to the other seats in our current mix. In our tests, installing the base with LATCH was fairly intuitive. However, you have to tighten the two straps separately, whereas with many of the other seats we tested, including our picks from Graco and Chicco, you tighten just one strap. Installing the B-Safe Gen2 without the base, using the seat belt only, was one of the most difficult no-base installs; we found it nearly impossible to get this model in tightly, even when we tried using a rolled-up towel to fill the gap between the infant seat and the vehicle seat (a technique that had helped in some other cases). Plus, the B-Safe Gen2 doesn't have much padding inside, particularly compared with the well-padded Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX, our top pick. We also found the bucket curvature of the B-Safe Gen2 to be quite deep; this may make it harder to get your child in and out of the bucket if you're leaving the seat in the base between trips, when you're operating at an awkward angle through the car door. If you want to add an anti-rebound base to the B-Safe Gen2, Britax sells that separately as part of a travel system, whereas an anti-rebound base comes standard with our top-pick seat from Graco and our also-great seat, the Chicco KeyFit 35. The B-Safe Gen2 weighs 10 pounds, and currently it has no ease-of-use rating from NHTSA.
The Chicco Fit2 is an infant-and-toddler hybrid seat rated for up to 35 pounds or 35 inches (the tallest height limit of all the infant car seats we considered). Intended for kids up to 2 years old, it could be appealing to caregivers who want to delay the switchover to a convertible seat. With the Fit2's base in its "toddler" position, the seat will properly fit an older child at a more upright angle. The seat also has an extendable headrest and a removable canopy. The base is similar to that of our runner-up pick, the Chicco KeyFit 30, a design that we found easy to install. And, like our top pick from Graco and our also-great pick from Chicco, it has the added feature of an anti-rebound bar on the base, which could help reduce secondary motion in a crash. However, the Fit2's bucket seat without the base weighs 11 pounds (nearly 2 pounds more than the KeyFit 30 seat), which may limit its use as a portable seat as your baby gets bigger. It's also about 0.5 inch wider and 1.5 inches longer than the KeyFit 30, so it may not fit as well in smaller vehicles. Although this is one of a handful of seats available with a European belt path---which typically enables a better no-base install---we found that because the seat is longer and wider, a standard seatbelt (as in the Honda Odyssey we used for testing) was not long enough for us to use the European routing. The NHTSA gives the Fit2 four out of five stars for its ease-of-use rating.
The Clek Liingo is a no-base infant car seat; as far as we're aware, it's the only infant seat of its kind currently being sold. It is similar in look and feel to our upgrade pick, the Clek Liing, but since the Liingo omits a base, it also lacks a load leg, the added safety feature on the Liing. The Liingo is usually around $150 cheaper than the Liing. You can install the Liingo using either the vehicle's seat belt (it has a European belt-path configuration, which allows for a more secure no-base install than an American belt path) or a pair of LATCH hooks that stow away in a compartment at the back of the seat. The LATCH hooks disappointed us because instead of being a truly integrated component of the seat, they're merely attached to a separate strap that goes through the top belt path; in our tests, installing the seat with them was not nearly as secure as using the European belt-path method. (And neither method was as secure or satisfying as installing the Liing seat with its base.) However, if you don't own a car, or if you spend a lot of time in taxis, the Liingo might be worth considering for its portability (it weighs only 9 pounds if you remove the detachable LATCH bin and newborn insert) and its significantly lower price in comparison with the Liing. If you're choosing between the two for your primary infant seat, however, we believe that the Liing---and its base, which provides a better and more secure install---is worth spending more on. NHTSA gives the Liingo three out of five stars for its ease-of-use rating.
The Cybex Aton 2, which we tested in 2018, was the most difficult of the seats in that test group to click in and out of its base; it required us to place different fingers on two release panels and then push in at the same time. We also found the Aton 2's handle adjustment (which requires gripping the widest part of the handle) frustrating to maneuver. (We could feel the strain from all those attempted adjustments in our forearms and wrists.) The Aton 2's standout feature is its steel load leg, an easy-to-install added safety feature that can help to absorb some of the initial impact of a crash and limit the subsequent motion. This seat has no NHTSA ease-of-use rating.
The Cybex Cloud Q is a high-end seat with some compelling features; we tested it in 2018. When you aren't using it in a car, the seat can go into a full recline, turning into a bassinet. (Babies should not sleep for extended periods on anything other than a hard, flat surface.) A sensor on the chest clip that monitors the baby for temperature and other safety concerns. And this seat comes with a load leg, the optional added safety feature that can help to absorb some of the initial impact of a crash and limit the subsequent motion. However, because this seat is much larger than average and weighs nearly 14 pounds---around 40% more than our picks---it's far more cumbersome than an infant seat should be. The NHTSA gave the Cloud Q four out of five stars for its ease of use.
The Evenflo Gold SecureMax is one of the lowest-priced infant seats equipped with a load leg, the added safety feature that can help to absorb some of the initial impact of a crash and limit the subsequent motion. However, we found the Gold SecureMax more difficult to install than our top picks precisely because of its load leg, which we had trouble locking into place. Also, the chest clip on the harness---which has a smart sensor that monitors for temperature extremes and other safety conditions---was a struggle for us to open. Currently this seat has no NHTSA ease-of-use rating.
The Maxi-Cosi Coral XP is a high-end seat with an inner carrier that lifts out of the car seat shell and weighs only 5 pounds (which may make it an attractive option for some caregivers). We did not test this seat because the upper weight limit is just 22 pounds and the height limit is 29 inches, which may be too low for many families. This seat has not received an ease-of-use rating from the NHTSA.
The Nuna infant seat lineup includes the Pipa, Pipa Lite, Pipa Lite Lx, Pipa Rx, Pipa Lite R, and Pipa Lite Rx, all of which are easy-to-use, lightweight, and stylish car seats. And they all come with the added safety feature of a load leg, which can help to absorb some of the initial impact of a crash and reduce the amount that the infant seat moves. (The models that have "Lite" in their name weigh a few pounds less but work only with their base, so they're not good options for people who take taxis or who travel frequently with a car seat.)
Nuna sells its seats with two different base options. The more affordable of the two is called the Pipa-series base (yes, it's super confusing that the base has the same name as the car seat itself), and it comes standard with the Pipa, Pipa Lite, and Pipa Lite Lx. We concluded that this base has a serious design flaw: It has rigid LATCH hooks that are designed to rotate for an easier fit, but the part of the base that rests against the vehicle seat back is too short. As a result, when you pull up on the bucket seat to disengage it from the base, that motion can cause the base to rotate up (as the LATCH connectors swivel) and the load leg to ratchet down, which causes the base's angle to change. In a quiet situation, you might hear this happening and have an opportunity to fix it, but if you have a crying baby on your hands, it could go unnoticed. We're concerned that the base can shift so easily under routine use, and we worry about how its tendency to swivel might translate to more rebound motion in a crash, since the whole seat could move upward toward the back of the seat. (This is the very effect that anti-rebound bases are meant to minimize.) Based on our experience with the Pipa-series base, we are not comfortable recommending it.
The other base option for the Nuna seats, called the Relx base, is better designed but also more expensive; like the Pipa base, it has a load leg and rotating rigid LATCH hooks. The Relx base comes with all of the models that have an "R" in their name: the Pipa Rx, the Pipa Lite R, and the Pipa Lite Rx. The part of the Relx base that rests against the vehicle seat is high enough to keep the base securely in place, so even with the swiveling LATCH hooks, the base doesn't rotate upward when you remove the bucket seat. (This design should also help keep it more secure in a crash.) If you're interested in a Nuna infant seat, we suggest considering only models with the Relx base. But if you're going to be spending close to $400 on a car seat, the Clek Liing, our upgrade pick, is a far better choice. Currently NHTSA offers no ease-of-use ratings for most of the Nuna infant seat models, but the agency did give the Nuna Pipa Lite LX an ease-of-use rating of four out of five stars.
The Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35 is a high-end seat with an anti-rebound base (an added safety feature that can help reduce the rebound effect in the case of a crash) and a no-rethread harness. Aesthetically, it's highly appealing, with vintage-style stitching. But when we field-tested it in 2018, we found that the chest clip was flimsy, the harness straps were hard to adjust, and the handle was relatively difficult to shift. (The button to adjust the harness straps is tucked beneath the seat's material. And to operate the handle, you need to apply pressure from the thumbs, not just the hands.) This seat received an ease-of-use rating of four out of five stars from the NHTSA.
The Safety 1st onBoard 35 Air 360 is an inexpensive, no-frills seat that isn't particularly user-friendly. When we tested it in 2018, we found that the handle was difficult to adjust, requiring thumb strength at the access points. Finding the lever to adjust the straps was also harder than on other seats, since it's hidden under a layer of material. The chest clip felt flimsy, too. The onBoard 35 Air 360 has a hook-style LATCH system, which is harder to deal with than the push-button and rigid LATCH styles on many of the other seats we tested; we had to rely on manual strength to secure a tight fit. This seat has an ease-of-use rating of four out of five stars from the NHTSA.
The Uppababy Mesa---which the company is replacing with the Uppababy Mesa V2 but is still available for purchase while supplies last---is a stylish, high-end seat. Its base has a self-ratcheting LATCH system---when you push down on the base, it nestles in tighter. However, we found that system a bit harder to use than any of the simpler LATCH systems on our picks from Graco, Chicco, and Clek. Installing the Mesa with the base using the seat belt instead requires quite a bit of force, since its lock-off doesn't apply pressure (as on our Graco and Clek picks); the Mesa's lock-off merely keeps the belt in place after you've tightened the car's seat belt. Installing the Mesa without the base, using only the vehicle's seat belt, was as challenging as it was with other seats that had American belt paths. The Mesa has a convenient no-rethread harness, comes in a range of appealing color and fabric options, and is compatible with Uppababy strollers. However, considering the high price, we were disappointed to see that it had no added safety feature, neither a load leg nor an anti-rebound base. The NHTSA has not given this seat an ease-of-use rating.
Gina Duchossois, CPST and injury prevention expert with the Injury Prevention Program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, chair of Safe Kids Southeastern Pennsylvania, in-person interview, December 2021
Alisa Baer, MD, pediatrician and co-founder of car-seat safety website The Car Seat Lady, phone interviews, November 4, 16, and 18, 2021
Jessica Jermakian, PhD, vice president for vehicle research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), phone interviews, 2022
Miriam Manary, senior research associate, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, phone interview, April 24, 2017
Derrell Lyles, public affairs, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, email interview, May 4, 2017
Dr. Benjamin Hoffman, pediatrician, uncompensated consultant to Chicco on matters of car-seat safety, phone interview, June 21, 2017
Joshua Dilts, marketing product manager, Chicco USA, phone interview, June 21, 2017
William Conway, engineering leader, car seats, Graco, phone interview, June 26, 2017
Daniella Brown, car seat safety advocate, CPST-I, phone interview, June 28, 2017
Lani Harrison, CPST, Car Seats for the Littles, phone interview, June 29, 2017
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