Best Car Seats For Infants and Babies

While convertible car seats are ideal for kids who are growing, an infant seat is best car seats for infants for infants and newborns. They are also lighter and easier for you to attach to strollers than their larger counterparts.

Kecia Healy, CPST instructor, liked the spring-loaded recline leg and bubble indicator on the bottom of the Chicco KeyFit, as well as the ease of use. (The more user-friendly the car seat, the more likely it is that parents will install it correctly. This model also fits three across in many midsize automobiles.

1. Clek Liing infant car seat

Clek, an Canadian manufacturer, is well-known for its top-rated convertible car seats. The infant Liing is among their best infant seats. The seat combines best-in-class safety features like a metal load leg with easy, user-friendly installation and seven different recline positions to adapt to the slope of your vehicle seat. A bubble indicator enables you ensure that the seat is set at the right angle prior to your child riding in it.

The base of the Liing can be easily fitted using rigid LATCH connectors that slide into the lower anchors on your vehicle, making it easier to fix the seat. This makes the Liing a great option for families that plan to switch vehicles frequently or who require a quick and reliable way to install their child's car seat. If you prefer, you can use the included belt-tensioning system to buckle your child in.

The Liing's 2-piece Newborn System is one of the features that sets it apart from other infant car seats. It includes an insert for the lower that slips over the crotch buckle and a head support that attaches to the harness to help to prevent babies from slumbering or bending their heads forward when they're in the seat. This is an amazing feature for tiny babies and preemies. It's also one of the few rear-facing infant car seats that offers this degree of support.

Another advantage of the Liing is its metal crash-test frame, which reduces crash forces by up to 40 percent when compared to other infant seats. The shell of the seat is reinforced with EPP foam, which protects your child's head and torso, which are the most vulnerable parts in a collision. The seat's base has a load leg made of metal that absorbs energy and helps to reduce the risk of collisions.

2. Chicco KeyFit

This is the most highly rated infant seat. It is easy to set up and use, and can expand with your child. It can also be used with strollers as an overall travel system.

The KeyFit is a good choice for parents looking for an easy-to-use, secure and versatile seat. It scores a top score in crash tests, is lightweight and comfortable to carry. It also offers a wide range of height/weight limits. It was also designed to ensure the comfort of infants. The click-in point has soft materials around it so your baby isn't burned by metal, the infant insert comes with a head cover to protect their little heads, and the seat pad your baby sits on is surrounded by cushions that absorb energy for comfort.

It's also one of the most simple infant seats to install correctly, every time. This is crucial since incorrectly installed infant seats can increase the chance of injury to your child. The KeyFit's top LATCH connectors that come with a SuperCinch tightener create an extremely secure fit with little effort. The base also has a ReclineSure leveling foot and two RideRight bubble-level-indicators that ensure that the vehicle's angle is correct. To make it easier to install the base in another way, clear belt routing, lock-offs and the car seatbelt make it easy to place and tighten.

It does lose some points in the user-friendliness category due to the rethread-style harness height adjustment--a common feature on many Chicco seats (and as well on their OG Keyfit model). This means that you must detach and manually re-thread the straps from one slot level to another which is longer than adjustments that aren't rethread. However, this is an acceptable trade-off for the convenience this seat provides.

3. Joie i-Snug 2

The lightweight Joie i-Snug 2 is an i-Size infant car seats that is built to the highest safety standards. It has a harness that is not rethread and is compatible with Joie strollers that use Maxi-Cosi style adapters. It's easy to use, with clear installation guides as well as built-in bubble levels to assist with alignment. The car seat has plenty of padding and is comfortable. It has a nice canopy that protects your child from the sun's rays.

The i-Snug 2 has an ISOFIX base to ensure a secure vehicle attachment and can be used with a stroller compatible to create an entire travel system. This rear-facing infant seat provides maximum cervical and head protection for newborns. The exclusive Tri-Protect Headrest is equipped with a layer of Intelli-Fit Memory Foam to shield your child from side-impact crashes.

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

A convertible car seat is more spacious and has a higher rear-facing weight and height limit than an infant car seat swivel car seat and typically has a larger space inside. It is a good idea to change to a convertible car seat as soon as you can to avoid your child from growing too quickly. In some cases, parents can even transition their baby to an all-in-one car seats without ever needing to purchase a new infant car seat. This is why it's important to choose the most suitable convertible car seat for your family. Take a look at our comprehensive guide for all the info you need to make the right decision.

4. Nuna Pipa Aire RX

The Nuna Pipa Aire RX is one of the most rated infant car seats due to its safety, light weight design and its versatility. It can be installed with rigid lower anchors in the outboard seats of most vehicles, and with the seat belt of the vehicle using Euro Routing (which utilizes all of its length to anchor the seat). It also includes a GOTS organic cotton infant insert, making it an option for environmentally conscious parents who are looking for organic options for their child.

The Pipa Aire RX weighs only 6 pounds. without the canopy or inserts. It's among the lightest infant car seats by age seats on the market. Aeroflex foam is a lightweight material that is resilient but also extremely lightweight, helps to minimize the force transferred to your child in the event of a crash. Other safety features include the 5-second steel-reinforced True Lock base installation, side-impact protection and a multi-position steel stability leg with a crumple zone to limit forward rotation, resulting in greater rearward-facing security.

The ergonomic aluminum handle is light and luxurious, with leatherette accents to provide an ergonomic grip and a great method to carry the bag. A magnetic buckle holder keeps straps from getting in the way when you buckle your child in and color-coded indicators for installation confirm correct connections. The low-profile base allows for rapid loading, and the open belt pathway with locks that secure lap and shoulder belts.

Cleaning up after a messy parent should not be a hassle. The fabrics and inserts in the Pipa Aire RX are machine washable, so you can keep your car seat looking as good as new after every use.

5. Nuna Pipa Urbn

While Nuna's PIPA rx and PIPA air RX car seats are both great alternatives, the new Pipa Urbn takes it all to another level. This ultralight infant car seats is extremely easy to carry, weighing less than 7 pounds when the canopy and insert. It also comes with a luxe user-friendly design with practical features like magnetic buckle holders to keep straps from getting in the way while you're buckling baby in and a green/red indicator to tell you that the installation is secure (we wish that all car seats came with this! ).

The innovative pipaFIX system allows it to be used without a base, unlike Pipa RX or other base-compatible PIPAs that require one to be installed. This makes it an ideal choice for parents who often use rideshare or taxi services for travel, or simply need to transfer their car seat faster and more easily.

Like other Nuna products, the Pipa Urbn is designed with environmentally-friendly materials that are free of added fire retardant chemicals, and is GREENGUARD Gold certified. These eco-friendly materials include a Merino Wool and Tencel blended lyocell fibres headrest and a water-resistant machine washable cover.

The Pipa Urbn comes with the weight limit of 30 to 35 pounds when used rear-facing. This means that you may have to upgrade to a convertible seat earlier than with other brands. It is still a top choice for the majority of infants. The car seat is compatible with Nuna's travel systems and can be attached to all strollers by using the ring adapter.