Top Rated Infant Car Seats

Not all infant car seats are made equally. The best infant seat seats have features that improve crash test performance. For instance load legs -- shock absorbing parts which are attached to the seat or base and limit the movement of the seat during an accident.

Chicco KeyFit is a favorite of CPST instructors. It has an rear-facing weight, a the height limit is high and a bubble-level indicator and a spring loaded reclined foot that makes it easy to install.

Graco Mesa Max

The Graco Mesa Max is one of the top infant car seats in terms of ease of use. It is a simple design and great fabrics. It also comes with an excellent feature that allows you to connect the harness of your child directly to the headrest. It has a huge canopy that can be hidden away to keep your child shaded when traveling. It's a little heavier than a standard stroller, which is problematic if you intend to carry it around or use it in conjunction with your UPPAbaby that has won awards.

The Mesa Max's impressive crash test results show its dedication to top-tier safety. It scored high in both frontal and side impact tests, which means that your child will be protected from the two sides of a collision.

Another notable safety feature is the Graco's anti-rebound panel which reduces rebound forces during a crash and protects your child's head. This feature is unique among infant car seats, and makes the Mesa Max standout among its peers.

Graco Mesa Max can easily and securely be mounted in your vehicle using LATCH when it is used in conjunction with the base. The load leg and recline angle adjustment and tightness indicator to ensure a quick, precise installation. The base weighs 12.6, which is slightly more than the average car seat for infants but not enough to cause a problem.

The UPPAbaby Mesa V2 uses the same dual-knit fabric as its predecessor. It is free of chemicals that are fire-resistant. It also has an adjustable headrest that can be adjusted infinitely and an infant insert that improves fit and body positioning for infants weighing between 4-11 pounds. The fabrics are GREENGUARD gold certified, which means they test for low chemical emissions and low VOCs.

The UPPAbaby Mesa Max is slightly more expensive than the other alternatives, however it comes with top features and modern security technologies to provide the best travel experience. The base is included and is available in a variety of attractive colors. This is a great addition to the value proposition. Its thoughtful features and robust design give parents peace of mind during every trip.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight

The Britax Boulevard ClickTight is a great choice for anyone who wants an automobile seat that can expand with their child. Its rear-facing weight limit is 40 pounds, which is higher than other infant car seats. It can also be used forward-facing until your child reaches 65 pounds.

The ClickTight Installation System is its biggest selling point. It is the most secure, most simple and secure system available. It lets you tighten the seat belt by pressing the red release button and pulling on the harness strap without the need to untie it and then re-thread it. This reduces the risk of a mistake when tightening a seat belt which is the most common cause of car seat failure.

The EZ-Buckle Pad adds another security feature that keeps the buckle in place while you place your child in the car seat. This feature, as well as beltpath cutouts that run along the sides of your child's seat, make it easy to get them in and out of the car.

The three ClickTight convertible seat models (Boulevard CT, Marathon CT, Advocate CT) share the identical features. ClickTight Installation System is one of them. Also included are an impact-absorbing frame that can accommodate 7 recline positions.

It is a heavy seat, so it might be worth considering alternatives that are lighter in case you plan to use it frequently for car swaps or travel. The seat is also big, so it may not be suitable for smaller vehicles, especially in the case of in the rear of the vehicle.

If you want a more budget-friendly option, but with the same quality take a look at the Graco 4Ever DLX. This seat has lower crash tests scores than the Boulevard however it is still a great option for your child.

The Graco has also connectors that can be pushed on for LATCH, which makes it easier to take off the seat. Boulevard's LATCH connectors use a different release mechanism that requires you to pull on the webbing, then press the gray button. This can be difficult if the webbing is tense. However the seat comes with a handy storage cubby to store the belt straps when they are not in use.

Clek Liing

Clek Liing is the perfect infant car seat to choose if you want it all: style, safety and convenience. This rear-facing car seat has an excellent crash test score, a great range of features and is easy to put in on most vehicles.

The Liing is designed to protect babies with features that meet or exceed both US and Canadian safety standards. It is designed to allow for simple, secure installation in any seating position. It also features advanced safety features, such as an energy-absorbing metal foot and two pieces of shell that is lined with EPP to provide increased side impact protection. The base features 7 recline positions as well as a reliable bubble indicator that lets you know precisely when the seat is at the right angle for your infant.

The Liing is modern, sleek stroller that parents are raving about. It comes with innovative safety features, like rigid lower anchors which are easier to attach than hook-and-loop connectors. The Liing comes with a single-handed release, making it easy to remove the base and connect it to compatible strollers. It's also slim enough to fit three-across many vehicles, and is a good fit in many convertible Spiderman Nania Car Seat: Group 1/2/3 For Kids seats for an extra boost for travel.

The Liing infant seat is rated 1st for its unique rigid-LATCH installation method. The lower anchors of the Liing snap into the lower seat belt slots of the vehicle and the top tether strap snaps on to the vehicle headrest. This results in a secure snug, secure fit that eliminates the chance that the child could be thrown around in a crash.

The base weighs 9 lbs and the seat weighs 10.5 lbs. Other rear-facing seats are heavier, but the difference is not significant if you plan to transport the car seat and base around. ).

Parents appreciate the Liing's built in canopy and 100+spf sun protection that comes with an open mesh window. Caregivers love the merino cover that keeps baby seat warm, and they also like the seat's handle's ability to pivot past the canopy which makes it more comfortable for them to reach for when they need.

Graco Trio Grow SnugLock LX

The Graco Trio SnugLock is a 3-in-1 seat that converts from a rear-facing infant to a forward-facing harness and then to a highback booster. It features the SnugLock system that allows for an easy and smooth installation with either lower anchors or vehicle seat belts. It also offers the option to use the top tether when in booster mode (although we recommend using the lower anchors at all times to ensure security).

This seat is perfect for children of all age groups. For babies who are just beginning to crawl it has an infant insert that helps to support their necks and backs. As they grow older this insert can be removed and the seat is used as a normal car seat for toddlers. It is one of the few car seats that allows the top tether to be used as a booster. We recommend it.

Its base is quite compact from front to rear and it shouldn't be hard to find a space for it in the majority of vehicles. The headrest has to be raised to allow for the lower anchor webbing to pass through. Luckily, there's a headrest adjustment knob that can easily do this, and also observe the position of the headrest in the display window.

One of the most unique features about this seat is the SnugLock installation system, which is a bar that is located in the belt path. This makes installing this car seat with the lower anchors an easy task and nearly as simple as using the vehicle seat belt.

The manual also provides an excellent diagram of how to correctly route the lower anchor connectors while routing them through the new belt path which can be a bit confusing at first. It is important to keep them away from the crotch buckle loop and away from the chest clip, to ensure they don't interfere with the buckling system.

The Graco Trio Grow belongs to the Protect Plus Engineered Family, which means it has been subjected to some of the most rigorous tests in the field. This includes tests for rear, side and rollover accidents as well as frontal collisions.