The 12 Best Car Seats For Babies In 2022 – One of the best and most nerve-wracking things a new mum will do is bring their baby back from the medical facility for the first time. The best newborn car seats make this change easy and smooth, giving parents peace of mind that their baby is safe, comfortable, and secure.
We put more than a dozen newborn car seats thru the hands-on exams to determine the best as well as safest ones of the year. This will help determine the best seat for your baby. Below are the same top 5 choices we found, accompanied by reviews like a dozen designs. As a new parent, the infant car seat was among the most important things you will buy. It comes before the convertible car seat as well as, later, the booster car seat. The 12 Best Car Seats For Babies In 2022
In our tests, we look at how easy it is to use, how flexible it is, the baby’s heights and weight ranges, how safe it is, how big it is, and how well it works with strollers. We try out all the features, configure the car seats in different cars, read the manuals, and get feedback from large numbers of parents who take part in our test program. This year, we got a dozen of the best car seats for babies. Scroll to the bottom of this post to learn more about what we thought about when we tested rear-facing car seats for babies. The 12 Best Car Seats For Babies In 2022
Chicco KeyFit 35 Car Seat for Babies
About $150-200. The Chicco KeyFit 30 does have a good reputation for being safe, well-made, comfortable, easy to use, and affordable. It is among the most popular car seats for babies in the segment and has been for nearly a decade. The KeyFit 35 improved on the basic design of the KeyFit 30 in four main ways: a higher weight but also height limit, an adjustable harness height that doesn’t require rethreading, European belt routing, as well as an anti-rebound bar.
The core features of the KeyFit 30 and KeyFit 35 are very similar. Both have top-quality SuperCinch LATCH plugs, EPS energy-absorbing foam as well as side-impact safeguards, preemie assist (4 pounds) with included infant insert, machine-washable fabrics, RideRight balloon levels to assist with installation, and 6-year expiration date. We adore both KeyFit designs too since they look great, are easy to put together, have high-quality and comfortable fabrics, work with a wide range of strollers, and are made of lightweight materials that make them easy to carry.
As mom and dad as well as the shareholders of this site, we’ve used KeyFit car seats for hundreds of hours. As scientists, we’re impressed by how easy they are to install and how well they do in NHTSA crash tests. With the AAP’s advice to maintain your baby in the back seat for just as long as humanly possible, we like that the KeyFit 35 can hold up to 35 pounds and is 32 inches tall “) and the extra couple of inches of extra legroom.
Only with KeyFit 30, you’ll probably need to switch to a cabriolet car seat between 14 and 18 months (most babies are 30 pounds by then) “The KeyFit 35 will last until your child’s age two (he or she will be this tall by this age). We also like that the KeyFit 35’s anti-rebound bar gives us more peace of mind and that its canopy is bigger. The 12 Best Car Seats For Babies In 2022
The KeyFit 35 used to cost about $250 when it first came out, however, its cost has slowly gone down over the past year, making it a very competitive product. With its great features, protection, comfort, as well as convenience, it was a definite victor at this price level! We certainly prefer a KeyFit 35, and we also know that many parents want to use a newborn car seat in the first year but also then switch to a back-side convertible car seat, which also creates a good lawsuit for the KeyFit 30.
This makes sense if your baby’s height and weight are below the 80th percentile. If your baby is big or tall, they might outgrow the KeyFit 30 at a shockingly early age. There are no major problems with KeyFit 35. It only has one position for the crotch buckle, which isn’t ideal, and it’s light (9.6 pounds for the KeyFit 30, 10 lbs for the KeyFit 35), but not as light as the Nuna Pipa as well as Graco Snugride. Highly recommended, but we’ll let you decide if the 30 or 35 is better for you. Who else agrees that the KeyFit is the best?
Britax B-Safe Gen2 Car Seat for Babies
Usually between $200 and $300, depending on what you choose. Just like when you did think the B-Safe 35 will never get any better, Britax comes out with the Britax B-Safe Gen2, a millennial age of infant car seats with some really great features and specs. The main B-Safe 35 had several small problems, such as a bucket that was a little bit too narrow, heavy materials, and a high price. Even though Britax didn’t solve the problem with the weight (they never do!), they did improve the width and price while keeping the quality and safety for which they are known.
They’ve also added a fabric that is very soft, strong and has no tags. If you’ve looked into the B-Safe 35, you should recognize the specs: the Gen2 can hold babies as tiny as four pounds and so as big as 35 pounds or 32 “tall. The height of the harness can be changed from the back without having to rethread it, as well as the crotch buckle, can be moved among two different points. The Gen2’s crotch buckle positions are a little bit more comfortable than those on the B-Safe 35. Sadly, the Gen2 is around a half-pound bulkier than the B-Safe 35. This makes sense, though, because Gen2’s seating area is a little bit bigger.
For safety, the Gen2 has an impact-absorbing crumple zone called SafeCell, side-impact safeguards, energy-absorbing foam as in the shell, a metal frame, and, most importantly, the SafeCenter LATCH feature, which makes it easy and safe to install the car seat. Gen2 comes in three different versions: the Gen2, a Gen2 FlexFit, as well as the Gen2 FlexFit+.
The FlexFit keeps adding the European belt guidance, which also lets you configure the car seat without a base that uses the car’s lap as well as shoulder straps (inside the classic European routing). This makes it perfect for safe installations in ride-sharing and taxis. The anti-rebound bar is added to the FlexFit plus (+), which makes it less likely that the bike will rotate in an accident. We specifically tested as well as suggested the Gen2 FlexFit+, but most of our tips also work for the lower (and cheaper) models.
Whoa, that was a lot of cool stuff! We tested a B-Safe Gen2 with such a 4-month-old baby and then were astounded by how well it worked, how comfortable it was, and how easy it was to use. The Gen2 feels very well made right out of the box, particularly the fabrics, plastic, as well as connections. The base is very sturdy, and we absolutely adore the SafeCell crumple zone that helps absorb impact, a spring-assisted adjustable recline, the level indicators (which were simple to read), as well as the quick-push LATCH connectors.
The SafeCenter LATCH plug is in the middle of the base. You can put your weight on the base (we use a knee) and pull up on a small center headband to tighten all LATCH connectors at the same time. It started working very well as well as helping us set up a great base. The base also has a structural steel reinforcement, which made it a little heavier but also gave me a lot of peace of mind.
The vehicle seat itself clicks very easily onto the base, and the sound of the click gives you confidence. The seat fabrics seem to be great, very soft, and comfortable, as well as we love how well the padding molds to the shape of the baby’s body without being too tight. The shell is very big, which is great if you have got a little monkey with a lot of weight. The shoulder straps were big and well-padded, so it was almost impossible for them to dig into your child’s neck or face. Even in cars with sloped back seats, it was easy to get a good angle without a pool noodle (as well as we absolutely adore the spring-loaded recline function!).
All of the adjustments and buckles worked smoothly and without any problems. The harness height adaptation isn’t as easy as some others because you have to do it from behind. The great news is it doesn’t require rethreading. To change the height, you just squeeze the height adjuster just on the back as well as pull it down and up. The 12 Best Car Seats For Babies In 2022
It works perfectly and is a good compromise between such a quick-adjust strap height as well as rethreading. Overall, we loooooooove this car seat. The baby we tested it on was very comfortable and happy, the fabrics have been soft and nice, and we know that baby is secure because Britax is a well-known brand. Downfalls?
Well, there’s no baby insert that can be taken out. We already said that the shell is big, so if your baby weighs less than 6-7 pounds, they could perhaps have more room than you’d like. When they weigh between 7 and 8 pounds, this same padding is a good size. The only other problem is that it’s heavy, but really you’re for this quality level and safety! Who else is excited about the fresh B-Safe Gen2? The people who run Babylist and What2Expect! Interested?
UPPAbaby Mesa Car Seat for Babies
About $350 is the norm. This option is more expensive than other newborn car seats but has some good features as well as a good reputation for being safe, so it might be worth it. This is one of the simplest infant car seats we’ve ever tried to set up and use. There are three main reasons for this. First, it has a great LATCH system that tightens itself and a handy light that lets you know whenever the base is completely attached to the seat. If you use the vehicle’s belts, they also have lock-offs that make it easier to get a stable, safe installation.
Second, this has a 4-position leg that works to help you level the base in the car, which is also helpful when you’re putting it together. Third, a headrest, as well as shoulder straps, are easy to adjust among 5 height positions without rethreading. The crotch buckle can be adjusted between two positions, but you have to rethread it from the bottom.
This makes it easy to set up and make sure it fits perfectly. For security, the UPPAbaby Mesa does have nice, soft, two-layer side impact protection that, according to UppaBaby, works up to four times better than every top-quality infant car seat just on market in side-impact crash tests. In case of a crash, a seat is also made with EPS foam, which absorbs energy.
For basic specs, the seat comes with an infant insert that can fit babies as tiny as 4 pounds (or preemies) and can hold up to 35 pounds (32 kg) “height), which is a great range and also what you would expect for this price. With a weight of just under 10 pounds and a base that adds another 9 pounds, the seat’s weight isn’t a big deal at all. It has a lot of safety and convenience features for such a low weight.
It’s also not very wide, measuring a 15.5 “wide base, and the levers on the side of the handlebars add some other two inches to that. It is a good choice if you want to put three car seats inside a row so because the bottom of the foundation is very narrow. This makes it easy for the LATCH but also buckles on the seats next to each other to fit near together. We also liked how easy it was to use the chest buckle and how the front button, as well as the strap, made it easy to change the length of the shoulder strap.
Downfalls? Well, the cover isn’t quite as big as we’d like it to be, and when both are up, it gets a little too near to the handlebar. Also, the fabric wasn’t as breathable as some of the others on this list, and even some of the babies we tested had sweaty backsides when we used this seat. In terms of fabric, the new version of Henry does have fire-resistant fabric made from merino wool instead of chemicals.
Wool is a very breathable material, so this idea is great because it should assist with the sweaty-back problems that sometimes happen with this seat. Also, the UPPAbaby Mesa doesn’t have a frame made of steel, an anti-rebound bar, or a load leg. The first one is lighter, but for this price, we would expect to see at least a “no-bounce” bar. Overall, it is one of the finest infant car seats just on market. We love the way it looks, how easy it is to install and use, and how well-made it is. Who else agrees that the Mesa is a great choice?
Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX
Usually under $200. The SnugRide line of car seats from Graco is among the most biggest and common lines of car seats ever. Graco has had the SnugRide line for more than a decade, but last year they decided to add the SnugFit line with an anti-rebound bar that parents have already been asking for. Why? On the occasion of an accident, the anti-rebound bar increases safety and protection by stabilizing the car seat and absorbing the rotational torque that could hurt your baby.
Anti-rebound bars have indeed been common for around 5 years now, as well as Graco has finally made infant car seats with them. The SnugRide line of infant car seats has a reputation for being simple and without a lot of extras. A SnugFit 35 DLX is the same way. Not quite as soft as well as plush as B-Safe or Chicco car seats, but perhaps not as fashionable or available in cool patterns, but it works pretty well and parents love it. It has the same features as the other brands, but costs between $50 and $75 less. It’s something to remember.
With the infant insert, the SnugFit 35 DLX can hold babies as tiny as 4 pounds and as heavy as 35 pounds. It has a 32-inch seat width “height limit. It connects to the Graco InRight LATCH scheme or the safety belt in the car. A portion of its TrueShield crash safety protection technology has been tested for side impacts and uses energy-absorbing EPS foam for safety. This technology protects not only the head but also the whole body, the all way down to the hips. Along with the anti-rebound bar, the ability to change the height of the harness without rethreading is one of the best things about the SnugFit.
We were glad to find that headrest, as well as harness height, could be changed at the same time by using the button on top of a headrest. The chair itself is about 9.5 pounds, which isn’t too heavy, and we liked what quickly it snapped in and out the base. Talking of which, a SnugLock scheme operates with just about any Click Connect stroller. This means you can take this car seat into any Click Connect stroller or base.
So it’s much easier for strollers as well as travel systems to work with SnugRide car seats, especially since almost every stroller just on market has an adapter to make it fit. The seat and base together weigh only about 17 pounds. During our test results, one of our biggest complaints regarding this car seat was that it didn’t appear big as well as wide enough for babies over almost 25-30 pounds, particularly whether they’ve got broad shoulders. It’s very supportive as well as comfortable for babies, but as they get bigger, they start to see that it can’t do everything.
Overall, we adore what Graco had also done with the SnugRide line, especially the shoulder harness that doesn’t need to be rethreaded, the high-quality fabrics, as well as the anti-rebound bar. With a price of only just around $200, these have a great set of features for how cheap they are. Given how easy it was to install and use, as well as how comfortable and safe it was overall, we think this is a good greatest infant car seat for mom and dad who want to save money while still trusting Graco’s reputation for making safe and high-quality car seats.
Britax B-Safe 35 Ultra Infant Car Seat
Approximately $200-230 guess it depends on if you choose to go for a B-Safe 35 (generally about $200) or even the B-Safe Ultra (earliest records to $250 based on pattern choice). The one in the picture is really the B-Safe 35 Ultra to Cool Flow fabric. A Britax B-Safe has been the greatest model just on market for several years.
Mommies and daddies love it, and Britax’s notoriety for quality and safety is hard to beat. The B-Safe 35 as well as B-Safe Ultra baby car seats arrive with such a seat core that really is easy to install and remove from your vehicle either using top quality LATCH scheme or your car’s seat belt. The 12 Best Car Seats For Babies In 2022
Moms love the shape and fit of these seats, which are made right here in the United States. With the included infant insert, any of these models do a great job of raising even very small (4+ lb) babies. Even as the baby grows, you could indeed start by removing the additional padding (even before your baby is around 11 lbs) to start giving your baby a bit of room.
The car seat also has easy-to-adjust protective gear pads, a 35-pound average weight and a 32-inch height limit (both on the high end of the scale), two groin strap roles (in the Ultra), and multiple neck harness strap locations to accommodate a growing baby. We found it very easy to make on-the-fly modifications to fit different size babies with the Ultra version.
The B-Safe 35, as well as B-Safe Ultra, have several distinctions: the B-Safe Ultra adds fast protective gear, extendable straps without version (that alone would be worth the investment!), a European buckle path, softer as well as better quality fabrics, and also the famous Cool Flow fabric choice.
The European style belt guidance means allowing the chair to be placed without the base using a car’s seat belts; this really is ideal for people who may not want to spend extra money again for the base, have multiple vehicles, and want to be capable of traveling (using a coaster or even a taxi) without trying to bring the base along. The Awesome Flow fabric is great, and it lets in more air during the warmer months so that your back doesn’t sweat and get uncomfortable.
All of these features add up to a car seat that weighs more than 20 pounds (the seat is 11.5 pounds and the base is 9 pounds), which we know may be a lot for some parents. All B-Safe models just use Britax SafeCell’s new tech, which combines protection from side impacts, a metal frame, as well as EPS foam that absorbs energy.
The Ultra has two layers of protection against impacts, while the regular model only has one. Compared to a Chicco KeyFit 30 as well as 35, the B-Safe Ultra’s fabric feels a little softer and more expensive. It was also much easier to wash with wipes as well as take off to wash in the machine.
The B-Safe can hold up to 35 pounds of weight and 32 inches of height, just like the Chicco KeyFit 35. In terms of sizing, we actually found that B-Safe is a bit too tight inside the shoulder for larger babies, particularly after they have been about 10 to 12 months old. Also, there is no anti-rebound bar, of the kind that you can only get if you pay about $50 more for the Britax Endeavours. Those are the only things one such Britax car seat really can’t do.
Last but not least, the B-Safe cover is bigger than many others and can really cover a baby when it’s sunny, raining, snowing, or just when the baby wants to be alone or take a nap. As an added bonus, a Britax B-Safe designs come in different colors and patterns. Yes, it’s costly and heavy, but we think the price is well worth it for the reliability, features, as well as reputation for safety. Who else agrees that B-Safe is a great choice? The people at BabyList, Babygearlab, TheBump, as well as Wirecutter, are our friends. Want to know more about the B-Safe Ultra?
Dona Car Seat and Stroller Combo for Infants
The average is about $500 (whew!). That would be the only newborn car seat on our list (and in the baby equipment market in general) that comes with a stroller. Tired of having to worry about whether your car seat, as well as stroller, will work together, of having to carry a stroller around and in your trunk, as well as of having to fold and store them separately? The Doona could be the answer to your problem!
This clever design goes from a soft infant car seat to a stroller in around 5 seconds. The stroller legs as well as wheels fold down from the bottom of the car seat. It’s a great travel companion and a good option for the big travel system. It’s also great for people who live in cities and don’t have much space to store things. We were able to try out the Doona last year (thx, Doona!) and were blown away by how useful it was and how easy it was to use. Let’s start by talking about the car seat.
The car seat can hold babies as small as 4 pounds and as big as 35 pounds or up to 32 inches tall, whichever comes first. It’s a great choice for premature babies because it comes with an infant insert and a foam head support that’s very comfortable. For security, it has three layers of shoulder safeguard, EPS energy-absorbing foam, when it’s in car seat mode, the handle acts as an anti-rebound bar.
It doesn’t have a steel-reinforced frame, but it’s already pretty heavy (about 16 pounds), so it would be hard to carry with such a baby inside. Obviously, you won’t usually carry your baby through the car seat with the Doona because it has a stroller built-in. This has a 5-point strap, a base with LATCH, a cover that can be taken off and washed, and FAA approval for air travel. We liked the car seat a lot. We thought it was of good quality, soft and comfortable, and had a lot of features.
Only one thing we might have asked for was a harness that could be adjusted without having to rethread it (it has to be rethreaded from of the back), a larger canopy that went lower, and a bit more room for big monkeys to sit. The second thing is the stroller. Here’s the fun part! You just put this same handle in the carrying position (straight up), select up a car seat, and also pull the lever on the back.
The legs as well as wheels then drop down smoothly under the seat. It’s very easy and quick to do, and the design is really cool. It worked perfectly even though we used it a lot and threw it in and out of cars and over bumpy surfaces. The stroller is indeed very functional, simple to guide as well as maneuver thru the tight spaces, as well as reasonably stable.
A few down-falls of a stroller on its own are that if the wheels are rather hard as well as cause vibration but also bumpiness on irregular roadways, that’s not stable or durable enough to enable you to hang even for the finest diaper bag just on the handlebar, but there are none of the conveniences of the true stroller (like such a rack basket, cup bearers, phone/key tray, etc). When you fold it up and put it in your car, if indeed the wheels seem to be dirty or wet, your pants and also the child seat will get dirty & wet. Unlike a normal stroller, which you would probably just throw in the trunk.
Aside from that, it was foldable up the car seat as well as the stroller together and snap it into the base (or belt it into the car without the base), even though it was pretty big and wide. But after we used it several times, we found myself wondering how we would ever carry around a different car seat as well as a stroller!
Overall, we liked the idea and how it was done, and we think it deserves to be at the top of our list. There are, of course, some problems with it, not the lowest of which is that it costs a lot (about $500!). But if you buy a high-end infant car seat as well as stroller together, you’ll probably end up spending close to that amount. Who else agrees that the Doona is indeed a great choice? The people at BabyList, WhatToExpect, and also Babygearlab are our friends. Perfect for parents who travel a lot and want something new and stylish.
Nuna Pipa Infant Car Seat
Most often, about $300. Nuna International, a small baby gear-based company in Amsterdam, made this stylish, simple, and high-end car seat for babies. They look and feel like European cars and have some security features that are common inside the EU but not so common in the USA. Most of the items on this list, including the Nuna Pipa seat, are made in China, and it can be hard to find them in big-box stores. It is usually sold at PishPosh Baby as well as a few both these high-end stores. During our tests, we really liked this car seat for babies.
It’s made of super soft as well as greater materials, like Femto knit fabrics, soft as well as thick padding where this is needed greatest (like those on the crotch buckle! ), and an amazing canopy with a cool “dream drape” extending that protects the baby from of the components (UPF 50+). With included infant insert, it can hold babies as small as 4 pounds.
This makes it a great infant car seat for babies who are born early. And it can hold things that are up to 32 inches long or 32 pounds. All that range in height and weight, and it only weighs 8 pounds! The base weighs approximately 14 pounds, but no one really walks around with a seat located at the base.
That was one of the healthiest car seats for babies that we’ve ever tried. First, it also has the basic five-point strap, side-impact in the core and load leg, deep as well as thick side-impact safeguard, and EPS foam that absorbs energy. Second, it has a steady-state leg, which is quite common in the EU. This leg connects to the bottom of a car seat base and goes all the way to the floor of your car. Like that of an anti-rebound bar, a charge leg stops rotational forces from getting too strong by absorbing the impact of a crash.
Using easy LATCH connectors made setup a breeze. Keep in mind that this seat’s LATCH connectors are rigid, which also helps a lot with a safe installation but it might limit how you can use the seat. For instance, the central defender seat of many cars doesn’t have the basic 11″ LATCH spacing, then you’ll have to use the car’s seat belt to install the car seat.
It’s important to note that most manuals for infant car seats say the same thing, but the Nuna’s rigid LATCH plug spacing makes sure this point is clear. During our test results, we were really pleased with this baby car seat, and we thought that its fabrics as well as overall attention to detail made it feel very high-end. When it comes to fabrics, this same Pipa uses certificated GOTS organic cotton that doesn’t have any chemical fire retardants. They also make sure that their foams and dyes are free of nasty chemicals as well as VOCs when they buy them.
With an adapter, a Baby Jogger, UppaBaby, Bugaboo, Mothers and or Papas, and Maxi-Cosi are among the most famous strollers that work with the Nuna Pipa. Of course, you don’t need an adapter to use it with a Nuna stroller either. Downfalls? It may not have a quick-adjust strap like some others at this price point.
This means that every time you want to change the height, you have to rethread the harness from the back. Luckily, that doesn’t happen very often, but it’s still a pain. This problem and the higher cost (about $300) are the main things that stop people from buying it. Also one of the moreover best car seats for babies that you can buy?
Yes, particularly if you like the way it looks and how light it is, but you’ll have to pay more and you might not like having to rethread these same harness straps by hand. But you have to make sacrifices like that if you want a great car seat to evaluate only 8 pounds. Be careful to verify the Cybex Aton as well as other narrow car seats in our reviews if you’re involved in other very small and light infant car seats. Who else agrees that now the Pipa is indeed a great choice?
Maxi-Cosi Mico Max Plus 30 Infant Car Seat
About $300. Maxi-Cosi is always making improvements to one‘s car seats, as well as the Mico Max Plus is no different. This is a really cute car seat for babies, and the fabric is really soft and fluffy. Not only do the Maxi-Cosi baby car seats look great, but they are also among the coziest and also most comfortable on our list. It really is a Maxi-Cosi! This car seat can hold babies from 4 to 30 pounds and up to 32 inches tall. The owner’s manual says that the lesser infant insert is used with babies who weigh between 4 and 5 pounds, but you can use it with newborns for as a while as you want.
This car seat is great because it fits kids up to 32″ tall without having a higher weight limit, which we don’t think is generally as important as a higher height limit. Keep in mind that your skin must be at least 1″ underneath the top of a car seat. It’s also very light, weighing approximately 9.6 pounds even without a base (the base weighs 7 pounds), and the canopy can be taken off.
The Maxi-Cosi Mico Max Plus 30 has side protection cushions that are filled with air. Our reviewers thought this was a big deal as well as made them feel safer. When you add in the EPP foam that absorbs shock and the great load leg, you have a very secure car seat.
We liked how easy the fabric was to wipe clean and how easy it was to take off and put it in the washing machine. The canopy-covered a good amount of space over the baby. One difference between both the Mico Max as well as the Mico Max Plus is that the Mico Max Plus has a zippered “MaxShade” canopy expansion that adds about 6″ of length and has mesh sides for better airflow.
A few other good things about the Max Plus are: First, the Plus is made of a high-quality fabric that looks like denim and is self-wicking and breathable to keep backs from getting sweaty. Second, the Plus doesn’t have an anti-rebound bar. Instead, it has a load leg that sticks out of the bottom of a base as well as presses flat on the ground of the vehicle. The anti-rebound bar, on the other hand, pumps up against the back of the rear seat.
This implies that Max Plus is just as safe as the Max in case of a crash, but its base is narrower (only 13 inches wide instead of 15.5 inches wide) as well as shortened (only 23.5″ long instead of 24.5″ long). We tested this seat (thanks, Maxi-Cosi, for having to send us a sample!) and thought it had some great features and worked well.
We liked how the harness, as well as the crotch buckle, were softly padded and how the crotch buckle flipped forward when it wasn’t in use so it wouldn’t get in the way when putting the baby in the seat. We both liked that the car seat could be placed with or without a base, that the base uses safety harness lock-offs or premium LATCH adapters for a secure install, that the load leg is very easy to use, and that the base does have three recline configurations that make it work for most back seats slopes.
The big canopy seems to be great, as well as the cover is easy to take off and put back on after washing. Most things feel very strong and well made, but there are a few things that bother me a little bit. First, whenever the handle is up and the canopy is open, the canopy and handle get in each other’s way a bit. When you put the car seat just on base and turn the canopy as well as carry the handle down to the floor, the grip pumps up against the canopy but doesn’t quickly lock the all way back into position.
It starts to bother me. Second, there are big warning labels right where your child’s face and head will be when he or she is sleeping. This means that your baby’s face could be up against the plastic labels instead of the soft fabric. That was an odd way to make it. Lastly, if you want to change the height of the harness, you have to rethread it. Aside from those problems, this car seat does have a lot going for it that makes it a good choice for this place on our list.
Chicco Fit2 Car Seat for Babies
About $280, and it comes in a few different colors. This Chicco infant car seat just came out, and it passed our hands-on tests with flying colors. We’re glad to have this on our list, and we think that’s a fantastic indication of the high, safe, durable, and flexible car seat. But it is quite expensive, about the same price as the best B-Safe Ultra as well as Endeavors, as bear that in mind once trying to compare them.
It has everything you’d expect from a high-quality infant car seat: a lower infant insert for babies as small as 4 pounds, an adjustable strap as well as headrest without rethreading, two groin buckle locations, EPS power foam, side-impact protection, lock-offs on the base, a large as well as a detachable canopy, bubble threshold indicators, top quality LATCH adapters, European belt routing, a detachable as well as cleanable seat cover, one and adjustments.
The Chicco Fit2 is an improvement on the already wonderful KeyFit 30 as well as KeyFit 35 in a few key ways. First, this same Fit2 has two different rear-facing positions. One is more reclined and good for babies up to about 10 to 12 months old, or until they can crawl and walk. The other is more upright and has a little more leg room. The second position has been made for small kids up to around 35 pounds and 35″ tall, or 24 months old.
The KeyFit 30 just fits close to 30 pounds as well as 30″ tall, as well as the KeyFit 35 only, fits up to 32″ tall. Second, like the KeyFit 35 but just not the KeyFit 30, the Fit2 does have an anti-rebound bar constructed into the base to decrease rotational torque in case of an accident. Third, a Fit2 has much more shoulder harness as well as crotch buckle modifications to fit increasing babies, as well as the shoulder strap height, which can be changed without rethreading.
Fourth, the fabric is generally softer and feels better made, and the canopy is a bit bigger and better made, especially compared to a KeyFit 30. Lastly, it’s manufactured overseas instead of in China, but because it can hold more weight, it’s a bit heavier at 11 pounds alone without a base. All of the differences end there. Either with KeyFit or the Fit2, you get a really good car seat, but the Fit2 is better for parents who are willing to spend a little bit more to get a higher height limit and better fabrics and padding.
Limitations? Well, the extra cost so over KeyFit 35 is hard for us to explain, except if you have a really tall baby. Second, the space in the upper shoulders and the head is a little tight, but taking out the upper infant spacer helped. It’s also important to note that it’s not as tight in the hips and shoulders also as B-Safe 35. All in all, this is really a great new ingredient to our lineup, and we’re enthusiastic about it!
Clek Liing Car Seat for Babies
This car seat usually costs nearer to $400, which is the only reason it was not in the top 5. We got this car seat previously this year, and we’re very happy with how it looks, how it fits, how safe it is, and how useful it is. The Clek Liing is among the few infant car seats created in North America, in Canada. It is also one of the few that has a load leg.
And you probably already know this, but Clek has a great reputation for making stylish, high-quality products, but you’ll have to pay for them. The very first thing we found when we took the Clek Liing out of the box was that it only weighed about lbs without the base. This made it very easy to handle around. The base is a bit heavier at 17 lbs, particularly with load leg as well as rigid LATCH adapters, but since it will stay in your car, this doesn’t really count.
Even though the car seat is made of lightweight plastics and fabrics, they all feel very high quality and soft. We especially liked a C-Zero+ fabric, which really is anti-microbial and resistant to stains, moisture, and odors. It is also free of chlorinated as well as brominated flame retardants. The Liing can hold infants as tiny as 5 lbs (with an infant insert) and as tall as 35 pounds and 32 inches. This has 7-position lumbar support, a European buckle path for trying to install alone without a base, and a big canopy with a big peekaboo window.
For security, it has a strong metal load leg that makes it more stable throughout a crash. It also has EPP foam that absorbs energy as well as a two-piece shell that protects against side impacts. It has a seatbelt serpentine belt lock-off in the base to help with installation. It also has rigid lesser LATCH anchor points, and three-strap heights (with stick shift rethreading).
And also has a very small profile (17″ wide) that makes it easy to fit three in a row. If you use rigid LATCH anchors, installation is great even though they mainly ratchet into the place in a way that gives you a lot of confidence. If you use the car’s seat belt with a base, the belt-tensioning system is also a pretty good belt lock-off system.
One thing to keep in mind would be that the Clek can be utilized with the handle having to face straight up while being in the car. This is unusual, so if you’re and use it to bring your baby around, it’s also convenient. It was possible to scale and adjust the load leg. In Canada, it is required for babies over 22 lbs, but in the US, it is not. If you don’t plan to use the load leg in the US, Clek recommends using the seatbelt instead of the LATCH system.
If you’re trying to install the Liing without such a base, you can use either the American as well as European buckle paths, which both have brilliant blue forwarding guides. We tried the Liing with a 5-week-old baby, a 3-month-old baby, and an 8-month-old baby. All of the babies were very comfortable, but we had to make some changes for the biggest one. The top and bottom infant inserts help a lot with getting the perfect fit. The handle is great and doesn’t get in the way of the canopy, as well as we can’t say enough about how pleasant it is to get a car seat that is so light and small. Everything about this car seat looks like it was made and put there with care, which made us really happy to use it. d
Most parents’ main concern is the price, which is usually between $350 and $400, which is a lot of money. Also, we have been surprised to discover that harness height needs to be rethreaded, which we didn’t think would be necessary at this price. The Clek Liing only works with some strollers. Most strollers that work with Maxi-Cosi, Cybex, as well as Nuna car seats will work with the Clek Liing. This is a great addition to our list, and we’re excited to show it off. Not for all moms and dads, but a top choice and those with a larger budget as well as a willingness for style, substantiation, and quality in a car seat.
Cybex Aton 2 Car Seat for Babies
It usually costs close to $300, which makes it one of the costlier car seats on this list. We tested both the Cybex Aton 2 and the Clek Liing at the same time. The Clek Liing came out on top, but just barely. They are both great seats, but the main reason they aren’t higher on the list is that they are expensive and don’t work well with most strollers.
Out of the box, a Cybex Aton 2 started to feel extremely light (about 9 lbs even without a base!) and small (17.3 inches wide), and the quality of its construction was excellent. Everything, from the plastic products to the fabrics so all of the connections and adjustments, felt like it was made well. The base adds more than 15 pounds, but that’s mostly because of the great load leg, high-quality LATCH adaptors, as well as constructed belt lock-off tensioning scheme. A Cybex Aton 2 can hold babies weighing as little as 4 pounds or as much as 32 lbs or 30 inches tall.
Overall, that’s not a whole lot, especially when it comes to height, and as such if you have got a bigger baby, this might not have been the best choice. For safety, a Cybex Aton 2 base does have a load leg that reduces rotational motion in a crash. It also has power foam, side-impact safety, as well as a unique arm that flips out of the side and absorbs side-impact forces.
Not to mention that it got great ratings in crash tests that are the envy of almost all other car seats. Babygearlab had independent crash tests done on this car seat and was kind enough to share the results, which were great. The base can be used with safety belts (with such a tensioner as well as a lock-off) or the push-button LATCH anchors that come with the base. Using American and European belt paths also can be done even without a base. With the Aton, it was hard to get everything set up and installed right, and installing is among the most important parts of a safe car seat.
You could get it correct but will take a little while, or you might yell some bad words along the way! This seat has a great shape and size for comfort, and also the jersey-knit fabrics seem to be soft and strong. The padding on the seat may be a little thicker, but it’s not too bad. The front edge of the canopy is made of a big piece of plastic, and when the canopy is fully open, it doesn’t look great.
The harness does have three settings for height, but you have to rethread it each time. Some other problems we had were that the adjustment for how tight the harness was was hard to use, the chest buckle sometimes slid down the harness, changing the position of the handlebars takes two hands, and your hand doesn’t fit well between the handlebars and the canopy.
The seat works with UppaBaby strollers such as the Cruz, which is wonderful, but you’ll probably need adapters to attach it to any other stroller. So, this seat has a lot of small problems, which would make it difficult to rationalize the cost if it hadn’t done so well in crash tests. Even though it has a few problems and is expensive, this car seat is still higher on our list because of how well it is rated. Overall, it isn’t a great car seat, but somehow it looks great and has some of the best safety ratings out there. Not for every parent, but a top choice for those with more money to spend on a car seat.
Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4/35 Infant Car Seat
About $300, although some colors and patterns cost more than others. Peg Perego was started in Italy more than 60 years ago by Giuseppe Perego, who wanted to make the best baby carriage at the time. Instead of wicker as well as sheet metal, he used rubberized materials. Well, he did it, as well as the company was very popular in Europe for a long time. In modern times, Peg Perego is known all over the world for making baby products that are safe, long-lasting, reliable, and comfortable.
This Peg Perego is one of the best newborn car seats of the year because it has adjustable impact padding (6 places up/down) to fit having a good growing baby, a comfy handle, with plenty of padding for even small babies (close to 4 lbs with included a double insert, as well as up to 35 lbs), a soft as well as plush fresco jersey stretchy fabric, an extendable 5-point strap (no rethreading needed), good-sized wheels, and a good-sized storage basket (not China).
It is also one of the few car seats (including Chicco Fit2, KeyFit 35, as well as Britax Endeavours) that has an anti-rebound safety catch on the front. This is now required in Europe, but not yet in the US. This one has a 32-inch height limit for babies, which is a bit higher than some of the other ones on this list. And it looks great. The 12 Best Car Seats For Babies In 2022
Consumers are prepared to pay more for this seat because it has smooth lines, newer patterns, top-notch stitching all around edges, as well as good fabric and padding. Some of the trim on the seat really did look like it was made by hand by such an Italian designer. Nice touch. The seat itself, which weighs about 10 pounds, is one of the heaviest on the list. This is quite a little heavier with the base, not that you’d carry it around on the base. We don’t like a few things about this car seat. First, it’s not the easiest to carry because the canopy opens against the handle.
The only way to carry it comfortably is with the canopy folded back. We found that, in addition to being hard to carry about, the harness straps inclined to spin around and get tangled up a lot. Some of our moms also said that many nice, as well as reasonably priced car seat covers, can’t even fit all around large side impact pillows. The canopy isn’t very big, and taking off the cover to clean it is a real pain.
Lastly, the frame isn’t made of steel such as the B-Safe Ultra, and that’s true of most of the car seats on this list. Overall, this is really a good car seat just with a few small problems compared to others. We’re proud to put it on our list because it’s of high quality, has a great look, and can be used in many ways. Interested? The 12 Best Car Seats For Babies In 2022