Best Infant Car Seat Review Guide For 2022-2023

Best Infant Car Seat Review Guide For 2023-2024

February 19, 2023

Best Infant Car Seat Review Guide For 2023-2024 – You can’t take your baby home from the hospital without an infant-ready car seat and using a used or second-hand seat isn’t safe. In our top best most recommended infant car seats, we looked for the new or high-quality infant seats we think deserve wider recognition then put them into our Best Infant Car Seat Review Guide For 2023-2024.

Best Infant Car Seat Buyers Guide For 2023-2024:

Choosing an Infant Car Seat:

If you’re pregnant or have an infant, you have two choices in a car seat. The first, which most parents opt for, is an infant seat. This seat is designed specifically for use with infants generally from 5 pounds to 20 pounds and is always used rear-facing in the car. An infant seat provides features that offer convenience for you and comfort for your baby. For example, this type of seat is lightweight so you’ll find you can transport your baby from one place to another without disturbing her sleep, and many offer a separate base which allows the parent to snap the seat easily in and out of the car.

Your other choice of car seat for an infant is a convertible seat, which is used in the rear-facing position for infants, then converted to the forward-facing position for toddlers. Although convertible seats lack most of the convenience features common to infant seats, they’re an economical way to provide protection, as one seat can generally accommodate your child from 5 to 40 pounds.

A Word About Safety:

Protection should be your primary concern as you look for an infant seat. You surely wouldn’t want to jeopardize your child’s safety by attempting to save a few dollars on a car seat, so resist the temptation to pick one up at a flea market or garage sale. Using a secondhand seat is risky, as you don’t know how old the seat is, whether it has been in an accident, whether it has all its original parts, or whether it was designed in light of current automobile environments. In addition, federal motor vehicle safety standards change regularly, and old seats may not comply with current standards. You may use a relatively new secondhand seat from a family member or friend, but only if you know the seat’s history, have the instructions, and are sure that the seat has all its parts.

The Autobase Option:

Many infant seats come equipped with a separate, detachable autobase. The autobase can be secured into your car with the car’s seat belt and left in place, allowing the separate infant seat to be snapped into and out of the base. This saves you time by eliminating the need for the infant seat to be secured with the vehicle seat belt each time it’s placed in the car. It also means you need not disturb your sleeping baby to remove her from the seat. Some autobase-type models, such as the Evenflo Port About™, can be used without their base, making it easy to use the car seat in more than one car.

Features:

Part of the process of choosing an infant seat will be to decide which features are important to you and your child. Most infant seats can be used as carriers, making it easier to transport the baby into and out of the car without disturbing him.

Different infant seats provide different means of adjusting their shoulder belts. To adjust the belts in most seats, you need to go through various steps. This makes loosening or tightening the belts a frequent task–especially in cold weather, when the amount of your child’s clothing can vary. You’ll want to examine the belt-adjustment systems of various seats to find the most convenient.

Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35 LX

The Graco SnugRide car seat is a baby-gear classic that’s had a model among the top-5 infant car seats since BabyCenter began its baby products awards in 2015. The SnugLock 35 LX has risen to the top 5 in 2020 by continuing Graco’s tradition of offering parents a popular mix of safety, price, and convenient features such as a handle you can fold with one-hand, an easily adjustable base, and no-hassle compatibility with Graco strollers.

While not as light as other seats, the SnugRide is not exactly heavy at under 10 pounds. Parents also note that the seat can transfer between different cars with ease – meaning that the seat’s size and latch system work well with your car, your relative’s car, etc. Another plus: its shade, which is big and adjusts without noise.

Product Details:

Adjust handle with one hand, leaving other hand free
Silent Shade canopy easily and quietly adjusts without disturbing baby
InRight LATCH system for a one second LATCH attachment
4 position adjustable base lets you customize fit to your vehicle; Engineered and crash tested to meet or exceed US standard FMVSS 213
Easy to read level indicator helps eliminate installation guesswork

Heads Up:

The SnugRide passes all safety tests (Graco says they exceed the government standards) but its base does not have the extra features some other seats have, notably a load leg.

Parents’ Say:

“We’ve loved our Graco. I’m personally glad we didn’t go with something more expensive since this has held up so well. I understand there are things you purchase in life where ‘you get what you pay for’ but this was one where we’ve gotten the most out of our money! It’s simple and exactly what we have needed.”

“I actually liked our Graco infant seat so much that I decided to try out a Graco convertible for the first time after ydd moved up and out. Of the many brands of car seat I’ve had, it’s my absolute favorite.”

Specs:

For infants from 4-35 pounds and up to 32 inches tall
Seat weight 9.75 pounds; with base 26 pounds
Seat dimensions 30.9 x 20 x 15.5 inches

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Britax B-Safe 35

The Britax B-Safe is easy to install with auto-level indicators and built-in Lock-offs to ensure a proper vehicle fit. The quick-adjust harness for your baby’s belts has long been a favorite Britax feature and ensures your family can get in the car and on your way quickly.

Also easy to adjust is the seat’s LATCH system, which is designed to allow you to quickly tighten the connection of the B-Safe’s base to your car.

Finally, the seat is also one of the narrower models on the market, which some parents love because it allows the B-Safe to work in their smaller car or makes getting twins from here to there easier to do.

Product Details:

Surrounded in safety: a layer of side impact protection, steel frame, and impact absorbing base
Easy installation: use safe center latch or built in seat belt lock offs to secure the infant car seat
Relax and recline: spring assisted recline and indicators ensure the best vehicle installation angle
Travel system ready: compatible with Britax Be agile, Be free, Be mobile, Be ready strollers using the built in adapters and with all bob single and Dual-lie strollers (adapter sold separately)
Fits: rear facing 4 to 35 pounds, seat area 13 inches d, 8.75 inches w; dimensions 17.75 inches w x 25 inches h x 26.5 inches d

Heads Up:

The Britax B-Safe has all the standard safety features and touts its “impact-absorbing base,” but it doesn’t have a load leg or rigid LATCH connections.

Some parents also felt that at 10 pounds, the Britax seat plus a baby can add up to everything feeling like it weighs a lot, making toting around a sleeping baby a workout.

Oh, did we mention this seat is svelte? Some parents love that quality; others felt the B-Safe’s narrow profile limited how long their baby was able to use the seat.

Parents’ Say:

“I opted to go with the Britax B-Safe 35. I loved the safety features.”

“I got the Britax B-Safe 35 Infant Car Seat – Rear Facing 4 to 35 pounds. I’ve used Britax for my older son throughout and love them.”

“I used Britax B-Safe 35 with my dd (dear daughter) and loved it. She was below the 10th percentile in everything (except head size, of course! Lol). She was just over 5 pounds when we left the hospital with her. It’s for 4 pounds and up and they won’t let you take babies smaller than that home yet. Dd used it until she was about 13 months. I’m currently expecting twins as well and got a second Britax B-Safe 35 for our twinsies.”

Specs:

For infants from 4-35 pounds and up to 32 inches tall
Seat weight 10 pounds; with base 19 pounds
Seat dimensions 26.5 x 25 x 17.75 inches

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Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat

The KeyFit 30 can be used with or without its stay-in-car base (making it useful if you’re taking a rideshare somewhere). The base that you can leave in your car is very easy to install securely. It features leveling bubbles that let you see when things aren’t quite right and confirm when you have everything properly sitting in your back seat.

Like many seats in this class, the KeyFit 30 has a head and body support to accommodate newborns as small as 4 pounds and a shell is lined with EPS energy-absorbing foam for improved impact protection.

Product Details:

Number 1 Rated infant car seat in America
Easiest to install with recline Sure leveling, ride Right bubble levels, and super Cinch LATCH tightened
Removable newborn head and body support
5-Point harness with one-pull tightened
Compatible with Chicco strollers for travel system use

Heads Up:

If you’re shopping for an infant car seat for a stroller from a different brand, you should double check whether or not this Chicco seat will work without an adapter.

Parents’ Say

“I have a Chicco KeyFit 30 and love it. I like the Chicco brand for car seats. My KeyFit last though 2 babies but expired so I plan on buying the Chicco Fit2 Infant & Toddler for this baby because the weight limit is higher.”

“One of the things I like about the Chicco KeyFit is it is spacious and I used it all the way up until all 3 of my current kids turned 1. My oldest was always in the upper 90’s on the weight/height percentage chart and she didn’t outgrow it until she was pretty much a year old.”

Specs:

For infants from 4-30 pounds and up to 30 inches tall
Seat weight 9.6 pounds; with base 17.15 pounds
Seat dimensions 27.5 x 17 x 24 inches

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UPPAbaby Mesa

The UPPAbaby Mesa seat design uses a base that tries to take some of the guesswork out of installs. It’s LATCH system automatically retracts the connections to your car to create a secure attachment and a red-green indicator lets you know whether or not the seat is installed properly. That said, the seat can be used easily without its base for rideshares or quick trip in grandma’s car.

The finish of the seat is of high quality, including a couple of the Mesa models having chemical-free merino wool fabric. The seat is compatible with the popular UPPAbaby Vista stroller.

Product Details:

NEW! MESA Infant Car Seat. The infant car seat dimensions are 25.8 x 17 x 23 inches
FIRST AND ONLY car seat to pass federal safety standards without the use of fire retardant chemicals.
SMART Secure system installs in seconds
Adjustable no-rethread headrest with integrated Side Impact Protection
Attaches to VISTA and CRUZ strollers without adapters
SPF hideaway canopy. Base is 9 lbs; low-profile base

Heads Up:

Some parents have complained that the Mesa is a bit heavy compared to other seats. Other parents who have the seats outfitted with the wool-blend fabric say their seats are causing their babies to sweat during the summer months.

The canopy, while a lovely design in terms of its integration into the seat, is a bit small.

Parents’ Say

“Loved my Mesa car seat. I was very happy with it and will use it again for June LO. It was a bit heavy, but, honestly, I usually wasn’t carrying it far without the stroller. Also, we lived in a big city until LO (little one) was about 9 months so I loved how easy it was to install without a base plus the extra weight made it feel super sturdy and secure without the base. We took a lot of Uber’s and taxis since we didn’t have a car so quick, easy, and secure baseless install was a major upside for us.”

“My friend just had twins and loves the mesa and how easy it is to use with the stroller. It’s a little heavier but if she can doesn’t mind with two, I figure I’ll be safe with one!”

“I vote for the Mesa! I debated long and hard on what to get for my twins. I can say I have absolutely loved the Mesas and am so glad I went with them. We are still using them at 13 months. I can’t tell you how many comments I’ve had from people on how much they liked my car seats.”

Specs:

For infants from 4-35 pounds and up to 32 inches tall
Seat weight 9.9 pounds; with base 18.9 pounds
Seat dimensions 26.5 x 17 x 23 inches

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Clek Liing

The Clek Liing is catnip for car-seat lovers in its mix of all the safety bells and whistles available today (load leg, rigid LATCH) with exceptional fit and finish (a base with seven recline positions, several fancy fabric options).

While its safety extras are most pronounced in the base design, the Clek seat itself meets all standards and can be used without the base when necessary.

Product Details:

Base is designed with both a Rigid-LATCH system and a belt-tensioning system providing a secure and effortless installation whether using the vehicle’s built-in latch anchors or the seat belt.
The metal load Leg provides anti-rotation and energy absorption features in a collision, reducing crash forces by more than 40%. the metal load Leg folds up securely into the base when not in use.
The recline is conveniently adjustable with the base installed, and offers up to 7 recline positions to ensure the perfect angle every time – regardless of how flat or sloped the vehicle seat is.
Flame retardant free, lightweight seat with SPF100+ canopy. 1-Handed quick-release off of a stroller or the car seat base. Compatible with most strollers using Maxi-Cosi adapters.
Compact design provides more legroom for the front seat passenger.

Heads Up:

This is not a cheap seat and can run nearly $400 depending on the fabric choice. Extra bases cost roughly $200. This can be a real consideration for some families considering that the usable lifespan of an infant seat can be as short as 5 months (if your baby is among the fastest growing).

Speaking of that fabric, removing it for cleaning is not a quick job.

Editors’ Say:

“This is the ‘price is no object’ infant car seat.”

“Anyone who’s ever installed a car seat knows that the process can end in doubt. Is it really in there? Is it really safe? The Clek takes a lot of that guesswork away. The base is super easy to deal with and the combination of rigid LATCH and the load leg make the seat feel like it is not going to go anywhere at any time.”