Best Car Seats For Infants and Babies

While convertible car seats work great for children who are growing, an infant seat works best for infants. They're also lighter and easier to clip into strollers than their larger counterparts.

CPST instructor Kecia Healy praised the Chicco KeyFit's recline foot that is spring-loaded and bubble indicator on the base, in addition to its user-friendliness (the more user-friendly a car seat can be and the more likely parents are to install it correctly). The model can also be used three across in most mid-sized cars.

1. Clek Liing infant car seat

The Canadian manufacturer Clek is known for their best-rated convertible car seats and the infant Liing is among their top infant seats. The seat is equipped with best-in class safety features including a steel load-leg, and easy installation. It also features 7 different recline positions that can be adjusted to fit the slope of your car's seat. A bubble indicator helps you ensure that the seat is at the correct angle before your child rides in it.

The base for the Liing is simple to set up with the help of LATCH connectors that slide into your vehicle's lower anchors making it more secure. The Liing is a great option for families who intend to frequently switch cars or who want an easy, reliable way to install car seats for their infants. You can also utilize the belt-tensioning system that comes with it to buckle your child.

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

Another great feature of the Liing is its crash-testing frame, which can reduce the force of a crash by up to 40 percent in comparison to other infant seats. The shell of the Liing is padded with EPP foam to protect your child's head and torso which are most vulnerable in a collision. The base of the seat is constructed with a load leg made of metal that absorbs energy and helps diminish crashes, as well.

2. Chicco KeyFit

This is the top-rated infant seat. It is simple to install and use, and it will expand with your child. It can also be combined together with strollers to create a travel system.

The KeyFit is a great choice for parents looking for an easy-to-use, secure and flexible seat. It scores a top score in crash tests, is light and comfortable to carry. It also offers a wide range of height/weight limits. It was also designed to guarantee the safety of babies. The click-in point is protected by soft materials to protect your baby from getting burned by the metal. The insert for newborns comes with a head-cover that shields their little heads. And the seat pad, which your baby sits on, is able to nestle them in foam cushions.

Installation is very easy. It is crucial to install the infant seat correctly as a wrong installation could increase the chance of getting injured. The KeyFit's premium connectors for LATCH and a SuperCinch tightener ensure the safety of your child's seat while requiring minimal effort. The base also has a ReclineSure leveling foot and two RideRight bubble-level indicators to ensure that the vehicle's angle is correct. For alternate installation clear belt routing, lock-offs and the seatbelt of the car make it easy to place and tighten.

However, it isn't as good in the user-friendliness category due to the rethread-style harness height adjustment, which is a standard feature on a lot of Chicco seats (and as well on their OG Keyfit model). This means you have to detach and manually re-thread the straps from one level to another which is longer than non-rethread adjustments. But this is still a relatively minor tradeoff 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 features a no-rethread belt and is compatible with Joie Strollers that accept Maxi Cosi style adapters. The installation guide is clearly marked and bubble levels are included to aid in aligning the seat. The car seat is comfortable with plenty of padding. It also has a convenient canopy that shields your baby from the sun.

The i-Snug 2 has an ISOFIX base to ensure a secure vehicle attachment and can be used with a stroller that is compatible for a complete travel set-up. It's an infant car seat with a rear view that offers the best car seat neck and head protection for babies and newborns. The exclusive Tri-Protect Headrest features a layer Intelli-Fit Memory Foam to shield your child from side-impact crashes.

You'll need a brand new infant car seat once your child reaches the weight and height limits, or their first birthday. 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 larger and more spacious than an infant car seat and it has a greater weight and height limit when facing backwards. To avoid your child getting out of the seat in a hurry, it's best to move to a seat that converts as quickly as you are able to. In some cases parents can even move their baby to an all-in-one car seat, without ever needing to purchase a new car seat for their infant. That's why it's crucial to pick the best infant carrier car seat convertible car seat for your family. Check out our comprehensive guide to provide all the details you need to make the right decision.

4. Nuna Pipa Aire RX

Nuna Pipa RX is a highly rated infant seat because of its safety features, lightweight design and flexibility. It can be installed with a rigid lower anchor in the seats that are outboard of a majority of vehicles, or with the seat belt of the vehicle that uses Euro Routing (which utilizes all of its length to anchor the seat). It also comes with an organic GOTS baby insert which is a great option for parents who are environmentally conscious and prefer organic products for their children.

The Pipa Aire RX weighs only 6 lbs. without the canopy or inserts. It is one of the lightest infant car seats on the market. This is thanks to the unique Aeroflex foam that is extremely light but incredibly durable, reducing the the force that is transferred to your baby in the event of a crash. Other safety features include a 5-second steel-reinforced True base lock installation side impact protection and a multi-position stability leg with crumple zones that limit forward facing infant car seat rotation, resulting in greater rear-facing security.

Other highlights include an ergonomic aluminum carry handle that's both comfortable and light with leatherette accents for easy to carry and excellent grip. A magnetic buckle holder keeps straps out of the way when buckling your child in and color-coded indicators for installation confirm the correct connection. The low-profile base enables super-fast loading, while the open belt path with lock-offs secures lap and shoulder belts.

The process of parenting can be messy, but cleaning up shouldn't need to be. The inserts and fabrics of the Pipa Aire RX can be cleaned by a machine to ensure that your car seat appears like it did following each use.

5. Nuna Pipa Urbn

Nuna's PIPA air Rx and PIPA Rx car seats are great options. But the newly launched Pipa Urbn is a step above. This ultralight cheap infant car seats seat is lightweight and easy to carry, and weighs less than 7 pounds when the canopy and insert are in place. It has a user-friendly, elegant design and features such as magnetic buckle holders that keep straps out the way when you are buckled in your baby, and a green/red indication to inform you that the installation is secure. ).

In contrast to the Pipa RX and the other base-compatible PIPA models that require an automobile base to be installed, this one can be used without a base thanks to its innovative pipaFIX rigid latch system. This makes it an ideal choice for parents who frequently use taxis or rideshare services for travel, or simply need to transfer their car seat more quickly and 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. Those green-friendly materials also include a Merino wool and Tencel branded lyocell fiber blend headrest and machine washable, water-resistant cover and body insert.

The main drawback of the Pipa Urbn is that it only has an upper weight limit for rear-facing children of 30 to 35 pounds, which means you might need to upgrade to a convertible seat sooner than some other brands. It is still a top-rated option for infants. This car seat is also travel system-ready and pairs seamlessly with all of Nuna's strollers--just click it on or attach via the ring adapter.