Top Rated Infant Car Seats

Not all infant car seats are created equally. The top seats come with features that enhance crash test performance. For instance load legs -- shock-absorbing elements that are attached to the seat or base and help to reduce the movement of the seat during a collision.

A favorite among CPST instructors is the Chicco KeyFit, which has a high rear-facing weight limit and height limit and an indicator for the level of bubbles, and the reclining foot is spring-loaded, which makes it easy to install.

Graco Mesa Max

The Graco Mesa Max is one of the top-rated infant car seat newborn insert seats due to its ease of use. It has great fabrics and a simple design and a handy feature to connect the harness of a child to the headrest to make it easier to tighten. It has a large canopy that can be hidden away to keep your child sheltered while traveling. It's a little heavier than the average stroller, which is a problem if you want to carry it around or use it with your UPPAbaby that has won awards.

Mesa Max's impressive performance in crash tests demonstrate its dedication to safety. It scored well in both the frontal and side impact tests, which means that your child will be protected from both sides of a collision.

Another important safety feature is the Graco's anti-rebound panel which helps reduce rebound forces during a crash and ensures that your child's head is protected. 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 fitted into your vehicle with LATCH when used with the base included. The load leg, the recline angle adjustment, and the indicator for tightness ensure an accurate, quick installation. The base weighs 12.6, which is slightly more than the average infant car seats, but not enough to cause an issue.

The UPPAbaby Mesa V2 uses the same fabric with the same dual-knit construction as its predecessor. It is free of chemical that are fire-proof. It comes with an infinitely adjustable backrest, as well as an extremely sturdy insert for infants who weigh between 4 and 11 pounds. The fabrics are GREENGUARD Gold Certified, which tests for low emissions of chemicals and VOCs.

The UPPAbaby UPPAmax Mesa Maxi may be slightly more expensive than other models, but offers premium features and the latest technology to ensure a safe travel experience. The base included and a variety of fashionable colorways enhance the value proposition. Its thoughtful features and durable design offer parents peace of mind during every excursion.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight

The Britax Blvd ClickTight is a fantastic choice for parents who are looking for an automobile seat that they can grow with. The rear-facing weight limit is 40 pounds, which is higher than other infant car seats. It can be used forward-facing as well until your child weighs 65 pounds.

The ClickTight Installation System is its biggest selling point. It is the safest, easiest and most secure system on the market. It lets you tighten the seat belt by pressing a red release button and pulling the harness strap without the need to untie it and then re-thread it. This minimizes the possibility of incorrectly tightening the seat belt which is the main cause of car seat failure.

Another safety feature is the EZBuckle Pad, which keeps the buckle away from the way when you're placing your child in the car seat. This feature, along with beltpath cutouts along the sides of the seat, makes it simple to get them in and out of the car.

All three ClickTight convertible seat models (Boulevard CT, Marathon CT, Advocate CT) share the same features. They include the ClickTight Installation System with an impact-absorbing base that has 7 recline positions, a rip-stitch energy-absorbing harness pad, a HUGS tether as well as a steel reinforced frame and EPP energy-absorbing foam.

It's a hefty seat, so it may be worth looking at an alternative that is lighter in case you plan to use it for frequent car swaps or traveling. The seat is quite large and could not fit in smaller cars.

If you want a more budget-friendly option with similar quality take a look at the Graco 4Ever DLX. This seat has lower crash test analysis scores than the Boulevard but it's a great seat for your child.

The Graco also has push-on LATCH connectors which make it much easier to uninstall the seat. Boulevard's LATCH connectors use a different release system that requires you to pull on the webbing, then press a gray button. This isn't easy if the webbing is tense. This seat has an easy compartment to store the belt straps.

Clek Liing

If you're in search of a child newborn car seat seat that offers it all -- style, safety, convenience and luxury -you'll love the Clek Liing. This rear-facing only car seat comes with a great crash test score, an impressive variety of features, and is easy to install on most vehicles.

The Liing is constructed with features that surpass US and Canadian safety standards. It is designed to allow for simple, secure installation in any seating position. It also has advanced safety features such as an energy-absorbing metal leg as well as a two piece shell that is lined with EPP for enhanced side impact protection. The base comes with 7 recline positions, as well as a dependable bubble indicator to let you know exactly when the seat is at the right angle for your newborn car seat.

Parents love the Liing's modern and sleek design and its unique safety features such as the rigid lower anchors that are simpler to connect than hook-and-loop connectors. The Liing has a one-handed quick release, making it easy to remove the base and use with compatible strollers. With less than 17 inches wide it's small enough to fit 3-across in most vehicles and can easily fit into convertible car seats as a travel booster.

This infant seat is first place for the ease of installation due to its unique rigid-LATCH system. The lower anchors of the Liing snap into the seat belt slots of the vehicle and the top tether strap snaps on to the headrest of the vehicle. This ensures a tight and secure fit that reduces the risk that the child could be thrown around in an accident.

The seat is lightweight, with the base weighting 9 pounds and the carrier itself coming in at a manageable 10.5 pounds. Other rear-facing seats are heavier but the difference isn't significant if you plan to transport the car seat and base around. ).

Parents love the Liing's integrated canopy and 100+spf protection from the sun's rays with a mesh peekaboo. Caregivers appreciate the blanket made of merino that keeps the baby car seat warm, and the capability of the handle to pivot away from the canopy. This makes it easier for parents to reach for the seat if they need to.

Graco Trio Grow SnugLock LX

The Graco Trio Grow SnugLock LX is a 3-in-1 car seat that goes from rear-facing infant to forward-facing harness, and finally to highback booster. It features the SnugLock system which allows for an easy and smooth installation with either lower anchors or car seat belts. It has the option of using the top tether when in booster mode. (We recommend using the lower anchors for additional security.)

This seat is ideal for children of all ages. For younger babies it comes with an infant insert which helps to support their necks and backs. As they grow older the insert can be removed and the seat can be used as a regular car seat for toddlers. This car seat is one of the few that allows you to use the top tether in booster mode, which we recommend.

Its base is pretty compact front to back and it shouldn't be hard to locate a place for it in the majority of cars. It is required for the headrest to be raised however, to allow an open path for the lower anchor webbing. There's a convenient knob for adjusting the headrest, and the display window displays the location of the headrest.

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

The manual offers a wonderful illustration on how to route the lower anchor connectors in a correct manner through the belt path which at first can be confusing. It is important to keep them out of the crotch buckle loop and away from the chest clip, so they don't interfere with the buckling system.

The Graco Trio Grow is part of the Protect Plus Engineered family, which means it's been subjected to some of the most rigorous crash testing in the world. This includes side, rear and rollover crashes, as well the frontal impact tests.