The Step-By -Step Guide To Choosing Your Best Car Seats For Infants
Best Car Seats For Infants and Babies While convertible car seats are ideal for children who are growing, an infant seat is the best choice for babies and newborns. They're also lighter and easier to click into strollers than their larger counterparts. CPST instructor Kecia Healy liked the Chicco KeyFit's spring-loaded recline foot and bubble indicator on the base, and its ease of use (the more user-friendly a car seat can be and is, the more likely parents are to install it correctly). This model can also fit three across in most mid-sized vehicles. 1. Clek Liing infant car seat Clek, an Canadian manufacturer, is well-known for its top-rated convertible car seats. The infant Liing is among their best infant seats. The seat combines best-in-class safety features, including a steel load leg that is simple to install, user-friendly installation and seven different recline positions to adjust to the slope of your vehicle seat. A bubble indicator allows you ensure that the seat is set at the right angle prior to letting your child ride in it. The base of the Liing can be easily fitted by using LATCH connectors made of rigid material that fit into the lower anchors on your vehicle, making it easier to secure the seat. This makes the Liing an ideal choice for families that plan to switch vehicles frequently or looking for a fast, reliable method to install their baby's car seat. You can also use the belt-tensioning system 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 upper insert that can slide over the crotch buckle and a head support that is attached to the harness to help keep newborns from slumbering or bending their heads while they're in the seat. It's a game changer for small babies and preemies and is one of the few rear facing infant car seats that offer this type of support. Another advantage of the Liing is its metal crash-test frame, which can reduce crash forces by up to 40 percent in comparison to other infant seats. The shell of the seat is bolstered by EPP foam that protects your child's head and body from the event of a crash. The base of the seat is designed with a load leg made of metal that absorbs energy and helps diminish crashes, and. 2. Chicco KeyFit This is the top-rated infant seat. It is easy to set up and use, and can grow with your child. It can also be used together with strollers to create a travel system. The KeyFit is a good choice for parents who want an easy-to-use and safe flexible seat. It scores a top score in crash tests, is lightweight and comfortable to carry and offers a wide range of weight and height limits. It was also designed with the comfort of babies in mind. The click-in point is surrounded by soft materials to prevent your baby from getting burned by the metal. The newborn insert also has a head cover which protects their heads. The seat pad, which the baby sits on, nestles them in energy absorbing foam cushions. The process of installing it correctly is simple. This is important because incorrectly installed infant seats can increase the chance of injury to your child. The KeyFit's premium connectors for LATCH with a SuperCinch tightener ensures a secure fit while requiring minimal effort. Additionally, the base comes with a ReclineSure leveling foot as well as two RideRight bubble level indicators that help ensure the correct angle of the vehicle and speedy installation. In addition, for a different installation using the seat belt of the vehicle clear belt routing and lock-offs make it simple to set up, install and tighten the belt on the car seat. The harness height adjustment rethread feature is a feature prevalent on many Chicco seats including the Keyfit model. This means that you must disconnect and manually re-thread straps from one level to another, which takes longer than other adjustments. This is a minor trade-off for the ease of use of this seat. 3. Joie i-Snug 2 The lightweight Joie i-Snug 2 is an infant car seat that is built to the most stringent safety standards. It has a harness that is not rethread, and is compatible with Joie strollers that use Maxi-Cosi style adapters. The installation guide is clearly labeled and bubble levels are built-in to aid in aligning the seat. The car seat has plenty of padding and is very comfortable. It has a nice canopy that protects your child from direct sunlight. The i-Snug 2 comes with an ISOFIX base to ensure a secure vehicle attachment. It can be used with a compatible stroller for a complete travel set-up. This rear-facing infant car seat provides maximum head and cervical protection for infants. The exclusive Tri-Protect headrest has an additional layer of Intelli-Fit memory foam to protect your baby from side-impact crashes. Like any infant car seat, you'll have to replace it when your child outgrows the height and weight limits, or when they reach their first birthday. You can then upgrade to a convertible car seat or an all-in one car seat. This allows your child to travel rearwards for longer and is safer. A convertible car seat is bigger and more spacious than an infant seat and has a higher weight and height limit when facing rearward. To stop your child from becoming too big for the seat too quickly, it's best to switch to a car seat that can be converted as quickly as you can. In certain instances parents may be able to transition their child into an all-in-one car seat without ever needing to purchase a new infant car seat. This is why it's important to choose the best convertible car seat for your family. Take a look at our comprehensive guide for all the info you need to make the right decision. 4. Nuna Pipa Aire RX The Nuna Pipa Aire RX is one of the most rated infant car seats because of its safety, light design and the flexibility. It can be installed using rigid lower anchors on the outboard seats in most vehicles and with vehicle seat belt using Euro routing (which uses the entire length of the vehicle's seat belt for the most secure installation). It also comes with an organic baby insert from GOTS that is a great option for parents who are environmentally conscious and want to use organic products for their children. With a weight of just 6 pounds without the canopy and inserts, the Pipa Aire RX is among the lightest infant car seats on the market. Aeroflex foam is extremely light and resilient but also extremely lightweight, helps to minimize the force that is transferred to your child during a crash. Other safety features include a 5-second steel-reinforced True base lock installation, side impact protection and a multi-position steel stability leg with crumple zones that limit forward rotation for enhanced rear-facing security. The ergonomic aluminum handle is light and luxurious, with leatherette accents that provide a comfortable grip and a great option to carry the bag. A magnetic buckle holder keeps straps out of the way when you buckle your child in and color-coded indicators for installation confirm the correct connection. The low-profile base enables easy, super-fast loading and the belt's path is open and lock-offs secures shoulder and lap belts. infant car seat swivel is messy But cleaning up doesn't have to be. The inserts and fabrics in the Pipa Aire RX are machine washable, which means you can keep your car seat looking as fresh as new after each use. 5. Nuna Pipa Urbn Nuna's PIPA air rx and PIPA Rx car seats are fantastic choices. However, the recently launched Pipa Urbn is a step above. The ultralight infant car seat is super easy to carry, weighing less than 7 pounds with the canopy and insert attached. It's a user-friendly, elegant design and features like magnetic buckle holders that keep straps out from the way when strapping your baby in and a green/red indication to inform you whether the installation is secure. ). Unlike the Pipa RX and the other base-compatible PIPA models that require a car base to install the model, this one can be used without a base due to its pipaFIX-inspired latch system. This makes it the ideal option for parents who regularly use rideshare or taxi services for travel, or simply want the ability to transfer their car seat faster and more 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 blend headrest as well as a machine washable, water-resistant cover and body insert. The Pipa Urbn comes with an upper weight limit of 30 to 35 pounds when rear-facing. This means that you will need to upgrade to a convertible seat earlier than with other brands. It is still a top choice for babies. The car seat is equipped for travel and can be used with any of Nuna's strollers. Just click it on or connect using the ring adapter.