A quality infant car seat is a safety necessity, and not all seats are created in the same way. The most effective seats come with features that improve crash test performance. For example load legs — shock-absorbing components that are attached to the seat or base and limit movement during the event of a collision.
A favorite with CPST instructors is the Chicco KeyFit, which has a high rear-facing weight limit and height limit as well as bubble level indicator and the reclining foot is spring-loaded, which makes it easy to set up.
Graco Mesa Max
The Graco Mesa Max ranks as one of the easiest infant car seat newborn seats to use. It has great fabrics and a simple design and a convenient feature for attaching the child’s harness to the headrest, making it easier to tighten. It also comes with a huge canopy that allows you to keep your baby cool while traveling. It’s a little heavier than a standard stroller, which is problematic if you intend to carry it around or use it in conjunction with your award-winning UPPAbaby.
The Mesa Max’s impressive results in crash tests show its dedication to safety. It scored well in both the frontal and side impact tests, ensuring that your child will be safe from the two sides of a collision.
Another noteworthy safety feature is the Graco’s anti-rebound panel which reduces the forces of rebound in the event of a crash, and also safeguards your child’s head. This feature is rare in infant car seats and makes the Mesa Max stand out among its competitors.
Graco Mesa Max can easily and securely be mounted in your vehicle with LATCH it is used in conjunction with the base. The load leg, recline angle adjustment, and the indicator of tightness help ensure a quick, accurate installation. The base weighs 12.6, which is slightly higher than the typical infant car seat for newborn seats but not enough to cause a problem.
Similar to its predecessor, the UPPAbaby Mesa V2, the Mesa Max uses dual-knit fabric that’s free of fire-retardant chemicals. It also has an infinitely adjustable headrest and an infant insert that improves the body’s fit and positioning for babies weighing between 4 and 11 pounds. The fabrics are GREENGUARD Gold Certified, which tests for low emissions of chemicals and VOCs.
The Mesa Max from UPPAbaby is more expensive than some other models, but it offers premium features and advanced safety technology to ensure a safe travel experience. The base included and a selection of stylish colors add value to the. Its thoughtful design and robust features provide peace of mind for parents on every trip.
Britax Boulevard ClickTight
The Britax Blvd ClickTight is a great choice for parents who want a car seat they can expand with. Its rear-facing weight limit is 40 pounds, which is higher than other infant car seats. It can be used forward-facing up to the point that your child reaches 65 pounds.
The ClickTight Installation System is its most popular selling feature. It is the most secure, most simple and secure system available. The seat belt can be tightened by pressing a red release and pulling the strap. This eliminates the need to loosen and rethread the seat belt. This decreases the chance of not tightening the correct belt which is the main cause of car seat failure.
The EZ-Buckle Pad is a further security feature that keeps the buckle out the way when you put your child in the car seat. This feature, along with beltpath cutouts on the sides of the seat makes it simple to get your child into and out of the car.
All three ClickTight convertible seats (Boulevard, Marathon CT, and Advocate CT) have the same features. ClickTight Installation System is one of them. Also included are an impact-absorbing frame that can accommodate seven recline positions.
The seat is quite heavy, however, so you might want to consider a lighter option if you plan to use it for travel or frequent swaps of cars. Additionally, the seat is large, which means it might not be a good fit in smaller vehicles, particularly when it’s rear-facing.
If you’re looking for a low-cost seat with similar quality, the Graco 4Ever DLX is a fantastic choice. The seat has lower scores in crash test analysis than the Boulevard, but it’s still an excellent choice for your baby.
The Graco has also connectors with push-on connectors for LATCH which makes it easier to remove the seat. The Boulevard’s LATCH connectors feature a different release mechanism, which requires you to press a grey button and pull on the webbing to loosen it. This can be difficult if the webbing is tense. However, this seat does come with a storage compartment for belt straps when not in use.
Clek Liing
If you’re looking for an infant car seat for newborn seat that has it all — style, safety as well as convenience and luxury- you’ll love the Clek Liing. This rear-facing car seat has an excellent crash test score, a great variety of features, and is simple to install within most vehicles.
The Liing is constructed with features that surpass US and Canadian safety standards. It was designed for easy and secure installation in any seating position. It also comes with advanced safety features, such as an energy-absorbing metal foot and two-piece shell lined with EPP for enhanced side impact protection. The base features seven recline positions, and a bubble indicator that informs you whether the seat is just the right angle for your child.
The Liing is modern and sleek stroller that parents love. It comes with innovative safety features such as rigid lower anchors that are easier to attach than hook-and-loop connectors. The Liing has a one-handed quick release, making it simple to remove the base and use with compatible strollers. It’s also small enough to fit three-across in many vehicles, and it is a good fit in many convertible car seats for a travel boost.
The Liing infant seat is rated 1st for its unique rigid-LATCH installation system. Lower anchors of the Liing snap directly into the lower seat belt slots, and the top rated baby car seats tether strap snaps onto the headrest of the vehicle, creating an incredibly secure, tight fit that eliminates the possibility of the child being thrown around during the event of a crash.
The base weighs 9 pounds, and the carrier weighs 10.5 lbs. Other rear-facing seats are heavier but the difference isn’t significant if you plan to transport the car seat and base around. ).
Parents appreciate the Liing’s built-in canopy and 100+spf sun-protection with an open mesh window. Caregivers love the blanket made of merino, which keeps the baby warm, and the capability of the handle to move past the canopy. This makes it easier for them to grab the seat when needed.
Graco Trio Grow SnugLock LX
The Graco Trio Grow SnugLock LX is a three-in-one car seat that goes from rear-facing infant, to forward-facing harness, and finally to highback booster. It has the SnugLock system, which allows for an easy and smooth installation with either lower anchors or vehicle seat belts. It also has the option to use the top tether in booster mode (although we recommend using the lower anchors at all times for added security).
This seat is ideal for children of all age groups. It has an infant insert designed for younger babies that supports their necks and backs. As they grow older, this insert can be removed and the seat can be used as a regular toddler car seat. This car seat is among the few that allow you to use the top rated baby car seats tether in booster mode, which we highly recommend.
Its base is compact from front to back, so it shouldn’t pose a problem fitting into most vehicles. The headrest has to be raised to allow the lower anchor webbing to pass through. There’s a knob that is handy to adjust 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 that is a bar that is located inside the belt path. Installing this car seat with lower anchors is easy, and almost as simple as using the vehicle’s seat belt.
The manual also has a great illustration of how to properly guide the lower anchor connectors when routing them through the belt’s new path, which can be a bit difficult initially. It’s crucial to keep them out of the crotch buckle loop, and away from the chest clip, so that they don’t hinder the buckle 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 tests in the world. This includes side, rear and rollover crashes, as as frontal impact tests.