When you’re shopping for a car seat, it can be difficult to tell which ones are actually safe and how they fit in different cars. Whether you’re shopping for a car seat for your baby or planning on using a convertible model with your older child, we’ve researched car seats so you don’t have to.
Our Editor’s Best Car Seats Reviews
Graco 4Ever DLX 4 in 1 Car Seat, Infant to Toddler Car Seat, with 10 Years of Use, Fairmont, 20×21.5×24 Inch (Pack of 1)
Key Features:
- This car seat is good for a shopper who needs a car seat that will grow with their child. This car seat will work for a child who is rear-facing, forward-facing, or in a booster seat.
- This car seat is designed to protect a child in a variety of different types of crashes. It has been engineered to provide maximum protection in frontal, side, rear, and rollover crashes.
- This car seat is designed to be adjustable to 10 different positions, in order to better secure a child. The headrest and harness height can both be adjusted. It is made to be durable and safe for a child to use.
- The car seats have a six-position recline to help keep children comfortable during long car rides. The seats are also adjustable to grow with your child.
- This car seat is designed for easy installation, with a latch that clicks into place to help ensure a secure fit.
- This car seat has a built-in mechanism to help secure it to the vehicle seat belt, making it quick and easy to install.
- The car seats are machine washable and have a rapid removal cover that can be removed in 60 seconds without uninstalling the seat.
- These car seats have metal and plastic parts that can be cleaned with mild soap and cool water.
Related Read: Best Travel Car Seat
Graco SlimFit 3-in-1 Car Seat -Slim & Comfy Design Saves Space in Your Back Seat, Darcie, One Size
Key Features:
- This is a 3-in-1 car seat that will grow with your child from a rear-facing harness (5-40 pounds) to a forward-facing harness (22-65 pounds) to a highback booster (40-100 pounds).
- The car seats have a slim design and integrated cup holders that rotate away, making the seats 10% slimmer to save valuable back seat space.
- This car seat is designed to protect a child in the event of a frontal, side, rear, or rollover crash.
- This car seat has a harness system that can be adjusted without having to rethread it. The headrest and harness can be adjusted together in one motion.
- This car seat is adjustable to fit a child’s headrest at 10 different heights. This is for safety to ensure a proper fit as the child grows.
- This car seat has a 4-position recline, meaning that it can be adjusted to four different angles. This is designed to keep your child comfortable, and also to make it easier to install the seat.
- This is a car seat with the InRight LATCH system, which allows for easy installation with just the push of a button. There is an audible click to help ensure that the seat is securely installed.
- This car seat has a compartment to store the harness when the seat is being used as a booster. This is a safety feature to keep the harness from getting tangled or damaged.
- The car seats have a steel-reinforced frame that provides strength and durability for 10 years of use.
- This car seat has an easy-to-read level indicator to help with installation.
Cosco Empire All-in-One Convertible Car Seat, Extended Use All-in-One Car Seat: Rear-Facing 5-40 pounds, Forward-Facing Harness 22-50 pounds, and Belt-Positioning 40-80 pounds, Spring Petals
Key Features:
- The car seat is for a rear-facing 5-40 pound child, a forward-facing harness 22-50 pound child, and a belt-positioning 40-80 pound child.
- These car seats have extra padding on the sides to protect passengers in the event of a side-impact collision.
- The 5-point harness is a type of seatbelt that goes over the shoulders and hips. It is adjustable from the front, making it easy to get the perfect fit.
- This car seat is designed for comfort and convenience, with a headrest and harness that can be adjusted quickly and easily with just one movement.
- This car seat is designed to fit three people across the back seat of most cars.
Related Read: Best Toddler Car Seats
Cosco Mighty Fit 65 DX Convertible Car Seat (Heather Onyx Gray)
Key Features:
- This car seat is for infants and toddlers weighing up to 40 pounds in rear-facing mode, and up to 65 pounds in forward-facing mode. It is LATCH-equipped and has a compact design for easy management through airport security checks.
- The 5-point harness car seat is a seat that is adjustable from the front of the seat. There are 5 heights and 3 buckle locations.
- The car seats are designed for safety and comfort. They have built-in side impact protection and are the right size for a child. They are also designed to take up less space while rear-facing, so parents can have more legroom.
- This car seat is designed for growing families, as it can fit three seat side by side in the back seat of most cars.
- This is a car seat that is designed for comfort, with padding and premium fabric. It is also easy to clean, with a machine washable and dryer-safe fabric car seat cover.
- This car seat is safe and comes with a warranty.
- The car seats are designed for safety and value and have been for 70 years. They are essential baby products that feature smart designs and solid value.
Doona Infant Car Seat & Latch Base – Rear Facing Car Seat and Car Seat Base, Car Seat to Stroller in Seconds – US Version, Nitro Black
Key Features:
- The Doona car seat is a seat that can be easily converted into a stroller. It has a 5-point harness, adjustable handlebar, and 3-layer side impact protection.
- This is a car seat with removable and washable fabric. It is made from baby-safe materials and breathable textiles, including bamboo and memory foam.
- This car seat is approved for travel on an airplane and can be combined with the Doona Travel Bag (sold separately) for a seamless travel experience.
- The Doona Infant Car Seat is designed for infants up to 35 pounds and comes with a bamboo infant insert and head support. The seat also has a vehicle seat protector and car seat base. It comes with a 2-year manufacturer’s warranty.
- Rear Facing Car Seat and Base – Suitable from 4 lbs. to 35 lbs., Max. 32in height, this is a rear-facing car seat only. The car seat weighs 16.5 lbs., the base weighs 10.3 lbs. Product Dimensions: Folded: 23.6×17.3×26 inches; Unfolded: 39×17.3×32.2 inches; Weight: 16.5 lbs.
Related Read: Best Small Dog Booster Car Seat
Diono Radian 3R, 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat, Rear Facing & Forward Facing, 10 Years 1 Car Seat, Slim Fit 3 Across, Jet Black
Key Features:
- The car seats are rear-facing and can accommodate a child up to 50 pounds.
- This car seat is for a shopper who has a child that is 10 years old or younger. The seat has 4 ways to travel from birth to booster, so it can be used for a child of any age. The seat is also adjustable to offer a custom fit for any child up to 120 lb / 54 kg.
- The car seats for a shopper are made from a steel core that is reinforced with high-strength steel. This helps to protect the shopper from any potential harm that could come from using the seats.
- The seats are designed to be slim so that three can fit across the backseat, without compromising comfort for the children or passengers. The seats are also designed to be safe so that children are secure in the backseat.
Related Read: Best Slim Convertible Car Seat
Graco® Turn2Me™ 3-in-1 Car Seat, London
Key Features:
- The car seats are designed to be rotated with one hand so that it is easy to get the baby in and out of the seat. The seats also have a “click” sound that let the shopper know that the seat is back in position and is safe for the baby to ride in.
- This car seat has three modes of use. The first is rear-facing for a weight range of 4-40 lbs. The second is forward-facing with a harness for those weighing 22-65 lbs. The third mode is as a highback booster for those 40-100 lbs.
- This car seat has SnugLock technology that allows for a quick and easy installation in less than a minute. The seat can be installed using the vehicle seat belt or LATCH system.
- The car seats are designed to protect a child in a frontal, side, rear, or rollover collision.
- This car seat has a harness system that can be adjusted without having to rethread it. The headrest and harness can be adjusted together in one motion.
- This car seat has 10 positions for the headrest so that you can adjust it to the safest fit for your child as they grow.
- This car seat has a push-button LATCH system that is easy to use and installs with an audible click to ensure it is secure.
- The car seats are designed to be stored in the storage compartment when not in use, in order to keep them clean and free of dirt.
- The car seats for a shopper have removable, plush head and body inserts to help keep infants feeling cradled and comfortable.
- The car seats have a storage compartment for the harness so that it is safely stored while the seat is in booster mode.
Cosco Finale Dx 2-In-1 Combination Booster Car Seat, Sport Blue, 1 Count (Pack of 1)
Key Features:
- The seats are for a forward-facing position with a harness for 30-65 pounds and a belt-positioning booster for 40-100 pounds.
- This car seat is designed to fit three people across most vehicles. This is great for growing families and carpools.
- This car seat is good for people who have to move it around a lot or have more than one car. It is easy to carry and put in different cars.
- The car seats have a deluxe fabric that gives kids a comfy ride.
- This car seat has a dishwasher-safe cup holder that detaches for use on either side of the seat.
- This car seat has been rated by the IIHS as the Best Bet for use in booster mode. This means that it is one of the safest and most effective car seats on the market for use in this mode.
- This is a car seat that is made in America with both American and imported parts.
Related Read: Best Rear Facing Car Seat For Small Cars
Safety 1st Grow and Go All-in-One Convertible Car Seat, Rear-facing 5-40 pounds, Forward-facing 22-65 pounds, and Belt-positioning booster 40-100 pounds, Harvest Moon
Key Features:
- This car seat can be used in three different ways depending on the size of the child. It can be used as a rear-facing seat for a child weighing 5 to 40 pounds, a forward-facing seat for a child weighing 22 to 65 pounds, or a belt-positioning booster seat for a child weighing 40 to 100 pounds.
- The car seats have side impact protection to help keep children safe.
- This car seat is easy to get in and out of and has harness holders to keep the harness in an open position. It is rear-facing for heights 19 to 40 inches, and forward-facing for heights 29 to 52 inches.
- The Quickfit harness is a car seat feature that allows the shopper to easily adjust both the harness and headrest in one simple step.
- This car seat is easy to clean because you can machine wash and dry the seat pad. The pad also has snaps that make it easy to take off the seat.
- The “One click UAS” car seat is a seat that can be easily installed in a car with just one click. It is a safe and comfortable seat that is perfect for shoppers who are looking for an easy-to-install car seat.
Safety 1st Guide 65 Convertible Car Seat, Chambers
Key Features:
- This car seat is designed for smaller cars and can be used in both rear and forward-facing positions. It is a perfect fit for smaller cars and helps protect your child longer.
- Rear-facing car seats are for infants and toddlers. They are designed to protect the child’s head, neck, and spine in a crash.
- This car seat is for a forward-facing child who weighs between 22 and 65 pounds and is between 34 and 52 inches tall.
- This car seat is designed to be compact so that it can fit into small cars.
- This car seat has 5 different harness heights and 3 different buckle locations so that you can adjust it to fit your child properly.
Car Seat FAQs
1. What are the different types of car seats?
The different types of car seats are: -rear-facing car seats -forward-facing car seats -booster seats
2. How do I know if a car seat is safe?
There are a few ways to know if a car seat is safe. One way is to check the car seat’s label or owner’s manual to see if it has been certified by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). Another way is to check the car seat’s history to see if it has been involved in any recalls.
3. How do I choose the right car seat for my child?
The best car seat is the one that fits your child, your car, and your lifestyle. There are many types of car seats, so you will need to find the one that best meets your needs. You can find car seat information and advice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.
4. How do I install a car seat?
Most car seats come with detailed instructions on how to install them. It is important to read these instructions carefully and to follow them exactly in order to ensure that the seat is installed correctly. Many seats can be installed using the vehicle’s seat belt, while others require the use of the vehicle’s LATCH system.
5. What are the car seat laws in my state?
The car seat laws in your state are most likely governed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) “5-Steps to Proper Car Seat Use” guidelines. These guidelines recommend that all children under the age of 13 should ride in the back seat of a vehicle and that all car seats and booster seats should be properly secured to the vehicle using the manufacturer’s instructions.
Additionally, the NHTSA recommends that all infants and toddlers ride in a rear-facing car seat until they reach the maximum weight and height limit for that seat and that all children should remain in a booster seat until they are tall enough to wear a seat belt safely.
Conclusion
There are many great car seats on the market. Our list of the best car seats will help you save time researching and choosing the best one for you.