How to Choose the Best Car Seat Newborn

The best car seat newborn car seat insert is one that meets federal safety standards, fits your vehicle, has convenient extras (like making it a stroller) and is within your budget. It’s also worth checking that the baby car seat clicks into and out of your car with ease, particularly if you often switch between taxis or trips in rental cars or grandparents’ vehicles.

Safety

A high-quality car seat will have extra features that go above and beyond federal safety standards. They include padded inserts for the shoulders and head and air-repellent fabrics that help keep them cool in hot car and side-impact protection.

Installation and use of the seat is an important aspect of safety. Idealy, the seat should be easy to install and use, with clear indicators of its height and position as well as security.

There are features that will help you with this including belt guides and built-in lockoffs that will help you align the car seat with your vehicle’s seatbelt. Avoid buying used car seats that might not have been crash-tested, or which might have been involved in an accident. They might not be safe for your child. If you must buy a used car seat, make sure it’s not expired and isn’t being sold by an individual who does not have proof of ownership.

It is also important to remember that you should only leave your baby in the car seat up to two hours a day, unless you are in a flat position. This is to avoid the spine from becoming strained and ensure that they have the chance to breathe regularly.

The choice of a car seat for infants is a significant investment, therefore you’ll need to make sure that it has a lengthy lifespan. Choose a seat that is designed to adapt to your child’s needs that will last through toddlerhood and into the teen years. Our parents were impressed with the Axkid i-Size. It is suitable for children from birth, and is able to be used up to age 7.

Nuna pipa air rx is another option that you can use for a lengthy period of time. It can rotate 360 degrees, which means you can switch it from rear-facing to front-facing as your child grows. It’s also one of the lightest-weight car seats on the market, and weighs less than 9 pounds without its base. It’s a great choice for parents who often move their children between vehicles or plan on using it for taxi rides, fly-drive holidays, and trips to grandparent’s houses.

Comfort

It is crucial that your baby is comfortable in their car seat, both in it as well as when you install it. Look for straps that are padded to are comfortable to wear on their shoulders, and soft fabric that is soft under their stomach, particularly when they are in the seat for long trips.

The best infant car seats are also simple to use. Some come with premium LATCH connectors with SuperCinch force-multiplying tightener, spring-loaded leveling feet and belt paths that make putting them on without the base easier than ever. Other features allow you to adjust the height of the harness and headrest which is crucial as your child grows.

One example is the Cosatto All in All Rotate that our testers from the past gave 10 out of 10 for ease of use. It features an easy, clear interface and an easy-to-adjust no-rethread harness, as well as a recline lock indicator and 360-degree rotation. You can easily switch your child’s position from front-facing to rear-facing as they grow, without needing to take out and replace the seat.

Nuna Pipa Aire Rx is a similar example. Our parents who tested it loved it for its ease of use, simplicity and versatility. Its cushioned shoulder straps and headrests are designed to accommodate the head of your infant and includes a soft pillow for comfort. It can be used in a back-facing position until your child reaches the maximum height or weight limit. Then, it converts into an infant stroller.

A good car seat is durable and many come with a guarantee. Look for a seat with solid materials and plenty of padding to safeguard your child from any injuries and an aluminum frame that suffocates the force of impact and a “crumple zone” to prevent damage. It is also easy to clean, since spills are commonplace with a baby. Look for car seats that have removable seat covers and a machine-washable pad to make cleaning easy.

Ease of Use

It’s important that the car seat you choose to purchase is simple to install and use, particularly if it will be used in different vehicles at times. Look for features such as a quick-release buckle, a gauge that indicates the status of the latch system (e.g., green for locked) and a clear, easy-to-read guide to make it as easy as is possible.

The Best of The Bump winner includes a variety of useful features that our testers for parents were pleased with, including a padded headrest and harness, plush material and cup holders. It also has a reclining feature that allows your child to sit in an ergonomic position for longer trips. It can be paired with a buggy that is compatible to create a complete travel system. This is a great option when you plan to travel for a long period of time.

Our panelists found that this car seat was easy to set up and adjust. It comes with a recline lock and an excellent connector that has a SuperCinch tightener. This makes it easy to ensure your child’s safety. It’s designed to be easily moved from side-to-side inside the vehicle without the need for tools.

One of our favorite features is the recline feature that helps you get your infant car seat newborn into and out of the car. This is especially useful when you are suffering from back pain or drive a smaller car. It also comes with an adjustable cup holder that can be reversible and a handy storage pocket for snacks and toys.

The seat weighs less than nine pounds and can be set up with or without its base. It can also be rotated 180 degrees. This is a great feature if you are limited in space or suffer from back pain. This feature has impressed our panelists and was awarded a place in the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards.

This is a great choice for those who want to convert their car seats into strollers for affordable prices. Its sleek design and high-quality materials will stand up to the test of time. Don’t forget to wash the cover frequently as yoghurt spills or biscuits that are crushed, or even sick accidents with toddlers will leave their mark.

Design

The styles of car seats are as diverse as the cars they’re placed in. Some parents choose to skip baby car seats and opt for a convertible model. However, most new mothers are looking for something that can expand with their child through the toddler years. The most flexible choice is an all-in-one infant car seat, which lets you switch between forward-facing and rear-facing. It typically has a higher weight and height limit and can be used as a booster when your child is old enough.

A great car seat for your infant newborn is lightweight which makes it easy to lift from the base and then carry your child. The Maxi-Cosi Coral is available in only a handful of colors but it offers a lot of safety features and is light (8.4 pounds, including seat inserts and canopy). Nuna PIPA URbN is another model that stands out as it won Gold in the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards Best Car Seat Group category, thanks to top-of-the-line features like the Dream drape and a fully-covered canopy with UPF 50+.

The design of the seat and base must also be taken into consideration. For instance, certain car seats use a special base that is secured to the vehicle’s seat belt buckles and others use LATCH connectors made of steel that slide out from the sides of the base and turn green when they are attached correctly. These were convenient for parents, especially when the vehicle only had front-facing seatbelts.

Some infant car seats best car seats are compatible with regular seatbelts without the base. This is a fantastic feature for parents who travel often or travel with their infants. Our parents who tested it really enjoyed the Nuna TODL NEXT, which can be used with or without the base. It has a smooth swivel mechanism that makes it simple to get your baby into and out of the seat.

Other important considerations for design are whether a car seat comes with a lie flat design, and how well it will fit into your specific car (see our guide to car seat compatibility). If you are looking for an infant car seat that can expand with your child’s growth into a booster, choose a model that features a reclined backrest and side impact protection. Make sure that the baby car seat you pick is iSize compatible, and that it uses the appropriate car seat attachment points, as required by UK law.