5 Reasons Best Car Seats For Infants Can Be A Beneficial Thing
Best Car Seats For Infants and Babies
While convertible car seats are great for growing children, an infant seat works best for babies. They're also lighter and easier to clip into a stroller than their larger counterparts.
CPST instructor Kecia Healy praised the Chicco KeyFit's recline foot with springs and bubble indicator on the base, as well as its ease of use (the more user-friendly a car seats is, the more likely parents are to put it in the correct position). The model can also be used with three across in many mid-sized automobiles.
1. Clek Liing infant car seat
The Canadian manufacturer Clek is known for their top-rated convertible car seats, and the infant Liing is among the best infant seat s. It is fitted with best-in class safety features, such as a metal load-leg that can be easily installed. It also has 7 different recline positions that can be adjusted to match the slope of your car's seat. A bubble indicator allows you ensure that the seat is set at the right angle before your child rides in it.
The base of the Liing is easily installed using rigid LATCH connectors that slide into the lower anchors of your vehicle which makes it easier to anchor the seat. The Liing is a great option for families who intend to frequently switch cars or need a simple, reliable way to install car seats for their infants. If you prefer, you could use the included belt-tensioning system to secure your child's seat.
One of the features that makes the Liing apart from other infant car seats is its 2 piece Newborn Support System. It has a lower insert that slides over the crotch buckle and a head support that is attached to the harness to keep newborns from slumbering or bending their heads while in the seat. It's a game changer for small preemies and babies, and it's one of the few rear facing infant car seats that offer this kind of support.
Another excellent feature of the Liing is its crash-testing frame, which reduces the force of a crash by as much as 40 percent when compared to other infant seats. The shell of the seat is reinforced with EPP foam, which shields your child's head and body during an accident. The base of the seat is designed with a metal load leg that absorbs energy and helps reduce crashes, as well.
2. Chicco KeyFit
This is the top-rated infant seat. It is simple to install and use, and can expand with your child. It can also be used with strollers to create a travel system.
The KeyFit is a great choice for parents looking for a safe, versatile and user-friendly seat. It scores a top score in crash tests, is light and comfortable to carry and has a good range of weight and height limits. It was also designed to guarantee the safety of babies. The click-in point is made of soft materials around it so your baby doesn't get burnt by metal. The newborn insert also has a head surround to shield their heads and the seat pad your baby sits on is surrounded by energy absorbing foam cushions for a comfortable experience.
Installing it correctly is also simple. It is essential to install the seat correctly as a wrong installation could increase your child's chance of getting injured. The KeyFit's premium connectors for LATCH with a SuperCinch tightener ensure the safety of your child's seat while requiring minimum effort. The base also has a ReclineSure leveling foot and two RideRight bubble-level-indicators that ensure the correct vehicle angle. For alternative installation and clear belt routing lock-offs and the car seatbelt make it easy to position and tighten.
It isn't perfect but it does fall short in the ease of use category due to the rethread-style harness height adjustment, a feature that is common on a lot of Chicco seats (and as well on their OG Keyfit model). This means that you must manually re-thread straps in order to change from one level to the next. This is a minor disadvantage for the ease of this seat.
3. Joie i-Snug 2
The light Joie i-Snug 2 is an i-Size infant car seats that meets the highest safety standards. It features a no-rethread belt and is compatible with Joie strollers that accept Maxi Cosi style adapters. It's easy to use, with clearly labeled installation guides as well as built-in bubble levels that aid in alignment. The car seat is comfortable with plenty of padding. It has a convenient canopy that shields your baby from direct sun's rays.
The i-Snug comes with an ISOFIX vehicle base that allows for secure attachment to the vehicle. It can also be used in conjunction with an appropriate stroller to make an entire travel system. It's a rear-facing infant car seat that provides maximum head and neck protection for newborns and babies. The exclusive Tri-Protect Headrest is equipped with a layer of Intelli-Fit Memory Foam to shield your child from side-impact crashes.
You'll need a brand new infant car seat once your child reaches the limit on weight and height or their first birthday. After that you can upgrade to a convertible or an all-in-one car seats, which allows children to sit rear-facing for longer and is safer for them.
A convertible car seat has a greater rear-facing weight and height limit than an infant seat and typically has a larger and more spacious interior. To prevent your child from getting out of the seat too quickly, it's best to change to a car seat that can be converted as quickly as you can. In some instances parents can even move their baby to an all-in-one car seat, without ever needing to purchase a new infant car seat. It's therefore important to choose the right convertible car seat for your family and yourself. Check out our comprehensive guide to get all the information you need to make an informed choice.
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 flexibility. It can be fitted using rigid lower anchors in the outboard seats of most vehicles, and with the seat belt of the vehicle that uses Euro Routing (which uses the entire length to anchor the seat). It also comes with an organic baby insert from GOTS that is a great choice for parents who are environmentally conscious and prioritize organic products for their child.
The Pipa Aire RX weighs only 6 lbs. without the canopy or inserts. It's one of the lightest infant car seats available. Aeroflex foam, which is lightweight and resilient but also extremely lightweight helps reduce the force transferred to your child in an accident. Other safety features include the 5-second steel-reinforced True Lock base installation, side-impact protection and a multi-position steel stability leg with a crumple zone to limit forward rotation, resulting in greater rearward-facing security.
Other highlights include an ergonomic aluminum carry handle that's both comfortable and light with leatherette accents to ensure comfortable toting and superb grip. The magnetic buckle holders keep straps off the way while buckling up your child and color-coded indicator lights for installation ensure that the correct connections are made. The low-profile base enables super-fast loading, and the open belt pathway with lock-offs secures lap and shoulder belts.
The process of parenting can be messy But cleaning up doesn't have to be. The fabrics and inserts of the Pipa Aire RX can be machine washed so that your car seat looks as good as it did after each use.
5. Nuna Pipa Urbn
Nuna's PIPA air rx and PIPA Rx car seats are fantastic choices. However, the new Pipa Urbn is a step above. This ultralight infant car seats is extremely easy to carry, and weighs less than 7 pounds when the canopy and insert attached. It also has elegant user-friendly design with practical features like buckle holders with magnetic buckles to keep straps clear while you buckle baby in and a green/red indicator to let you know the installation is secure (we would like to see all car seats had this feature! ).
Contrary to the Pipa RX and the other base-compatible PIPA models that require the use of a car base it, this model can be used without a base due to its pipaFIX-inspired latch system. This makes it an ideal option for parents who regularly use rideshare or taxi services as well as for those who need the ability to move their car seat between vehicles 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 body insert and cover.
The biggest drawback to the Pipa Urbn is that it has a rear-facing weight limit of 30 to 35 pounds. This means you might have to upgrade to a convertible car seat sooner than other brands. It is still a top option for the majority of infants. This car seat is travel system-ready and pairs seamlessly with all of Nuna's strollers--just click it on or connect using the ring adapter.