Whether you’re shopping for your first newborn or your fifth, the options for baby gear brands, gadgets, and special features are overwhelming. Often times, lists comparing various brands of baby items can almost do more harm than good and leave us, at least myself, feeling more unsure of which product I want than when I started. Car seats are especially nerve wracking because they will carry and protect your child for much of their young life. Curb appeal and convenience are key factors in these types of decisions, but safety always steals that number one spot and, since you can’t leave the hospital without it, a car seat will probably be one of the first big purchases you make. The Baby Cubby only carries the best of the best, so rest assured that this list was compiled to settle your nerves and pat you on the back as if to say, “As long as you choose one of the car seats on this list, you will have made the right choice.” So read through it, pick your favorite, and don’t look back! For even more information on choosing the best car seat, check out our Car Seat Buying Guide! 

CHICCO

The Chicco Keyfit 30 it is the #1 rated Infant Car Seat according to Consumer Reports. The install is easy, the car seat is relatively lightweight, and it consistently ranks high in crash tests. You can rest assure that your precious little ones will be protected and you won’t pull your hair out over issues with installation or transportability. The Chicco Keyfit 30 is one of the most affordable options without sacrificing safety, convenience, or appearance.

NUNA PIPA

The Nuna Pipa infant car seat is also a great option. The base installs in 5 seconds (see video demo). That saves you precious time for sleeping, showering, or cleaning pump parts. Plus, it comes with an added safety feature called the load leg. In the event of a car accident, without the load leg, the car seat will continue to move forward and downward as much as 20 degrees raising the risk of neck injury. With Nuna Pipa’s load leg feature, the base of the car seat is no longer able to move in a downward motion. Additionally, the load leg has a “crumple zone,” which is a series of metal "dominos" inside the load leg that take the brunt of that downward force that has just been stopped by the leg! This safety feature is definitely a head-turner for all safety-conscious mamas like myself.

BRITAX

The B-Safe 35  is incredibly safe and easy to install and is compatible with many popular strollers. It comes with an extra layer of side impact protection, an impact-absorbing base, and a deep, contoured energy-absorbing shell and steel frame to give you the peace of mind you need while driving with baby in the car. It is lightweight for easy handheld transportation to-and-from and is easily cleaned, installed, and adjusted as your child grows.  

The B-Safe 35 Elite is very similar to the original but has a few upgrades like nicer fabrics, increased side impact protection, a no re-thread harness, and one-handed harness height adjustment.

UPPABABY MESA

The Uppababy Mesa has performed very well under crash tests and has an adjustable headrest with added side impact protection. It comes standard with a no re-thread harness so you never have to take it apart to adjust for your growing child. My favorite selling points on this seat are it’s simple installation with very straight-forward instructions, LATCH connectors that automatically retract to tighten, and an indicator light that changes from red to green to let you know when installation is tight enough.

BABY JOGGER 

The Baby Jogger City Go infant carseat is an excellent choice for all of us who religiously push the favorite City Mini and City Select strollers because it easily clicks right in as a convenient travel system with the Baby Jogger Graco adapters (sold separately). It has two safe and easy options for base installation as well as 6 different positions for a proper fit in any car. It also allows for an easy install without the base for on-the-go travel. It meets or exceeds US safety standards, one-handed harness and headrest adjustment for added convenience, and an oversized UV50+ canopy for extra sun protection and easy snoozing.

MAXI COSI

The Maxi-Cosi Mico AP  infant car seat is incredibly lightweight - the lightest premium carseat available, in fact - and features an ergonomic handle for extra comfort while carrying. This seat is a great option for parents who want fast and easy installation and transitions.

The Mico Max 30 has a larger canopy than the Mico AP, only weighs 9.15lbs – making it one of the lightest car seats on the market- and fits infants anywhere from 4-30 pounds. It comes with an anti-rebound bar on the base which disables the seat to ricochet back towards the seat in the event of an accident and reduces the amount of twisting that occurs, minimizing the amount of movement in a car accident.  

Written by Witney Loftin