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How to Choose the Best Car Seat Newborn

The best car seat newborn car seat insert is one that is compliant with federal safety standards, fits your vehicle, has convenient extras (like making it the stroller) and fits within your budget. It's also worth checking that the infant car seat can be inserted into and out of your car with ease, particularly if you often shift between taxis or rides in rental cars and grandparents' vehicles.

Safety

Car seats are made to ensure your baby is safe and a quality one should come with additional features that go beyond the federal safety standards. They include padded inserts for the shoulders and head and air-repellent fabrics to keep them cool when driving in hot temperatures.

Easy installation and use of the seat is an important aspect of safety. Ideally, the seat should be easy to install and use, and with clear indicators of its height, position, and security.

Find features that make it easier to do this, such as built-in lock offs and belt guides that can help to align the car seat to the vehicle's seatbelt. It is also important to avoid buying used car seats, which might not be crash-tested or have been in an accident and might not protect your child. If you are forced to purchase an used car seat make sure that it has an expiration date and that the seller isn't an individual or a private party who does not have evidence of ownership.

Another thing to keep in mind is to keep your child in the car seat for up to two hours per day, unless they are in a lie-flat position. This is to reduce strain on their developing spine and ensure that they get a chance to breathe regularly.

You'll need a seat that can last for a long time as it is a significant investment. Choose a seat that is designed to grow with your child that will last through toddlerhood and through the teen years. Our testers for parents were satisfied with the Axkid i-Size. It is suitable for children from birth and can be used up to age 7.

The Nuna pipa aire rx is another option that can be used for a lengthy time. It can rotate 360 degrees making it possible to change it from rear-facing into front-facing as your child grows. It is also one of lightest rotating infant car seat car seat on the market, weighing less than nine pounds. It's an excellent choice for parents who transfer their baby between vehicles frequently or plan to take it on taxi rides, holiday fly-drives, and trips with grandparents.

Comfort

A quality infant car seat will be comfortable for your baby both when they are in the seat and when you are installing it. Find straps that are padded to are comfortable to wear around their shoulders. Also, look for plush material that feels comfortable beneath their stomachs. This is particularly important when you intend to use the seat for a long duration.

The most effective infant car seat is also user-friendly. Some feature premium LATCH connectors with a SuperCinch force-multiplying tightener, spring-loaded leveling feet, and belt paths that make fitting without the base much easier than ever. Other features allow you to adjust the harness height and headrest, which is particularly important as your child gets older.

One example is the Cosatto All in All Rotate test, which our parents scored 10/10 for its ease of use. It has a clear, simple interface, a no-rethread easy-to-change harness, 360-degree rotation and recline lock indicators. This allows you to switch between forward and rear-facing positions as your baby grows without having to remove the seat and replace it.

Another instance is the Nuna Pipa air rx which our testers who were parents loved for its comfort, ease of use and flexibility. Its cushioned shoulder straps and headrests are designed to help support the head of your infant and comes with a soft pillow for comfort. It can be used in a rear-facing position until your child reaches the maximum weight limit or height. Then, it transforms into an infant stroller.

A quality car seat is durable, and some even come with a warranty. Find a seat that has robust materials and plenty of padding to protect your baby from accidents as well as an aluminum frame that suffocates the force of impact and a "crumple zone" to reduce the risk of damage. It is also easy to clean, since messes are inevitable with a baby. Choose car seats with removable seat covers and a pad that is machine washable to make cleanup a breeze.

Ease of Use

It's important that the car seat you choose to purchase is simple to install and use, especially when it is going to be used in different vehicles periodically. To make it as simple as possible, look for features such as the quick-release belt, an indicator to show the state of the latch (e.g. green for locked), and a manual that is easy to read.

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 fabric and the cup holder. It also features a recline feature that allows your baby to sit in a more ergonomic position for longer journeys. It can also be used in conjunction with a compatible buggy to create a complete travel system, which is ideal if you are planning to travel for long periods of time.

Our panelists noted that the car seat was easy to put in and adjust. It has a recline lock indicator and a premium LATCH connector with a SuperCinch force-multiplying tightener that made securement of your child quick and simple. It's also designed to be shifted from side-to-side in the vehicle without the necessity of tools.

One of our most loved features is the reclining feature that helps you get your infant in and out of the car. This is particularly helpful when you are suffering from back pain or drive a smaller car. It also has the ability to reversibly hold your cup and a handy storage pocket for snacks and toys.

The seat weighs less than nine pounds and can be installed with or without its base. It can also be rotated 180 degrees. This is an excellent feature for those who are tight in space or suffer from back pain. Our panelists were thrilled by this new feature which won a spot in our 2021 Mother&Baby awards.

This is an excellent option for those who want to transform their car seats into strollers at affordable prices. Its sleek design and high-quality fabric will also stand the test time. Make sure to clean the cover frequently because yoghurt spills, biscuits that have been crushed, and even sickening toddler accidents will leave their footprints.

Design

The designs of car seats are as diverse as the vehicles they're used in. While some parents opt to leave infant car seats out and opt for convertible models, most new mothers want a seat that can continue to grow with their child into toddlerhood. The most flexible option is an all-in-one baby car seat that lets you switch between rear-facing and forward-facing. It usually has a higher height and weight limit, and is often used as a booster seat if your child is old enough to need one.

The ideal car seat for a newborn car seat is lightweight baby car seat and easy to lift from the base and then carry your baby in it. Our parent testers loved the Maxi-Cosi Coral, which is only available in a handful of colors, but has a lot of safety features and is incredibly light (at 8.4 pounds with seat inserts and canopy). Other models that stand out are the Nuna PIPA URbN and the Nuna PIPA URbN, which was a winner of Gold in the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards for Best Car Seat Group 0/0+, thanks to its high-end features like the Dream drape and a full-coverage UPF 50+ canopy.

The design of the seat and base must be considered as well. For instance, some car seats have a specific base that locks into the buckles on the seat belts, while others have LATCH connectors made of steel that slide out from the sides of the base and turn green when they are attached correctly. Parents found these convenient, especially if their vehicle had only front-facing seatbelts with no ISOFIX anchor points.

Some infant car seats can be used with standard seatbelts that do not have the base. This is an excellent feature for parents who travel frequently or travel with their babies. The Nuna TODL NEXT was a top pick among our parent testers. It can be used with or without the base and has an easy swivel that allows you to easily get your baby inside and out.

Other important design considerations include whether a car seat comes with a flat design, and how well it will fit into your specific car (see our guide to car seat compatibility). If you're looking for a car seat that will develop with your baby until a booster, look for a model with an adjustable headrest that can be reclining and side impact protection. Make sure that the infant car seat in front seat car seat you choose is iSize-compliant and has the proper car seat attachment points, as required by UK law.