Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13 years old. Having a certified car seat that is installed and used correctly can save your child’s life. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends keeping children in some type of car seat until they are at least 8 years old or big enough to fit into a seat belt properly.
There are different types of baby car seats to choose from. You’ll start your newborn in a rear-facing infant car seat and keep them rear-facing anywhere from 1 to 3 years, when they transition into forward-facing seats. Between 4 and 7 years, depending on the size of your child, you’ll then transition them into a booster seat before graduating them to using the seat belt alone.
We asked Holly Choi, a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician – Instructor (CPST-I) what makes the best car seats. “The best car seat is one that fits your vehicle, fits your child, fits your budget, and you will use correctly 100% of the time,” she told Mom.com.
When buying a car seat, stay away from used seats because you don’t know their crash history, which can cause a seat’s integrity to weaken, making it unsafe. Mom of four and pediatrician, Kristin Saxena recommended to Mom.com readers to register all car seats so that “you will be notified of any recalls from the manufacturer.” This is great advice because recalls can and do happen and the manufacturer will either send a replacement part or arrange for a new seat.
Our guide looks at car seats that meet all the safety regulations required by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, don’t take a lot to install, and are easy to use on a daily basis. Here’s our list of best car seats for 2021.
How to choose a car seat for your littlest one: Best infant seats
Other car seat types as your child grows
As your family’s needs change, you may look into other types of car seats to fit your car and growing family. While most convertible car seats are designed to take your child to the point of sitting in the seat without an aid, you may want to look at other styles. Here are our picks for other types of car seats:
- Britax Grow with You ClickTight Harness-2-Booster Car Seat: This seat is designed for toddlers to big kids and will allow them to use the high-back booster with the harness until they only need the booster part. It will hold weights up to 120 pounds and retails for $300. The ClickTight installation system makes installing the Britax simple without a lot of chances for user error.
- Chicco GoFit Backless Booster Car Seat: A backless booster for only $40 that positions your child properly to have the seatbelt cross his front in the right position. It has two cup holders and arm rests so your child can travel in comfort.
