The best and safest newborn car seats for your baby 2022 (2023)

FAQs

Which car seat is the safest 2022? ›

The Best Infant Car Seats

Our new top pick is the Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX; the Chicco KeyFit 30 is our runner-up. And we've added the Clek Liing as an upgrade pick. Before you can make that cautious, white-knuckled first drive home with your new baby, you need to be armed with the proper equipment.

Good Housekeeping's testing lab picked the Chicco KeyFit 30 as the Best Infant Car Seat, saying, "This infant car seat stood out to our lab experts for its ease of installation, which is crucial to ensuring your child's safety.

The Graco Snugride Snuglock 35 DLX. The Snugride Snuglock 35 DLX infant car seat stays true to Graco's brand of making baby-safe products. It has top-end crash test scores.

Many car seat manufacturers recommend that a baby should not be in a car seat for longer than 2 hours, within a 24 hour time period. This is because when a baby is in a semi-upright position for a prolonged period of time it can result in: 1. A strain on the baby's still-developing spine.

Your infant or toddler should ride in a rear-facing car safety seat as long as possible, until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their seat. Most convertible seats have limits that will allow children to ride rear-facing for two years or more.

Newborns can sit in two kinds of car seats: a rear-facing infant seat, or a convertible seat (which faces the rear of the car at first, and later is turned toward the front). Buying a convertible car seat saves money because it lasts through toddlerhood, and it's completely sound in terms of safety.

With so many car seat brands to choose from, you want to make sure your big purchase is with a reputable and safe brand. Based on our research, Britax, Chicco, Graco, Safety 1st, and Maxi-Cosi are the top 5 car seat brands that offer infant car seats, convertible/all-in-one car seats, and booster car seats.

Are Graco carseats safe? ›

All Graco car seats meet or exceed the US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213. But at Graco, we go above and beyond the requirements to provide additional safety testing and features for your peace of mind.

According to safety experts, some of the most common mistakes include: not routing seatbelts properly, using both the lower anchors and the LATCH system, forgetting to use the tether, and not placing enough weight on the seat as it is being installed.

Despite wild differences in cost, all car seats sold in the U.S. must meet the same federal safety and crash performance standards.

Parents have two options for newborns: rear-facing infant car seats and convertible car seats that can be used rear- and forward-facing. Each type has its benefits and drawbacks, but both are safe for young babies.

It is important for you and your baby to get out of the car every few hours and take a stretch to avoid restlessness. Try to take a break every 2 to 3 hours for a day trip and every 4 to 6 hours at night to change diapers or soiled clothes, or to feed your baby. Never attempt to breastfeed in a moving car.

Lots of parents want to know "how long can babies stay in car seats?" The general advice is that your baby should sit/sleep in their car seat for no more than two hours at a time.

When is it safe to travel with a newborn baby by plane? In general, doctors recommend you wait to fly until your baby's immune system is better developed. This could be as soon as one month for full-term infants, though most doctors recommend anywhere between three months and six months.

If you can't fit two seats right next to each other, you will have to use the two outside seats. There isn't really a preferred side for the infant as far as crash safety is concerned. There is virtually no difference between driver's side and passenger side in crash statistics.

Typically, you don't need the base to properly use your car seat — it's just a convenience. To install without the base, just thread the seat belt through the grooves on the side of the seat and tighten in the same manner as above.

Is it better to get an infant car seat or convertible? ›

Your child will outgrow an infant car seat faster than a convertible one. Different brands and models have different size limits. Typically, infant car seats can fit babies up to around 35 pounds or 35 inches long. Once your baby is too big, you'll need a convertible car seat to keep her safe while driving.

In 2022 YTD, Ford leads vehicle manufacturers with the highest number of recalls, followed by Daimler Trucks of North America and Mercedes-Benz USA, according to the NHTSA.

Vinyl is made from plastic, so it doesn't not stain or tear as easily as cloth or leather. It can handle mud and salt and water much better than other seating materials. However, the downside to vinyl, other than the less stylish appearance, is that it can be uncomfortably sweaty and hot in the summer.

Less sensitive to extreme heat or cold - Fabric upholstery will not be as temperature sensitive as leather. Get in the car on an extremely hot or cold day and you will find these seats much more temperature neutral to sit on than leather ones. Durable - Fabric seats are, in general, quite durable.

The rigorous test simulates the energy in the severe 5-star government side impact tests conducted for automobiles. All Evenflo car seats meet or exceed all applicable federal safety standards and Evenflo's side impact standards.

The five car brands with the most accidents in 2022 are RAM, with 17% more accidents than average, followed by Chevrolet, Honda, Toyota and Ford. The Ford F-Series pickup is also one of the most crashed vehicles in the nation and other cars like the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Chevy Silverado are close behind.

What is the second safest seat for a newborn in a car? ›

Safest place for 2 car seats

If both of the car seats are rear-facing/forward-facing, place the younger child in the middle and the older child behind the passenger seat. Since the older child is physically stronger and more developed, they'll be a bit more able to handle the impact force of a collision.

a rear-facing car seat, 2. A forward-facing car seat with a harness and then 3. a booster seat. You can use these seats forward-facing with a harness and tether after your child reaches the top rear-facing height and weight limit allowed by the manufacturer.

96 Percent of parents and caregivers believe their child safety seats are installed correctly, but NHTSA research shows that 7 out of 10 children are improperly restrained, putting them at risk for serious injury or death in a crash.

Infant Car Seat: Chicco Keyfit 30 Infant Car Seat

According to Consumer Reports, the Chicco Keyfit 30 Infant Car Seat is the best car seat on the market, because it has balancing crash protection, easy to use, and is vehicle-fit for infant seats with a 22-pound capactity. And, you can get the best carseat at Walmart!

What cars have 5 star safety ratings? ›