The Very Best Car Seats
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It’s not easy navigating the confusing and ever-growing world of car seats. Though, at the very least, it’s reassuring to know that all car seats sold in the United States are required to meet rigorous safety-testing standards — meaning that, at minimum, they are all equipped to protect your child in a crash. And as of June 2025, all newly manufactured harnessed car seats (whether they’re rear-facing, forward-facing, or both) must pass updatedside-impact crash testsconducted with dummies representing children who weigh up to 40 pounds.
The change has impacted weight limits and minimums for car seats. The weight limit for infant car seats is now 30 pounds (it was previously 32 or 35 pounds, depending on the seat), and the weight minimum for forward-facing car seats is 26.5 pounds (it was previously between 20 and 24 pounds, depending on the seat). You can still buy or use car seats manufactured before June 30, 2025, as long as they meet the old standards and haven’t reached their expiration date. However, we’ve updated all of our recommendations below to the newest models that meet the new standards.
In general, “the best car seat for any child and family is the car seat that fits the child, fits the car, and that the family will be able to use correctly every time,” says Ben Hoffman, a pediatrician who helped write officialAmerican Academy of Pediatrics policies on child-passenger safety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides aguideto help you figure out which type of seat you need. But generally, you’ll want to focus on four main factors: your child’s age, weight, and height; the car you drive; the convenience features that are important to you; and, of course, your budget. (If you have multiple children in car seats, you’ll also need to make sure each seat fits in your car when installed according to manufacturer instructions, as some are not narrow enough to sit side by side.)
To help you get started, I asked experts and parents for their top recommendations in each major car seat category — infant, convertible, and all-in-one — that would fit a variety of vehicles and budgets and are straightforward to install. I also personally tested many of the car seats below along with fellow Strategist andNew Yorkparents who have children ranging from 2 to 10 years old. If you know what type of car seat you are looking for, you can use the table of contents to jump ahead to that category. Otherwise read on for all of our recommendations. For parents of children who have outgrown their forward-facing car seats, but still need a booster to help make sure a regular seat belt fits them properly, we have a guide to thebest booster seatsas well.
Updated on March 3, 2026
All of these car seats are still our favorites, though we’ve updated several of our picks to the newest models, which meet the latest safety standards. I also added the Graco SnugRide SnugFit Infant car seat as the Best (Less Expensive) Infant Car Seat Overall, the Romer Veni convertible car seat as another option for a luxury convertible car seat, and the Nuna Flex travel system and the UPPAbaby Cruz with Mesa V3 as the best travel-system car seats.
Whatwe’relookingfor
Seat type
There are three major types of car seats:
Infant (or bucket) seat:As the name suggests, infant seats are designed to be used from birth, or around four or five pounds minimum, and typically come with a set of cushioned inserts that provide extra support for newborns. They can only be used in a rear-facing position and typically come with a base that is installed in your car, allowing you to easily click the bucket seat into and out of it. Bucket seats can double as infant carriers, and most can be attached to astrolleror a stroller frame (though you may need a special adapter). For this reason, considering the weight of the actual seat is a good place to start, as it will only get heavier as your baby grows. Most infant seats manufactured before June 30, 2025, have a child-weight limit of 32 or 35 pounds, depending on the seat; seats manufactured after that date will have a child-weight limit of 30 pounds.
Convertible:Convertible car seats are designed for use from birth through toddlerhood. They can be used rear-facing or forward-facing, and the switch is typically made when your child maxes out the height or weight limit of the rear-facing mode. If you don’t care about using your car seat as an infant carrier, you can choose to skip the bucket seat completely. The main trade-off is that, while you’ll save money on replacing a bucket seat when they outgrow it (around age 1, on average), you’ll lose the convenience of easily transferring your baby from the car to their stroller or into your home without having to remove them from their seat.
All-in-one:All-in-one car seats are convertible seats that can also be used inbooster mode, allowing some kids to use them up to age 10 or even older. Their one-and-done quality is their main appeal: Instead of buying two or three separate car seats over the course of your child’s first years, the thinking is that you can buy just one and save money in the process. However, once you get to the booster stage, an all-in-one seat in booster mode will be bulkier in your back seat than a seat designed solely to work as a booster. And if you’re going to use one car seat over the course of ten years or so, you should expect to do some work to keep it clean.
Max weight and height
“From a safety perspective, we recommend that kids stay in the safest car seat until they outgrow it,” says Jennifer Saxton, the founder ofTot Squadand a child passenger safety technician (CPST). “Don’t try to move your kid too quickly to the next car seat.” Children should max out the weight or height limit of their current car seat before moving to the next stage. The exact laws around car seats and when a child must be rear-facing varyby state, but all of the experts I talked to agreed that the longer you can keep your child in a rear-facing position, the safer they will be. I’ve listed the maximum weight and height limit of each seat, below. For car seats that can be used in multiple positions (rear-facing, forward-facing, booster), I listed the weight limits for each.
Size and weight of car seat
Even if it’s going to mostly live in your car, a heavy or overly bulky car seat can make your daily routine more difficult. But it’ll be especially annoying if you are using the car seat to carry an infant from the car into your house, or if you plan to frequently move the car seat between two cars. Pay attention to dimensions and installation instructions, too, as not all car seats will fit in all cars when properly installed.
Extra safety and specialty features
In the United States, every car seat on the market must pass strictFederal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). These standards were updated on June 30, 2025; all harnessed car seats manufactured after that date (whether they’re designed for rear-facing, forward-facing, or both) must pass newside-impact crash tests. So you may want to keep a special eye on the date your seat was manufactured, which is typically stamped directly onto the seat. Note that you’ll still be able to buy or use a car seat manufactured before June 30, 2025, as long as it meets the old standards and hasn’t reached its expiration date. Beyond that, as long as a seat fits yourchild and your car, your choice really comes down to any additional safety features you’re looking for as well as convenience and comfort features. Parents may appreciate simple installation, a rotating feature thatmakes it easier to get a child into the seat, a no-rethread harness, or a high rear-facing weight limit. Children may benefit from extra cushioning, cupholders, and extended footrests.
Rigid LATCH versus Flexible LATCH
LATCHis a system that allows you to secure your car seat or car-seat base to your vehicle without using a seat belt — it’s an acronym for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. All of the seats recommended below have eitherrigid or flexibleLATCH connections. Rigid LATCHuses alligator-like clips thatextenddirectly out of the car seat or base without any straps or rotation. They allow for a more secure hookup that is not dependent on your ability to pull the belt strap tightly. Flexible LATCH connectors are attached to a pull strap that can be tightened or loosened,either by hand or, depending on the seat, with some type of tightening mechanism. Both options are safe and meet FMVSS requirements, but rigid LATCH doesn’t require any manual tightening or adjusting, helping ensure correct installation. In the event of a crash, rigid LATCH also helps keep the car seat from sliding forward or side to side.
Price
I divided this list into four price categories, with the cost of each car seat denoted as $, $$, $$$, and $$$$ for under $200, under $350, under $500, and $500 and up, respectively.
Infant car seats
Best infant car seat overall
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Max weight and height:30 pounds, 32 inches| Size and weight of seat:28 x 16.7 x 24 inches, 10 pounds without base| Features:Anti-rebound bar, full-coverage canopy, seat-belt routing for use without base| LATCH type:Flexible with SuperCinch installation system| Price:$$
The Chicco KeyFit line of infant seats is an established favorite among the parents and experts I surveyed, including CPST instructor Kecia Healy, who is also a member of theNew York State Child Passenger Safety Advisory Board. Healy likes that the seat is easy to install with a spring-loaded recline foot and bubble indicator on the base to help you get it perfectly level. The flexible LATCH connectors have Chicco’s SuperCinch installation system that helps parents tighten it easily. Saxton calls it a solid car-seat choice thanks to its affordable price, Greenguard Gold–certified materials, and ease of use, which means parents are more likely to install it correctly. And for people who want to be able to jump in an Uber with their infant, it can be installed without the base by using the seat-belt routing system. Other handy features include a fully extendable canopy, an anti-rebound bar for added stability, a no-rethread harness, and an extendable headrest. One drawback of this seat is its weight of ten pounds without the base (which weighs another 8 pounds) or a child in it. However, significantly lighter-weight infant car seats are often hundreds of dollars more expensive. So based on the combination of affordability, ease of use, good compatibility with a range ofstrollers, and Greenguard Gold certification, this seat is my top pick for infant car seats.
Best (less expensive) infant car seat
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Max weight and height:30 pounds, 32 inches| Size and weight of seat:30 x 16.2 x 18.1 inches, 8.4 pounds without base| Features:Anti-rebound bar, full-coverage canopy| LATCH type:Flexible| Price:$
Infant car seats are good for only a small portion of your baby’s life, so it’s not always worth splurging on the fanciest one. According to the experts I spoke with, parents on a budget should stick with a well-established major car-seat manufacturer, a strategy that will ensure you are getting the best safety features and technology, just at a more basic level. Several of those same experts recommend the Graco SnugRide SnugFit infant car seat because it is lightweight and has an anti-rebound bar and a no-rethread harness and the base can be installed with either flexible LATCH clips or Graco’s SnugLock lap belt tightening system, which is similar to Chicco’s SuperCinch.
Best lightweight infant car seat
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Max weight and height:30 pounds, 30 inches| Size and weight of seat:25.8 x 17 x 23.7 inches, 6 pounds without base| Features:Load leg, anti-rebound panel, full-coverage canopy| LATCH type:Auto retracting, flexible| Price:$$$
The UPPAbaby Aria V2 infant car seat is the lightest infant car seat on this list (and on the market) at just six pounds without the base (but for the record, the base weighs almost 13 pounds). It has a load leg and an anti-rebound panel, as well as a large canopy. Stacy Seebode, a chef and mom who used an earlier version of the seat when bringing her baby home from the hospital, loved how light and portable it was and how easy it was to use with her UPPAbaby Cruz stroller. Her son weighed a little over five pounds at birth, so she appreciated the seat’s two-piece removable infant insert that helps support and correctly position babies as small as four pounds. The Aria V2 seat is also slightly narrower than the Nuna Pipa Aire RX, below, and cheaper by about $200.
Best luxury lightweight infant car seat
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Max weight and height:30 pounds, 30 inches |Size and weight of seat:27.25 x 17.5 x 23 inches, 6.2 pounds without base or canopy| Features:Load leg, anti-rebound panel, push-button recline, full-coverage canopy, magnetic buckle holders| LATCH type:Rigid| Price:$$$$
Like the UPPAbaby Aria 2, the Nuna Pipa Aire RX is very light, weighing 6.2 pounds without the base or canopy. I used an earlier model of this seat, the Nuna Pipa Lite RX, which has now been discontinued and replaced in Nuna’s car seat lineup with the Aire; it is essentially the same except that the Aire weighs a bit less and has a slightly lower weight limit and height limit. It is a breeze to carry from car to stroller or car to house and even up flights of stairs, which I especially appreciated while I was recovering from a C-section.
I love how easy the seat is to install and how cushy it is both with and without the newborn insert. In the box, you get two different infant inserts for different seasons: one that is made of organic merino wool andTencel Lyocelland another made of organic cotton. My son weighed less than five pounds when he was born, and the similar infant inserts on our earlier model made a big difference in his posture and comfort in the seat. The Pipa Aire is made of Greenguard Gold–certified materials and has upscale touches like afaux-leather-wrapped handle and embedded magnets that hold the harness out of your way when you’re getting your baby into or out of the seat. It also has a push-button recline and color-coded locking indicators on the rigid LATCH connectors and load leg that let you know it is tightly and properly installed. And compared to the UPPAbaby Aria V2, it is compatible with a wider array of strollers, a fact that heavily swayed my decision when choosing an infant car seat.
Convertible car seats
Best convertible car seat overall
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Max weight and height:(Rear) 50 pounds, 49 inches (Forward) 65 pounds, 49 inches| Size and weight of seat:20.5 x 17 x 23.5 inches, 27.2 pounds| Features:ClickTight installation system, cupholders| LATCH type:Flexible| Price:$$$
I started to use the Britax Poplar S Convertible Car Seat with my son when he grew too tall for his infant car seat at around 18 months old. I have installed it in three different cars — a Toyota Camry, a Subaru Outback, and a Chevy Equinox — and never had an issue with its size. It is one of the easiest-to-install car seats I have ever used thanks to the brand’s convenient ClickTightsystem, which works kind of like a panini press to achieve the right amount of seat-belt tension, securing the seat with very little effort or stress for the parent.
With other seats, I have worked myself into a worried sweat trying to focus on the details of a YouTube tutorial and wrestle a seat belt or locate latch anchors. But with the Britax Poplar, I can pinch a set of tabs under the bottom cushion, which triggers the seat to hinge open. Then I thread the seat belt through either the rear or the forward-facing belt path, fasten it on the other side of the car seat, and push the seat down (this takes some muscle) until the tabs click back into their starting position. The process allows just about any adult, regardless of experience, to correctly install the seat.
My son had a few big growth spurts while using the Britax Poplar, and adjusting the headrest and the harness was easy to do even when he was sitting in the seat. He was always very comfortable in this seat and loved the double cupholders both for his water bottle and for toys. The fabric is soft and easy to wipe clean; I never needed to put the cover in the washing machine, even though my son did everything possible to trash the seat, from jumping on it to intentionally spilling yogurt.
Best (less expensive) convertible car seat
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Max weight and height:(Rear) 50 pounds, top of child’s head one inch below handle (Forward) 65 pounds, 49 inches| Size and weight of seat:19.5 x 21.5 x 23.5 inches, 19.2 pounds| Features:Extendable legroom panel, cupholders| LATCH type:Flexible| Price:$$
Strategist senior editor and mom of two Jen Trolio used different versions of the Graco Extend2Fit for both of her daughters, who are now 8 and 10 years old. She originally chose the seat because it fit well rear-facing in the back seat of her Mazda sedan. Each kid used their Extend2Fit from about one to 5 years old. One of the Extend2Fit models Trolio owned could also be used as a booster, but Trolio ultimately replaced it with a Chicco high-back booster because the Extend2Fit was bulkier and made it difficult for her daughters to buckle themselves in.
CPST and Babylist senior gear editor Jennifer LaBracio says this seat is a really good value. She likes that it has a high rear-facing weight limit of 50 pounds (with a forward-facing limit of 65 pounds), plus it’s easy to install, and a good fit for almost any type of car. It has two cupholders and an adjustable extension panel that provides extra legroom to keep taller children comfortable while rear-facing (though you do have to have enough space in your car to use it). The Extend2Fit line also includes anall-in-one versionthat converts to both a high-back and a backless booster.
Best luxury convertible car seats
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Nuna Rava Next
Max weight and height:(Rear) 50 pounds, 49 inches (Forward) 65 pounds, 49 inches| Size and weight of seat:19 x 16 x 25 inches, 27.9 pounds| Features:Push-button leveler, extendable legroom panel, cupholders| LATCH type:Flexible| Price:$$$$
I first heard about the Nuna Rava convertible car seat fromEli Gurock,founder and CEO of the baby-gear and toy retailer Magic Beans. Back then, the Nuna Rava was one of the most popular car seats in his store because of its great safety and convenience features — like a reinforced-steel frame and an extendable legroom panel — plus an overall sleek and stylish look. The Nuna Rava Next is an upgraded model with increased side-impact protection and more legroom. There are two side-impact-protection wings that can be popped out on either side of the seat’s hard outer shell to be used like a stabilizing arm against the door side of the car.
Even before I installed it in our car, my son took to sitting in the seat in our living room like it was his little throne. He also loved pretending he was on a commuter train while sitting in the seat and making us play the conductor. The “Simply Secure” system makes installation very easy. It has a bubble-free leveler with a simple push button so you can quickly find the correct angle. And if you’re not using LATCH, the color-coded belt paths indicate the proper way to thread your car’s seat belt. It also has pop-out cupholders that tuck away to save space when not in use, and I appreciate that there is a dedicated slot in the back of the seat to store the instruction manual — such a nice little detail.
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Max weight and height: (Rear) 50 pounds, 49 inches (Forward) 65 pounds, 49 inches | Size and weight of seat: 20.5 x 17 x 23.5, 28 pounds | Features: Machine washable cover, magnetic buckle holders, cupholders | LATCH type: Flexible | Price: $$$$
While it doesn’t have the same name recognition as the Nuna Rava Next, the Romer Veni convertible car seat is another luxury option with squishy cushioning and lots of convenience. I have been testing this seat with my now 3-year-old son for 3 months, taking him to and from school on a near daily basis. It has its own version of the Britax ClickTight system and the Chicco SuperCinch system that makes it a breeze to install. My son is now able to climb into the car seat from the ground without any help, and therefore also able to crawl all over the car and evade me when he’s in a squirrel-y mood. Thankfully the Veni car seat is very comfortable so these escapades are never about the seat itself. Once I do convince (or trick) him to sit down, the buckles are easy to fasten quickly with the help of a springy crotch strap that never gets lost under his butt and magnets on the sides that hold the buckles out of the way until you need them. It’s slim and leaves lots of extra room in the backseat, which is great for carpooling or weekend trips. That said, my son still has plenty of room in the seat and has never complained about feeling scrunched. We still have it facing backward, as he weighs just over 30 pounds, but I think he will like it even more when we finally get around to turning him forward-facing.
Best revolving car seat
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Max weight and height:(Rear) 50 pounds, 49 inches (Forward) 65 pounds, 49 inches| Size and weight of seat:20.5 x 17 x 23.5 inches, 27.2 pounds| Features:ClickTight installation system, attached child mirror, cupholders| LATCH type:Flexible| Price:$$$
The benefit of a rotating car seat is that, because it swivels on its base, you can place your child into the seat while it is facing you and the car door. This makes getting in the seat less awkward and more comfortable for the child and therefore easier for the parent. The downside of rotatting car seats is that they can be difficult to install properly and are usually bulky and very heavy. The Chicco Fit360, however, is quite a bit lighter than many of the other rotating car seats on the market (for example, it’s almost ten pounds lighter thanCybex’s popular Callisto all-in-one rotating car seat).
The base of this Chicco seat can be installed with either flexible LATCH clips or using a self-tensioning seat-belt locking system called LeverLock, which is similar to the brand’s SuperCinchsystem and Britax’s ClickTight system; it sandwiches your car’s seat belt with just the right amount of tension and requires very little effort to do so. I set a timer the first time I installed it in a car and was impressed that it took me just over five minutes with the included quick-start guide. I particularly like that the base of this seat is slim and easy to carry, making it feasible to move between two different cars if needed. Once the base is installed, all you have to do is click the seat into it, like attaching the bowl of a food processor onto its base. Then, to turn the seat to a rear- or forward-facing position, you squeeze the clips on either side of the seat and turn it until you hear a click. One of the biggest selling points is that it comes with its own child mirror that clicks into the top of the base, so the mirror is always secure and always tilted to the perfect angle. This is currently the only car seat on the market that comes with a built-in mirror, but I wouldn’t be surprised if other brands follow suit.
I was very excited to test this seat and expected my son to be excited too. But I made an error in timing when I first introduced it to him, and the result is that he not only refused to sit in it but was scared of being turned. “Mama, don’t spin me!” were is exact words. So I can’t say much about using it with an actual child, but had I started using it with him earlier, I think he would prefer the process of getting into it.
I love how cushy the upholstery feels and that the back of the seat is ventilated to keep babies cool and dry. I also appreciate that there are magnets on each side to hold the harness open and the crotch buckle is designed to be springy and stay forward when not in use so you don’t have to dig under your kid’s butt to find it every time.
All-in-one car seats
Best all-in-one car seat overall
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Max weight and height:(Rear)50 pounds, 49 inches (Forward) 65 pounds, 49 inches (High back booster) 120 pounds, 63 inches| Size and weight of seat: 18.5 x 17.5 x 24.5 inches, 28pounds| Features:ClickTight installation system, cupholders| LATCH type:Flexible| Price:$$$
The Britax One4Life car seat can be used with infants starting at 5 pounds and has the same 50-pound rear-facing weight limit and 65-pound forward-facing harnessed weight limit as the Graco Extend2Fit and the Nuna Rava Next convertible seats. In booster mode with a regular seat belt, it can accommodate children who weigh between 40 and 120 pounds, which depending on the kid could mean until they are 10 or even older. It uses the same ClickTight system as the Britax Poplar seat above. It’s also slim, making it more possible to fit multiple car seats across one back seat.
Best (less expensive) all-in-one car seat
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Max weight and height:(Rear) 40 pounds, top of child’s head one inch below handle (Forward) 65 pounds, 49 inches (Booster) 100 to 120 pounds, 47 inches| Size and weight of seat: 20.7 x 16.7 x 24.5inches, 19.2 pounds| Features:Cupholders| LATCH type:Flexible| Price:$$
Both Saxton and LaBracio suggested the Graco 4Ever DLX all-in-one car seat as an affordable option that can potentially last your child from birth to age 10 or older. It has a 40-pound rear-facing weight limit as well as six recline positions, a feature LaBracio especially likes. It can also be used as both a high-back booster (with a 100-pound weight limit) and a backless booster (with a 120-pound weight limit). And like the Britax One4Life all-in-one seat, it’s slim enough to fit three across the back seat in many cars. (It’s actually a tiny bit narrower than the Britax, if you’re pressed for space.)
Best luxury all-in-one car seat
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Max weight and height:(Rear) 50 pounds, 49 inches (Forward) 65 pounds, 49 inches (Booster) 110 pounds, 57 inches |Size and weight of seat:22.5 x 18.5 x 26.5–34 inches, 26.8 pounds| Features:Anti-rebound panel, extendable legroom panel, cupholders| LATCH type:Flexible| Price:$$$$
LaBracio and Saxton both told us about Nuna’s “die-hard” fans who love the brand’s luxe feel and features, like added foam for minimizing impact, as well as easy installation. This all-in-one Nuna Exec is the seat that LaBracio purchased for her own baby; she appreciates its 50-pound rear-facing weight limit and extendable legroom panel, all-steel frame, and anti-rebound panel. It can be used from birth (starting at five pounds in rear-facing mode), and as a booster for kids up to 120 pounds. It is also compact enough to fit three across in many midsize vehicles.
Car seats for travel
Best combination car seat and stroller
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Max weight and height:35 pounds, 32 inches| Size and weight of seat:17.3 x 32.3 x 40 inches, 10 pounds|Features:Stroller and car seat combinedLATCH type:Flexible| Price:$$$$
The Doona is one of the only all-in-one combination car-seat-and-strollers on the market, and it is certainly the most popular option in that category. The unique design makes it convenient for travel or anyone who rides in Ubers or switches cars on a regular basis. It also fits perfectly into an airplane seat and is lighter than most strollers and car seats. Though it’s expensive for a single piece of baby gear, it functions as two, and for many parents the streamlined experience is well worth the investment: Saxton used it as her everyday car seat and stroller when her baby was an infant, and says the convenience cannot be beat.
The trade-off is that there is no storage basket, and the wheels are more suited to flat sidewalks versus bumpier terrain. I see multiple families using the Doona stroller everyday in my neighborhood in Brooklyn, and my main takeaway is that the seat sits low compared to other strollers; I personally don’t love that aspect of the Doona, especially since it makes the baby seem more vulnerable when crossing busy intersections. And at a glance, the handlebarlooksshort. But even taller parents have told me they have no trouble with the height: Saxton says she and her husband, who are five-foot-eight and six-foot-three, respectively, were both able to push it comfortably.
Best toddler car seat for travel
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Max weight and height:50 pounds, 45 inches| Size and weight of seat:15.2 x 14.5 x 27.8 inches when open), 11.6 x 14.5 x 18.9 inches when closed, 8 pounds|Features:Folds in half for storage or to carry in a backpack |LATCH type:Flexible| Price:$$$
Travel writer and parent Berit Baugher first found out about theWAYB Pico car seatfrom a fellow toddler mom when she was planning a trip to Italy with her then 20-month-old son. At that time he was too small for the seat — it’s designed for kids ages 2 and up and has weight and heightminimumsof 22 pounds and 30 inches, respectively. But once he had grown big enough to use it, she was thrilled by the seat’s convenience when traveling internationally. Not only is it very lightweight, at just eight pounds, but it is the only seat on this list that can fold in half to fit inside its own travel backpack (which is sold separately). According to Baugher, the seat is easy to install in Ubers, fits in the airplane overhead compartment, and is light enough that she could chase her son through JFK with it on her back.
Strategist senior writer Lauren Ro, whose two kids are almost 4 and 7 years old, has also taken the WAYB Pico on multiple plane trips with her family and has used it with both of her children. She loves the small size of the seat and convenience of folding it up into a backpack. One downside, though, is that the frame is very slim, and the side wings that stick out from the spine can feel a little flimsy compared to other more substantial seats.
Read more:My Son’s Travel Car Seat Fits in a Backpack
Best budget car seats for travel
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Max weight and height:(Rear) 40 pounds, 40 inches (Forward) 50 pounds, 43 inches| Size and weight of seat: 18.5 inches at its widest spot, 8.8 pounds| Features:Lightweight one-piece shellLATCH type:Flexible| Price:$
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Max weight and height: (Rear) 40 pounds, 49 inches (Forward) 65 pounds, 49 inches | Size and weight of seat: 24.4 inches tall and 19 inches at its widest spot, 12 pounds | Features: Lightweight one-piece shell, 5-position headrest and no-rethread harness, cupholders | LATCH type: Flexible | Price: $
While the most comfortable and easy-to-install car seats are typically sturdier and more cushioned, with lots of convenience features, they’re usually not lightweight, which is why many parents end up buying a separate one for traveling. Of course, it can be hard to pass up the chance to save money on flights by holding children under 2 on your lap. But Saxton and LaBracio agree that it’s always safer for children to have their own airplane seat with a Federal Aviation Administration–approved car seat, especially if they weigh less than 40 pounds. (The American Association of Pediatrics, National Transportation Safety Board, and FAA allrecommendthis as well, making an extra travel-friendly seat a worthwhile purchase.)
In the convertible category, both Saxton and Renee McCabe, the injury-prevention and Safe Kids coordinator forSafe Kids Greater Augusta, previously suggested the lightweight Cosco Scenera Next car seat, which many Strategist parents have also recommended in the past, but has since been discontinued. The Cosco Scenera Extend is the newest version of the brands Scenera line of car seats, which has been updated to fit children up to 50 pounds and to meet the new side-impact standards. It is a bit taller and wider, to accommodate larger children, but it’s about as light as its predecessor at 8.8 pounds. The main drawback is that the seat doesn’t have a no-rethread harness, so I recommend adjusting it to fit your child before you leave home.
The Entrada is an even newer Cosco car seat and fits children up to 65 pounds (as long as they are still within the 49-inch height limit). It has a no-rethread harness and an adjustable cushioned headrest, so it’s a bit more convenient to use than the Extend. Since it can accommodate bigger children, it is also four pounds heavier than the Extend. But at just 12 pounds total, it’s still much lighter than other convertible car seats.
Both the Extend and the Entrada can be be installed via the LATCH system or your car’s seat belt and are easy to install on planes as well. I took an older version of the Extend on a flight to Miami when my son was 2 years old. It was easy to carry and easy to install, and it made flying with him easier on me and his dad because he was cozy and contained for the entire flight. I have also used our Cosco seat as a back up car seat in my parent’s car when taking my son to visit them in Connecticut by train. For that trip, I left my apartment in Brooklyn and went all the way to Grand Central Station on the subway with the car seat attached to the back of his stroller.
Best lightweight travel-system car seat
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Max weight and height:30 pounds, 29 inches| Size and weight of stroller frame: 21.5 x 37 x 43.5 inches,11.3 pounds| Size and weight of seat: 17.5 x 25 x 22 inches, 7 pounds | Features: Stroller and car seat all-in-one, one-handed fold, large storage basket | LATCH type:Rigid| Price:$$$$
In an earlier update of this guide, I included the Pipa Urbn car seat as part of a more traditional travel system with Nuna’s TRIV Next travel stroller. Since then, Nuna has released the more affordable and lightweight Flex Travel System, which Strategist deals writer Martha Tuber will begin testing when her second child is born in just a few weeks. What sets the Nuna Pipa urbn car seat apart is that it doesn’t have a base but can be quickly installed in any car with the PipaFIX rigid LATCH system. “This is great for Ubers and taxis because it has an integrated LATCH system built right into the bottom of the seat itself, so all you have to do is click it into the seat of the car and you’re good to go,” Gurock says. When it is not installed, its LATCH connectors fold into the seat so you can tote your baby around without the anchors getting caught on anything. Like many of Nuna’s other infant seats, the Urbn is very lightweight at about seven and a half pounds. The Flex Travel System frame is also lightweight at just 11.3 pounds, plus it folds with the car seat ring adapter attached and stands on its own when folded. It also has a huge storage basket that can hold up to 22 pounds of cargo. Tuber plans to use the travel system when she flies east from Los Angeles to visit her family in New York, and prefers it to the popular Doona: “Nuna is way better for taller people, and the baby is at a normal height, rather than low to the ground,” she says. When her baby outgrows the infant car seat, she can purchase theNuna Flex System child seatand continue using the frame.
Best full size travel-system car seat
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Max weight and height: 50 pounds, 32 inches | Size and weight of seat: 23 x 17 x 25.8 inches without the base, 9.9 pounds without the base | Features: Magnetic buckle holders, handle doubles as anti-rebound bar | LATCH type: Flexible and auto-retracting | Price: $$$$
For everyday use where she lives in Los Angeles, Tuber plans to use the UPPAbaby Cruz V3strollerand Mesa car-seat travel system with her second child who’s due very soon. She used the older model of the Cruz when her now 4-year-old daughter was a baby and loved the ease of simply lifting her daughter out of the car in her Mesa seat and plopping the seat onto the frame for nature walks and outings to the park. The Mesa car seat has long been a best seller for UPPABaby and the V3 model is even easier to install, safe for babies who weigh from four to 30 pounds and measure up to 32 inches long, and has an easy-to-secure five-point harness with magnetic buckles and a no-rethread harness. It’s also easy to use without the base thanks to its straightforward seatbelt path. It is almost four pounds heavier than the ultra light UPPAbaby Aria V2 car seat, above, but is still easy to carry at just under 10 pounds. And if you’re buying it without a stroller, it’s about $100 cheaper than the UPPAbaby Aria V2. It’s also worth noting that the recently upgraded Cruz V3 stroller can now be used for newborns with either the accompanying Mesa V3 car seat or the Cruz’s child seat reclined all the way flat in “carriage mode.”
Our experts:
•Alisa Baer, pediatrician and co-founder of thecarseatlady.com
•Eli Gurock,founder and CEO of Magic Beans
•Kecia Healy, CPST instructor and member of the New York State Child Passenger Safety Advisory Board
•Ben Hoffman, pediatrician who helped write the American Academy of Pediatrics’ policies on child-passenger safety
•Jennifer LaBracio, CPST and senior gear editor at Babylist
•Renee McCabe, injury-prevention and Safe Kids coordinator for Safe Kids Greater Augusta
•Lauren Ro, Strategist senior writer and parent
•Jennifer Saxton, CPST and founder of Tot Squad
• Stacy Seebode, chef and parent
•Mei Ling Starkey, co-founder of Family Entourage
•Jen Trolio,Strategist senior editor and parent
•Martha Tuber, Strategist deals writer and parent
Additional reporting by Lauren Ro and Latifah Miles
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