Infant Car Seats: Reviews

Updated August 2010

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Best car seat, more options

*Est. $80 to $150, depending on model Compare Prices

Most experts choose the Graco SnugRide as the best infant car seat, and parents consistently give it top marks for its ease of use and installation. The Graco SnugRide comes in a wide variety of options. The pricier… expandversions have fancier fabric, nicer canopies and a cold-weather boot and/or a blanket, but the basic seats in the $80 to $100 range are just as safe. All Graco SnugRide car seats include EPS padding for extra protection. The Graco SnugRide can secure using your car's seat belts or LATCH anchors. The top-rated Graco SnugRide is rated for newborns up to 22 pounds and 29 inches tall. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org includes 13 models in its latest report on infant car seats.

Baby Bargains: The popular baby gear book "Baby Bargains" covers a good range of infant car seats, including the Graco SnugRide.

Babble.com: Reviewer Kate Bayless personally tests out several different car seats with babies of different ages, weights and builds.

Chicago Tribune: The testing cited in this report really focuses on cars -- the car seats are not tested evenly.

Target.com: Most of the reviews on Target.com give the Graco SnugRide an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

Amazon.com: More than 170 parents have posted reviews here for the Graco SnugRide car seat, which receives an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

ToysRUs.com: ToysRUs.com has more than 100 parent reviews of the Graco SnugRide infant car seat spread among pages for various model colors.

About.com: While no formal objective testing is apparent, Heather Corley is About.com's guide to baby products and a child-passenger safety technician.

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Buy from Amazon for $149.99
Walmart for $79.88	Amazon for $153.99

Car seat for heavier/taller babies

Britax Chaperone

*Est. $200 Compare Prices

Although the Britax Chaperone is one of the more expensive car seats on the market, experts agree that it goes above and beyond federal safety standards; it's the only car seat in its class that receives an excellent… expandrating in independent crash testing. Safety extras include an anti-rebound bar for stabilization in front- and rear-end crashes. Parents also appreciate the Chaperone's convenience features; ergonomic handles, an extra-long canopy, easily adjustable straps and fun upholstery patterns. Unlike most standard infant seat/carriers, the Britax Chaperone car seat can accommodate larger babies of up to 30 pounds and 32 inches tall, allowing the seat to be used longer and infants to stay rear facing longer (a recent recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics is that children stay rear facing until the age of 2). UPDATE (Nov. 8): Chaperone car seats made between April 2009 and May 2010 have been recalled for a chest harness clip that could break. Owners can contact Britax for a free replacement clip. More details can be found here. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org includes 13 models in its latest report on infant car seats.

Babble.com: Babble.com gear tester Kate Bayless reviews several car seats after personally testing each with three different babies of different ages, weights and builds.

CarSeatBlog.com: Self-proclaimed car seat experts and bloggers review and give their top four picks for car seats.

About.com: About.com's Heather Corley gives a detailed review of the Brtiax Chaperone, complete with "what I like," "what I don't like" and "Should you buy a Britax Chaperone Infant Car Seat?" Corley concludes that the car seat is "a great fit for tiny newborns, but the Britax Chaperone is also roomy enough for some two-year-olds, so there's a good chance you'll really get your money's worth out of this infant car seat." (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

Amazon.com: Amazon.com allows users to post reviews of the products they buy and use.

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Buy from Amazon for $172.99
Albee Baby for $170.99	One Step Ahead for $229.95	drugstore.c- om for $229.99

Best budget car seat for heavier babies

Baby Trend Flex-Loc

*Est. $100 Compare Prices

The Baby Trend Flex-Loc holds babies up to 30 pounds and 30 inches tall, so you'll be able to use it longer than the Graco SnugRide (which has a 22-pound weight limit). The Flex-Loc car seat gets very good ratings in… expandindependent crash tests as well as good ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for ease of use and fit to vehicle. Parents say this seat has some outstanding features for its price point, such as an extra-long canopy that can rotate 180 degrees, comfortable and easy-to-maneuver carrying handles and easy-to-adjust straps. There are some downsides, however; the seat does not come with many of the extras found in more expensive seats like harness covers, cold weather boots or extra head/newborn padding. Parents also report that the seat can be hard to unhitch from the base and that the fabric does not seem very comfortable. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org's latest report on infant car seats includes the Baby Trend Flex-Loc along with 13 other models, each of which is evaluated for crash protection, ease of use and fit to vehicle.

Baby Bargains: Denise and Alan Fields include the Baby Trend Flex-Loc in their well-researched coverage of infant car seats.

Babble.com: Babble.com's tester Kate Bayless personally tests several popular car seats and evaluates their performance based on ease of installation, carrying ease and seat weight for parents.

Walmart.com: Most of the over 40 reviews of the Baby Trend Flex-Loc on this site are positive, but a couple say they find the seat cushioning too firm, the adjustments difficult and the seat too heavy.

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