Infant Car Seats Reviews

Rating and testing of infant car seats

This report covers car seats for newborns up to about 30 pounds and up to about 32 inches tall, in the rear-facing position. Infant car seats also double as carriers. This type of car seat comes in two parts: the car seat itself and the base unit, which stays in the car at all times. The seat itself can snap out of the base and double as a carrier, so you don't have to wake a sleeping baby. We have a separate report on convertible car seats, which can be used rear-facing for newborns or front-facing for older babies up to about 40 pounds. Convertible car seats don't double as infant carriers, however. Also see our report on booster seats for older kids.

By far, the most common concern of parents choosing a car seat is safety. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) all car seats meet federal safety requirements before they're approved for public sale. However, many parents still wonder if some pricier car seat models are safer than less expensive ones. ConsumerReports.org is the most credible reviewer of infant car seats, since it is the only U.S. non-government source that conducts crash testing. ConsumerReports.org also tests and rates popular car seats on ease of use and fit to vehicle. Their site contains valuable safety information and advice for parents deciding on which car seat best fits their needs.

The popular baby gear book "Baby Bargains" also has an excellent section on infant car seats. Although authors Denise and Alan Fields don't conduct their own tests, they do include thorough write-ups that take into account both professional test results and parent feedback. The NHTSA is also a good resource. Although it does not rank car seats on safety, it has detailed ratings for each infant car seat. Babble.com, a consumer-review site that includes baby gear, tests and chooses the best top five car seats of 2009. Tester Kate Bayless uses a clear methodology for ranking seats, factoring in crash test data from ConsumerReports.org as well as ease of use and fit-to-vehicle rankings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into account. Bayless also uses three babies of different builds, ages and weights to test car seats. We also found some useful owner-written reviews at Amazon.com, Viewpoints.com, Epinions.com and Target.com, as well as video reviews at ExpoTV.com. Parent ratings are helpful for judging factors like comfort, ease of use and everyday durability.

In April 2009, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood introduced some new child car seat safety actions. These include a NHTSA recommendation for new side-impact standards as well as increased front-impact standards. The NHTSA will also ask car manufacturers to recommend specific seats in various price ranges that will work best in specific cars. "We need to constantly improve our track record and help parents to choose a child seat that fits in their vehicle," said LaHood. The recommendations will begin with the 2011 car model year. Carmakers such as Volvo and Nissan already have similar programs running in other countries. At the time of this report there are no federal standards for side-impact crash testing; however, there are plenty of manufacturer claims that suggest their car seats offer top-notch side-impact protection. Because of this, ConsumerReports.org editors warn consumers to take these claims with a grain of salt.

Also in April 2009, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that children should remain in rear-facing car seats until they are at least 2 years old. According to the article, children are five times safer in rear-facing car seats than in front-facing seats up to their second birthday. Until now, safety experts have recommended the rear-facing position until your child is 1 year old.