With so many options out there, we thought we would spend some time (a lot of time) compiling a top 5 list to help you narrow down your search. We have used tons of information (sources below) on 37 car seats, currently on the market, including reports from the NHTSA, reviews, surveys, and federal regulations to make sure this list is something we approve of. We hope these reviews help you out in your search for a safe and reliable car seat (and hopefully one that doesn’t break the bank).
In This Review:
Best Ease-of-Use Seat: UPPAbaby Mesa
Best Convertible Seat: Britax Boulevard Clicktight ARB
Best Extended Rear-Facing: Evenflo Gold SensorSafe EveryStage
Best for Infants: Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat
Also Covered:
Comparison Chart
Graco 4Ever DLX
Britax BLVD Clicktight ARB
Evenflo Gold SensorSafe EveryStage
Chicco KeyFit 30Note: Prices listed are taken from the date of publishing. Subject to change. See full disclaimer.
Car Seat Reviews
These reviews take into account a ton of data which has all been linked at the bottom of this article. Please feel free to view them as you need to to help make your decision. For safety ratings, please review our section on how to better understand them, here.
1. UPPAbaby Mesa
Scoring the only perfect 5 out of 5 stars on the NHTSA’s Ease of Use test, it is no wonder why tons of parents already love the UPPAbaby Mesa. Tack on a removable infant pad, washable fabrics, and tons of stroller options, this car seat is deserving of our 2023 list.
This model features a click-in base. This allows you to install the base and install and remove the car seat as needed with a simple one-click system. The feature is great for families that want to pair this car seat with a compatible stroller.
“The UPPAbaby Mesa is one of the best car seats we have purchased, and as a dad of 5, we have been through a few. The sun-visor, base, and Vista stroller make it a purchase we highly recommend.” -Jason, dad of five, WA.
Since this car seat is strictly rear-facing and designed for children under 35 pounds or 32 inches tall, another car seat will need to be purchased later down the line. This may be a deal breaker for parents looking for an all-in-one model, but we have those later on this list. If you are planning on having another child, the Mesa lasts for seven years and would be perfect for your next child.
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 27 x 16.75 x 25.5 inches
- Weight: 19.36 pounds (with base)
- Harness Type: 5-Point
Safety Ratings:
- Head Injury Criteria: 511
- Impact Acceleration Tests: 52 g-units
- Ease of Use: 5 out of 5 stars (Test Results)
2. Graco 4Ever DLX
Buying a product that will be there through the entire process can make things so much easier. The Graco 4Ever DLX is a great buy for families looking to have the best all-in-one car seat. It boasts a 10-year lifespan and rotates to support rear and forward facing. It also supports rear-facing up to 40 pounds, which we did not find very often in our research.
A lot of the reviews online were split on ease of use and how a 10-year product only has a 1-year warranty. Nevertheless, this car seat is the reigning champ in best deals 2023. Currently, 20% off on Amazon, this car seat is $263, but for a car seat that lasts 10 years, we believe the money is well spent. Some parents have also argued that installing the 4Ever DLX is more difficult in rear-facing mode. The NHTSA awarded it one star out of five for rear-facing, but 4 stars in forwarding configuration. While this rating does not impact the safety of this model, it is something to consider.
Parents looking for even more safety features, can opt-in for the Premium version of this car seat which adds an anti-rebound bar for added impact safety. This version is more expensive at around $350, but the NHTSA’s tests into the anti-rebound bar’s effectiveness may make that a great investment.
Graco has also taken time to make this car seat cleanable for those most-likely spills. Just pop off the cover and throw it in the wash just like the Chicco KeyFit, but be sure to hang dry as the dryer may shrink the fitting.
Regardless of the warranty and ease of use, we still think the Graco 4Ever DLX is a great purchase for families that want an all-in-one car seat. Its ability to grow with your child (and we can’t forget the cup holders) makes this an amazing deal.
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 20.0 by 21.5 by 24.0 inches
- Weight: 22.8 pounds
- Harness Type: 5-point
Safety Ratings:
- Head Injury Criteria: 364
- Impact Acceleration Tests: 43 g-units
- Ease of Use: 4 out of 5 stars (Test Results)
3. Britax Boulevard Clicktight ARB
The Britax Boulevard Clicktight ARB‘s design, coupled with the anti-rebound bar, makes it one of the safest on the market. It can also support children, in the rear-facing mode, up to 40 pounds or 49 inches. This is the same as the Graco 4Ever DLX. In the forward-facing position, this seat can accommodate children up to 65 pounds.
Most parents reviewed that they love the straps and easy-to-use base, as well as the extra peace of mind the anti-rebound bar provides. Something parents do not love is that the fabric is not machine washable on the ARB model. The base is also rather large and can take up a lot of space in smaller vehicles. These are both things to consider. Britax makes a different model with a machine-washable fabric called the Marathon Clicktight, which is another great alternative.
Since this car seat supports children as small as 5 pounds, it is a wonder that there is no removable infant padding. This can be a massive negative for some parents when there are options out there that do and for a lower price point. However, the safety and design of this car seat still make it worthy of one of our top spots for 2023. Britax offers plenty of alternatives that were also up for consideration that we suggest you check out here.
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 18.5 by 23.5 by 23.0 inches
- Weight: 29.4 pounds
- Harness Type: 14-position adjustable
Safety Ratings:
- Head Injury Criteria: 289
- Impact Acceleration Tests: 51 g-units
- Ease of Use: 4 out of 5 stars (Test Results)
4. Evenflo Gold SensorSafe EveryStage
This all-in-one Evenflo is fairly similar to the Graco 4Ever DLX but has a few extra features that help it stand out from the competition. The limits for rear-facing on this car seat allow for children to stay in the position until they are almost 4 years old (based on national growth averages). This means that your child can stay in the AAP’s recommended position for much longer than most seats currently on the market.
Another added feature for this Evenflo is the SensorSafe. This allows you to monitor your child’s harness and whether it is securely fastened or not. This is great for that age when they start to figure out how things work and decide to “break free”. Not only does it monitor unbuckling, but car temperature, unsafe conditions, and whether your child has been left unattended or not. This added peace of mind is also found on the Cybex Aton, which is another great alternative that we reviewed and barely did not make our list. You can check it out here.
Evenflo also boasts the ability to not only machine wash this fabric, but also machine dry it. Based on reviews, we do recommend following the manual, as some parents tried it on their own and overheated the fabric causing it to shrink and deteriorate. Always use the manual when in doubt.
At a price point of around $300, we believe this is a great all-in-one car seat and one that provides a great balance for most budgets and lifestyles.
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 21 x 20.37 x 28 inches
- Weight: 30 pounds
- Harness Type: 5-Point
Safety Ratings:
- We were unable to find NHTSA ratings due to a website error. We will update this section with sourced information as soon as it is available. We apologize for any inconvenience.
5. Chicco KeyFit 30
Coming in at around 9.5 pounds, this lightweight stroller also won’t hurt the budget. Most of the listings we reviewed have this model for around $200, which is the cheapest on this list. The only thing to consider is that it doesn’t support children over 30 pounds, so an upgrade will be needed in the future.
Since this car seat is compatible with infants 4 to 30 pounds, ease of use is a great addition to the features list. The easy snap function of the base allows for seamless transitions on the go and that feature also extends to about 8 strollers from various manufacturers. There is a detachable head and shoulder padding section that makes adjusting for size a walk in the park as well.
Messes are bound to happen with little ones, so Chicco made sure to make the cleaning process fairly easy. You can remove the cover and throw it in the wash. Based on our study of reviews and manuals, make sure to hang dry for the best results.
The KeyFit 30 shines in the head-injury safety category and the acceleration tests have it in the average range. For the price and compatibility, this is a great car seat that is sure to be a well-loved addition to your baby gear list.
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 27.5 by 16.8 by 24.0 inches
- Weight: 16.6 pounds (with base)
- Harness Type: 5-point
Safety Ratings:
- Head Injury Criteria: 330
- Impact Acceleration Tests: 51 g-units
- Ease of Use: 4 out of 5 stars (Test Results)
NHTSA Car Seat Tests & Understanding Them
The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) is the leading source of information regarding all things vehicle safety. A major facet of this is infant and child transportation safety. For car seats and booster seats to be used in the United States, they must be given the stamp of approval by the NHTSA. Without this approval, the failed product is not allowed to be sold to consumers. This helps protect families in the case of vehicular accidents. Two of the tests conducted are Crash Impact Tests and Ease of Use Tests. The first test ensures the car seat’s ability to survive collisions, and the second test scores its ability to be installed and removed into a vehicle.
Car Seat Crash Tests
There is a lot of science and math involved in testing these collisions, but I will keep it basic for the sake of this article. If you would like to view the entire test details from the NHTSA see our sources list below or this link for a detailed explanation.
This test utilizes massive forces to scale the seat’s ability to dissipate the force exerted on the crash dummy’s head and chest. Too much force is considered anything over 60 g-units throughout 3 milliseconds for the chest area, while the head is tested at intervals of 36 milliseconds. The 36-millisecond interval on the head test uses a computer calculation from the NHTSA which ultimately gives us the number 1,000 for Head Injury Criteria (or HIC). What is important for parents is the lower the numbers the safer the car seat. All car seats should have a HIC of less than 1,000 and a g-units number of less than 60. All of the seats listed in our reviews were compared based on the NHTSA’s findings for each test.
Car Seat Ease of Use Tests
Every year the NHTSA releases its reports and decisions on car seats’ ease of use. This rating takes into account things such as legibility and data found in the manuals and labeling, ability to be installed in a vehicle, and ability to secure a child into the restraints. Each seat is given a rating between one and five, with five being the best rating. All car seats in our list were evaluated using this rating along with tons of other data we reviewed.
Please note that both tests conducted by the NHTSA are independent of each other. A high ease of use rating does not automatically mean that a car seat will score well on the crash test, and vice versa.
State Rear-Facing Car Seat Laws
Please view the table below to ensure that your state does not have extended rear-facing requirements. We believe that all children should be kept in the rear-facing position for as long as possible, but each state also has its standards.
| State | Rear-facing Requirement |
| Alabama | Until 1 year old or 20 lbs. |
| Alaska | Until 1 year old or 20 lbs. |
| California | Until 2 years old or 40lbs./40 in. |
| Colorado | Until 1 year old or 20 lbs. |
| Connecticut | Until 2 years old or 30 lbs. |
| District of Columbia | Until 2 years old or 40 lbs./40 in. |
| Illinois | Until 2 years old or 40 lbs./40 in. |
| Iowa | Until 1 year old or 20 lbs. |
| Louisiana | Until 2 years old |
| Nebraska | Until 2 years & outgrown car seat limits |
| New Jersey | Until 2 years and 30 lbs. |
| New Mexico | Until 1 year old and outgrown car seat limits |
| New York | Until 2 years old and outgrown car seat limits |
| Oklahoma | Until 2 years old and outgrown car seat limits |
| Oregon | Until 2 years old |
| Pennsylvania | Until 2 years old and outgrown car seat limits |
| Puerto Rico | Until 2 years old or 30 lbs. |
| Rhode Island | Until 2 years old or 30 lbs. |
| South Carolina | Until 2 years old or 30 lbs. |
| South Dakota | Until 2 years old and outgrown car seat limits |
| Tennessee | Until 1 year old or 20 lbs. |
| Vermont | Until 1 year old or 20 lbs. |
| Virginia | Until 2 years old and outgrown car seat limits |
| Washington | Until 2 years old and outgrown car seat limits |
| Wisconsin | Until 1 year old or 20 lbs. |
For any state not listed, they do not have a law and only request that you adhere to the limits of your car seat. Of course, we recommend following the American Academy of Pediatrics’ advice and keeping your child rear-facing as long as possible. If you would like to learn more about rear-facing recommendations and laws in your state, please follow this link.
Best Car Seat Practices
Car seats are available in tons of different shapes, sizes, and functions, so please be sure to ALWAYS read the manual before installing or placing your child in it. Understanding your car seat and how to properly adjust it, allow your child the best comfort and safety levels. ALWAYS place the car seat in the position called out in the manual for your child’s current weight and height and be sure to update this regularly as they continue to grow.
Most companies utilize instructional videos on their websites to showcase the proper installation of car seats if you learn better through visual aids. If you are having trouble installing a car seat and would like to seek professional help, police and fire departments have certified child passenger safety technicians, who specialize in this department. You can also look up other CPSs near you at cert.safekids.org.
Our Take
There are a TON of amazing options out there to choose from when deciding on the perfect car seat for you and your little one. We hope that our in-depth analysis and review of these car seats taught you something you didn’t know or maybe even helped you make a purchase decision.
We do believe that the UPPAbaby Mesa and Graco 4Ever DLX are amazing car seats and both will serve you and your family well, but the others on this list and most that we reviewed are amazing contenders and you can’t go wrong. The NHTSA takes a lot of time and is extremely thorough in their testing, so please know that most car seats, whether they are easy to use or not, are safe for your child.
Please feel free to print this out and save it for your shopping list. Also, be sure to check out our source links below for hundreds of pages of information. This article is an extremely condensed version of all of our research to make it more enjoyable for you. We know that reading through testing data can be boring, which is why we did it for you.
Thank You for Reading
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to check out others in our Articles section. We recommend reading this post for more great buys!
Sources
- Waizmann, Hannah, Cincinnati Children’s, “Growth, Range of Height and Weight,” April 2019. Accessed June 14, 2022.
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Traffic Safety Facts Annual Report Tables – Table 69: Vehicle Occupants Killed and Injured, by Age Group and Vehicle Type,” May 25, 2021. Accessed June 14, 2022.
- Governors Highway Safety Association, “Child Passenger Safety.” Accessed June 14, 2022.
- The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, “Child Safety,” April 2021. Accessed June 14, 2022.
- Mayo Clinic, “Car seat safety: Avoid 9 common mistakes,” October 21, 2020. Accessed June 14, 2022.
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Car Seat Recommendations for Children.” Accessed June 14, 2022.
- Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute, “49 CFR § 571.213 – Standard No. 213; Child restraint systems.” Accessed June 14, 2022.
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Motor Vehicle Occupant and Motorcyclist Fatalities by Age Group, 1994 – 2019 – State: USA.” Accessed July 1, 2021.
- Alpha Technology Associate, Inc., National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Child Restraint Ease of Use Ratings 2019 Rating Year, Submission 2,” February 27, 2020. Accessed June 14, 2022.
- Hoffman, Benjamin D, MD, American Academy of Pediatrics, “New Child Passenger Safety Seat Guidance Advises Kids to Ride Rear-Facing as Long as Possible; Drops Age Criterion,” August 20, 2018. Accessed June 14, 2022.
- Alpha Technology Associate, Inc., National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Child Restraint Ease of Use Ratings 2020 Rating Year,” December 17, 2020. Accessed June 14, 2022.
Why I Did This Article
As a sort of brand-new father, I understand that feeling of searching for the “perfect” item to buy for different sections of the baby gear list. Finding a car seat is one of the hardest and was my least favorite. For one, they all seem the same, but the engineer in me told me they were all very different, but how? How can all these similarly-looking seats be different and how can some be so much safer or easier to use than others?
After tons of research, my wife and I got one, not that we regretted the purchase, but it could have been better. I started to understand what makes a car seat great, not only for the baby/child but for an adult. Carrying it, installing it, you name it, can make or break your travel plans. Having a car seat that does not cooperate with you when you need it to can test your patience almost as much as your baby’s screaming because she wants the toy she just threw…again.
I love researching topics and enjoy learning about better ways to be a dad or parent. One of those ways is baby gear. Researching all of this information to share with you was a lot of fun (I know that sounds crazy) and I hope you can learn a little bit from this article. Having something that can make purchasing large items easier is always nice, so that is why I wrote this article.
Disclaimer
All prices and data presented in this article are subject to change based on the manufacturer or organization’s updates. Please view the current prices through the links provided.
I am not a certified transportation professional and am strictly presenting information from my own perception of the analysis I reviewed. We sifted through over 20 documents and 10 test reports to bring you a consolidated list of what we believe are the top 5 baby and child car seats. Please seek a certified professional for all questions relating to your specific car seat and how to install or maintain its condition. This article is strict to assist you in decision-making and in no way takes the place of a licensed professional’s guidance.
For any questions on the content of this article, please contact us at support@dadverse.net
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