Choose the Right Model
As your child grows, you’ll need to transition from one car seat to another. We explain the different types to help you zero in on the right one for your needs. For more information on which cars work best with child seats, see the Driving With Kids, or Child Safety, sections of our vehicle road-test reports.
Infant Car Seat
This is the first seat for most new parents. It can only be installed rear-facing, and it has a removable carrier that connects to a base installed in the car.
This car seat provides the best fit for newborns and smaller babies, and can be used for children from 4 to 40 lbs. (depending on the model). Most kids will probably get too tall before they get too heavy for these car seats. A child is too tall when the crown of his head is less than 1 inch from the top of the car seat’s carrier shell or when she exceeds the height limits of the seat.
Price range: $80 to $500
Convertible Seat
The next step after outgrowing an infant seat, is a convertible seat, which should be purchased no later than your child’s first birthday. It can be installed rear- or forward-facing.
The harness system, similar to an infant car seat’s, has a higher rear-facing weight limit. This means kids can ride rear-facing longer, which CR and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend as the safest option.
It must be installed rear-facing for children younger than 1 and weighing less than 20 lbs. These seats can be used rear-facing up to 40 to 50 lbs. (depending on the seat). Some manufacturers allow forward-facing after age 1, but CR recommends rear-facing up to the rear-facing limits of the seat. In some states (CA, CT, DC, IL, LA, ME, NE, NJ, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, VA, WA), children younger than 2 years must ride this way. When your child is ready, the seat can be turned around and used forward-facing until it’s time for a booster seat.
Many can hold children as heavy as 65 lbs. Although the minimum weight limit allows for newborns and smaller infants, this type of seat often doesn’t provide the best fit for smaller babies or the convenience of a detachable carrier.
Price range: $40 to $450
Booster Seat
When your child outgrows the weight or height limit of a forward-facing seat’s harness, it’s time for a booster that uses a car’s own seat belt.
Boosters raise a child up in the car so that the seat belt fits correctly—over the sternum and the center of the collarbone (not the neck) and low across the upper thighs (rather than the abdomen). They come in two main styles, high-back and backless.
Although backless versions are portable and easy to install, we recommend high-back models, because they better position the shoulder belt, provide some side-impact protection, and are more comfortable for children to lay their heads against.
Many states have booster laws, some of which require children as old as 9 years and as heavy as 80 lbs. to use a booster.
Price range: $11 to $320
All-in-One Car Seats
These provide great value by taking a child from birth to booster seat. They’re a tempting money-saver, but our tests have found that by trying to do too much they don’t do any single task all that well.
This type of seat accommodates children from 4 to 50 lbs. sitting rear-facing, kids from 20 to 65 lbs. forward-facing in a harness, and kids from 30 to 120 lbs. in booster mode.
All-in-one car seats are often large and heavy, lack the convenience of a detachable carrier, and might not fit smaller babies (or smaller vehicles). They could be a good backup seat or a seat for a caregiver who transports a child less often.
Price range: $100 to $300
Toddler Booster
These can be used only by children who are at the appropriate weight, age, and height limits to sit facing forward.
Designed to be forward-facing only, these have a harness (for use up to a certain height and weight), and then transition to a booster, removing the harness. They’re for children weighing between 20 and 90 lbs. harnessed, and 30 to 120 lbs. in booster mode.
Toddler boosters are a less expensive alternative to convertible seats (if your child meets the forward-facing age and weight requirements), and they offer a safe option for an older child not yet ready for a booster or a transition seat.
Price range: $55 to $295
Video Buying Guide
For more, watch our video below.
Terms to Learn
Here’s a quick look at the most common features on the seat types. When installing, be sure to follow the vehicle owner’s manual and seat instructions, and consider having your installation checked by a Child Passenger Safety Technician at a car seat checkup event.
LATCH Connectors
A harnessed child seat will be equipped with either push-on, hook-style, or rigid lower anchor LATCH (Lower Anchor and Tethers for Children) connectors. These attach to the lower anchors embedded in the crease of the vehicle seat. All cars built after 2002 have these LATCH anchors. They have a weight limit, so when the combined weight of your child and car seat exceeds 65 lbs., install the seat using the vehicle’s own seat belt. You can also check your seat’s labels for when to stop installing with LATCH.
Top Tether Strap
Forward-facing harness seats include a top tether strap that anchors to the vehicle seat and keeps the shell of the child seat secure, significantly reducing the potential for head injuries. We recommend that you secure the top tether for all forward-facing installations.
Harness System
All infant, convertible, all-in-one, and toddler booster seats have a built-in adjustable harness system. As your child grows, you’ll need to continually adjust the harness so that straps are located correctly. In rear-facing seats, harness straps should be at or below the baby’s shoulders. In forward-facing seats, straps should be at or above the shoulders. Many harnesses are adjusted by rethreading the straps through slots in the fabric and seat shell, but some offer an easier, external harness adjustment option. In all cases, the chest clip should be at armpit level. The harness is tight enough when you can’t pinch any strap fabric at the child’s shoulders.
Recline Indicator
If a seat can be installed rear-facing, a recline indicator tells you whether it’s at the correct angle. (We find ball or bubble indicators to be easier to read than a simple level line.) Some seats have recline ranges for different ages—babies start out more reclined to avoid obstructing their breathing, then get more upright as they get older, allowing more room for front-seat passengers.
Accessories
Many seats come with covers/pads/cushions to help with fit and give a more comfy ride. Use only accessories that are approved for your particular car seat by the car seat manufacturer.
LATCH Connectors
A harnessed child seat will be equipped with either push-on, hook-style, or rigid lower anchor LATCH (Lower Anchor and Tethers for Children) connectors. These attach to the lower anchors embedded in the crease of the vehicle seat. All cars built after 2002 have these LATCH anchors. They have a weight limit, so when the combined weight of your child and car seat exceeds 65 lbs., install the seat using the vehicle’s own seat belt. You can also check your seat’s labels for when to stop installing with LATCH.
What to Know Before You Buy
• Know your child: Get used to keeping track of your child’s height and weight, which (along with age) can determine seat size and when its time to move up to the next level. Note: Any behavioral or health issues will also affect your choice.
• Know your stores: Some retailers will let you test-install a seat in your car, which is great because we’ve found that cushion angle or seat belt placement can make a car and child seat incompatible. Also a must: a store that accepts returns. Large department stores such as Target and Walmart offer a limited range of products in stores and a wider selection available online. Online retailers such as Albee Baby, Amazon, Buy Buy Baby, and Diapers.com offer an even larger selection of seat brands and models. Many retailers offer free shipping on car seats. Make online purchases only after you’ve seen the models in real life. You can find higher-end models at specialty stores or boutiques.
• Know your car: Check the child-safety sections of your vehicle owner’s manual, and study up on relevant features such as belts, LATCH, and seats.
If It's Not Your First Seat...
Even seasoned parents may be fuzzy on the right seat type and when it’s time for a change. Check out our recommendations for the minimum number of seats your child will need before he or she is ready for just the vehicle seat belt by itself.
• Keep your baby rear-facing until at least 2 years old, or they exceed the rear-facing height or weight limits of their seat. CR recommends moving your child to a rear-facing convertible no later than their first birthday for added head protection.
• Until your child outgrows the harness height or weight limits, stick with a forward-facing harness.
• Your child needs a booster seat until they are 57 inches tall, between 8 and 12 years old, and fits the vehicle belts correctly.
• You should replace a seat that’s damaged in any way or that has been in a severe accident (use NHTSA’s checklist).
• Even after your child is ready to use just the vehicle belt alone, they should ride in the backseat until age 13.
• Seats that have not been in a crash can be reused, but they do expire. Some have a printed date—usually on the manufacturer’s label or molded into the seat, which always includes a production date. Others will expire in a certain number of years, so it’s up to you to check the child seat manual and do the math.
5 Ways to Make Sure Your Child Is Safe
Studies conducted by NHTSA and in the field indicate that car seat, booster seat, and seat belt misuse rates vary from 74 to 90 percent. Yes, you read that right—the majority of child seats are not installed correctly. Here’s how to do it properly:
Right seat: Check the seat’s height and weight limits (see our timeline above). Age is also an important factor because it is reflective of your child’s skeletal development.
Seat tight: Once installed, the seat shouldn’t move more than 1 inch side to side or front to back. Don’t get discouraged—this can be tricky.
Harness height: In rear-facing installation, the harness straps are at or below your baby’s shoulders. For forward-facing, harness straps should be at or above a tot’s shoulders. The chest clip should always be at armpit level.
Harness tight: If your child is secured properly, you shouldn’t be able to pinch any fabric on the straps at the child’s shoulders.
Final check: Recline right and tether tight. Check the recline angle for rear-facing seats (most have an indicator) to avoid allowing the child’s head to fall forward and obstruct breathing.
For forward-facing seats installed with either LATCH or seat belt, always attach and tighten the top tether to help prevent forward movement, which could cause head injury.
More Car Seat Resources
Check this list to help you keep your kid safe on-the-go:
Find a Child Passenger Safety Technician in your area (SafeKids, NHTSA)
How to Avoid Common Car-Seat Installation Mistakes
Do’s and Don’ts of Infant Car-Seat Use
How to Safely Transport Your Newborn by Car During the Pandemic
Proper Top Tether Installation
Installing Child Car Seats in the Rear Center Seat
5 Ways to Know If Your Child Should Still Be Using a Booster Seat
How to Choose A Safe Booster Seat
The Dangers of Winter Coats and Car Seats
Can I Reuse or Donate My Car Seat?
Hot Car Fatalities are a Year-Round Threat to Children and Pets
