Finding the right infant car seat for your family is often hard to do. There are so many options out on the market, and so many price points and features available.

Having owned a baby store for over 7 years, being a Child Passenger Safety Tech and a practicing pediatric chiropractor has helped me narrow down a list of TOP 7 BEST INFANT CAR SEATS FOR 2021 to help you on your journey to finding the right seat for your child. I take your child’s safety very seriously and put a lot of thought and research into my top choices. But first things first,…..

A Quick Re-Cap on the Different Types of Car Seats

There are several different types of car seats available and they all serve a unique purpose. Most families start with an infant car seat, then transition to a convertible car seat, then a 5-point combination harness-to-booster, and finally a belt-positioning booster seat. For a full comparison between all the types of seats, see our link below at the end of this article:

BABY LOGIC TOP 7 BEST INFANT CAR SEATS OF 2021

SAFEST: Britax B-Safe Gen2 Flexfit+ Infant Car Seat
MOST AFFORDABLE: Graco Snugride Snuglock 35 Infant Car Seat
LIGHTEST: Nuna Pipa Lite R Infant Car Seat
FAMILY FAVORITE: Chicco Keyfit35 Infant Car Set
EASIEST TO INSTALL: Uppbaby Mesa Infant Car Seat
MOST INNOVATIVE: Maxi Cosi Coral XP Infant Car Seat (Honorable Mention: Doona Infant Car Seat/Stroller combo)
BEST FOR SMALL CARS: Chicco Keyfit 30 Infant car seat

SAFEST INFANT CAR SEAT:

Britax B-Safe Gen2 Flexfit+ Infant Car Seat

This is one of my all-time favorite seats. The Britax B-Safe Gen2 Flexfit+ infant car seat wins our TOP PICK for safest infant car seat because year after year, they top the consumer reports for both safety features and ease of use. They are jam packed with safety add-ons, exceed all safety and ease of use testing AND are at mid-range regarding price point. This is what we love about the B-Safe Gen2 Flexfit+:

Suitable for children 4 – 35lbs and up to 32″ in height
Features anti-rebound bar on base for additional support during a collision
Safecell Technology throughout seat (acts as crumple zone)
Steel-reinforced frame in base
European belt guide
Machine washable fabric
No-rethread harness
Large canopy with UPF 50+
Compatible with a variety of car seat brands (adapters sold separately)
Makes an easy travel system with Britax strollers using Click + Go technology (no additional adapters needed)
2 layers of side impact protection on headrest
Expires in 6 years
Easy to install with exclusive SafeCenter LATCH

MOST AFFORDABLE INFANT CAR SEAT:

Graco Snugride Snuglock 35 Infant Car Seat

The Graco Snugride Snuglock 35 infant car seat wins our TOP PICK for most affordable. While it isn’t the cheapest car seat available, it hits on many of our “wants” in a seat, at an affordable price. Why do we love this seat?

Suitable for infants from 4-35 lbs and up to 32″ tall
Removable newborn head and body support
Storage for LATCH connectors and manual when not in use
Front-adjust harness
Rotating canopy
Energy absorbing foam to minimize forces during impact
Meet or exceeds all safety crash testing
Side impact tested
“Snuglock Technology” on base installs in less than 1 minute
Adjustable base with 4 positions
Travel system compatible

graco snugride 35 snuglock adjustable base

graco snugride snuglock features infant car seat

LIGHTEST INFANT CAR SEAT:

Nuna Pipa Lite R Infant Car Seat

If you’ve been looking for the lightest seat on the market right now, the Nuna Pipa Lite R infant car seat is the seat for you! This is our TOP PICK for lightest seat and it has much more going for it than just being easy on your back! It’s made of super premium materials – aerospace aluminum and Aeroflex™ foam – which not only provide ultimate safety and protection but it allows the Pipa Lite R to weigh in at ONLY 5.3lbs!!!! The materials are also free of fire retardant additives. The base installs like a dream and features on-the-go recline. What else do we love about the Nuna Pipa Lite R?

Full coverage canopy is removable, has a flip out eyeshade and UPF 50+
Travel system compatible
Suitable for children 4-32 lbs and up to 32″ tall
4 position on-the-go recline
Made of aerospace aluminum and Aeroflex™ foam making it ONLY 5.3lbs
Free of fire retarding additives
Bubble-free base with on-the-go recline
RLX base with 3-position adjustable load leg
Integrated harness holders
4-position adjustable rigid latch to reduce gaps during install
5-second true lock installation
Anti rebound panel
Removable headrest with memory foam
No-rethread harness
Indicators turn green when base is installed correctly
So many more things to ❤️

FAMILY FAVORITE INFANT CAR SEAT:

Chicco Keyfit35 Infant Car Seat

Suitable for children 4-35lbs and up to 32″ tall
More legroom
No-rethread harness with additional headrest space
Integrated anti-rebound bar for added stability
Easy instal with SuperCinch LATCH system
Large canopy with UPS 50+
Easily connect to Chicco strollers to transform into a travel system
Removable head and body positioner for newborns from 4 – 11lbs
LockSure®️ steel reinforced belt system
European belt path for base-less installation

EASIEST INFANT CAR SEAT TO INSTALL:

Uppbaby Mesa Infant Car Seat

The Uppababy Mesa infant car seat wins our TOP PICK for easiest installation. It is one of the only car seats that uses a tightness indicator and self-retracting LATCH connectors. This allows for quick, easy and accurate installation of your infant car seat base. The indicator changes to green so you know it’s installed correctly, giving you peace of mind. This is one of the reasons the Mesa has a 5 star rating with NHSTA. Other reasons why we love this seat:

Auto-retracting LATCH connectors
Low profile base with level indicators
Adjustable base ensures perfect fit in vehicle
Side impact protection in the headrest, minimizing exterior forces during a collision
Base with built-in lockoffs
No-rethread harness
Hideaway canopy with UPF 25+
Both Jordan and Henry are FREE of fire retardant chemicals
Infant insert optimizes safe travel for premies
Suitable for children 4-35lbs and up to 32″ tall
Travel system ready

MOST INNOVATIVE INFANT CAR SEAT:

Maxi Cosi Coral XP Infant Car Seat

The Maxi Cosi Coral XP infant car seat is a super cool seat! It’s innovative and nothing like anything we’ve seen on the market. Its unique 3-part nesting system allows for the inner part of the car seat – the lightweight carrier – to be removed from the outer carrier to significantly lighten the load while out and about. The inner carrier weighs in at ONLY 5lbs and features a one-of-a-kind cross-body strap to allow you to carry this seat like no other seat! For any parent that have ever toted their little one around in an infant car seat, you know how heavy and bulky they are. This is a GAME-CHANGER! Other features of this seat include:

Innovative cross-body strap
Inner carrier weighs ONLY 5lbs
Travel system compatible
Exceeds all safety standards
4-ways to carry it (Cross-body carry, Handle carry, Standard carry and Stroller push)
Suitable for children 4-22lbs and up to 30″ tall
Base features a stability leg to prevent rotation during a crash

BEST FOR SMALL CARS:

Chicco Keyfit 30 Infant car seat

The Chicco Keyfit 30 infant car seat is one of the narrowest infant car seats on the market now, making it our TOP PICK for small cars. It measures in at only 17″ wide and is also loaded with safety features, which is why we love this seat so much. This seat can easily fit in most vehicles and can fit side by side with other car seats or passengers. Other features of the Keyfit 30 include:

Suitable for children 4-30 lbs and up to 30″ tall
ReclineSure®️ leveling foot on base
ONLY 17″ wide
RideRight®️ bubble level indicators
SuperCinch®️ latch tightener
Travel system compatible
Newborn positioner
One pull harness
Adjustable, removable canopy
Energy absorbing foam for impact protection
Machine washable

WANT MORE?:

Car Seat 101 – The Difference Between an Infant Bucket Seat, Convertible Car Seat, All-in-One, Harness to Booster and Belt-Positioning Booster Seat

SHOULD I BUY A USED CAR SEAT? [NEW VS. USED]

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