Despite the misinterpretations of Meghan McCain (that was a whole drama, wasn’t it?) car seats are absolutely an essential item. In fact, the NYC hospital where I gave birth would not let me leave the premises without one — no matter how much I whined that it was wasteful because I didn’t even know how to drive (I wanted them to let me just strap my newborn into a chest carrier and wear him on the subway. But alas: safety, laws, yadayada).
The point is: Every parent — and child — needs a car seat. But there are so goddamn many out there. Where do you even begin?
That sense of decision-making overwhelm is why we turned to the experts — not in car seat design and manufacturing, but in actually shoving small humans into them every day. That’s right: We asked our fellow moms. We polled parents in the know for their #1 go-to car seat, and why. After all, a great seat needs to truly do it all; it’s got to be sturdy, comfy, easy-to-insert, user-friendly, and above all super safe. The picks on this list have all that and more (and by “more” we mean things like cup holders, huzzah!). And for those of us who want to be “one and done” when it comes to car seat purchases, you can’t beat a convertible seat that will transform with your kid from infant to toddler to big-kid size.
Ahead are the best car seats on the market — and why these real moms swear by them.
A version of this story was originally published in May 2020.
Chicco Fit4 4-in-1 Convertible Car Seat
We’re starting with the top rec of a certain mom who should know: Me, it’s me. I’m a single mom of a four-year-old, which means I never sit down and I’m always trying to do precisely 97 things at once, without much success. So, for me, an all-in-one car seat that will fit my kid throughout his childhood is absolutely clutch. This one is cozy, sturdy, easy to install (gasp!), and even transitions through the stages, from baby to big-kid, without stress or too many steps. Plus: Cupholders. I rest my case.
New mom Erika Hardison of Fabulize Mag is right there with me. “I’m a first-time mom,” she tells SheKnows, “and I’ve been pretty impressed with the Chicco brand. I have the Fit4 4-in-1 Convertible Car Seat Seat and one of the things I really love about it is how it’s growing with my baby. It’s functional, roomy and reliable. I don’t have to worry about reinforcing her seat when she is front-facing, and she will be in this seat until she’s 100 lbs! I didn’t even know car seats could be that long-lasting. My daughter really enjoys it; she doesn’t have a lot of patience with other car seats, but this one makes her feel like a big girl.”
Check out Chicco’s most recent all-in-one models HERE.
Doona Infant Convertible Car Seat and Stroller
Doona’s clever feat of engineering — a car seat that easily converts into a stroller once you reach your destination — is beloved by 14K Amazon shoppers and celebrity moms like Brittany Mahomes and Shawn Johnson.
“It’s lifesaving,” Johnson said of the brilliant hybrid product.
Graco Grows4Me 4-in-1 Convertible Car Seat
“My firstborn is two years old and my second daughter is one year old,” new mom Cheeia Xiong of NotesByCheeia tells SheKnows. “I really didn’t know much about car seats and what I wanted, because I didn’t have friends who had children. With that being said, we received the Graco Grows4Me 4-in-1 Convertible Car Seat from our baby shower and I love it! As cheesy as it sounds, it really grows with your little ones… It’s supposed to grow with the kid for 10 years total. I love the quality, color and most importantly the cup holder or what I call the bottle holder. It also looks comfortable, hugging Olivia in all the right places.”
Stokke PIPA by Nuna Car Seat
“Nuna is our ride or die (pun intended?) car seat brand,” says Chief Content Officer of She Media Cristina Velocci. “We had the PIPA for when our son was an infant and loved the built-in Dream Drape, which is a little retractable canopy that shields out the sun, germs and nosy people…”
Nuna RAVA Convertible Car Seat
“…Now, we have the RAVA convertible car seat in my husband’s car, and that thing is a luxurious beast,” Velocci continues. “It’s not going anywhere — mainly because it weighs a million pounds and is so securely harnessed, it has basically become one with our middle backseat, but also due to the fact that it can be used for children up to 50 pounds. That, and I paid a lot of money for it. It also has 10 reclining positions for those rare occasions when my child naps in the car, and when he does I am honestly jealous because it looks really comfortable.”
Cybex Cloud Q SensorSafe
Mom and author Diksha Basu swears by the Cybex Cloud, “especially if you’re going to travel with it a lot.” This super-portable option has ergonomic fitting and comes with cozy denim-like fabric covering.
UPPAbaby Mesa V2 Infant Car Seat
“We had the UPPAbaby Mesa seats, they were great,” writer and new mom (of twins!) Madison Medeiros tells SheKnows. “We got them because everyone said we’d need infant seats to leave the hospital — and we’d want them to carry the babies around. BUT! I found that really hard with twins!” So take heed: If you’re buying two of these, plan to travel with a buddy (one who has strong arms, preferably).
Chicco MyFit Zip Air Harness and Booster
“I have the Chicco MyFit Zip Air Harness and Booster Car Seat for my 4-year-old and I love it,” Adriana of AdrianaLately tells SheKnows. “It is very easy to install, very sturdy, and padded in the right areas to ensure extra comfort. The straps are long and easy to adjust to ensure maximum protection and comfort for your little one. We enjoy road trips and when my son falls asleep he has extra cushion on the sides to rest his head which is perfect. Overall, this is the best car seat that I have come across. Chicco does it again with this one.”
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