In order for any car seat to be sold in the United States, the product must pass safety ratings and crash tests.
Despite these regulations, not all car seats are created equal, and there is no way we can find out which are the safest car seats based on these tests; manufacturers aren't legally required to release this information. But at the very least, we can be assured that each car seat sold in the United States meets or exceeds the regulations.
That's why we have Consumer Reports, which tests car seats and their effectiveness in car crashes. However, it's worth noting that scientists have often discounted these tests for reasons such as past mistakes, and also for what they see as poor parameters and poor reporting. However, Consumer Reports is still a good place to start.
Consumer Reports has written about its top picks over the years. Do remember, however, that even the safest car seat in the world is only as safe as the user. If you don't install it properly or use it properly each time your child rides in the car, then of course it's not safe.
Consumer Reports recently conducted tests using eleven infant car seats that were rear-facing. They were re-doing the test from the previous year, which had errors. All the seats met governmental test standards when using the LATCH and when attaching them using the seat belt. LATCH is an acronym for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children.) Once again, the US' system of testing fails to gives us any idea of which were the best and worst performing models.
Consumer Reports recognized this and tried to figure out which were the safest car seats by adding a rating system for Ease of Use and Fit to Vehicle. Both of these will be important factors in a car seat's safety. If the car seat doesn't fit inside the car properly, you won't be able to install it safely. The harder it is to install the car seat, the more likely you will not fasten the car seat safely and properly. Using these guidelines, Consumer Reports rated the Chicco Key Fit as the safest car seat. The second safest car seat was the Britax Companion.
At the same time, Consumer Reports rated Baby Trend Flex-Loc and Graco SnugRide as the Best Buys. This accounts for the features you get for the price.
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