Tested: The Best Child Car Seats for 2024, as Chosen by Experts

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To find the best car seats on the market, the choice for Hearst Autos was relatively simple. Do we (1) enlist a bunch of gearheads and car nerds like ourselves to acquire, examine, and test every child car seat on the market, figuring it out as we go and hoping we get it right? Or do we (2) lean on the 120-plus years of product knowledge and testing expertise of our colleagues at Good Housekeeping? As you may have guessed, we packed up our egos and took a walk down 57th street to visit our friends at the Good Housekeeping Institute.

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When it comes to testing products—notably those intended for child safety—Good Housekeeping takes things seriously. The venerable home and lifestyle magazine has been awarding its highest honor to products and services for over a century. Today the Good Housekeeping Institute employs dozens of engineers, scientists, testers, and editors whose job is to evaluate products and inform consumers. Their lab takes up an entire floor of the Hearst Tower in Manhattan. For us, that's right up the block.

We reached out to Rachel Rothman, chief technologist and executive technical director of Good Housekeeping, who oversees product testing at the Institute. The GH Institute still puts thousands of products to the test every year to determine the best of the best. The Good Housekeeping testing lab evaluates everything from home goods and appliances to garden tools and outdoor furniture to automobile gadgets and, you guessed it, child car seats. Rothman oversees the testing and evaluation of it all.

Mechanical Engineer, GH Institute Chief Technologist, and Mom of Three

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The testing lab had just finished putting a ton of new child car seats through its proverbial wringer, and Rothman was more than happy to share her team's findings with Hearst Autos. So what's the best car seat for your child? Review the testing results below.

The Best Child Car Seats of 2023

For its May 2022 issue, Good Housekeeping tested dozens of new child car seats, and selected winners in key categories: Best for Infants, Best Convertible, Best Booster, Best All-In-One, and Best Combination. When it comes to consumer products and testing procedures, the folks at the Good Housekeeping Institute are the best in the business.

"At the Good Housekeeping Institute, engineers and analysts assess car seats for how easy it is to properly install a car seat in a variety of vehicles, as well as how simple it is to secure a child," Rothman said. "We look at the ease of releasing and carrying the seat and more. We ultimately want to make sure the car seats work for the individual family."

Here are the top-rated child car seats in 2023, according to Good Housekeeping.

Best Car Seat for Infants

Good Housekeeping's testing lab picked the Chicco KeyFit 30 as the Best Infant Car Seat, saying, "This infant car seat stood out to our lab experts for its ease of installation, which is crucial to ensuring your child's safety. The carrier also clicks from the car-seat base directly into a range of compatible strollers, making the entire transportation process a breeze. Plus, it's approved for infants as little as four pounds with removable support for head and body."

The rear-facing KeyFit 30 is designed for infants from four to 30 pounds and up to 30 inches tall. It comes in four distinct styles and a variety of colors. It's available directly from Chicco and at major retailers like Walmart and Target.

• Dimensions: ‎27.5 by 16.8 by 24.0 inches

• Weight: 16.6 pounds (with base)

• Harness Type: 5-point

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Best Convertible Car Seat

The Britax Boulevard ClickTight Anti-Rebound Bar was Good Housekeeping's pick for the best convertible car seat. The team's findings about the Britax: "The higher height and weight limits allowed kids to stay rear-facing longer, which the American Pediatric Association advises for increased safety." Convertible car seats can accommodate young children well into toddlerhood. They're more expensive, but most parents believe they're worth it. Because the seats "grow" with your child, you won't have to size up just because your child did.

The Boulevard ClickTight Anti-Rebound Bar car seat is available direct from Britax and at Bed Bath & Beyond.

• Dimensions: 18.5 by 23.5 by 23.0 inches

• Weight: 29.4 pounds

• Harness Type: 14-position adjustable

buy at babylist

Best Car Booster Seat

For the best booster, the Institute found that the high-backed Diono Monterey XT "achieves a more custom fit than other options. You can also remove the back completely for kids who don’t require the added support. The expanded weight and height means it can safely accommodate children up to 120 pounds and 63 inches tall, with a wide comfortable seat and two retractable cupholders." While the wider seat can be a blessing, it means less space for others in the back seat.

The Monterey XT comes in four shades and is available at Nordstrom, Target, and Buy Buy Baby.

• Dimensions: 26.0 by 16.0 by 20.0 inches

• Weight: 13.9 pounds
  

• Harness Type: Seatbelt
  

buy at bed bath & beyond

Best All-In-One Car Seat

While a convertible car seat will last a few years, an all-in-one might be the only child car seat you'll ever need. The GH Institute found that this Graco 4Ever DLX car seat "transitions from a rear-facing car seat to forward-facing car seat to high-back booster to backless booster, allowing your child to fully utilize the 10-year life span of the product. Our experts love that it installs easily with LATCH and is highly adjustable with a 10-position headrest, six-position recline, and a no-rethread harness. It also comes with two cupholders and machine-washable seat pads."

The 4Ever DLX comes un multiple colors and shades and is widely available. You can find it at Graco, as well as at big-box stores like Buy Buy Baby, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Target.

• Dimensions: 20.0 by 21.5 by 24.0 inches

• Weight: 22.8 pounds
  

• Harness Type: 5-point
  

buy at walmart

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Best Combination Car Seat

The Doona Car Seat & Stroller has a clever design. It transitions from rear-facing car seat to complete stroller in seconds. GH said of the Doona: "This car-seat-and-stroller combo is a single piece. It expands and retracts quickly and can easily be fitted into the car-seat latch base without disturbing your little one. Our reviewers were impressed with its all-in-one design and safety features."

The Car Seat & Stroller can be purchased directly from Doona, or you can find it at Target and Dillards. It's also available at stores like Buy Buy Baby.

• Dimensions: 23.6 by 26.0 by 17.3 inches

• Weight: 16.5 pounds
  

• Harness Type: 5-point
  

buy at babylist