Safest Car Seats - You May Be Shocked

No car seat can be sold on the market in the United States without passing certain safety restrictions and crash tests.

Unfortunately, it is impossible for us to determine the safest car seats based on these, because the manufacturers are not required to release this information, and they don’t. However, we can be sure that every car seat on the market does meet or exceed United States governmental regulations.

Each year, Consumer Reports does do independent crash test ratings of car seats. It should be noted, however, that these tests are often discounted by scientists for various reasons, including past mistakes, and what they consider poor reporting and poor parameters. However, it may be a good starting point.

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’ most recent test included eleven rear-facing infant car seats. It was a retest of the previous year’s test, which had some errors. All eleven seats met governmental crash test standards when attached using the seat belt and when using the LATCH.

(LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children.) Again, we find the United States’ pass/fail system fails to provide us a “best” and “worst” model.

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.

However, the Baby Trend Flex-Loc and Graco SnugRide were named Best Buys for their features in combination with price.