Installation and car fit are the most important things when picking a seat. If a seat is being sold in the US, then it's passed safety standards. I'd focus on picking the right seat for you vehicle(s) versus worried about what seat has the most bells and whistles. Car Seats For Littles is a great group. You can find a lot information there. Also you can't go wrong with one of the big brands, like Graco, which we have used for both our kids. Answer from 16CatsInATrenchcoat on reddit.com
BabyGearLab
babygearlab.com › vehicle safety › car seat reviews
The 10 Best Car Seats | Crash Tested
Nuna Pipa RX
After spending tens of thousands of dollars on crash testing car seats in a certified testing lab, we discovered that not all car seats are equal, despite...
NHTSA
nhtsa.gov › vehicle-safety › car-seats-and-booster-seats
Car Seat & Booster Seat Safety, Ratings, Guidelines | NHTSA
Infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing. Convertible and all-in-one car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.
Videos
Cars.com ranks top 5 cars for car seat safety - Good Morning America
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Consumer Reports | Car seat testing results - YouTube
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Consumer Reports finds concerning safety issues in 2 infant car ...
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Which child car seat is safe? - YouTube
Government of Canada
tc.canada.ca › en › road-transportation › research-testing-vehicles-child-car-seats › compliance-reports-child-car-seats-booster-seats
Compliance reports – child car seats and booster seats
Listing of child car seats and booster seats tested for compliance with Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/sciencebasedparenting › any websites/entities that reliably review car seat safety?
r/ScienceBasedParenting on Reddit: Any websites/entities that reliably review car seat safety?
April 4, 2023 -
I assumed there was some (US) government website that would detail findings from when they're tested, but I'm not seeing anything. Does anyone know of a reliable website to see the outcomes of testing? FTM shopping for an infant seat, and feeling totally overwhelmed!
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Installation and car fit are the most important things when picking a seat. If a seat is being sold in the US, then it's passed safety standards. I'd focus on picking the right seat for you vehicle(s) versus worried about what seat has the most bells and whistles. Car Seats For Littles is a great group. You can find a lot information there. Also you can't go wrong with one of the big brands, like Graco, which we have used for both our kids.
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It is terrifyingly expensive and a litigation magnet to do car seat testing. Consumer Reports caught a huge amount of flack for a not well designed car seat test, and there just aren't that many people willing to try. Wirecutter has tried, and every once in a while someone try, but it is hard expensive and unloved. Clek publishes all their crash tests (which of course means you don't need to look at them as they are excellent). Canadian tests are somewhat stricter. For frontal collisions almost any car seat that is properly installed is fine. The continuing lack of real us side impact standards is problematic though. I would suggest you at least consider just buying a convertible/all in one seat. At least in part because otherwise you are going to have to do this all over again, on less sleep, and after spending a lot of money on an infant seat that will be literally unable to be given away. The whole moving from car to stroller thing is mostly an invitation to violate the no more than 2 hours in 24 rule anyways. Oh and while we are on grim subjects, life insurance and some sort of will are good things to consider. In a collision, it is completely possible to have loose both parents and the kid will be safely ensconced in 30 pounds of foam and steel. Seriously consider making your kid a millionaire orphan instead of a boring one.
CarseatBlog
carseatblog.com › safest-recommended-car-seats
Recommended Car Seats 2026 – CarseatBlog
December 17, 2025 - CSB's 2026 List of Recommended Carseats Our professional, hands-on reviews & ratings help you to find the best car seat or booster for your child. We narrow down all the options in our Editors' Picks list. If you're feeling overwhelmed by too many choices, this abbreviated list is the ideal ...
Car and Driver
caranddriver.com › home › parts, gear, tools, and accessories › the best child car seats of 2025, picked by experts
Overwhelmed by Car Seat Choices? Start With These Expert-Tested Picks
January 18, 2025 - To help you make the best choice for your family, we've teamed up with the experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute, who bring more than 120 years of trusted product-testing experience to the table. The team at Good Housekeeping are not only our upstairs neighbors but also product-testing juggernauts, having rigorously tested dozens of car seats and evaluated them for safety compliance, ease of installation, cleanability, functionality, and value.
Government of Canada
tc.canada.ca › en › road-transportation › defects-recalls-vehicles-tires-child-car-seats › safety-alerts-notices-child-car-seats
Safety alerts and notices for child car seats
General notices provide important safety information related to car seats and booster seats in general.
Government of Canada
tc.canada.ca › en › road-transportation › research-testing-vehicles-child-car-seats › child-car-seat-compliance-testing
Child Car Seat Compliance Testing
All child car seats are tested in a consistent and repeatable manner, as per the applicable safety standard. A seat either passes or fails the various tests. The results are not meant to be used to rate individual child car seats or to compare them against each other.
Car Seat
car-seat.org
Car Seat.Org - Carseat, Automobile & Child Passenger Safety Forums
Discuss Infant, Convertible & Combination Seats, Automobile Compatibility, Three Across and Install Problems. ... Automotive Shopping and Buying Advice on Safe Family Cars, Trucks, Vans and SUVs. Discuss IIHS and NHTSA Crash Tests and Transportation Safety Statistics. ... LF curriculum/resources for teens re: car safety, crash dynamics, etc. ... Comparison tool for top rated carseats from brands like Britax, Chicco, Combi, Cosco, Evenflo, Cybex, Graco, Nuna, Maxi-Cosi & Diono
IIHS
iihs.org › topics › child-safety › boosters
Booster ratings
Manufacturers with top-rated boosters earned the right to use this logo in their advertising. You may encounter it on older models that are still being sold today. Although IIHS no longer conducts booster ratings, there are other sources of information available. Consumer Reports booster ratings are available for free. In addition to belt fit, these ratings take into account ease of use and other factors. Information about recalls of boosters and other child seats is available on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website.
Euro NCAP
euroncap.com › en › car-safety › the-ratings-explained › child-occupant-protection
Euro NCAP | Child Occupant Protection
Euro NCAP assesses child protection with a series of three different tests. Child Restraint Systems and ISOFIX or i-Size are checked.
Car and Driver
caranddriver.com › home › parts, gear, tools, and accessories › tested: best convertible child car seats of 2026
Tested: Best Convertible Child Car Seats of 2026
December 17, 2025 - Since these seats are designed to be used for years, we evaluated every detail, from design and materials to installation and ease of cleaning, so you’re fully prepared to choose a seat that will support your child from toddlerhood through the early kid years. More Gear Tests: Best Infant Car Seats | Best Booster Car Seats | Best Car Phone Mounts
IIHS
iihs.org › topics › child-safety
Child safety
Other IIHS research found that ... cars or the middle of the seatback in SUVs and minivans, and if there is no other hardware that could be confused with a tether anchor (Cicchino & Jermakian, 2015; Jermakian et al., 2014). Misuse of belt-positioning boosters also is common. In the 2011 NHTSA observational survey, the misuse rates were 24% for ...