We LOVE our Cybex Callisto G 360! Installation was super easy - used the seatbelt and the tether. We did not get the install inspected by a CPST because I felt confident about it, but we did meet with one to look at the install and learn about buckling baby in to his bucket seat. I would totally recommend it, especially if you have anxiety! It was free through a local hospital near me I would absolutely recommend a rotating car seat, I know a ton of people also really like the EvenFlo one. My baby is 4 months old and he has been in his convertible seat since around 2 months, because he screamed every time we put him in his Nuna Pipa More on reddit.com

Clek Liing is one of the most recommended infant seats by car seat techs. That’s what we chose. So easy to clean and install. One of the 3 most compact seats. I wouldn’t agonize over compatibility with stroller. There are adapters available for most seats and strollers. Your stroller will also be used longer than your car seat. Furthermore, car seats clicked into strollers aren’t properly reclined like in a vehicle so it’s generally recommended to limit use and monitor closely during use. Also, it’s generally recommended that baby spends no more than 2 hours in a 24 hour period in a car seat so you may want to consider a stroller that works for an infant without using the car seat. ETA: I see you plan on multiple kids and so a long expiry date is an important feature for you. Definitely check out the liing. Their expiry is 9 years from manufacture! More on reddit.com

We ditched the infant car seat around 6–8 months, and honestly, I wish I’d done it sooner. My kid was on the bigger side, and lugging that thing around felt like arm day every single time we left the house. I know people love the “just click it into the stroller” setup, but I barely ever did that, it always seemed like more trouble than it was worth. We mostly used the bassinet for walks, and since we weren’t really out and about much, the car seat just sat in the car most of the time. We also live in a city and street parking means you’re never actually close to your car. The idea of dragging a stroller and car seat up and down the block just to load/unload everything was… nope. Total hassle. So, yeah, think about your own daily routine and parking situation, those make a huge difference in what’s “convenient.” If back pain or limited space is on your radar, a rotating convertible seat might actually be the move. You skip the whole “carry the car seat everywhere” phase, and it’s way easier on your back when buckling in. If you do go for an infant seat, get one with a base  trust me, wrestling with a seatbelt install while leaning awkwardly into the car is not it. For what it’s worth, I started with a hand me down Chicco KeyFit (solid, no complaints), and later upgraded to a Graco Extend2Fit for extended rear-facing. Still going strong past age 3! At this point, I care more about ease of cleaning, installation sanity, and comfort than any “travel system” compatibility hype. More on reddit.com

Totally remember this overwhelm! Safe in the Seat has great car seat guides that are now free (but I paid for it and it was worth every penny!). It's a great place to start and will take into consideration your budget, your cars, and a few other lifestyle factors (whether you travel by plane/in rideshare, etc.). It will narrow it down to a list and that should help give you a starting point. As has been said, everything is safe! What I guess the quizzes don't cover is the back pain issue because there are a lot of other lifestyle factors that go into it. We stopped using our infant seat at ~7 months and I honestly wish we had switched to a convertible seat sooner. I had a large baby and the seat got heavy really quickly. I never found it to be all that convenient to carry! I almost never attached my car seat to the stroller, either - we went on walks with a big stroller but used the bassinet, and did not use the stroller out and about very much until after she was big enough to use a regular stroller seat - summer pandemic baby definitely came into it (it was hot, and we weren't going just a ton of places). But we live in a city and had to street park, which was not always close, and had a small car so using a stroller for a block to then put the car seat in and the stroller in the trunk and then do the same in reverse was just not appealing to me. These factors may not apply to you at all! I realize this is long-winded but picture what going out looks like for you, and consider how much space you have in your car for a stroller. A stroller is a much longer-term purchase than the infant car seat, so I'd choose that independently and then see if your choices are compatible and tweak accordingly. I will say that I valued it when traveling on a plane, but I only did that for a few flights since the rest I took advantage of having a lap child. If your car is big enough, and back pain is a concern, I wonder if you'd be better off doing a rotating convertible seat from the start. Easier to buckle in than a regular convertible seat, and you don't have to lug the car seat to and from the car. If you do an infant seat, you'll probably prefer one with a base as opposed to a seatbelt or LATCH installation because of the time spent leaning in the car. You can (carefully) buckle in on top of a dining table or kitchen counter and carry to the car and not have to do any leaning there. But it's all about personal preference and what is going to be the easiest on your back. My personal priorities were having a machine washable cover (not all are!) and preferably dryer-safe, easy installation, and for the convertible, extended rear facing so to 49"/50 lbs. I did that purchase after baby was here, of course, so Safe in the Seat included a percentile chart so I could see what would most likely get me to rear-face until age 4 - but if I had a smaller percentile baby, 40 lbs RF may have been just fine! For what it's worth, I had a Nuna Pipa that was passed down from a very trusted friend with two bases and then eventually got the Britax One4Life. Still comfortably rear facing a few months past age 3! I will probably turn her forward-facing ~2 months shy of my goal of 4 years because I am expecting baby #2 in spring and two rear-facing seats will not fit in my car or my husband's - 2 tall parents in 2 compact cars. More on reddit.com