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
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NHTSA
nhtsa.gov › vehicle-safety › car-seats-and-booster-seats
Car Seat & Booster Seat Safety, Ratings, Guidelines | NHTSA
Car Seat Use After a Crash Make sure you know the difference between a minor crash and a moderate to major one before deciding to use a car seat after a crash.
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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...
Rating: 4.9 ​
Discussions

Any websites/entities that reliably review car seat safety?
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. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/ScienceBasedParenting
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April 4, 2023
Highest CRASH TEST ratings for car seats
I have searched HIGH and LOW, and can not find car seat ratings that are based on CRASH TEST RESULTS. All I can find is ratings based on the ease of use, and time it takes installing the car seat; these issues dont matter to me. I wanna know what car seats rate the SAFEST in CRASH TESTING. I... More on car-seat.org
🌐 car-seat.org
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April 14, 2007
Hi, I’m the Auto Safety Manager at Consumer Reports and I test car seats! Ask me anything about car seat use and installation!
We bought a Consumer Reports subscription specifically to get access to the car seat test results & rankings for our tiny NICU grad infant. No huge questions, just appreciation for everything you and your team(s) do there. In your time testing & reviewing results, what stands out as a massive surprise? More on reddit.com
🌐 r/IAmA
146
344
October 29, 2024
Car Seat Safety and Crash Test Rating Website Recommendations
I’m not a parent. But https://www.babyandco.com/blogs/news/adac-car-seat-test-results-summer-2019# is this the kind of thing you mean? ACAD test results for car seats is probably something to look at. https://incarsafetycentre.co.uk/blog/post/adac-child-safety-testing All car seats are legally required to pass safety testing though and companies normally test to a higher level of safety. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/AskParents
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June 30, 2020
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Consumer Reports
consumerreports.org › babies & kids › baby & toddler › car seats
Car Seats via @ConsumerReports
We test and rate 100+ car seats so that we can make clear recommendations—and you can easily find the right fit.
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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.
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NHTSA
nhtsa.gov › ratings
Car Safety Ratings | Vehicles, Car Seats, Tires | NHTSA
Go to Car Seats · Uniform Tire Quality Grading Systems (UTQGS) ratings allow consumers to compare tire features. Purchase a vehicle with safety in mind. Use NHTSA's Vehicle Comparison Tool to see 5-Star Safety Ratings and recall information at a glance. ... The Highway Safety Act established NHTSA and outlined its mission to reduce deaths, injuries and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes. ... Began testing and rating vehicles for frontal impact protection using data from crash test dummies.
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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 - According to NHTSA and studies cited by the CDC, a properly installed car seat can reduce the risk of injury in a crash by as much as 82 percent compared with a seatbelt alone. Yet experts estimate that nearly half of all car seats in the U.S.
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The Car Crash Detective
thecarcrashdetective.com › home › recommended car seats
Recommended Car Seats - The Car Crash Detective
March 13, 2021 - Recommended car seats, trusted reviews, and comparisons of the latest infant, convertible, combination, and booster car seats on this car seat blog.
Find elsewhere
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Sianldcone
sianldconestroller.com › home › the stanldcone journal: expert guides for modern parents › the stanldcone journal: expert guides for modern parents
Car Seat Crash Test Ratings: How to Read & Compare – Sianldcone
November 19, 2025 - Car seat crash test ratings can be confusing. This guide explains what the scores mean, how federal and independent tests differ, and how to choose the safest seat.
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IIHS
iihs.org › ratings
Vehicle ratings
IIHS tests evaluate two aspects of safety: crashworthiness — how well a vehicle protects its occupants in a crash — and crash avoidance and mitigation — technology that can prevent a crash or lessen its severity. Suggestions will appear as you type. You can specify a year too. ... Learn how we conduct the tests that form the basis for our ratings. Buying a new or used vehicle? Learn how to compare car, minivan, pickup and SUV models on safety.
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IIHS-HLDI
iihs.org › research-areas › 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.
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Childcarseats
childcarseats.com.au › find-and-compare-child-car-seats
Find & compare child car seats | Child Car Seats - Make the safest choice
CREP ratings indicate the comparative safety a seat provides its occupant under certain test conditions, and how easily it can be used. Loading failed, try again later. Back Refine results Compare ({{compare.seats.length || '0'}} item{{compare.seats.length == 1 ? '' : 's'}}) You must select ...
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CYBEX
cybex-online.com › en › us › car-seat-testing-us.html
CYBEX Safety Center ׀ Car Seat Testing
The General German Automobile Club (ADAC) tests car seats in front and side-impact collisions. The front impact test simulates a crash at 64 km/h (around 40 mph) whereas the side impact test is conducted at a speed of 50 km/h (around 30 mph).
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Safe in the Seat
safeintheseat.com › post › car-seat-crash-testing-to-the-regulations-and-beyond
Car Seat Crash Testing: To the Regulations and Beyond! » Safe in the Seat
November 26, 2025 - The crash test results are not publicized, but Clek does show the results of their seats on their website. Since only one of the car seat manufacturers publishes their results, it’s impossible for certified child passenger safety technicians to tell you which car seat is the safest.
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Clek
clekinc.com › blogs › clek-all-about-the-ride-blog › crash-testing-for-kids-car-seats-what-you-need-to-know
Crash Testing for Kids Car Seats: What You Need to Know – ShopClek US
September 10, 2020 - Check for the Statement of Compliance. This statement indicates that the car seat has been tested and certified to meet FMVSS 213 standards. Now that we understand a bit about what crash testing is, let’s look at a video to get an idea of what a crash test looks like.
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NYTimes
nytimes.com › baby and kid › baby › the best convertible and all-in-one car seats
The 5 Best Convertible and All-in-One Car Seats of 2026 | Reviews by Wirecutter
November 24, 2025 - Starting December 5, 2026, the NHTSA will require all child car seats rated for kids up to 40 pounds or 43.3 inches tall (which includes most convertible car seats) to pass a side-impact crash test.
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Car Seat
car-seat.org › what's new › forums › the best child safety seat advice › car seats: questions? ask here
Highest CRASH TEST ratings for car seats | Car Seat.Org - Carseat, Automobile & Child Passenger Safety Forums (CLOSED)
April 14, 2007 - They don't reflect any semblance ... with seats that really are simple and easy to use. As for CR's test, 98% of all crashes are at less than 35 mph....
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Baby & Co
babyandco.com › home › news › news
ADAC Car Seat Test Results Spring 2024
May 29, 2024 - For the Avionaut Cosmo & IQ Base 2.0 car seat, the ADAC found that there was a very low risk of injury in a frontal crash and a low risk of injury in a side crash. The ADAC also praised the seats belt routing and confirmed that the seat was ...
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babyark
babyark.com › blogs › testing › a-crash-course-in-crash-testing
A Crash Course in Crash Testing – babyark
March 5, 2025 - Being that younger infants are more vulnerable to injury in crashes due to their accentuated fragility and less developed skulls and necks, we calibrate our testing to compensate even more for their susceptibility upon impact. babyark seats go through testing for almost every scenario we can imagine, and we don’t rest until it’s ready so that you can rest assured that you’ve chosen the best seat for your little one. One of the primary metrics in determining car seat safety is HIC (Head Injury Criterion) - the likelihood of head injury, the predominant injury in children and therefore a leading concern in design for babyark.
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MacroBaby
macrobaby.com › home › baby guides › baby guides
Which Car Seat Is the Safest? Here Are the Best Choices
June 2, 2025 - When shopping for a car seat, safety is always the top priority — and the good news is that all car seats sold in the United States must meet strict federal safety standards, meaning they’ve passed the necessary crash tests to be legally sold. That said, some models go above and beyond the minimum requirements by offering advanced features like load legs, anti-rebound bars, smart sensors, better materials, and extended rear-facing limits.
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The Automobile Association of South Africa
aa.co.za › home › child car seat safety ratings
Child Car Seat Safety Ratings - The Automobile Association of South Africa
August 27, 2025 - Child car seats are essential safety elements for the well-being of young children, who, in the event of a crash, are extremely vulnerable. In South Africa, it is illegal to travel in a car with an unrestrained child under 3 years old. In order to protect our youngest road users and promote safety, we’re empowering you with access to the latest ADAC and PESRI car seat safety ratings. These ratings reflect results from stringent tests which are conducted under real-life conditions in all available weight categories.