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
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
Child car seat notices tell you if a model has a problem that isn’t related to safety standards or a safety defect (for example, if it has an incorrect expiry date or problem with its instruction manual)
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...
Videos
03:40
Consumer Reports finds concerning results in some car seat testing ...
02:05
Consumer Reports: Crash test results on car seats - YouTube
02:02
Which child car seat is safe? - YouTube
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Consumer Report: Concerning child car seat crash results - YouTube
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Consumer Reports | Car seat testing results - YouTube
02:10
Parents urged to double-check child car seat safety - YouTube
NHTSA
nhtsa.gov › vehicle-safety › car-seats-and-booster-seats
Car Seat & Booster Seat Safety, Ratings, Guidelines | NHTSA
Just fill out your child’s age, height and weight above, and you’ll be provided car seat types that fit your child. Before you get started, make sure you're familiar with the four types of car seats and NHTSA’s recommendations for choosing the right type of seat for your child. ... Your child’s safety could be in jeopardy if your car seat is not installed correctly.
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.
Consumer Reports
consumerreports.org › babies & kids › baby & toddler › car seats
Car Seats via @ConsumerReports
Car Safety & Sustainability Food Safety Financial Fairness Digital Security & Privacy All Issues & Advocacy ... The payment for your account couldn't be processed or you've canceled your account with us. Re-activate ... Stop overpaying on your monthly expenses. See How It Works ... Stop overpaying on your monthly expenses. See How It Works ... We test and rate 100+ car seats so that we can make clear recommendations—and you can easily find the right fit.
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 - Transports Canada
Transport Canada verifies that children's seats meet Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. We buy child car seats from retail stores and conduct four main categories of tests: dynamic testing, buckle release testing, energy-absorbing material testing and inversion testing.
CarseatBlog
carseatblog.com › safest-recommended-car-seats
Recommended Car Seats 2026 – CarseatBlog
December 17, 2025 - Features: 4-35 lbs.; up to 32″ tall; no re-thread harness with 5 height positions; 2 buckle positions; adjustable base with tension indicator and auto-retracting lower LATCH connectors; lockoff for easy seatbelt installations; EPS foam; integrated canopy made with SPF 50 material; handle can be in any position during travel · Drawbacks: No-rethread harness design lacks a splitter plate so it may not be possible to replace the harness straps down the road if you want/need to do that. Carrier is on the heavy side. Our comments: MESA is packed with safety and convenience features and is compatible with UPPAbaby Vista & Cruz strollers.
The Car Crash Detective
thecarcrashdetective.com › home › canadian recommended car seats
Canadian Recommended Car Seats - The Car Crash Detective
August 11, 2020 - Canadian recommended car seats, trusted reviews, and comparisons of the latest infant, convertible, combination, and booster seats on this car seat blog.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/buyingforbaby › anyone know the legit safety ratings of different infant car seats? i see so many different ratings per car seats.
r/Buyingforbaby on Reddit: Anyone know the legit safety ratings of different infant car seats? I see so many different ratings per car seats.
December 7, 2022 -
I saw one website that listed the nuna pipa low and even the uppababy mesa mid range. But chicco always gets a high rating. Can anyone debunk these?
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I'm a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) in the United States and can speak on seats here. Unfortunately, there are no standardized safety ratings in the United States. It is up to each manufacturer to meet and test their seats to certain federal guidelines, and the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) enforces them (recalling seats that do not pass the guidelines). So while all seats must meet the same criteria and pass the same tests, we don't know if any seats exceed these marks. What we do know from the NHTSA sled test is that the crash simulated in the test is a pretty traumatic one, so any properly used and installed seat is a safe seat. That said, the NHTSA test does (IMO) need to be updated, and a few years ago Consumer Reports did try to make a more modernized sled test, which did yield some interesting results. I haven't personally used their results to steer me towards buying a particular seat, but if it made you feel more at ease to do so, then the only 3rd party test I have found to seem to have some merit is the Consumer Reports one. When watching sled tests, they can seem jarring and dangerous, even when the seat is used correctly. A trained eye can pinpoint actual concerns, while many sled test YouTube videos seem to create unnecessary concern. We do know from European tests that certain bells and whistles can help distribute crash forces differently (anti-rebound bars, fixed anchor connectors, load legs, etc), which might exceed NHTSA guidelines. European seats are made differently than American ones, so we don't know how much (if at all) those features can help for American consumers, but they can be something to keep in mind when buying. Ultimately the safest seat is one that is properly used, properly installed, and fits safely in your vehicle (not all seats fit in all vehicles!). I definitely recommend meeting with a CPST locally before having a baby to make sure that you understand how to use and install your seat. Over 90% of infants leave the hospital with one or more errors to car seat use, and I'm a huge proponent for drastically changing that statistic!
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I mean generally it isn't Chicco but the Clek that generally gets top marks (and top weight, not a lightweight seat). Canadian made with steel, published safety results, and very little messing about. In general, you can find ones that are certified in Canada, and it will likely be slightly stricter (EU ones are just different seats). That said, in frontal collisions most are pretty robust. Side collisions the US doesn't have good standards on, and it sucks. Anyways, installation can make all the difference, and some cars have challenges for some seats (some seats are far more flexible, if you think you won't have a stable car). Try it out ahead of time, and go see a CPST. Looking back, getting a good combination seat makes a lot of sense. My kids were out of the infant seat inside of 9 months, and while the rocking and moving ability of the infant car seat was nice I'm not certain it was worth it. Also, you really aren't supposed to keep a kid in a car seat of any sort for more than 2 hours at a stretch , and a lot of the "benefits" of an infant car seat over a combination one are basically invitations to not abide by that.
NHTSA
nhtsa.gov › ratings
Car Safety Ratings | Vehicles, Car Seats, Tires | NHTSA
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings help consumers make smart decisions about safety when purchasing a vehicle. You can also search ratings by manufacturer. NHTSA’s Ease of Use Ratings let you compare how easy it is to use certain car seat features so you can make an informed decision about the right car seat.
Aap
downloads.aap.org › HC › ALL-Combined-List.pdf pdf
2024 Car Safety Seat Product Listing
Infant Car Seat featuring Safety · Surround · 4-35 lbs. Up to 32" Anti-Rebound Bar · $229.99 · Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX · Infant Car Seat featuring Load Leg · 4-35 lbs. Up to 32" Load Leg · $229.99 · Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 Elite · Infant Car Seat ·
Parachute
parachute.ca › en › injury-topic › car-seats › choosing-the-right-car-seat
Choosing the right car seat – Parachute
The seat fits your budget. All car seats approved for use in Canada will have the National Safety Mark (NSM), and meet Canada’s high safety standards – no matter the price tag.
Government of Canada
tc.canada.ca › en › road-transportation › motor-vehicle-safety › rear-facing-infant-seat-testing-research
Rear-Facing Infant Seat Testing and Research
Laws require companies that make child seats to test them for safety when secured as normal. The seats must pass tests for sudden changes in speed of 48 km/h using a device called a sled.
Surex
surex.com › canadian car seat laws
Canadian Car Seat Laws: By Province and Territory | Surex
October 16, 2025 - The booster seat ensures that the safety belt is correctly strapped on the child’s shoulder and does not climb onto their neck. Stage 4: Seatbelts- At this stage, your child can use the normal seat belts in your car. However, it is essential to ensure that the beltfits correctly. Also, your child should be past the minimum weight, age, and height requirement based on your province. ... While Transport Canada recommends that children should not sit in the front until the age of 13, some provinces allow children above the age of 12 to sit at the front.
Safe in the Seat
safeintheseat.com › car-seat-reviews
Expert Car Seat Reviews for Real Parents | Safe in the Seat
In this review, we talk about the features and functionalities of the Cosco Finale, a forward-facing car seat. It has two modes: a 5-point harness mode and a belt-positioning booster mode. From its narrow design to its lightweight build, we explore how this seat measures up to the demands of modern families seeking convenience without compromising safety.