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3 min readWelcoming a precious bundle of joy into your life is a wonderful experience - but finding the right products can make it a confusing one as well. Especially when you're dealing with items that are key to your baby's safety.
Even if you don't have the safest car, its important to find the right car seat or baby capsule. Although it can be one of the more complicated tasks on your to-do list as a new or expecting parent, so it pays to have the right information to help inform your choice.
Product | Best for | Price | Suitable ages | Protection rating
 | Ease of use rating
| Learn more |
| Best baby car seat overall | $169 | 0 to 4 years | 4.3 | 2.4 | View on Catch | |
| Best baby car seat runner-up | $179 | 0 to 4 years | 4 | 2.3 | View on Baby Bunting | |
| Best forward-facing baby car seat | $449 | 6 months to 8 years | 3.9 | 3.3 | View on Baby Bunting | |
| Best rear-facing baby car seat | $769 | 0 to 12 months | 3.9 | 2.6 | View on Baby Bunting | |
| Best booster seat | $99 | 4 to 8 years | 4.1 | 3.3 | View on Baby Bunting |
Prices are accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
Coming in at under $200, our choice for overall best and safest baby car seat is the Safe-N-Sound Safekeeper II. Featuring an excellent 4.3-star rating for protection as a rear-facing seat and 3.8 stars as a forward-facing, this convertible car seat is suitable from birth up to four years of age, making it kind to your little one and your wallet.
5 star safety rating in terms of head and torso protection during both frontal and side impacts
Affordable
Convertible 
May be difficult to secure the restraint and the baby If our top pick doesn't appeal to you, we recommend the Babylove Ezyswitch. It's still as cost-effective as our top pick and can be used from birth to the first four years of your little one's life. With a 4.0-star protection rating when rear-facing and 3.7-star when forward-facing, this convertible car seat is a fantastic option.
5 star safety rating in terms of head and torso protection during both frontal and side impacts
Convertible
Affordable
May be difficult to secure the restraint and the baby In terms of safety, today's best forward-facing baby car seat is the Safe-N-Sound Maxi Guard. It's not the cheapest car seat, but it is the safest with a 3.9-star protection rating. It's suitable for use from ages six months through to eight years and features an impressive 3.3-star ease-of-use rating.
5 star safety rating in terms of head and torso protection during both frontal and side impacts
Suitable for ages 6 months to 8 years
Easy to use
Expensive
Can be difficult to secure in the vehicle If you're looking for a purely rear-facing infant car seat, the Cybex Cloud Q Capsule could be the way to go. It holds strong with a 3.9-star protection rating and a 2.6-star ease-of-use rating. It has a flexible shock-absorbing shell and multiple rear-facing positions for maximum stability.
5-star safety rating in terms of head and torso protection during both frontal and side impacts
Easy to use
Suitable from birth to 12 months
Expensive
Instructions could be better If you need to get a booster for an older child so your youngest can have their original baby car seat, or if you previously purchased a model that does not suit all ages, you'll want to look into getting our selection for the best car booster seat, the Safe-N-Sound Tourer. Coming in at under $100 and with a protection rating of 4.1 and ease-of-use rating of 3.3, this booster seat is a solid choice.
High protection for a low cost
Lightweight design
Easy to use
Securing your child can be difficult The Safe-N-Sound Safekeeper II is the obvious winner in terms of quality, value, safety and ease of use. Having said that, selecting the right baby car seat for your needs is a highly personal choice. Ensuring that you do your research and choose a car seat that will suit your family's needs for years to come is vital to your satisfaction with your purchase. And, more importantly, the safety of your little one. So be sure to check out the options on this list, and keep hunting until you're satisfied.
Child safety seats should remain in the rear-facing position until your baby is at least six months old. Following this milestone, you can turn your convertible car seat forward, or switch to a forward-facing car seat, once your little one hits the height or weight restrictions outlined by the manufacturer of your child safety seat or baby capsule.
Whenever possible, car seats should be installed on the passenger side of the vehicle. Ideally, your child will stay on this side at least until they are in a booster seat, however, as this is not always possible, we suggest keeping your youngest on the left side and working across from there.
Car seat installation is done with either the use of a seatbelt or ISOFix system. If you need a child car seat that can be used in any vehicle, we recommend selecting one that can be installed using the seatbelt method. This is because many older cars do not have an ISOFix connection as standard. Having said that, most modern vehicles feature ISOFix, so we suggest looking into which methods suit the vehicle(s) you will be transporting your little one in and going from there. Specific installation instructions will be provided by the manufacturer of your chosen child safety seat, and it is important that these are followed closely. Many places also offer car seat fitting as a service for those who are not completely comfortable doing this themselves. To learn more, read our full guide on how to install baby car seats.
Ratings are sourced from Child Car Seats, an initiative of the Child Restraint Evaluation Program (CREP), which itself is a partnership between multiple government agencies and motorist organisations. Where differing values apply for rear-facing and forward-facing use, the higher rating is shown.
You can learn more about how we review products by checking out our methodology.
