When you're ready to transition your babies out of their convertible or infant car seat and upgrade to a toddler car seat, the decision about which one to buy can feel overwhelming. There are so many on the market — how do you choose? What are the features you should look for?
Most recently, booster seats have made the news after a ProPublica investigation showed that the brand Evenflo vetoed an internal safety engineer's recommendation that all children under 40 pounds should be in a booster seat with a harness. After the investigation was released, Congress moved to change the way safety tests and recommendations are issued. Now, several members of congress have introduced a law to take it out of manufacturer's hands.
We have taken great care in regards to our choices, making sure they fit the utmost standards of care and safety. Here's how to know what to look for when picking the most effective toddler car seat for your little one.
What to Consider
Safety
Thankfully, organizations like the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) have made it pretty easy to determine which car seats are the safest. They recommend parents keep their child in a rear-facing car seat as long as possible, and then move to a toddler car seat with a five-point harness and tether to help stabilize the seat. You also need to make sure your toddler fits within the height and weight limits of the specific model — which vary widely.
Growing With Your Toddler
Toddler car seats are made for when your child can sit forward-facing, or for the transition period between rear-and forward facing. They can also help if you're looking for a slimmer option to fit multiple seats. Many of the picks on this list still grow with your child — they begin as a standard booster with a five-point harness buckle, and then transition to a booster that's used with the seatbelt of your car.
The last transition toddler car seats can make is to serve as a backless booster seat that brings your child to a safe height for the car seat straps. With just a few adjustments, you basically get three car seats for the price of one. These toddler car seats can be very economical options, and incredibly safe as long as you follow the guidelines.
I tested toddler car seats from multiple manufacturers and spoke to dozens of parents who own various types. Every model I chose fits the guidelines put forth by the NHTSA. Not only are these picks recommended by parents, but they're also easy to install and clean, and come in a variety of price points.
It's worth noting that any car seat that has been subject to recent recalls is not featured on our list. Safety was the most important factor when recommending the best toddler car seats for you and your child.
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1
Best Overall
GRACO Nautilus 65 LX 3-in-1 Harness Booster Car Seat
Your toddler can have a sippy cup and snack cup on the go with this toddler car seat. And you will love how fast and easy it is to install.
Thanks to the Snuglock design, it takes about a second to secure the Graco Nautilus toddler seat to your latch. The chest lock is easy to open and close, and it has a threadless adjustable harness — which means there's no need to take the whole thing out and apart as your child grows.
This car seat has a steel-reinforced frame for additional crash protection, along with a foam lining and headrest. This makes it one of the safest car seats on the market, according to Consumer Reports.
It's also very easy to clean. The seat pad is (get this!) machine-washable. It also has tons of storage, four positions of recline, five positions for the harness, and six positions for the headrest. If your kid barfs, you can just shove it far away from you and into the washing machine.
Size Requirements
22 to 65 pounds in the five-point harnessed booster mode
40 to 100 pounds in the high-back booster mode
40 to 100 pounds in the backless booster mode
40 to 120 pounds in the low-profile backless booster mode
If your family is on a budget or has multiple cars and kids, don't worry: There are still several great options available to you. This toddler car seat is a favorite on Amazon for its slim profile and ease of installation.
It features a five-point harness, removable cup holder, and easy-to-adjust straps. Note that this car seat is pretty no-frills, but it gets the job done.
Oh, so you have a wiggle worm on your hands who's constantly bumping into things? Join the club. Thankfully, the Britax Grow with You toddler seat has super-cushioned side-impact walls, so your child is safely contained, no matter how wiggly they get. And as a bonus, you can keep them well-occupied with the four cup holders and storage compartments.
This is another car seat on the list with a machine-washable cover, which means you never have to worry about mystery smells ever again. The washable performance fabric is also super breathable and comfortable on baby's skin, which is something that cannot be overlooked. So many car seats have scratchy seams and not enough padding: That isn't the case with Britax.
For safety, the harness features a no-rethread design that's easy to move as your child grows. The frame is steel-reinforced, and it installs in seconds. It has two recline positions and comes with a one-year limited warranty.
Size Requirements
25 to 65 pounds with harness and 34 to 49 inches tall
40 and 120 pounds with booster and 44 to 63 inches tall
Why not give your little traveler a chic seat to sit in? OK, so the very luxurious style of the seat isn't that important, but what is important is how safe it is. Rated highly by Consumer Reports, this seat by Chicco has a duo guard, side-impact protection for head and torso, as well as a steel-reinforced frame. It also features a four-position recline, nine-position headrest, groovy ergonomic seat, threadless harness, and cup holder.
Size Requirements
25 to 65 pounds and up to 54 inches tall in harness mode
40 to 100 pounds and 38-57 inches tall in booster mode
There's a good reason why this car seat sells out all the time — it's easy to install and less expensive than other car seats, while the seat pad is machine-washable.
What we love most about this model is something unique: After you're done using the fully adjustable harness straps and have moved onto booster mode, there is a pocket on the side of the car seat for those straps so you don't lose them. (Because otherwise, you just know those straps are going to disappear into the ether.) That way, your next kid can still use the seat!
Size Requirements
22 to 65 pounds and 27 to 49 inches tall in harness mode
40 to 100 pounds and 38 to 57 inches tall in seat belt mode
6
Easiest to Clean
Britax Grow With You ClickTight Plus SafeWash Harness
Go ahead and do your worst, small humans. Thanks to its SafeWash cover, pretty much this whole toddler car seat (except for the harness) is machine-washable. It has all the standard safety measures you can come to expect from Britax — steel frame, threadless harness adjustability, great side-impact protection, and adjustable tether — plus the sweet, sweet relief of never needing to scrub ketchup out of the fabric by hand.
The knit construction of the materials makes them naturally flame-retardant, and the two-layer, side-energy absorption system has a deep, energy-absorbing, foam-lined shell and quick-adjust head protection. Your kids will have all the snacks they need thanks to the four cup holders and snack containers. (Yes, this one is on the pricier side, but we think it's worth it.)
Size Requirements
25 to 65 pounds and up to 49 inches tall in harness mode
40 to 120 pounds and up to 63 inches tall in seat belt mode
The value of this booster seat is just incredible. It's comfortable, sure, convenient, yes, but most importantly, it has nine different height positions, multiple-recline functionality, and it becomes a backless booster.
And if that's not enough, the whole thing is machine washable. Nuna took the time to really consider both the toddler and the parent. It's cushy but safely firm, and the anchor is one of the easiest I've ever installed. The sides of this car seat are designed from special energy-absorbing foam, and while you'd think it would lead to a sweaty child, I can assure you that the ventilation is next-level. It is neither too hot nor too cold.
And I know this is just a small thing, but it means a great deal to parents, the cupholder? It has a partial bottom which prevents crumbs from gathering and makes it easy to clean with just the swipe of a baby wipe.
This car seat is an absolute tank. It has a steel frame, reinforced side-impact protection, and a threadless, five-point harness.
While the fabric isn't machine-washable, the Cloud Crypton fabric is resistant to stains, bacteria, and odors — and because liquids don't really seep in, the seat is almost wipe-and-go. (Having cleaned many unmentionable substances out of this car seat, I can tell you that it's positively dreamy. You hose it off, and it dries quickly.)
It's also the narrowest car seat on this list at 17 inches across, which is fantastic if you have a family that needs multiple seats.
Its patented REACT (Rigid-Latch Energy Absorbing Crumple Technology) safety system makes forward-facing better and safer for your baby by reducing the forces to the child in an accident, since it gives the child a rear-facing-like performance. It installs in under a minute, thanks to its easy latch system.
Size Requirements
Rear facing 14 to 50 pounds
Front facing 22 to 65 pouns
25 to 49 inches tall
Cat BowenParenting EditorCat Bowen is the parenting editor at BestProducts.com where she researches all of the best products for families from pre-conception through their teen years, focusing on matching scientific evidence with real-life needs.
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