10 Best Toddler Car Seats That Are Reliably Safe

The name says it all: This is the one car seat you’ll need to buy for life. With a weight range from 5 to 120 pounds, the Britax One4Life can be used for up to 10 years—ensuring your little one is riding safely and comfortably from the wiggly toddler years and beyond. The 15-position headrest and harness can be adjusted with one hand (perfect for those overnight growth spurts), and the harness easily stows away into the built-in storage compartment when your toddler is ready for a belt-positioning booster (around 65 pounds). The extensive safety feature list includes two layers of side impact protection, safe cell technology (to absorb crash energy), a V-shaped tether and a high strength steel frame. Better yet, the ClickTight system takes all of the guesswork out of installing the seat correctly: Simply open up the seat bottom, thread and buckle the seat belt and click it closed for a perfect ride every time.

• Specs at a glance: Item weight: 30 pounds; Max weight capacity: 120 pounds; Max height: 63 inches

Toddlers often revolt against being restrained, but a comfortable car seat can help with the struggle. Plush padding and a 10-position reclining seat make the Nuna Rava a winner from both parent and toddler’s perspectives. Plus, the seat reclines with just the push of a button, making adjusting the position both easy and intuitive. It also offers plenty of leg room in rear-facing mode, and extra calf support when forward facing, helping toddlers get comfortable in either setting. Of course, the Rava doesn’t skimp on safety either: EPS foam layers, side impact protection pods and an all steel frame make this seat top of its class in safety.

• Specs at a glance: Item weight: 27.8 pounds; Max weight capacity: 50 pounds rear-facing and 65 pounds front facing; Max height: 49 inches

Any car seat expert will tell you that kids should remain rear-facing for as long as possible—and the Graco Extend2Fit makes that possible with a rear-facing weight limit of up to 50 pounds. (Most toddler car seats cap out at 40 pounds.) Plus, a four-position extension panel provides up to 5 inches of extra leg room when rear-facing, perfect for those long-legged toddlers who might otherwise be cramped. The headrest and harness can be adjusted to 10 different positions with just one hand motion, no rethread required. And it’s easy to install thanks to the InRight LATCH system that locks the seat in place with an audible click, so you know that it’s attached correctly.

• Specs at a glance: Item weight: 19.33 pounds; Max weight capacity: 50 pounds rear-facing and 65 pounds front facing; Max height: 49 inches

There’s lots to love about this toddler car seat. Parents will appreciate the extra safety features, like safe cell technology and three layers of side impact protection (most car seats only come with two). Meanwhile toddlers will go bananas for the four cup and snack holders (perfect for holding all of their treats and toys). And even the fussiest tot will be comfortable thanks to plush padding and stay-put pads that prevent the harness straps from rubbing against their necks. It has a ClickTight system for easy installation and the high performance fabric is easy to keep clean. Better yet, this seat easily transitions to a belt-positioning booster as your child grows.

• Specs at a glance: Item weight: 27 pounds; Max weight capacity: 120 pounds in a front facing position; Max height: 49 inches

With toddlerhood often comes a fierce aversion to the car seat, making clipping in and out a struggle (to say the least). Fortunately the Cybex Sirona S—a 360-degree rotating toddler car seat with load leg technology—is here to help. Now instead of twisting your body to wrestle your toddler into their seat, you simply twist the car seat to face you. Genius. Aside from the innovative swivel function, there are 12 adjustable recline positions, just as many height positions, a no-rethread harness, a cup holder and magnetic buckle holders to keep the straps out of your way as you secure your child. With the Sirona you get ultimate convenience without sacrificing safety, thanks to the load leg, anti-rebound panel, linear side-impact protection and SensorSafe chest clip, which alerts you to a number of unsafe situations (like if you happen to forget baby in the back of the car!). With so many standout features it’s no surprise this seat was a Best of Baby winner three years running.

• Specs at a glance: Item weight: 24.7 pounds; Max weight capacity: 50 pounds rear-facing and 65 pounds front facing; Max height: 49 inches

In the classroom of convertible car seats, the Britax Boulevard Clicktight ARB is easily the valedictorian. It’s the top-rated car seat by Consumer Reports when it comes to safety and ease of use—and a big reason for this is the foolproof installation. Installing the Britax Boulevard securely is as easy as buckling a seatbelt (truly), thanks to the ClickTight system. Simply lift the seat, thread the seatbelt and click it shut. And this isn’t the only area this seat gets top marks: Features like an anti-rebound bar, V-shaped tether, high-strength steel frame and SafeCell technology make this one of the safest toddler car seats on the market.

• Specs at a glance: Item weight: 29.5 pounds; Max weight capacity: 65 pounds; Max height: 49 inches

The triple threat of toddler car seats, the Graco Tranzitions 3-in-1 converts from a harness booster to a high-back booster to a backless booster—one of the few in the market to feature all three. Weighing in at less than 15 pounds, this booster is easy to switch from car to car. Two cup holders are nestled into the seat base, rather than sticking out of the sides, which is a major space-saver. Plus, its narrow footprint makes this toddler booster seat less bulky than many of its peers—but without sacrificing comfort, thanks to plush seat pads and body support.

• Specs at a glance: Item weight: 20 pounds; Max weight capacity: 65 pounds forward-facing and 100 pounds in booster seat mode; Max height: 57 inches

When it comes to traveling, there is one toddler car seat that reigns supreme: The Cosco Scenera NEXT. It’s incredibly lightweight, affordable and compact, making it ideal for travel both near and far. It may be inexpensive but this toddler car seat has all the safety bells and whistles parents need, including side impact protection, a five-point harness with easy front adjustment, five harness heights and three buckle locations that allow for the best fit as your child grows.

• Specs at a glance: Item weight: 7.5 pounds; Max weight capacity: 40 pounds; Max height: 43 inches

Toddler car seats are not known for being especially lean, which can become problematic in smaller cars or even mid-sized cars that need to accommodate multiple children. Enter the Clek Foonf. At less than 17 inches wide, this model has such a small footprint you can fit three car seats across the backseat. It’s also packed with gold standard safety features including a steel and magnesium structure, an anti-rebound bar for added stability and an energy-absorbing shock system. Not to mention the sleek design and multiple fabric options that make this toddler car seat one of the most stylish to boot.

• Specs at a glance: Item weight: 38 pounds in rear-facing mode and 33 pounds in forward-facing mode; Max weight capacity: 50 pounds rear-facing and 65 pounds forward-facing; Max height: 49 inches

Okay first things first, the Babyark hasn’t hit stores yet (although it’s available for pre-order now). But this toddler car seat is so innovative that we had to give you the heads up. Developed by an aeronautical engineer and parent, babyark is at the cutting edge of car seat safety and uses energy-absorption technology pioneered by the military. The egg-shaped carbon fiber frame creates a robust protective shield around baby that is seven times stronger than steel. And the snug interior is reinforced with a shock absorbing layer that acts as a buffer against any potential impacts. Meanwhile, the SafeCoil base actually extends upon impact and absorbs the brunt of the force. It has a rigid LATCH system, designed to be used in collaboration with the babyark app which provides step-by-step instructions to ensure the seat is safely installed. Once everything is safely secured, a LED light on the seat turns green to give you the go-ahead.

• Specs at a glance: Item weight: base is 20 pounds and seat is 25 pounds; Max weight capacity: 55 pounds rear-facing and 65 pounds forward-facing; Max height: 124 inches