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    Best Car Seat Values for Children of All Ages

    Expert picks among infant, convertible, all-in-one, and booster seats

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    woman and child next to car with open door Photo: Tanya Yatsenko/Stocksy

    Consumer Reportsā€™ testing shows that buying an expensive car seat does not necessarily translate to the best car seat. The larger price tag may get you additional features, but that doesnā€™t mean they all work well or have a safety benefit.

    Thatā€™s why CR evaluates each car seat for how easy it is to use its featuresā€”buckles, harnesses, labels, and instructionsā€”as well as whether the seat can be securely installed in a handful of family vehicles with the vehicle belt or lower anchors.

    More on car seats
    Best All-in-One Car Seats
    Best Convertible Car Seats
    Best Toddler-Booster Combination Car Seats
    Car Seat Buying Guide

    While all car seats sold in the U.S. meet the minimum federal safety standard, CRā€™s crash-test protocol goes beyond the federal standard to differentiate additional margins of safety provided by the seatā€™s design. (Seats are evaluated for their crash protection on a scale of Basic, Better, and Best.) Car seats with booster modes are also evaluated for belt fit in the vehicle with a test dummy representing an average 6-year-old child. (For more information on which car seat type is best for your child, see our car seat timeline recommendations.)Ā 

    All of these seats score either Best or Better for crash protection.Ā 

    Below, we present top value choices for each car-seat category.

    Infant Car Seats

    Convertible Car Seats

    Booster Seats

    Toddler-Booster Seats

    All-in-One Car Seats

    Emily A. Thomas, PhD

    At Consumer Reports, I've found the perfect blend for my love of injury biomechanics, forensics, and kids as an automotive safety engineer for child passenger safety. For me there's no greater reward than helping families keep their little ones safe and coming home to put my advice into practice with my own precious little boy. Between church activities, my big Indian family, and exploring new places with the hubby and babyā€”my life and my heart are full.

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