Before I discuss information regarding the best car seats in 2020 I want to say something.
These past few years, the news about the economic inflation has not only made its impact on the markets or the business sectors, but we find that the family has been greatly impacted as well.
Nowadays, to be able to keep the family financially afloat, it is a must to have two working parents. Women who were once the caretakers of the children and the household have now found themselves juggling it with growing their careers as well.
However, it is hard to deny that even if the mother of the family has been helping the father share the load in finances, it is often still the mother who is responsible for more than half of the child care and also the tasks to be done around the home.
I don’t mean to discredit fathers, because there are some stay-at-home dads who are ready to take on tasks that were once delegated to women. And we are grateful for them!
With that being said, parents often find themselves juggling tasks alone while their other half is at work.
Today we are going to solve the problem of driving alone with infants or toddlers. The solution: Car Seats.
Car seats have been proven time and time again to keep infants and children safe and minimizes the impact of being involved in vehicular accidents to the child.
Check out these two videos I found on Youtube to appreciate the importance of car seats. Here and another one.
Since a car seat will sometimes be the factor between life and death of an infant, careful research is crucial. However, I understand the many tasks you have to juggle daily, so allow me to do the researching for you.
The categories on which we will be judging our car seats will be if they are:
- Level of safety it will be able to provide for the infant/toddler
- Value/Quality compared to its price
- Comfort of the infant or child while sitting on the car seat
Let’s get to it!
1.) Chicco KeyFit 30
Price: 199.99 USD (That’s not including the shipping fee).
One of the most frustrating things about car seats is that they are such a hassle to attach or connect to the car but with this baby car seat, that task will be a breeze!
Most of those who already own a Chicco confirmed that it is indeed easy to latch and unlatch.
“I’m on baby number 5, so I’d like to think I know what I’m talking about… *at least when it comes to car seats, everything else… I’m still figuring out!* but anyways…
I’ve had chicco, I’ve had graco… and hands down chicco wins. Love the base and how easy it is to get in and out of the car, the fabric is thick and comfortable, yet easy to remove and reassemble, making for efficient cleaning! Worth the money!” – Emileigh R
Aside from being easy to attach, this car seat also provides the security so your mind will be free from worry. There is also an available latch tightener if you want to double make sure that your car seat isn’t going to get loose.
Chicco KeyFit also features a click-in attachment and one-hand removal from the base included.
As you can see from the picture above, it also comes with premium connectors for an easy installation with the vehicle’s latch system.
Parents of newborns will also appreciate this car seat as it also provides a comfortable, safe cradle for your little infants. It can carry a newborn as small as 4 pounds.
“My wife and I love this carseat. When we were leaving the hospital, the nurse said this was the only carseat that safely seated a baby the size of our daughter (6lbs 4oz) without a special insert.
One of the best purchases we’ve made.” – Taylor DeSoto
Note: you can also connect this car seat with a Chicco stroller.
Read the full Chicco Keyfit 30 Car Sear Review.
2.) GRACO EXTEND2FIT Convertible Car Seat
GOOD NEWS! This item is currently on sale at Amazon! You can purchase this for only 137.99 USD!
The thing I like about this one is how long it can be used. This product is perfect for infants that weigh 4 to 50 pounds and also for toddlers at around 22 to 65 pounds.
It saves you money too as you don’t have to buy a new car seat as your little baby grows into a not so little baby.
Graco has tested this car seat involving car crashes: frontal, side, roll over, and rear. In addition, the car seat has also been tested under extreme temperatures to see if it can keep your baby warm or snuggled.
It is machine-washed!
It is soft and comfortable!
The car seat is also able to provide more leg room for your growing baby. You can also recline your baby in 6 positions to make his journey (especially for those long unavoidable car rides) more enjoyable and more comfortable.
And like I said, this car seat grows with your baby. The company has provided this car seat with a headrest that with 10 positions that you can easily adjusts with every growth sprout that you child undergoes.
Let’s hear what one parent has to say about this car seat:
“This is our 5th child and our 8th car seat. We have had Sunshine Baby/Diono (2), Evenflo (2), Britax(2), and Graco (one before this one). I had to review this because it’s my favorite of all the car seats we’ve ever had. Seriously.
The Diono is heavy and very difficult to adjust, the Britax was alright but cumbersome, the Evenflos are the *worst* – cheaply made, stiff and cheap and thin and awful.
And NONE of them have covers that are *easy* to launder. The Graco covers come off easily and are intuitive to put back together.
The parts you want to be sturdy and safe are metal; latches, tether, etc. Yet the adjusting pieces are a sturdy plastic, sizeable, and easy to grasp.
OH! That’s the other thing. I could not, not, not get my hand into any of the others in the way I needed to; not for adjusting, not for installing, not for moving stuff around.
I can get my paw all the way through the appropriate areas. The harness adjustment feature alone is enough to give Graco repeat business. And, I did not say any dirty words while installing. 😉 heeheehee” – AAM_Mommy
“I bought this in target when it was on sale and I couldn’t ask for a better and safer car seat! My daughter is 16 months old and still rear facing, she’s so comfortable with the extended leg room!
We were in an accident where my now totaled car spinned from the road into a neighborhood sign and she was laughing and playing in the back seat like nothing happened! Just added to cart and will be buying it again for my new car!” – Kelly
3.) GRACO Tranzitions
Now if you have an older child, it doesn’t mean that they deserve less security and safety just because they have grown older now.
Or maybe you haven’t known about the importance of car seats before and now you wanna let your older child use one. Let me tell you, now is better than never!
Three seats in one!
This 5 point harnessed car seat, with a high black belt positioning booster seat and a backless belt positioning booster car seat.
Rest your worries because this car seat has been tested for side impact, and it passed the NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) peak crash force 2x car seat standard.
“I don’t usually write reviews. However, this car seat in the high back booster mode saved my five year olds life this Christmas Eve 2018. Her and her grandmother were ina.
Wreck and the car flipped onto its side. The drivers side. She was on the drivers side. We left our church service and we went with her and our little boy, daddy and I rode home in our car. She doesn’t have a single scratch. I’m astonished.
Not only did the car seat keep her safe and secure, but our guardian angels in heaven were certainly watching over them tonight. The family with young chdren in the other car were safe as well.
I’ve always only purchased graco and I will continue to do so. Their customer service is also incredible.” – Katy B Ellen
I have to mention however, that some of those who purchased this product have encountered problems when it came to securing the car seat with the vehicle.
Thankfully, due to the diligence of one parent, it has been solved. I think it is important to read this in case you are planning to purchase this booster seat.
“I don’t usually write reviews, but I figured I could help someone out. The night I got this I almost returned it. My girlfriend talked me down and I researched online for tips to get a good install.
I tried latch first but the buckle adjuster kept getting in the way. Then I tried locking the seat belt and still couldn’t get it tight enough.
The trick is to leave enough slack in the seat belt to pull horizontally as hard as you can until it is absolutely tight, THEN lock the retractor and put the excess in.
Without pulling the belt horizontally before locking, it just wiggled 3 or more inches. Not safe for a crash at all. So glad for forums online and tips to get a tight install. Hope this review helps.” – Rachel Fairbairn
So please keep that in mind if you are in the process of installing this car booster seat. Once you get past attaching it to the vehicle, you are in for a smooth sailing. Don’t let it discourage you from getting this product.
There are some costumers who stated that the car seat was actually easy to install. I guess it all boils down to how well you will be able to work out the latches.
“Easy to assemble top to base. Latches in plain sight so it’s easy to strap in. I usually have trouble getting a secure strap (maybe I’m not strong enough to pull it that tight) but this one was super easy & didn’t have to ask my husband to do it.
Shoulder strap release button was tricky to find but overall it slides smaller to large and vice versa very smoothly. Decent bottom padding.
It came with an insert I assume is for smaller children but I installed it as a “barrier” for the inevitable crap that gets dropped into the seat. It didn’t make his position change at all. My son is 5yo. 50lbs and 42” tall for reference.” – Kelsey
What other car seat brands would you recommend? Is there a brand that you trust with your life?
Let us not underestimate choosing the right car seat as it could save a life, your child’s life for that matter.
Feel free to drop a comment below so we can discuss more about the importance of car seats. Also don’t forget to share this with your family and friends so that they will also consider getting car seats for their children.
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See you next time!
Drive safe!
Car seats have changed a lot over the years. I thought the ones I had to get for my kids 20 years ago were fancy. Now they’re like luxury liner seats. The safety requirements keep improving to the point that I’m worried it may somehow go overboard someday. That being said, I do think the Chicco KeyFit 30 is amazingly built. Much better for the baby’s head than the older ones. Thank you for covering these. One never knows when grandkids will arrive.
Haha, yes we all have to be prepared! It is great to have such an involved grandparent! 🙂 I’m sure your future grandkids will be lucky to have you!
Hi! I have been searching for one that could be used for a long period of time and I think I found it. It’s the GRACO EXTEND2FIT Convertible Car Seat. This seat can be used for babies and toddlers. And the price is really affordable. I’ll go over to Amazon and purchase before they run out of stock.
Thank you very much for this review.
Hope you managed to purchase one for yourself! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Car seats are so important for the safety of your baby, but I do not remember them being as cool as that Chicco Keyfit! My sister is having a baby and I was looking for a car seat to give them as a gift, I think they would love that! Plus you can use it as a stroller? How cool! How old of a baby does it hold? Thank you so much for sharing, I cannot wait to see the look on their faces when they get it!
The Chicco KeyFit can hold an infant weighed 4 to 30 pounds, and about 30 inches in height, so as long as your infant fits inside those conditions then it should be fine. 🙂 We hope your sister will enjoy your gift!
Hey, I enjoy a lot while reading your article on Best Car Seats 2020. You are doing an awesome work for everyone like me for finding the best car seats for babies. While going down I find few for my coming child in my family. GRACO Tranzitions & GRACO EXTEND2FIT Convertible Car Seat. We will be by them soon. After reading your article I understand that we must have a car seat for our child.
True. Car seats have saved a lot of children’s lives, and they really help if someone has to drive alone with a toddler/infant/pre-schooler. Thank you! 🙂