2023 Child Passenger Safety Technician-Recommended Carseats and Accessories
What Is the Best Carseat?
Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs) get asked that question all the time. A good CPST will honestly tell you that there is no “best” carseat—sorry, I know that’s not what you want to hear. One carseat may fit vehicle A like it was made for it, but it takes 2 people to wrestle it into vehicle B and it still moves at the belt path by 1.5″. Your child’s shoulders may not reach the bottom harness slots or the hip straps may sit funny on their thighs—every child is built differently and the one carseat that everyone else claims is the very best carseat in the world may not fit your child well.
The BEST carseat fits your vehicle, fits your child, and is one you can use correctly each ride. It sounds trite, but these characteristics transcend price, appearance, and level of cushion of a carseat. CPSTs are not supposed to give out specific names of carseats because of what I mentioned above; however, there are carseats that generally tend to work well across many vehicles and fit children generally well. That doesn’t mean they will work in every case, though.
Unsure of what type of carseat is best for your child? Click here to see all the different types available.
As someone who has worked with Amazon, Target, and other retailers, the best advice I can offer is to keep your receipt and your box. You never know if or when you’ll need to make a return and it’s much more difficult to do without those items.
The carseats listed below have features that make them easy to use and install, which increases the chances they’ll be used properly. They may also have unique features, such as being extremely lightweight or narrow, or having high rear-facing weight limits or a load leg.
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Quick Jump
Rear-Facing Only Infant Carseats
Highback Belt-Positioning Boosters
Backless Belt-Positioning Boosters
Recommended Carseats
Rear-Facing Only Infant Carseats
| Table Scrolls L→R | Seat Name | Weight| Height Limits | Lockoff? | Anti-Rebound Bar | Load Leg | Euro Belt Path | Flame-Retardant Free Cover Avail. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Chicco KeyFit 30 $229.99 | 4-30 lbs.| Up to 30" | Yes | No | No | No | No |
 | Chicco KeyFit 35 $269.99 | 4-35 lbs.| Up to 32" | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
 | Doona Car Seat & Stroller $550 | 4-35 lbs.| Under 32" | No | No | No | Yes | No |
 | Evenflo Gold Shyft DualRide $599.99 | 3-35 lbs.| 15.7"-32" | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
 | Evenflo LiteMax DLX $199.49 | 3-35 lbs.| Up to 32" | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
 | Graco Premier SnugRide SnugFit XT ft. Load Leg $349.99 | 4-35 lbs.| Up to 32" | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
 | Nuna PIPA rx $400.00 | 4-35 lbs.| Up to 32" | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
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Convertible Carseats
| Table Scrolls L→R | Seat Name | Weight| Height Limits | Lock- off? | Anti-Rebound Bar | Narrow | Light- weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Britax Emblem $229.99 | 5-40 lbs. RF, 20-65 lbs. FF | 49" or less | Yes | No | No | No |
 | Cosco Scenera NEXT $59.98 | 5-40 lbs. RF, 22-40 lbs. FF | 19-40" RF, 29-43" FF | No | No | Yes | Yes |
 | Graco Extend2Fit $234.99 | 4-50 lbs. RF, 22-65 lbs. FF | Up to 49" | No | No | No | Med. |
 | Nuna RAVA $550.00 | 5-50 lbs. RF, 22-65 lbs. FF | 49" or less | No | No | Yes | Med. |
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All-in-Ones/3-in-1s
| Table Scrolls L→R | Seat Name | Weight| Height Limits | Lock- off? | Anti- Rebound Bar | Narrow | Light- weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Britax One4Life Clicktight $399.99 | 5-50 lbs. RF, 22-65 lbs. FF, 40-120 lbs. BPB | Less than 49" harnessed, 44-63" BPB | Yes | Yes | No | No |
 | Graco 4Ever DLX Grad $399.99 | 4-40 lbs. RF, 22-65 lbs. FF, 40-100 lbs. BPB, 50-120 lbs. seat belt trainer | Up to 49" harnessed, 43-57" BPB, 43-60" seat belt trainer | Yes | No | Med | No |
 | Graco SlimFit3 LX/True3Fit LX $279.99 | 5-40 lbs. RF, 22-65 lbs. FF, 40-100 lbs. BPB | Up to 49" harnessed, 43-57" BPB | No | No | Yes! | Yes |
 | Graco TrioGrow SnugLock $179 | 5-40 lbs. RF, 22-65 lbs. FF, 40-100 lbs. BPB | Up to 49" harnessed, 43-57" BPB | Yes | No | No | Yes |
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Combination (Harness-to-Booster) Carseats
| Table Scrolls L→R | Seat Name | Weight| Height Limits | Lock- Off? | Narrow | Light- weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Britax Grow With You ClickTight $329.99 | 25-65 lbs. and 34-49" harnessed | 40-120 lbs. and 44-63" BPB | Yes | No | No |
 | Chicco MyFit ClearTex $229.99 | 25-65 lbs and 54" or less harnessed | 40-100 lbs. and 38-57" BPB | Yes | Yes | Med. |
 | Evenflo Maestro Sport $99.99 | 22-50 lbs. and 28-50" harnessed | 40-110 lbs. and 44-57" BPB | No | Yes | Yes |
 | Graco Nautilus SnugLock Grow $149.99 | 22-65 lbs. and up to 49" harnessed | 40-100 lbs. and 43-57" highback | 40-100 lbs. and 43-57" backless | No | No | Med. |
 | Graco Nautilus SnugLock $199.99 | 22-65 lbs. and up to 49" harnessed | 40-100 lbs. and 43-57" highback | 40-100 lbs. and 43-57" backless | 40-120 lbs. and 43-57" backless 2 | No | No | Med. |
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Highback Belt-Positioning Boosters
| Table Scrolls L→R | Seat Name | Weight| Height Limits| Age Limits | Highest Shoulder Belt Guide Height | LATCH Connectors? | IIHS Rank | Narrow | Tesla-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Britax Skyline $105.99 | 40-120 lbs. and 44-63" highback | 48-120 lbs. and 46-63" backless | Yes, flexible push-on | Best Bet | |||
 | Graco TurboBooster LX/Affix $89.97 | 40-100 lbs and up to 57" | at least 4 yrs old | Yes, flexible hook-on | Best Bet | |||
 | Nuna AACE $250.00 | 40-120 lbs and 38-60" | HBB: at least 4 yrs old; Backless: at least 5 yrs old | Yes, rigid LATCH | Best Bet | Yes | ||
 | Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120 $299.99 | 40-120 lbs and up to 63" | Yes, rigid LATCH | Check Fit | Yes | ||
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Backless Belt-Positioning Boosters
| Table Scrolls L→R | Seat Name | Weight| Height Limits| Age Limits | LATCH Connectors? | IIHS Rank | Narrow| 3-Across Friendly | Travel-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Chicco GoFit Plus $59.99 | 40-110 lbs and 38-57" | at least 4 yrs old | Yes, flexible push-on | Best Bet | ||
 | Graco TurboBooster LX $40.99 | 50-120 lbs | Yes, flexible hook-on | Not Yet Tested | Yes | |
 | Cosco Rise LX $19.98 | 40-100 lbs and 43-57" | No | Best Bet | Yes | Yes |
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Recommended Accessories
Accessories, such as vehicle seat protectors, should only be used with the same brand of carseat, if specified. For instance, use a Britax vehicle seat protector with a Britax carseat. Some manufacturers, such as Graco, don’t specify a particular brand to use with their products.
Britax One4Life ClickTight Anti-Rebound Bar $59.99
Clek mat-thingy $39.99
Clek q-tether $19.99
The Noggle starting at $29.99 (Get 10% Off—Referral link)
UnbuckleMe Car Seat Buckle Release Tool $14.99