The Best Convertible Car Seat Brands

Infant car seats are fabulous - we all know that the less you have to disturb a sleeping newborn, the better. However, we also all know that by the time your infant is about 6 or 7 months old, they are curious about everything. This is also about the time that they are getting heavier and your arm is starting to fall asleep when you cart the infant seat around. Enter... the convertible car seat!

 In general, convertible car seats allow your infant to sit up a little straighter and be able to see what is going on around them better. They also make it so that your child can remain in a rear-facing position for a longer period of time (which, by the way, is WAY safer for your child. Check out Sweden's next-to-zero child mortality statistics for children in car accidents in this article. They keep their children in a rear-facing position until 4 years old on average!). We are HUGE advocates for car seat safety here at Baby Cubby,    and these brands are our favorites for that very reason!

Maxi-Cosi: Pria 70 and Pria 85

The Maxi-Cosi Pria 70  and Maxi-Cosi Pria 85 are both some of the hottest car seats in Europe and the U.S. These seats are packed with convenient features! Weighing in at only 18.7 pounds (the 70) and 23 pounds (the 85), they are some of the lightest car seats on the market. Now, switching the car seat from mom to dad's car can be a little less...heavy!  They also have the easiest clean up--what parent isn't stoked about easy clean-up?! Without any re-threading, the cover snaps right off, washes in the washing machine, and then slips right back on after drying. Easy as pie! Prias also feature Air Protection (AP) for extra head protection, LATCH installation, a top tether option for added safety when forward-facing, as well as tons of padding and extra cushion to keep your little ones secure.

Britax: Marathon, Boulevard, and Advocate - Click Tight Models

For me, safety is the number one concern when it comes to a car seat for my little one. Britax has made quite a name for themselves in car seat safety with their Britax Click Tight Car Seat line. The Click Tight technology allows for an incredibly easy install that leaves you confident in your installation, and decreases instances of improper installation to less than 1% of the time. Simply lift up the seat cushion, thread the seat belt through, pull it fairly tight, and then snap the cushion back down! Amazing. All three models (Marathon, Boulevard, and Advocate) also feature Safecell Technology; a honeycombed system throughout the carseat that works to slow the speed of an impact. The Boulevard and Advocate models feature HUGS with Safecell, which disperses impact across your child's chest opposed to a concentrated force in just one area. Finally, the Britax Advocate Car Seat model features Click Safe (not to be confused with Click Tight). As you are tightening the harness on your child, the Click Safe feature makes a "click" sound when you have the harness tight enough, leaving no room for guess work! More safety, less questions. Three cheers for that!  

Chicco: Nextfit

The Chicco NextFit iX Convertible Car Seat is another one of our favorite convertible car seats! Chicco is well known for having the highest overall rating Consumer Reports. This report studies safety, ease of use, and style. The Chicco NextFit iX is extremely easy to install and features nine recline options to help you get a custom fit for every stage of growth. The latch system is also easier to re-thread and tighten than in most car seats. The Nextfit has an easy to read level so that you are always getting the best recline! For those of you parents who are worried about your child being comfortable, the NextFit is also extra padded and cushy so little legs and bottoms stay comfortable even on the longest drives.

Clek: Foonf

The Foonf is a favorite because this seat is a safety rockstar! Clek's REACT system is the key here. REACT stands for Rigid Energy Absorbing Crumple Technology. This expertly absorbs crash forceswhile forward-facing better than most other seats on the market. It has an anti-rebound bar to reduce bounce back in the case of an impact, and also increases the amount of space between the seat and the vehicle seat for more leg room. Foonf sits up higher so kids can see out the window and just might enjoy being rear-facing longer! Safety nerds know just how important and amazing a longer time rear-facing is, so we LOVE that about this seat! Because of their narrow design you can also fit three of these seats across on one bench seat. Finally, as the cherry on top, their fabric is Krypton treated. Krypton repels water and is super easy to keep clean with Clek's simple cleaning system. You definitely want to look into this car seat!

Nuna: Rava

Say hello to the Rava! This is a super cushy, luxury seat. Extremely easy to install with your vehicle's seat belt in both rear and forward-facing modes. That fact alone makes it exponentially more safe than other options on the market! Car seat settings can get a bit confusing sometimes, but on the Rava it is easy to see which settings are for rear-facing or forward-facing. Nuna was definitely looking out for us parents when designing this seat! Easier interpretation of settings greatly reduces the risk of the car seat being installed improperly. An easy to adjust, and deep recline makes for a more effortlessly comfortable ride for the little babes!

Diono: Diono rXT

Last but certainly not least we have the Diono rXT. This car seat is a winner in our hearts because it is super safe, simple and slim. Diono has always been known for impeccable safety features. These seats have aluminum reinforced sides and a steel frame! That alone just makes me feel safe thinking about putting a child in there! The second thing these seats are known for is the fact that they are only 17 inches wide. Need to fit three car seats across one bench row in a vehicle? You can with the rXT! One more amazing thing about this seat is that you can use it from birth to 120 pounds as a transitioned high back booster! Not having to buy a different seat at all in your child's car seat career seems too good to be true, but it isn't thanks to Diono!

No Infant Seat Needed

Any of these car seats can fit infants, using inserts made from each brand. If you are not really into the whole buying-a-second-car-seat-at-one-years-old-or-before deal, then you can definitely get one of these for your newborn. They still recline as far back as an infant seat, and are still extremely safe for your teeny-tiny one. Definitely worth it if you are looking to save a little money (or you just want to buy yourself a new mommy-bag with that extra cash!)

All of these seats can be seen and tested in person at our Utah baby store, where you can also meet with a certified CPS tech to answer any of your questions. Our CPS techs can also help you get your seat installed perfectly in your car! The safety of little ones is a big deal, and we are so grateful that there are amazing seats out there to better protect them!