The 7 Best Car Seats, From Infant to Convertible

Graco Nautilus SnugLock Grow 3 in 1 Forward Facing Harness Booster ($250)

This three-in-one car seat was designed to support your child through multiple growth spurts as it adapts from forward-facing harness to highback booster to backless booster. Consumer Reports slotted the Graco Nautilus in the top spot for toddler boosters, ranking it a 5/5 in booster fit, fit-to-vehicle belt, and fit-to-vehicle latch. It did flag it for being heavy, and it got a 4/5 for ease of use as the crotch buckle adjustment can be tricky.

Graco TrioGrow SnugLock 3-in-1 Car Seat ($200)

If you want a car seat that's affordable and can still do it all, this three-in-one option from Graco is for you. The seat was designed for easy rear-facing and forward-facing installation with LATCH or seat belt, the belt fit got fives across the board from Consumer Reports, and the seat itself weighs less than 20 lbs. Plus, it can grow with your little one, making it a worthwhile investment.

Chicco NextFit Max Zip Air Convertible Car Seat ($350)

This convertible car seat is meant to grow with your baby, as it's designed with a nine-position, easy-extend headrest system as well as a five-point harness. Plus, the removable newborn positioner provides support for infants weighing 4-11 lbs. And when forward facing, the seat can support children up to 65 lbs. One thing to keep in mind: Consumer Reports gave this seat the No. 1 spot for convertible car seats, but warned that the seat itself can feel rather heavy.

Clek Liing Infant Car Seat, Railroad - Flame Retardant Free ($460)

This car seat got top ratings from Consumer Reports when it comes to infant safety. While donning a pretty hefty price tag, the Clek Liing earned a 5/5 for ease of use and a "best" rating when it comes to crash protection. And while some car seats come with confusing systems, Liing's Rigid-LATCH is designed with simplicity in mind so that you can strap in your little one without having to worry about it being done incorrectly.

Nuna AACE Booster Seat ($250)

This booster seat from Nuna can convert from a high back to backless booster with ease, earning it the top spot for booster seats from Consumer Reports. The seat also comes in two sleek colors, Caviar and Lagoon, with a machine-washable fabric, making it an aesthetically pleasing and easy-to-clean booster seat option.

Safety 1st Grow and Go 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat ($130)

At a more affordable price point, this car seat will last your child from birth until they're 100 pounds! It offers an impressive side-impact protection and the brand's QuickFit Harness System secures your child in place properly without much fuss. While it didn't make the Consumer reports reviewed and recommended list, the seat has over 29,000 reviews on Amazon, 84 percent of which are five stars.

"This car seat is PERFECT!!! My daughter hated being in her infant car seat, she would scream and cry not matter how long we were in the car, so we started looking for other seats for her. I narrowed it down to 2 and kept coming back to this one, SO GLAD I DID!!," one reviewer wrote. "She loves being in the car now! She dances to the music and laughs and has a great time. It's substantially more comfortable than her last car seat and it is super user friendly. You can adjust the headrest with one hand, you can take the pads and cover off to wash them when they get dirty, the cup holders can be washed in the dishwasher, it's really just the perfect convertible car seat for the price. It's also more comfortable than the Graco and evenflo car seats at similar price points."

Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4/35 Infant Car Seat ($300)

This rear-facing infant car seat is designed for babies 4 to 35 pounds and offers a series of protective features, including side-impact protection which can adjust to six different positions and an anti-rebound bar.

"It breathes well unlike other car seats and has a lot of options for cushions to be able to adjust for the weight and height of your child," one parent reviewer wrote. "Additionally the straps have a super easy adjustment that you just snap into place on the back so you don't have to rethread the straps every time your baby grows. Bonus is that it is very stylish. We constantly get compliments and have people ask what brand. It's also narrow enough that we can fit three across if we need to." The seat also made the Consumer Reports review list where it was called a "solid performer".