Best Travel Car Seat for 1 Year Old (2023)

Traveling with kids requires preparation. Between packing the essentials and planning the route, you must keep your little one safe on the road. 

If you are planning a family vacation that requires cab rides, air travel, or renting a vehicle, you need to purchase an appropriate car seat for 1 year old. 

I have spent more than 40 hours researching and finding the best travel car seats for 1 year old. I’ve listed the best ones based on their comfort, quality, and value for money to save you time.

Best Travel Car Seat for 1 Year Old 

Follow this detailed list to find the best car seat quickly: 

#1 Best Overall: Cosco Scenera Next Convertible Car Seat 

Are you looking for an affordable and comfortable car seat? The Cosco Scenera Next should be your choice. Its compact and lightweight design makes it fit for an aircraft. 

This car seat for 1-year-old has an overall rating of 4.5/5

● The car seat has a five-point harness and side impact protection for better safety. 

● The removable seat pad makes it easy to clean up the mess. 

● It comes with a dishwasher-safe cup holder. 

Cosco Scenera Next Convertible is truly the best overall car seat because it is affordable, comfortable, and stylish. 

Why buy Cosco Scenera Next Convertible? 

● The car seat has soft fabric so your baby can have an extra-comfort ride. 

● It can be used on an aircraft.

● The seat pad of this car seat is machine washable and dryer safe. 

Cosco Scenera Next Convertible is a smarter car seat for families who want to travel in style. The side impact protection built on this seat offers extra protection to kids. 

You also get a 5-point harness that can quickly adjust from the front of the seat. This safety harness includes 3 buckle locations with 5 heights, offering your kid the right fit. 

What’s more? This car seat offers parents a great range of patterns and colors. This car seat expires eight years after its manufacturing date. So, get this car seat for 1 year old to allow your kid to travel comfortably without compromising safety. 

What You’ll Love About This Product

● It is suitable for infants and toddlers. 

● It comes at an affordable price point. 

● It is FAA-certified to be used in rear-and forward-facing positions. 

What You Won’t Love About This Product 

● In the rear-facing position, the straps are difficult to adjust. 

● It comes with a weight limit of 43 pounds. 

#2 Best Convertible: Graco Extend2Fit Convertible Car Seat

Graco Extend2Fit from the house of Graco is the best convertible car seat at a reasonable price. This well-built car seat comes with the best safety features. Its height can be quickly adjusted. It has four-position extension panel leg rest and six recline positions.

This car seat for 1 year old has an overall rating of 4.3/5

• This convertible car seat is designed to grow with your kid from a rear-facing harness to a front-facing harness.
• It has a removable plush head for better safety and comfort.
• The seat has a No-Rethread harness.

Graco Extend2Fit is an amazing convertible seat because it has a six-position recline. Plus, the harness can be easily adjusted.

Why buy Graco Extend2Fit Convertible?

• The car seat has a steel-reinforced frame.
• It is FAA-approved for use on aircraft.
• The car seat has a machine-washable cover.

Graco Extend2Fit is one of the most amazing convertible car seats for 1 year old that grows with your child with its rear-facing and forward-facing harness. It has a 4-position extension panel, offering 5 inches of extra legroom.

The car seat is ProtectPlus engineered to protect your kid in rear, side, rollover, or front crashes. You can use the No-Rethread harness to adjust the harness height in one go.

Graco Extend2Fit lets you choose from 10 different headrest positions so your kid can stay comfortable throughout the journey. The car seat also includes a dual cup holder and InRight LATCH.

What You’ll Love About This Product

• It has push-on LATCH connectors.
• It comes with a harness storage pocket on both sides.
• The car seat has 10 years of expiry.

What You Won’t Love About This Product

• The harness strap is difficult to use when a child is forward-facing.
• The cover is difficult to remove.

#3 Best Side Impact Protection: Cosco Mighty Fit 65 DX Convertible

The Cosco Mighty Fit 65 DX is designed for kids up to 40 pounds in a rear-facing position and 22-65 pounds in a front-facing position. It is lightweight and offers better leg space in a rear-facing position. It is FAA approved to make your air travel easier. 

This car seat for 1 year old has an overall rating of 4/5

● It comes with built-in side impact protection. 

● The premium fabric of the car seat offers extra comfort. 

● It meets ASTM and JPMA safety standards. 

Cosco Mighty Fit 65 DX is the best car seat for side impact protection because it has built-in protection. 

Why buy Cosco Mighty Fit 65 DX?

● The deluxe fabric of this car seat is machine washable. 

● It offers more legroom to parents. 

● It has 5 points of a harness with easy up-front adjustment. 

The Cosco Mighty Fit 65 DX comes with 2 modes of use. It can easily accommodate infants and toddlers in rear-facing mode. 

It is a must-have for air travel. It has a 5-point harness to easily adjust the front seat. It’s a perfect option for families with more kids because three of these car seats can fit side by side in a vehicle. 

It is easy to install and comes with a cup holder. So, if you want to maintain the safety of your kids, purchase Cosco Mighty Fit 65 DX today. 

What You’ll Love About This Product

● It has plush padding and deluxe fabric for extra comfort. 

● It comes with LATCH and vehicle belt systems. 

● The cover of this seat is removable and washable. 

What You Won’t Love About This Product 

● As the harness is narrow, it might rub against the kid’s neck. 

● For rear-facing installation, you need angle adjusters. 

#4 Best for Road Trips: Safety 1st Guide 65 Convertible Car Seat

Safety 1st Guide 65 is considered the best for road trips. This seat’s lightweight and compact design makes it possible to fit three 3-across in most vehicles. So, parents with smaller cars or families wanting to use multiple car seats should purchase Safety 1st Guide 65. 

This car seat for 1 year old has an overall rating of 4.1/5

● This car seat comes with labels and instructions, which makes it easy to use. 

● It comes with side impact protection. 

● It has an energy-absorbing base foam. 

Safety 1st Guide 65 convertible car seat is great for road trips because it is compact and lightweight. 

Why buy Safety 1st Guide 65 Convertible?

● It has an adjustable headrest. 

● It has up-front harness adjustment for accurate fit. 

● It is FAA approved. 

Safety 1st Guide 65 convertible is a reliable car seat you can purchase to enjoy a safe road trip with your little one. While it doesn’t come with innovative features available in the expensive car seat, it surely is comfortable and safe. 

The removable pillows will keep your kid happy throughout the journey. It also includes an adjustable harness for a snug fit. Plus, you can keep your drinks in a removable cup holder. 

You can use Safety 1st Guide 65 convertible for hassle-free air travel. So, hurry and purchase this car seat to enjoy road trips with your kid. 

What You’ll Love About This Product 

● It has two modes: rear-facing and front-facing car seat modes. 

● It is ideal for small cars. 

● It has 3 buckle locations for proper fit. 

What You Won’t Love About This Product 

● The cup won’t stay on in the cup holder.

● Difficult to install

#5 Best With Stroller: Doona Infant Car Seat & Latch Base

If you want a car seat with a stroller, Doona Infant Car Seat & Latch Base should be your choice. It’s a lightweight car seat that makes traveling easier for you. The fabric is washable and removable. 

This car seat for 1 year old has an overall rating of 4.4/5

● It has a 5-point harness with an ergonomic design for maximum comfort.

● It can be quickly converted from a car seat to a stroller and vice-versa.

● It has side impact protection.

Doona Infant Car Seat & Latch Base is the most appropriate option under the best with stroller category because it can be easily converted to a stroller. 

Why buy Doona Infant Car Seat & Latch Base?

● It is comfortable and stylish. 

● It has an ergonomic design. 

● It comes with side impact protection. 

Doona Infant seat is the best with a stroller because it can be converted from a car seat to a stroller. It has built-in wheels for easy shopping trips, layovers, and airport transfers.

The removable seat cover and frame of this car seat can be easily washed. The thick padding of the car seat will keep your baby comfortable. 

The double wall of the car seat offers protection against head, spine, and neck injury. Its adjustable handle acts as anti-rebound protection for the kid. 

What You’ll Love About This Product:

● It is FAA approved. 

● The latch base is attached to the seat to offer better safety while traveling. 

● It has 3-layer side impact protection.

What You Won’t Love About This Product:

● No additional space for storage. 

● It is only designed for kids under 35 pounds. 

#6 Best Lightweight: Evenflo EveryFit 4-in-1 Convertible Car Seat

Evenflo EveryFit 4-in-1 allows kids to ride rear-facing under 2 years of age. The car seat is safe and durable. It’s fabric machine-washable. It comes with a removable snack tray and two cup holders. 

This car seat for 1 year old has an overall rating of 4.5/5

● It can easily fit in any vehicle. 

● It is designed to offer maximum comfort, safety, and longevity. 

● It has a 12-position headrest for proper fit. 

Evenflo EveryFit 4-in-1 Convertible is the most appropriate lightweight car seat because it is easy to carry. 

Why buy the Evenflo EveryFit 4-in-1 Convertible?

● It comes with innovative cooling mesh fabric. 

● It has advanced side impact protection for better safety. 

● It is a rollover, and structural integrity tested. 

The Evenflo EveryFit 4-in-1 Convertible car seat has a SureSafe installation system for quickly and easily installing car seats. It also has LATCH connectors with a set of LATCH guides. 

You get an easily adjustable headrest with the car seat that ensures your child is seated in a comfortable position every single time. The safety harness of Evenflo EveryFit 4-in-1 Convertible car seats is easy to adjust. 

What You’ll Love About This Product:

● It comes with innovative air-flow mesh fabric. 

● It offers four modes and stays in use for up to 10 years. 

● You get live video chat support for installation. 

What You Won’t Love About This Product:

● It is not designed for small cars. 

#7 Best Easy Install: Baby Trend Trooper 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat

Baby Trend Trooper 3-in-1 Convertible car seat can be easily converted from a rear-facing infant/toddler seat to a forward-facing toddler seat. This car seat comes with a 5-position shoulder height adjustment to keep your little one safe during the trip. 

This 1 year old car seat has an overall rating of 4/5

● It has anti-slip harness covers. 

● It comes with a cup holder. 

● The narrow width of this compact car seat makes it a nice option for car seats across. 

Baby Trend Trooper 3-in-1 Convertible is an affordable and easy-to-install car seat that you can purchase. 

Why buy a Baby Trend Trooper 3-in-1 Convertible?

● This car seat comes with a harness webbing twist indicator stripe. 

● It has an adjustable crotch buckle. 

● Head pillow for rear or front facing. 

Baby Trend Trooper 3-in-1 Convertible comes with adjustable 5-position shoulder height. In addition, it has a rear-facing recline flip foot and built-in bubble level indicator for easier installation. 

The deep swing of the car seat offers premium cushioning and better side impact protection. Thus, babies get great heat protection and support during the process. 

Why You’ll Love This Product:

● It comes with removable seat inserts. 

● The lightweight shell allows LATCH installation of up to 50 lbs. 

● It has a built-in bubble level indicator. 

What You Won’t Love About This Product:

● The buckle between the legs is short. 

● Adjusting the harness is not easy. 

Buying Guide for Car Seat For 1 Year Old

Here’s what you need to consider when purchasing a car seat for 1 year old:

Simple to Install 

A car seat for 1 year old must be easy to install so that you can remove and reattach it at your convenience. Start by looking for car seats that can be entirely installed within a few minutes without expert assistance. 

It’s also better to choose a car seat that can be installed in multiple ways, like using the base with LATCH, the base with the car’s seat belt, or just installing a seat without the base. Do not use different installation methods simultaneously. 

Safety

While purchasing a car seat for a 1 to 2 year old, you cannot overlook safety. Always consider NHTSA crash-testing and ease-of-use reports. 

Car seats with an anti-rebound base or load legs are additional safety features that you can look for. But a standard instant car seat available at an affordable price does not have these additional features. 

Ease to Carry 

A car seat for 1 year old should always be easy to carry so you can take it anywhere you want. If the seat feels heavy, it’s failing on one of its key purposes. 

Heavy car seats are only sometimes allowed during airport security checks. Also, the seat’s handle needs to be easy to hold. 

User-friendly

A car seat for 1 year old is designed to make traveling with kids easier. But if your car seat is not user-friendly, it will become a source of frustration. 

The harness strap in easy-to-use car seats will buckle and adjust without hassle. Also, the buckle will click in and out in no time. 

Similarly, the car seat cover should be quickly removed and cleaned. Lastly, the seat should have thoughtful additions like a no-rethread harness and a well-designed LATCH system. 

High Height and Weight Limit 

While upgrading car seat always be mindful of the height and weight of the car seat, So your kid does not outgrow it in a few years. If you have yet to consider this factor, you will have to purchase a new car seat, which will be a waste of money. 

Accessible

The car seat that you choose must be available in different colors and should be found at different stores. It should also have additional features like cup holders, snack tables, and more. 

Conclusion

Purchasing the best car seats for your little ones can be difficult. But you can reduce the hard work by selecting one option I mentioned in this post.

As a parent, you only want the best for your kid. Their safety and comfort are your prime concern. That’s why I recommend you check the best car seats for 1 year old listed to ensure the comfort and safety of your little kid.