Being a parent, I can understand that traveling with your little ones can be challenging.
But,
It doesn’t have to be daunting. You can travel hassle-free with your baby with the right travel baby gear.
I’ve spent more than 120 hours researching and finding the best infant travel car seats. I’ve listed the infant travel car seats based on their comfort, quality, value for money, and other features to save you time.
Ready to travel with your kid in style and comfort?
Let’s do it!
Best with a Stroller
Doona Infant Car Seat
Adjustable Headrest
Lightweight
Easy to Install
Best Overall
Cosco Scenera Next
Side Impact Protection
Removable Seat Pad
FAA-certified
Best Lightweight
WAYB Pico Travel Car Seat
Comfortable Fabric.
Designed for Safety.
Eco-Friendly.
Best Baby Travel Infant Car Seats
This detailed list will make purchasing the best travel infant car seat easier.
#1 Best Overall: Cosco Scenera Next Convertible Car Seat
Cosco Scenera Next is the best convertible car seat with all sorts of essential safety features. It has a five-point harness along with accentuated side impact protection. The harness is essential to meet or exceed the TSA security and Federal safety standards.
● It comes with an adjustable and easy-to-remove padded cover.
● It has a cup holder.
● It’s an extremely affordable infant car seat.
Cosco Scenera Next correctly fits under the best overall category because it’s comfortable, affordable, and highly convertible.
Why buy Cosco Scenera Next?
● The seat is FAA-approved and easily fits in an airplane seat.
● The expiry of this car seat is eight years from manufacture.
● It comes along with side impact protection and a 5-adjustable harness.
Introducing the best adjustable and affordable infant car seat. It comes with an easy-to-remove padded cover and cup holder.
The padding of Cosco Scenera Next could have been more comfortable. Also, it doesn’t have additional premium safety features, like a steel frame or added layers for side impact protection.
This car seat can be used for children up to 40 pounds. It is very easy to install.
What You’ll Love About This Product
● It is very affordable
● It is lightweight and can be carried anywhere
● Super easy to install, both the top rope and the bottom latches install speedily as well as effortlessly
● Compared to other infant car seats, it is narrower.
What You Won’t Love About This Product
● The straps often tend to be loose, making the seat wobbly frequently
● Straps are difficult to adjust in the rear-facing position.
● The shoulder straps need to be adjusted individually rather than adjusted together.
#2 Best with a Stroller: Doona Infant Car Seat & Latch Base
The Doona Infant Car seat is one of the unique creations that functions as a car seat and a stroller. A highly recommended product for parents who are looking for an easy-to-use stroller. It is an extremely comfortable car seat, ideal for your tiny tot.
● It can be easily converted from a car seat to a stroller and vice-versa.
● It has an ergonomic design for maximum comfort.
● It comes with side impact protection.
Doona Infant Car seat is simply the best with a stroller because it can be easily converted from a car seat to a stroller.
Why buy a Doona Infant Car seat?
● The stroller is easy to clean and can be hand washed by removing the fabrics.
● It comes in different colors, including black, gray, stone, blue, red, dark green, dark red, pink, and green.
● This car seat features a 5-point harness and 3-layer side impact protection.
It is an excellent infant car seat with an adjustable headrest and a harness system. It is easily accessible by infants to kids aged four.
The available latch base makes it perfect for installing and detaching the car seat from your vehicle whenever required. It is ergonomic in design, with side impact protection and a five-point harness system that ensures your child’s safety while driving.
But it cannot be used in all vehicles. So, before purchasing this car seat, ensure that your car is mentioned in the list of approved models. The Doona infant car seat is perfect if you want an innovative car seat with multifunction.
What You’ll Love About This Product
● Ergonomically designed for the comfort and safety of your child.
● A latch base is attached to the seat to ensure your child’s safety while traveling in a car.
● Has the added benefit of converting into a stroller for convenience and swiftness.
● The safety standards are easily met, keeping in mind national safety.
What You Won’t Love About This Product
● The weight is often concerning, as it is heavy to carry.
● No additional space is provided for storage.
#3 Best Convertible: Tribute 5 Convertible Car Seat
The Tribute 5 Convertible car seat is designed to be a compact, lightweight, convertible car seat at an affordable price. It’s an affordable and reliable car seat that can fit in most vehicles.
● The body cushion in the seat provides additional comfort to your child.
● The Head Pillow is easily adjustable and removable. All groups of people can perfectly use it.
● The four harness slots can be customized according to your child’s height.
Tribute 5 Convertible Car Seat is one of the best convertible infant car seats with an extra comfortable heat pillow for a happy journey.
Why Buy Tribute 5 Convertible Car Seat?
● The Dual Modes are active in the car seat, and it has both the modes, the rear-facing, and the forward-facing
● No Batteries are required for this convertible car seat
● The total Weight of the seat is 9.29 pounds.
It’s a compact infant car seat, best for people who don’t want car seats permanently installed in their vehicles. This FAA-approved car seat is ideal for parents who travel often. It goes well onto a plane, into a rental car, and back again.
The plastic body of the Tribute 5 Convertible Car Seat makes it easy to clean and carry around. Use the up-front harness to get an accurate fit.
It is naturally resistant to stains and moisture. The seat pad is machine washable and can be tumble dried.
What You’ll Love About This Product
● It has gained approval from the federal safety regulations after being examined in detail.
● The seat’s structural integrity has undergone a side impact test.
● The side impact test is almost double the Federal safety criteria.
● The only requirement is a LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) which is usually attached to your vehicle that is accessible mostly in all cars.
What You Won’t Love About This Product
● Neither solvent nor abrasive cleaners are used to remove the filth.
● It’s only through machines that the seat pads can be washed.
● None of the child restraint parts can be lubricated nor cleaned through the water.
#4 Best Lightweight: WAYB Pico Travel Car Seat
The WAYB Pico Travel car is one of the best portable car seats that anyone can probably have. It can be folded easily into a compact 11.6 x 14.5x 18.9-inch unit. To sum up, it can be said that the seat can be folded into the size of a medium camping backpack, which can be easily lifted and carried anywhere.
● This infant car seat can fit anywhere
● The LATCH system and top rope of this infant car seat make it easy to install
● The seat allows airflow, which maintains breathability
WAYB Pico Travel fits perfectly under the best lightweight category. It can fit in a nice backpack and is super easy to carry.
Why Buy WAYB Pico Travel Car Seat?
● The car seat is ideal for children above 2 years
● The FAA approves it.
● The seat has numerous safety features so that you can rely on it.
WAYB Pico Travel can provide a life-altering experience for someone regularly traveling with kids. Being extremely lightweight, it is easier to carry than other travel car seats available in the market.
Not only that, the seat comes with a click-in and click-out anchor on both sides, along with a hook that can be fixed to the anchor at any time.
The straps that come with it can also be tightened without much hustle. Once you use this car seat, we’re sure you’ll love it and be obsessed with it shortly.
The WAYB is comparatively much costlier when compared to its other competitors. Precisely speaking, it is six times more expensive than the other available, affordable car seats, such as Cosco Scenera or Evenflo Sonus.
What You’ll Love About This Product
● The seat is extremely small and light.
● The seat is eco-friendly, as it is manufactured with an aluminum frame and a combo of other recyclable materials
● Removable shoulder strap covers
● The seats are also manufactured from wool blend ASTROKNIT™ mesh, which is breathable.
What You Won’t Love About This Product
● The cost is comparatively more than the others
● The cover can’t be washed by machine washable, though not a worth mentioning con, yet the fact can’t be ignored.
While WAYB Pico Travel is expensive, it’s worth the price.
#5 Best Booster Seat: Cosco Finale Dx 2-In-1
Cosco Finale Dx 2-in-1 is ideal for large families interested in carpooling. The super slim and versatile booster car seat is perfect for those children who are prepared to ride facing forward.
● This infant car seat comes with a cup holder
● It has easy care cover
● It is a good option for three car seats across
Cosco Finale Dx 2-in-1 fits perfectly under the best booster seat. But the lower anchors are not permitted for booster mode.
Why Buy Cosco Finale Dx 2-in-1 Car Seat?
● It does have a dishwasher-safe cup.
● Easily install the seat in your vehicle and attach the seat belts and straps.
● The product is available on Amazon and the official website.
As it measures only 18 inches in width, it provides the advantage of fitting three or more children across the seat. It has a five-point harness and an adjustable seat-belt positioning booster that is ideal for kids weighing up to 100 pounds.
Specifically mentioning, it is ideal for children between 30 and 65 pounds and those whose height is 32 to 49 inches tall.
Being lightweight and slim fit, it feels like a breeze to carry it from one car to another. It also comes with a reversible cup holder that can be placed on either side of the seat.
What You’ll Love About This Product
● Super affordable and cost-effective.
● User-friendly and doesn’t require added knowledge to fix it.
● The cover can be removed when required, thus making it perfect for removing and washing.
● Approved to be used in flights as well.
● Made from premium quality fabrics that add comfort to the journey.
What You Won’t Love About This Product
● The minimum weight is an ideal option for older kids, who are lightweight.
● At times, it might require some added effort to be installed in some cars.
● The Latch can’t be used in booster mode.
● The seat is a misfit with inflatable seats.
#6 Best For Road Trips: Safety 1st Guide 65 Convertible Car Seat, Chambers
The Safety 1st Guide 65 Convertible Car Seat is ideal for traveling with your child with safety and comfort. Magnificently designed, this is ideal for parents looking for car sets within their budget. Ideal for children who weigh 5 to 65 pounds. The LATCH that is provided is user-friendly and easy to install.
● The harness type is 5-point.
● It has been tested and certified to be traveled on the road.
● It comes with adjustable head support and a cup holder.
Safety 1st Guide 65 Convertible Car Seat is ideal for road trips because it’s easy to carry and install.
Why Buy Safety 1st Guide 65 Convertible Car Seat?
● It certainly is affordable and sturdy.
● It is super easy to set up. You will need 30 seconds to set it up while traveling by plane.
● It comes at a great price.
The added feature is its five-harness point with a center front adjustment. The three buckle positions that are provided ensure an ideal fit. The compact design is ideal for small cars. Meeting all the ASTM standards, the seat is available in multiple colors.
The exact weight of the chair is 15 pounds. It’s light and easy to carry around. Plus, it’s FAA approved. It’s a small seat, so 3 across is doable. The material is not removable, but it’s easy to clean.
What You’ll Love About This Product
● This seat is only 14 lbs, making it an unmatched portable car seat.
● Despite being manufactured with premium quality materials, this car seat is available at an affordable Price.
● It can be easily converted from rear-facing to front-facing, implying that the weight can extend to 65 lbs and not more than that.
● The user-friendly setup makes it ideal to be used by anyone.
● It’s extremely comfortable with the added paddings and cushion-compression technology.
What You Won’t Love About This Product
● There are awkward moments when you carry the seat around without a carry bag.
● At times, the security that the seat provides is also questionable.
It is the best infant car seat for road trips you can buy right now.
#7 The Best Backless Booster: BubbleBum Inflatable Booster Seat
As the name suggests, this inflatable booster is specifically used in cars to replace other available boosters. It is one of the best backless boosters, convenient to use. Having received the approval to accommodate kids of 4 years and above with a minimum weight of 40 pounds.
● The BubbleBum booster requires a lap/shoulder belt and head support that reaches up to the child’s eyes
● Inflatable, available along with a carrying bag
● It is easy to install
BubbleBum Inflatable Booster Seat is the best backless booster infant car seat that you can purchase.
Why Buy BubbleBum Inflatable Booster Seat?
● It is small and lightweight
● It is easy to use
● It is the narrowest booster seat available
It’s an excellent backless booster infant car seat. It has been approved under the United Nations ECE Regulation R44/04 for safety for both Groups 2 and 3.
A valve to blow up within seconds makes it an appropriate inflatable booster seat. It then compresses fairly flat when not used, making it ideal for storing and packing. Weighing less than even a pound, it’s super compact and lightweight.
What You’ll Love About This Product
● The available price is quite cheap and can be purchased at much-reduced rates and less than $20.
● There is a plethora of non-travel functionality that comes along. It’s a useful product that can be used by babysitters and parents who need to travel with their kids occasionally.
What You Won’t Love About This Product
● The size of BubbleBum is small, and the materials used to manufacture it can make it a bit slick if your child is slouching or simmering. It can make the entire unit slide. Thus, make sure that your child is prepared to use it.
● With regular usage such as going grocery shopping, the product may develop a leak and fail to remain inflated.
Buying Guide for Infant Car Seat
Here’s a list of things you need to consider when buying an infant car seat.
#1 Size of Vehicle
Before you purchase an infant car seat, you should consider the size of your vehicle. Why? Because if you want to purchase a single car seat, you have many options. But your options are reduced if you want to fit 3 infant car seats.
You can get a convertible or all-in-one car seat if you have a larger vehicle. However, if you have limited space in your vehicle, you must search accordingly.
#2 Price
Price is an important factor that cannot be ignored when buying infant car seats. Remember that the market is filled with different options. Chances are, if you don’t set a budget, you will end up spending more.
Ideally, car seats range between $60 to $750. So, you get a huge variety of price points. Expensive infant car seats have better features, but the cheaper ones are also great.
To set a budget, you must highlight the important things you absolutely need in your infant car seat. You can prioritize safety features like side impact protection, steel base, and more. You can also consider the durability, build, and style of infant car seats.
#3 Convenient Factors
The convenience factor is important because you don’t want to get an infant car seat with complicated installation. Does the car seat have indicators that indicate the correct installation? Is there padding on the chest strap? Is the fabric machine-washable? Does it have cup holders? And more.
#4 Safety Features
Infant car seats must pass basic safety testing before they get approved in the US. You can choose a car seat that meets the usual requirements or goes above and beyond in terms of safety.
You must ask yourself a few questions: Does the car seat need side impact protection? How many layers of side protection impact do you need? Can the design of a car seat absorb impact during a collision? Does the car seat come with an anti-rebound bar?
#5 Fabric Quality
You can choose from various fabrics for infant car seats, including wool, polyester, jersey, or synthetic.
Likewise, focus on the construction of the seat. Determine whether you need a car seat made with thin plastic or a car seat with high-quality material.
Some infant car seats come with fire-retardant chemicals, while others have a natural feel. So, you must choose accordingly.
Also, car seat bases expire after five years in some products from the date of manufacture.
#6 Ease of Installation
An easy-to-install infant car seat should always be your choice. Some car seats have extra features, like tightness indicators, built-in lock-offs, level indicators, and belt guides. These features make car seats easier to install and detach. If you pick such an option, you will get a secure and tight fit each time.
#7 Weight and Height Limitations
Weight and height limitation is one of the most important considerations that ensure your child’s safety. If you choose a normal car seat, age does not matter, but booster car seats need a minimum age and weight.
Make your kid sit on a car seat to see how comfortable they feel. Do not bump them up to the next seat. Always go through the limitations and benefits of the car seat before upgrading from a rear-facing to a forward-facing car seat.
#8 Type of Car Seat
The type of car seat can influence your budget and choice. For instance, if you want to save yourself from several stages of purchasing a car seat, get an all-in-one car seat. This type of car seat not only has multi-uses but is also affordable.
#9 Choose the Right Model
You can choose from different car seat models, including an infant car seat, convertible car seat, booster seat, all-one-one car seat, and toddler booster.
Infant car seats are great for new parents. It can only be installed in the rear-facing seat and has a removable carrier. In contrast, a convertible car seat is for an outgrowing infant. You can install it in the rear-facing or front-facing seat.
Booster seats can be purchased when a kid outgrows their weight or height. An all-in-one car seat can be used from when a kid is an infant to when they require a booster seat. Lastly, a toddler booster is for kids who have reached a given weight or height.
Also, checking the attached stroller expiration is a key safety consideration when purchasing or using car seats.
Conclusion
Having the best car seats for your little ones ensures safety and comfort throughout the journey. As a parent, it’s natural for you to consider the safety features of the infant car seat. If you are into getting an infant car seat, I recommend you check the list of the best travel car seats mentioned to ensure the comfort and safety of your little munchkin.