Best Car Seats for Travel

Taking your small baby or growing toddler on a long distance road trip demands patience, planning and most of all, a great car seat.

There are several different types of car seat. You can start with an infant seat and then switch to a booster seat when the child grows, or you can get a convertible seat that grows with the child. Convertible seats start as infant seats, but can be reconfigured to become booster seats when the child outgrows the infant seat. Child car seats can be installed facing either forward or back. While most are capable of facing both directions, some are dedicated to be front facing or rear facing only. Babies under 12 months of age or under 20 pounds need to be placed in a rear facing seat, while children over 40 pounds can use a forward-facing booster seat.

Good car seats for travel are comfortably padded with lots of support for nodding heads, and have cup holders and small compartments for tucking away toys and snacks. Some have reclining angles so your baby can sit upright during play time and recline during nap time, with pivoting arm rests for your child’s comfort. A handy feature for trips with a very small infant is a detachable seat base so you can remove the baby from the car without disturbing his nap or having to wrestle with the harness.