4 Best Car Seats for Toddlers, Picked by Pros
Tried and tested picks, plus expert advice on using the seats correctly.
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Many of us begin parenthood with our newborn in an infant car seat with a carry handle. Infant car seats make it easy to cart a baby from home to car and back again. They're very convenient for the first year or two, and then things change. Lugging a 25-pound toddler in a 10-pound car seat is no joke!
As babies grow, parents look for a toddler car seat that stays secured in the car. For this list, experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute focused on seats with extended rear-facing weight limits, so 2-year-olds and preschoolers can stay rear-facing as long as possible, up to 40 or 50 pounds. We looked for comfortable, adjustable seats made for wiggly, fast-growing preschoolers. We prioritized multiple reclines, no-rethread harnesses and comfortable padding to (hopefully!) help keep your toddler calm. Finally, we considered cupholders and machine-washable fabric, because toddlers are hungry, thirsty and messy little people.
Pros
- ClickTight installation is a hit with pros and parents
- Kids can stay rear-facing to 50 lbs
- Removable stability bar provides extra safety
- Fits three across in many backseats
- No-rethread harness moves in tandem with the headrest
Cons
- Lots of steps to remove the washable fabric
Type of car seat: Convertible Rear-facing: 5-50 lbs | Forward-facing: 20-65 lbs or 49" | Dimensions: 20.5" x 17" x 23.5" | Seat weight: 28 lbs | Headrest and harness positions: 14 | Recline positions: 6 | Fabric cleaning: Machine-washable and dryer-safe
Parents and our Lab experts love Britax's ClickTight installation that helps lock the seat in easily and securely using a car's seat belt. It's nice to get a tight fit without having to fuss with LATCH connectors, though the seat also has those. (LATCH is an acronym for "Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children" and is a way to secure a car seat into anchor bars in a car's backseat.) For ClickTight you just open the seat, thread in the seat belt, buckle it and click the seat closed.
Safety features: You can keep the Poplar S in the safe, rear-facing position to 50 pounds and use it up to 65 pounds forward-facing. An anti-rebound stability bar you install into the seat for the rear-facing years helps keep it steady if there's a sudden stop or accident. Remove the bar for the forward-facing position. (There's a less-expensive Poplar that does not include the added safety bar.)
Comfort features: This model’s 17-inch-wide seat allows you to fit three seats across in many vehicles, though you might have to pop off the cupholders to do it.
The harness moves in tandem with the headrest which makes micro-adjustments through 14 different positions pretty easy. That's extra appreciated in the toddler years, when kids grow fast.
Testers said: Their kids were happy in the seat. One said their toddler found it “cushy and comfortable." The fabric is safe for both the washer and dryer, though opinions differ on how easy it is to remove the fabric and get it back on. (The instruction video is five minutes long, if that tells you anything.)
Another caveat is that this is a big, heavy seat. Though testers told us they were able to install and uninstall the seat quickly, it's not practical to move something this heavy very often.
Pros
- All-in-one car seat becomes a booster
- Seat folds up and can be carried for travel
- Built to stay rear-facing up to 50 pounds
- Can fit three across most backseats
Cons
- Must rethread the harness as your child grows
- No recline adjustments
Type of car seat: All in One Rear-facing: 5-50 lbs | Forward-facing: 22-65 lbs or 49" | Booster: 40-120 lbs | Dimensions: 16" x 17" x 28.5" | Seat weight: 24 lbs | Headrest and harness positions: The headrest stays fixed and harness must be rethreaded to any of 5 positions | Recline positions: N/A | Fabric cleaning: Machine-wash cold, line dry
This is an all-in-one car seat, made to last from birth to age 10. Our Lab experts don't find it to be as infant-friendly as others — there's no way to easily adjust the recline, for instance — and most parents seem to start using it in the toddler or preschool years.
Safety features: This uses LATCH for installation and can stay rear-facing until your child reaches 50 pounds. It's a little more than 28 inches tall, so in the rear-facing position it might bump up against the front seat in a small car.
In booster mode, the Radian 3R can hold your child up to 120 pounds. That means it should last for all of their childhood, making it among the best values.
Comfort features: The harness must be rethread into new slots each time your child grows large enough to graduate to the next harness height. As noted, this seat can't be reclined for rests; it stays at whatever angle you install it at. There's no adjusting the headrest either, but it's so high that your kid will be fine in that regard.
We love that you can fold the Radian 3R for travel, and it's FAA-approved for use on an airplane seat with its five-point harness. The Radian 3R has that name because of its slim width; you can fit three of these across most vehicle back seats.
Testers said: "I like the idea of being able to spend money to get something nice that you can also use longer," one parent told us. But online reviewers are split on the ease of installation, with some finding it easy and others saying it's difficult depending on the size of your car and which auto seat you're looking to place this on.
RELATED: Best All-in-One Car Seats
Pros
- More than 64,000 five-star Amazon reviews
- Extension panel gives a rear-facing toddler extra legroom
- Can be rear-facing to 50 lbs
- Relatively lightweight
Cons
- Some users move a front seat forward to fit this in the back
Type of car seat: Convertible Rear-facing: 4-50 lbs | Forward-facing: 22-65 lbs or 49" | Dimensions: 21.5" x 19.5" x 23.5" | Seat weight: 19 lbs | Headrest and harness positions: 10 | Recline positions: 6 | Fabric cleaning: Machine-wash cold, line dry
This groundbreaking convertible car seat was one of the first to focus on toddler travel, and it's still beloved. The original has more than 64,000 five-star Amazon reviews; this 2025 model has a monochromatic look and round cupholders to more easily fit a sippy but is otherwise the same.
Safety features: The main appeal is an four-position extension panel you can pull out to provide up to five inches of extra legroom in the rear-facing position, keeping a toddler comfortably facing the back for longer. It then takes up more space in the backseat, so in a small car, you may need to scoot one of the front seats forward to accommodate it. The Extend2Fit installs with traditional LATCH clips.
Comfort features: At 19 pounds this is the most lightweight car seat on our list and it's easier to move around than others.
When buckling in your kid, the headrest and no-rethread harness move in tandem, helping you adjust the fit through 10 positions. The fabric can be washed in cold water on the delicate cycle and hung to dry. As with other seats, it does take some time and work to get the fabric off and back on.
Testers said: Many online reviewers agree that this is an outstanding value. While there are now other Graco seats for toddlers, this one still delivers at a budget-conscious price.
Pros
- Your toddler faces you for easier loading and unloading
- One-time installation via seatbelt
- Largest range of headrest positions
- Nice fabric and handy accessories
Cons
- Heaviest on our list
Type of car seat: Rotating Rear-facing: 4-40 lbs | Forward-facing: 26.5-65 lbs or 49" | Dimensions: 20" x 18.25" x 25.75" | Seat weight: 31 lbs | Headrest and harness positions: 15 | Recline positions: 6 | Fabric cleaning: Machine-wash cold, line dry
This seat's 360° rotation makes it easier and faster to secure or remove a child. You rotate the seat to face the car door for buckling or unbuckling, then turn your toddler to face rear or forward for the ride. This seat also won one of our most recent Parenting Awards.
Safety features: The rear-facing limit is a little lower on this one, at 40 pounds. Our Lab pros like that this easily installs with a seatbelt through a system Chicco calls LeverLock. You open a hatch in the backrest of the base, thread the seatbelt through and then shut the hatch for a tight installation. (Watch this video for all the installation tips, including parking your car on a level surface, using the attached key to pop the seat off the base and using the top tether in both the rear- and forward-facing years.)
Comfort features: The 15-position headrest is among the most adjustable that we know of and it moves in tandem with the harness. The seat is Greenguard Gold Certified for low chemical emissions, using materials that don't need added flame retardants. The magnetic chest clip helps you secure your child properly.
On the brand's website you can buy a crash-tested baby mirror that mounts to the seat in the rear-facing position. This is the only rotating car seat we know that will sell you an extra base so you can move the seat between two cars; that's also on the brand's site. The caveat is that its an extremely heavy seat that you probably won't want to move often.
Testers said: Ease of use stood out. “We loved how easy it was to take out of the box and install in the car,” one said. Another told us, "My husband and I are both tall, so the rotating function really helps save our backs as we are buckling our toddler in."
RELATED: Best Rotating Car Seats
How we test car seats for toddlers
In the past five years the Parenting Lab of the Good Housekeeping Institute has evaluated dozens of toddler car seats both in-Lab and with at-home testers. Our pros have reviewed convertible car seats, rotating car seats and all-in-one car seats. For this story we pulled Lab favorites, recent Parenting Award winners and market bestsellers.
What to look for in a toddler car seat
For the toddler and preschool years you'll want to consider:
✔️ Extended rear-facing: We used to turn babies forward-facing at their second birthday. Then common sense kicked in: If rear-facing is the safest position, why turn them early? Now the guidance from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is to "keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. It’s the best way to keep him or her safe. Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer." If you're curious as to the physics of all this, the Car Seat Lady has a video explaining why rear-facing is safer.
There are now many convertible car seats built to face the rear until a child weighs 50 pounds, which for many means kindergarten. Others stay rear-facing to 40 or 45 pounds. Every kid hits weights at different ages, which is why it's important to go by weight (and height) rather than age when deciding how long your child can ride rear-facing.
✔️ Multiple reclines: Your toddler might want to be a big kid and sit up, but in many ways they are still a baby. On long drives, they'll want to rest in a recline. While the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) asks you to not use an infant car seat as a sleep tool in your home, they recognize that kids will likely nap while traveling, especially on a long road trip.
✔️ Easy to adjust harness: Not to harp on the "way back when" but you used to always have to rethread the harness on a convertible car seat as your child grew. One car seat on our list, the budget-friendly Diono, still requires that; the others have no-rethread harnesses that slide up and down so you can get the right fit without making a big deal of it.
Here's a harness reminder from Safe Kids Worldwide: In rear-facing mode, the shoulder straps should come through the car seat slots at or just below your child's shoulders. In forward-facing mode, the shoulder straps should be at or just above the shoulders.
Convertible car seats, rotating car seats and all-in-one car seats are huge! You want to install one in your car and then leave it there. Most are considered safe for newborns, too, but if you want to be able to pop a car seat out and bring it into the house with your drowsy baby strapped in, it's an infant car seat that you want. See our best car seats for every age.
Types of car seats by age
At every age you have a few choices when it comes to car seats. That's both reassuring (there's not one "right" type of toddler car seat) and confusing (how to choose?). NHTSA explains the different car seats like this (note that there's crossover with age categories):
Car Seat Types for Babies (Birth to Age 3)
- An infant car seat only faces the rear of the car and is designed especially to cradle a baby. You install an infant car seat base in your vehicle and then can take the seat out and carry it around with your baby inside. Most infant car seats hold a baby up to 30 or 35 pounds.
- A convertible car seat can change from rear-facing to forward-facing. You can use one of these from birth, but you won't be able to carry your baby around in it — it's big! Because it can be used with children of various sizes, it allows for children to stay in the rear-facing position longer, and many parents switch to one of these for the toddler years. There's now an additional kind of convertible car seat called a rotating car seat that can help make loading a child in and out of the car easier. Innovation in this space is happening quickly and new launches are likely to keep coming.
- An all-in-one car seat is like a convertible car seat except that it eventually transitions to a booster seat, and so it lasts even longer. Though it's money-saving and eco-friendly to buy only one car seat to last from birth to age 10, many parents do opt to start with an infant car seat for convenience.
Car Seat Types for Toddlers (Birth to Age 7)
- As noted above, many parents switch to a convertible car seat for the toddler years if they started with an infant car seat. In this story we spotlight convertible car seats that we feel have features that can be especially welcome in the toddler years. A convertible car seat has a five-point safety harness and can hold a child in a forward-facing position to 65 pounds.
- You could also invest in an all-in-one car seat during the toddler years, if not at birth. Because it will convert to a booster after your child hits 65 pounds, thereafter utilizing the car's seat belt to hold your child in place, you'll be done with car seat shopping.
Car Seat Types for School-Age Kids (Ages 4 to 12)
- If you've been using a convertible car seat, you'll next want to move to a booster car seat with a high back. These seats literally "boost" your kid up so that the seat belt fits properly. A highback booster also provides neck and head support.
- A backless booster also lifts your child up to the right height for the seat belt. It's a little more grown-up because your big kid will just rest their back on the seat back. These are small and portable, easy to move from car to car, but they don't provide head or neck support, so they're not best for young kids who nap in the car.
- Finally, you guessed it: If you got an all-in-one car seat it should take you to the end of car seat use.
A child is ready to use a seat belt with no support once they are 57 inches tall (4 feet, 9 inches) and old enough (which varies according to state laws, but at minimum 8 years old). The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that "Most children will not fit in most vehicle seat belts without a booster until 10 to 12 years of age. All children younger than 13 years should ride in the back seat." When a big kid sits on the car's seat, the seat belt should fit across their shoulder and over their upper legs or hips, not their belly.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
This list was compiled by Contributing Writer Jessica Hartshorn who has reported on the juvenile product industry for 25 years. She was an editor at Parents magazine and American Baby magazine and continues to help judge the annual JPMA Innovation Awards. She's also a judge for Good Housekeeping's annual Parenting Awards and is a mom of two.
Jessica (she/her) is a freelance writer with several decades of experience writing lifestyle content and evaluating home and parenting products. A mom of two teens and two cats, her previous work can be seen in American Baby and Parents.
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