8 Best Toddler Car Seats You Can Trust to Keep Your Little Ones Safe

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When you’re ready to transition your babies out of their convertible or infant car seat and upgrade to a toddler car seat, also known as a booster seat, the decision about which one to buy can feel overwhelming. Toddler car seats vary in style. Many parents think of booster seats as seats that utilize the seatbelt of the car. But in reality, they can be backless, a seat with a back, or a seat with a 5-point harness that latches into the car’s latch system.

Speaking of convertible car seats, those aren’t entirely off the table, as many of them fit well into this category because they transition to a booster seat and even into a backless booster.

Boosters and toddler seats are crucial safety measures for your child, and I need to point out that they’re also mandatory. The regulations differ from state to state, but in New York, children under age 2 must be in a rear-facing car seat, children under 4 need a full car seat, and children under 8 require a restraint system like a booster. They’re going to be in these for a while, which is another reason choosing the right one makes such a difference.

We have taken great care in regard to our choices, making sure they fit the utmost standards of care and safety.

The Best Toddler Car Seats

• Best Overall: Graco Nautilus 2.0 LX 3-in-1 Harness Booster

• Best Portable: WayB Pico Travel Car Seat with Premium Carrying Bag

• Most Comfortable: Britax& Grow with You Harness-2-Booster Car Seat

• Best Design: Chicco MyFit Harness + Booster Car Seat

• Best Budget: Cosco Finale Dx 2-In-1 Booster Car Seat

What to Consider

Every car seat’s description on Amazon, Nordstrom, or another retailer will give you a laundry list of specs that feels impossible to comb through — everything from the proprietary name for the foam a company uses to a grid explaining sizes and restrictions. It’s a lot, and it’s really tough to parse through for most parents because car seats constantly change, regulations change, and also, manufacturers like to make things sound flashy because it increases the perceived cache of the product.

This is where I come in: Understanding all of the regulations and lingo about car seats, as well as having the ability to test each one individually, is a huge part of my job, and I take it very seriously so that I can find the very best car seats and condense what you need to know to make the best choices for your family.

The major things you need to consider when buying a toddler car seat are the type of seat, the size of the seat, height and weight limits, and how you clean it.

Type

Why are there multiple types of booster seats? I promise they each serve their purpose. Let me break them down for you:

• Convertible-to-booster: Becoming the most common type of car seat, it’s a seat that can essentially be used from birth until they age out of a car seat. Parents looking for a booster or a toddler car seat need to know how far it converts. Most go all the way to the seatbelt booster seat.

• Booster with harness: It’s a booster seat with a 5-point harness for younger toddlers too small for the seat belt. Many of these also convert to seat belt boosters.

• Boosters with back: Typical seatbelt booster. Easy, often inexpensive, can really take a beating.

• Backless boosters: The final phase of boosters. By this point, your child will be very annoyed they still need to use one, but since most states require you to use one until age 8, they’re in it for a while.

Size

I get that this doesn’t sound like a huge deal, but if you have a smaller car or need to get multiple car seats in your car at the same time, you need to know the dimensions — and they vary pretty widely. Car seats like the Clek are very narrow, while the Graco Nautilus is a bit bulkier.

Height and Weight Limits

Pretty straightforward. You need to know if the seat is appropriate for your child, and for how long will they fit in the toddler car seat.

Cleaning

In my opinion, boosters are the worst as far as cleaning goes, and it’s not because of the materials; it’s because kids love sticking crap between the cover and the seat, as well as under and around it. Knowing how to clean the seat can make or break your brain on tough days. Rotating car seats might make this an easier chore to tackle.

How We Chose

I tested toddler car seats from multiple manufacturers and spoke to dozens of parents who own various types. Every model I chose fits the guidelines put forth by the NHTSA. Not only are these picks recommended by parents, but they’re also easy to install and clean and come in a variety of price points.

I have tested each car seat in a 2013 Nissan Rogue and a 2023 Volvo XC-90. I tested with real kids, real messes, in real life. I put them through their paces and then some.

It’s worth noting that any car seat that has been subject to recent recalls is not featured on our list. Safety was the most important factor when recommending the best toddler car seats for you and your child.

Learn more about the best car seats we recommend in every category.

Nautilus 2.0 LX 3-in-1 Harness Booster

Your toddler can have a sippy cup and snack cup on the go with this toddler car seat, and you will love how fast and easy it is to install.

Thanks to its new InRight latch design, it takes about a second to secure the Graco Nautilus toddler seat to your car’s latch. The chest lock is easy to open and close, and it has a threadless adjustable harness — which means there’s no need to take the whole thing out and apart as your child grows.

This car seat has a steel-reinforced frame for additional crash protection, along with a foam lining and headrest. It’s also very easy to clean. The seat pad is (get this!) machine-washable. It also has tons of storage, four positions of recline, five positions for the harness, and six positions for the headrest. If your kid barfs, you can just shove it far away from you and into the washing machine.

Our Deputy Editor, Joana Mascioli, uses this with her son and they both love it. It’s definitely a stylish upgrade from previous iterations.

It’s affordable, easy to clean, easy to install, and super durable, making it our best overall.

More: Best Toddler Gifts for Your Little One

Pico Travel Car Seat with Premium Carrying Bag

Looks weird, right? I promise, this thing is cool as heck. It’s a portable car seat designed to take up a minimum amount of space while still being safe. Think air travel, vacations, or, if you live in a big city, Uber rides.

This isn’t a car seat for everyone; I know that the price point is too high for many, but if you are someone who travels a lot or needs a slimmer car seat in your car, I urge you to look at the WayB Pico.

It completely collapses in on itself so that it can be carried in its carrying case. The carrying case is on par with most backpacks in size, just slightly larger than my Storksak leather diaper bag that I carry as a regular backpack (because even moms of tweens need pockets). It’s also only 8 pounds.

And yes, this is as safe as other car seats on the list provided that you follow the guidelines. It’s a convenience item, for sure, but well worth it.

Grow with You Harness-2-Booster Car Seat

Oh, so you have a wiggle worm on your hands constantly bumping into things? Join the club. Thankfully, the Britax Grow with You toddler seat has super-cushioned side-impact walls, so your child is safely contained, no matter how squirmy they get. And as a bonus, you can keep them well-occupied with the four cup holders and storage compartments.

This is another car seat on the list with a machine-washable cover, which means you never have to worry about mystery smells ever again. The washable performance fabric is also super breathable and comfortable on baby’s skin, which is something that cannot be overlooked. So many car seats have scratchy seams and not enough padding; that isn’t the case with Britax.

For safety, the harness features a no-rethread design that’s easy to move as your child grows. The frame is steel-reinforced, and it installs in seconds. It has two recline positions and comes with a one-year limited warranty.

I appreciate how this one feels for your child. It’s soft and comfortable and the fabric weave is breathable, even when it’s been in a hot car all day. The buckles were easy to operate, even with my long nails, which is saying something. (I have fancy claws, and I like to keep them.)

MyFit Harness + Booster Car Seat

Why not give your little traveler a chic seat to sit in? OK, so the very luxurious style of the seat isn’t that important, but what is important is how safe it is. Rated highly by Consumer Reports, this seat by Chicco has a duo guard, side-impact protection for the head and torso, as well as a steel-reinforced frame. It also features a four-position recline, a nine-position headrest, a groovy ergonomic seat, a threadless harness, and a cup holder.

I love Chicco, and this is a solid seat that could not be easier to install or clean. I love this seat so much that I have gifted it several times over the past few years.

Finale Dx 2-In-1 Booster Car Seat

If your family is on a budget or has multiple cars and kids, don’t worry: There are still several great options available to you. This toddler car seat is a favorite on Amazon for its slim profile and ease of installation.

It features a five-point harness, removable cup holder, and easy-to-adjust straps. Note that this car seat is pretty no-frills, but it gets the job done. I was super skeptical about the quality of this seat, but it’s highly rated, feels genuinely solid, and it’s nice and slim.

A huge benefit of this one is how simple it is to clean. Not only can you throw it in the wash, but you can throw it in the dryer, too, which so few car seat covers can boast.

AACE Booster Car Seat

The value of this booster seat is just incredible. It’s comfortable, sure; convenient, yes; but most importantly, it has nine different height positions, multiple-recline functionality, and becomes a backless booster.

And if that’s not enough, the whole thing is machine-washable. It’s cushy but safely firm, and the anchor is one of the easiest I’ve ever installed. The sides of this car seat are designed from special energy-absorbing foam, and while you’d think it would lead to a sweaty child, I can assure you that the ventilation is next-level. It is neither too hot nor too cold.

Nuna took the time to really consider both the toddler and the parent. I know this is just a small thing, but it means a great deal to parents: the cupholder. It has a partial bottom which prevents crumbs from gathering and makes it easy to clean with just the swipe of a baby wipe. I love this booster. The only reason it’s not the best overall is that it doesn’t have a harness, and let’s be frank, it’s not inexpensive.

Grow With You ClickTight Plus SafeWash Harness

Go ahead and do your worst, small humans. Thanks to its SafeWash cover, pretty much this whole toddler car seat (except for the harness) is machine-washable. It has all the standard safety measures you can come to expect from Britax — steel frame, threadless harness adjustability, great side-impact protection, and adjustable tether — plus the sweet, sweet relief of never needing to scrub ketchup out of the fabric by hand.

The knit construction of the materials makes them naturally flame-retardant, and the two-layer, side-energy absorption system has a deep, energy-absorbing, foam-lined shell and quick-adjust head protection. Your kids will have all the snacks they need thanks to the four cup holders and snack containers. (Yes, this one is on the pricier side, but we think it’s worth it.)

I love the convenience of this seat, and the side impact and head protection is really next level. Thanks to Britax's long commitment to helping parents easily install their seats, this goes in and out like a breeze.

Foonf Convertible Car Seat

This car seat is an absolute tank. It has a steel frame, reinforced side-impact protection, and a threadless five-point harness. If you are the type of parent who panic-watches car-impact safety videos on TikTok like I am, this is the car seat for you. Putting this in the Volvo felt like carrying a Humvee in a tank.

While the fabric isn’t machine-washable, the Cloud Crypton fabric is resistant to stains, bacteria, and odors — and because liquids don’t really seep in, the seat is almost wipe-and-go. (Having cleaned many unmentionable substances out of this car seat, I can tell you that it’s positively dreamy. You hose it off, and it dries quickly.)

It’s also the narrowest car seat on this list at 17 inches across, which is fantastic if you have a family that needs multiple seats.

Its patented REACT (Rigid-Latch Energy Absorbing Crumple Technology) safety system makes forward-facing better and safer for your baby: It reduces the force on the child in an accident since it gives the child a rear-facing-like performance. It installs in under a minute, thanks to its easy latch system.

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