Looking for the best lightweight baby car seat? We’ve tested the top baby car seats on the market and provide you with some useful tips on how to choose the right one for your child. We know that finding a slim infant car seat can be tricky, so we have also included a list of our top 6 picks. Keep reading for more information!
Best lightweight Infant car seats
✔ The innovative SuperCinch Force-Multiplying LATCH Tightener ensures a secure fit in your vehicle and the carrier shell is lined with EPS energy absorbing foam for improved impact protection. ;
✔ The seat includes an infant head support insert that can be removed as soon a baby grows into more comfortable riding position, making it perfect from birth up until they turn 1 year old!
✔ It weighs only seven pounds, making it easy to carry from car seat stroller combo;
✔ The level indicator makes installation simple and accurate so you can feel confident that your little one's safety will never be compromised with this lightweight carrier;
✔ The protectplus engineered design helps keep them safe during crashes whether they're frontal or side impacted;
✔ The seat attaches with one simple click, making it easy to clean.;
✔ This carseat meets all federal standards as well as ASTM ones--and includes a year's worth of warranty too so you know this product has been tested thoroughly before being made available for purchase;
✔ The innovative SuperCinch Force-Multiplying LATCH Tightener ensures a secure fit in your vehicle and the carrier shell is lined with EPS energy absorbing foam for improved impact protection. ;
✔ The seat includes an infant head support insert that can be removed as soon a baby grows into more comfortable riding position, making it perfect from birth up until they turn 1 year old!
✔ It weighs only seven pounds, making it easy to carry from car seat stroller combo;
✔ The level indicator makes installation simple and accurate so you can feel confident that your little one's safety will never be compromised with this lightweight carrier;
✔ The protectplus engineered design helps keep them safe during crashes whether they're frontal or side impacted;
✔ The seat attaches with one simple click, making it easy to clean.;
✔ This carseat meets all federal standards as well as ASTM ones--and includes a year's worth of warranty too so you know this product has been tested thoroughly before being made available for purchase;
Top-list lightweight baby car seat
✔ The Graco ProtectPlus Engineered is a safe for any child that has been put through the most rigorous crash tests;
✔ It comes with 10 positions, no rethreading harness system which allows you to adjust it easily once its fastened without worrying about losing your place or getting tangled up in all those cords!;
✔ Measures 16.7 inches wide, with a spacious seat for your child's comfort ;
✔ The Reinforced Steel Core is made from the highest quality materials and features a patented design that protects your child in an accident;
✔ The original 3 across offers all of this protection with its superlative fit for both vehicle occupants, as well as being easy to install using only one hand!;
✔ The one-handed 8-position adjustment headrest can grow with their developmental needs as well!;
✔ 2 easy clean cup holders for drinks or snacks at hand, this booster cushion has all of the features you need when parenting onthe go;
✔ The Graco ProtectPlus Engineered is a safe for any child that has been put through the most rigorous crash tests;
✔ It comes with 10 positions, no rethreading harness system which allows you to adjust it easily once its fastened without worrying about losing your place or getting tangled up in all those cords!;
✔ Measures 16.7 inches wide, with a spacious seat for your child's comfort ;
✔ The Reinforced Steel Core is made from the highest quality materials and features a patented design that protects your child in an accident;
✔ The original 3 across offers all of this protection with its superlative fit for both vehicle occupants, as well as being easy to install using only one hand!;
✔ The one-handed 8-position adjustment headrest can grow with their developmental needs as well!;
✔ 2 easy clean cup holders for drinks or snacks at hand, this booster cushion has all of the features you need when parenting onthe go;
Tips for using a lightweight infant car seat safely
Here are a few tips for using a lightweight baby car seat safely:
- Always use the car seat in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Make sure all straps are properly adjusted and that the car seat is securely attached to the vehicle.
- Never leave your child unattended in a car seat.
- When traveling, always bring the car seat’s owner’s manual with you.
- If you are using a lightweight infant car seat with a stroller, make sure the stroller is properly balanced and has a large enough storage basket.
Now that we have answered some of your common questions, let’s take a closer look at some of the best lightweight infant car seats
How to find the best lightweight baby car seat for your family?
When looking for a lightweight infant car seat, there are a few things to consider. Here are a few tips:
- Choose a car seat that is easy to carry and fits easily into your vehicle.
- Make sure the car seat is properly secured in the vehicle and reclines comfortably for your child;
- Check the weight limit to make sure it is appropriate for your child.
- If you are using a car seat with a stroller, make sure the stroller is properly balanced and has a large enough storage basket.
Best lightweight infant car seat (Rear-Facing 0+)
PROS:
- Easy to install;
- Easy to read/clear level indicators;
- Pretty lightweight;
- Easy to get in and out of the base;
- Works well with Chicco TRE jogging stroller;
- Good safety features;
- Good quality materials.
CONS:
- The release handle is in an extremely inconvenient location, squashed between the front seat of your car and its base. It’s difficult for me to find when I need it most!
The Chicco KeyFit 30 is the best lightweight car seat out there! It’s extremely easy to install with the ReclineSure leveling, ride Right bubble levels, and Super Cinch LATCH tightened. Plus, it comes with a removable newborn head and body support.
The 5-point harness can be tightened with one pull, and it’s compatible with Chicco strollers for travel system use.
Hi, my name’s Amanda and I am the author of Twenty Tiny Toes. Today, I’m here to show you everything you need to know about the Chico KeyFit 30 car seat. As you can see here, I have the car seat and the car seat base. They come together.
And what makes this great is you installed this into your car, and then you can just click your car seat right in. You can get extra bases. So if you have multiple vehicles, you can get an extra-base for each vehicle without having to buy separate car seats. Also, if you find yourself in a situation where you were without a base, let’s say you’re taking an Uber or, um, going in at someone else’s car and you didn’t have time to bring the base. You can also install this with just a seatbelt.
So let’s start off by saying that as the name suggests the Chico KeyFit 30 can be used with an infant up to 30 pounds or 30 inches ever comes first.
Now I know a lot of people switch out sooner into a convertible car seat. However, uh, with my twins, they are 13 months old now, and we are still using these because they only weigh in at around 22 pounds at the moment and are, um, shorter than that. So, we do not see the need yet to switch to a convertible. Although at this point, carrying the baby in the car seat gets a little bit difficult.
So you might wanna just leave this in the car once they get a little heavier and put them in and take them out, um, instead of carrying them in this. So when you receive your car seat, the very first thing you’re gonna wanna do is the base and install this into your vehicle. So to do that’s with the latch system is very simple. It has two of these.
They come through the bottom and in your car you’ll if you have a newer car, you’ll have those little so over, um, pieces of metal sticking out and you just take these and click ’em right in. And then you go into use this to tighten them as tight as you can get it. I lean on it and really pull tight. Um, and you’ll know that you have it right? Cause there are these levels on each side. So we want the bubble to be right in the middle of the green area. So once you have that installed properly in your vehicle, all you need to do. And remember, this is rear-facing only. So assuming this is facing the back of your vehicle, just take the car seat and click it in. Now you got a solid seal.
Just take it out the back right here, squeeze it out. It comes.
This can be installed with a lap or shoulder belt instead of the latch system
If you don’t have the latches, or if you’re installing it on a seat that and have the latches, you can either use a lap belt and you’re gonna feed it through this way over and down through the other side and make it as tight as possible. Checking the bubbles or you can also use the shoulder belt. You’re gonna pull it down, feed it down through, clip it in and make sure it’s really tight. I prefer the live system. That’s what we had in my car. But if you don’t have that, you do have those other options.
As for the car seat itself, when it arrives, you’re going to have this pad on the bottom here. This is called the infant insert. You’re gonna use this until your baby is 11 pounds. Once they get to be 11 pounds, you’re gonna take this out. You’re gonna do that before you make any other adjustments. Now, as you can see, hopefully from here, you’ve got three different slots for this to feed through.
Now, when you’re first taking your baby home from the hospital, you’re gonna be using it on the lowest slot.
Most likely if you have a tiny, you know, a little newborn with this infant insert, then you’re gonna start to notice that the strap needs to be moved up. Um, you want it to be at or below the very closest spot that is at or slightly below your child’s shoulders. You’re gonna before you ever think about moving this up, the first thing when they get to be 11 pounds is you’re just gonna take this out. And all you do is take this out to just pull it up. You’ve got yourself some more room just by getting rid of the infant instant now on you.
I’m showing you in a minute how to make the adjustments, but when you wanna put your baby in the car seat, you’re gonna press this button here. That’s gonna loosen up the strap. Okay?
So then you’re gonna get your baby and you go in the car seat like this, and you’re gonna pull the strap over, make sure the pads are on their shoulder level here. And then I’m gonna flip to the bottom piece, pretty self-explanatory. And finally, you’re gonna tighten this chest and clip this chest part. And you’re gonna pull this to tighten. You wanna always make sure that the chest part is right about here at like elbow height and always pull the pieces up from the bottom to make sure that it’s not loose down there and tighten again. You might have to move this down until you get it right. When you have a newborn, it’s gonna feel really, really tight. It’s gonna be a little scary.
Just make sure you can get a couple of fingers under there, but you definitely don’t want it to be too loose
That’s it. Now you wanna get your baby outta the car seat, press this again, to loosen unclip and take your baby up. I want your baby starting to get bigger and you’re gonna wanna adjust the height of these straps. Turning around here and you can see there are 1, 2, 3 slots on the back. I have it at the highest right now because my babies are getting to the end of the use of this car seat. But anyway, you want to come around. We’re gonna, you know, this is kind of tricky. We’ve gotta get this off here. It’s not as bad now for me because I’ve done it a few times. The first time gonna be kind of tight and hard to wiggle. Okay? Once you have it out, this piece is gonna stay here. And then turn it around, pull this out and feed it through whichever slot it is that you want it. And also this, um, this piece here, Velcros is the headrest kitchen. You wanna Velcro that at whatever height you’re feeding the strap. So again, for a tiny, tiny newborn, you would have it going through the very bottom. Then as they grow a little bit taller, move it up.
I’m putting it back here cuz that, or I have it right now and I’m gonna make sure you don’t get these twisted up at all and just feed here, gonna find that other piece and just like, make sure you get it all the way on. And then nothing is twisted. Okay. And then take the address case, feed those pieces back through. That’s it. Make sure everything still works. And there you have it.
A couple of other features from this car seat that is nice about it
For one, this moves gotta push both down and you can get it up and all the way over. And this is nice for when you’re home or at a restaurant. Now don’t ever recommend putting your baby on top of a table in this it’s very dangerous. However, um, if you’re on the won’t have them on the floor and you don’t want it to rock. This is a nice feature.
Another feature that’s very nice is the canopy here. It comes pretty far down to provide some protect in from the sun and then moves it back. It can even be taken off altogether by pressing the little buttons on the side here, which is nice. Especially if you need to wash it, take the whole thing off. And if you wanna watch the rest of the fabric, which is something that I’ve had to do several times, it’s gonna flip your car seat over. I’m gonna hold it all out. There’s a little tab here and a little strap which can pull out and I’m clipped here. See it’s a tiny little eye and strap that from both sides
And then pull this part out here too, so that, and you can wash it, vacuum all the little pieces of dirt and crus out the car seat, make it nice and clean. Okay.
Lastly, if you are going to be installing this in your car or someone else’s car and you don’t have the click-in base, another reason these are here, the real reason is that you are going to feed either the lap belt or the shoulder belt through here.
It’s gonna come under this one through the other side and buckle, depending on which side you have this in your car, remember only rear-facing, never put this in the front seat. And when your child reaches 30 inches or 30 pounds, whichever comes first, it is time to upgrade your car seat. However, most parents I know have moved on long before that, because not only does this get super heavy as the kids get bigger, this starts to get uncomfortable for them because it does not have any different reclined physicians. It’s just always in about this position. When children get bigger, they want to be able to sit up and see a little bit more. They’re probably going to let you know when they’re tired of this car seat.
Thank you so much for watching this tutorial today. I really appreciate every view.
Best Graco lightweight infant car seat
PROS:
- It's really easy to install in multiple vehicles and the fit is perfect every time!
- The Graco Click Connect 35 Infant Car Seat is a parent's dream come true. It not only fits tightly but also has an easy-to-pull harness that can be adjusted quickly and easily as your baby grows!
- The seat snaps into place with no need for excessive force or time wasted struggling against hardware attachments like some other models we've tested before--it locks right in without ever being too tight on any child-size shoulder blade.
CONS:
- The stitching on the harness material where it comes out around the thighs is awful.
- The infant insert is basically useless. The head support piece is especially bad.
- The fabric on the seat cover feels cheap and itchy. The cover is also only held on my little pieces of plastic that tuck in.
Best affordable lightweight infant car seat
PROS:
- Looks great;Super lightweight;
- Fabric is so sleek and nice-looking ;
- The padding is perfectly soft;
- Easy to hook in and take out and easy to adjust the seat belts.
CONS:
- Little pieces sticking out on the sides where the lap belt can go through;
- It also gets stuck in the base when trying to take it out of the car, you have to kind of jerk it and grab the bottom and lift while holding the release on the back.
- Was hard to get the base tight enough.
Best lightweight baby car seat in 2022
PROS:
- Attractive design with great features for growing child;
- Super easy to install;
- Easy to tighten;
- There’s good leg space for my baby;
- The frame is steel;
- Great price.
CONS:
- The level attached to your seat is on opposite side of tension strap, so when installing you have be mindful and stay centered while pulling slack in belt.
Keep your child safe and comfortable on every car ride with the Graco SlimFit 3-in-1 car seat. Its slim design is perfect for saving space in your vehicle, and it features Graco ProtectPlus Engineered for superior protection in crashes. The dual integrated cup holders are also a handy feature, rotating away when not in use to keep the seat slimmer.
The Graco SlimFit 3 in 1 car seat is lightweight design makes it easy to carry, and its no-rethread harness system ensures a safe, comfortable fit for your child. Plus, it features four recline positions and Push-button InRight LATCH for a quick, easy installation.
Hello, and welcome to the Phillips Fan Baby Journey. Anywho today, I am going to be doing an boxing of legacy’s new convertible car seat. Y’all like who’s legacy. If your brand new legacy is my daughter, who is almost 11 months old, we have been enjoying the easy-breezy life of her even flow pivot, modular travel system.
Me and her daddy, both got bases that we just dropped that car seat into. And we out when we need to take her out and put her on a shoulder, just drop it into the little shoulder and we out, but now she’s too big for that. And we gotta upgrade her to something bigger for her size. Um, and so I got a gray cold three in one slit convertible car seat. So y’all get to see some loopers possibly of me and saw in the car, um, and get my opinions on it. So keep on watching, cuz we about to get into it.
I had to order two car seats, one for my car and one for the husband’s car. And I got ’em off of Amazon. Uh, they were $354 total for both of these. Um, I thought that was a good deal, especially since, uh, buy, buy baby sell ’em for $200 each. And I know they’d be sending out those coupons for 20% off, but that’s a rip-off because even with that coupon, it’s so cheap to get off of Amazon.
So just keep that in mind, folk shop on Amazon first and check it out because you probably ain’t saving no money to buy, buy baby, but anybody else got an Amazon problem shop?
They be in my house every day, delivering stuff, but let’s get these boxes open. All right. I’m about to read these instructions to make sure that I’m installing this car seat in the car correctly, but I just also wanna just remind you guys when you’re buying baby products, it is very important to fill out these, uh, warranty cards, because if there is any type of recall, you wanna be notified and this will get you notified by sending that back in. I sent it in for all the legacy stuff, but let me get to read
You like your new car seat legacy. Yeah, I think she likes it. I just installed legacy’s car seat in the front seat of my car. No babies don’t belong in the front seat. I’m not sure if this car seat comes in another color besides purple.
Typically when I buy bigger ticket items, I try to buy things that are color neutral, gender-neutral, because we do plan to have another baby here and we plan it for a boy. Um, the only reason out I was okay with getting the purples is because this car seat should last her until she’s four. It is a three in one.
So it could have been used as infancy, but we had something for that already. Um, it can be a rear-facing or forward-facing convertible car seat. And then it also is a high back booster chair. So she can ride up a, in this up until 100 pounds. And yeah, I’m gonna be one of the mamas.
Y’all like, how old is that baby? Right in the car seat.
That’s gonna be me because I want my baby to stay alive. That’s an expensive child. I did IVF. I can have nothing happen to my baby. This is a solid constructed car seat. It is super heavy. I feel as though my baby will be protected and safe in this. Um, I love all the protection around our head,
All the cushioning here, you know, say it side impact tested. So I think we got a quality product here on the side, unless, you know, if you have it installed correctly, cuz it needs to be in the blue when it’s in the rear-facing mode. So hopefully we gonna get that, you know, correct. When we actually, we will get it correct.
So I’m not gonna have my baby in the car seat and it’s not correct, but it also comes with some instructions on the side, just in case you forget, because if you traveling, you know, you ain’t go, you may not have that, you know, instruction book with you. But on the back of this, look at that, they put a slot for you to store the manual right there. Bam. Here are the different settings where you can put the car seat on the booster forward-facing or rear-facing rear-facing. She can either be in rec client position one or two. I’m gonna put her in which era position gives me the most space.
This Graco SlimFit 3-in-1car seat has to probably be one of the easiest car seats to install on the market. Granted, I only, I only had installed one other car seat, but compared to that, this was super easy. I mean, I give this two thumbs up for the ease of installation. So the very first thing that we’re gonna do to install this is we’re gonna put this car seat in the correct recline position curve.
Currently, it is in the booster seat position. That’s for big kids. My baby is only 11 months, so that’s not correct. So we are going to go ahead and pull this red lever right here So that we can get it to We’re facing number two. Now I know some of y’all may not mind y’all babies riding forward-facing, but my baby will be rear-facing until she is either 40 pounds or two years old.
Because like I said, she expensive baby. We, we ain’t trying to have nothing to happen to the baby. All right. So after that is done, we have these stapler-looking, um, latches that we are going to attach to a bar that is inside my seat.
We find it. You heard that click, Same one on the other side, Find it over here. The hardest part is buying the bars in my car. Now that they’re both connected. I’m just gonna go ahead and cool This little loop
Check to make sure that the ball is in the poppy position in the level we are done, which took less than 60 seconds. I am sure. Now we got two car seats because I do drop-offs at daycare and my husband does pick up and nobody got time to be uninstalling installing the car seat every especially cuz this, this thing is heavy. It has to weigh at least 40 pounds. Nobody trying to do that every single day.
So that’s why we got one from my car and his car. Um, but if we did have to share it, I mean it could be done, but thankfully we don’t and I’m happy about that, but this is a great car seat. I’m really happy with this purchase. If you have any questions about this Graco SlimFit 3-in-1 car seat, let me know. Like I said, one of the reasons why I got it is so that I can have more legroom when I’m riding in my passenger seat.
Or even if I got my husband in the car, because with that car seat, her infant carrier, I felt like my niece was always on the dashboard and that’s uncomfortable. So we got a, a road coming up and I just wanna make sure that the baby comfortable I’m comfortable. So I got this right in time.
Let’s get into some additional features. The height of this car seat can be adjusted for big kids. Like I previously mentioned, this can hold kids up to 100 pounds. So let me, you know, I got that all the way pushed up. So that’s how tall can get for the booster seat. These straps are super easy to adjust. You just pull this little loop right here to loosen them and to make ’em tight. I mean, everything is like one touch.
Uh, these cup holders fold in. If I can do it right, let me see. Oh, there we go to give additional space. So if you have to fit multiple car seats in the car and those cup holders sticking out, may take up some space. You can fold ’em in or even while you’re traveling.
Um, if you take this on the airplane, it’ll maybe help it fit better in the seat. So I love the space-saving design of this. And like I said, I do have it installed, right? It is in the blue section. So the legacy is safe and ready to go. Easy breezy.
Best lightweight booster convertible (4-in-1) car seat
PROS:
- Very narrow(the only issue is they are very long so if you are rear facing as you can see in the photo it sticks out alot);
- Buckles are SO easy;
- Super easy to clean;
- Premium feel;
- Great looking design.
CONS:
- hard to install
Looking for a safe, comfortable car seat that will keep your child rear-facing longer? Diono’s Radian 3RXT is perfect! It features newborn travel positioning and an infant positioning liner to give your little one the support they need. Plus, it’s designed to be slim fit so it takes up less space in your car.
Lightweight booster convertible car seat features a reinforced steel core for unbeatable safety and durability, and it fits three children across in most vehicles without sacrificing comfort. Plus, the slim-fit design makes it easy to install in even the tightest spaces. Keep your family safe and comfortable with Diono’s Radian 3RXT!
Best budget lightweight car seat
PROS:
- Can use for years over a wide range of child sizes;
- Excellent value for the price;
- Easy to install and tighten properly;
- No-rethread harness is smooth and easy to use;
- Narrow profile so it takes up less space in the backseat (great option if you have more than one car seat in your car);
- Car seat cover removes fairly quickly/easily for washing once you get the hang of how it attaches;
- Super lightweight compared to my last car seat;
CONS:
- The removable seat pad (optional) does not secure in place very well so it tends to get wrinkled or shift around when she’s getting into the seat.
- The shoulder straps go behind part of the car seat cover, which can make it difficult to see whether the straps are properly positioned at or above shoulder height. If you need to adjust the headrest height often for use with multiple children of different sizes, this may be a hassle
Looking for a car seat that will grow with your child?
Check out the Graco Tranzitions 3-in-1! This seat can be used as a harness booster, high back booster, or backless booster. With a weight range of 22 to 100 pounds, it’s perfect for toddlers through youth. Plus, the no-rethread simply safe adjust harness system ensures a perfect fit every time.
The car seat is lightweight and portable, so you can take it with you wherever you go.The one-hand, 8-position adjustable headrest grows with your child, and the open-loop belt guides help properly position your vehicle’s seat belt. Plus, the 2 easy-to-clean cup holders keep your child’s drinks and snacks close at hand.
Why do you need a lightweight infant car seat?
There are a few reasons why you might want to consider purchasing a lightweight infant car seat. First, they are often much easier to carry than traditional car seats. This can be especially helpful if you have multiple children or need to transport the car seat frequently.
Second, many slim infant car seats take up less space in your vehicle, which can be helpful if you have a small car or limited storage space. Finally, lightweight infant car seats are often cheaper than traditional models.
How to install a lightweight infant car seat in your vehicle?
Installing a lightweight infant car seat in your vehicle can be tricky, so it is important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. Here are a few general tips:
- Make sure the car seat is properly secured to the vehicle’s seat belt or LATCH system;
- Check that all straps are tight and correctly adjusted;
- The car seat should be reclined to a comfortable position for your child;
- If you are using the car seat in conjunction with a stroller, make sure it is properly attached to the stroller frame;
- Never leave your child unattended in a car seat.
| Editors Choice: Top-list infant car seat |
|---|
| Best lightweight booster car seat |
| Best narrow infant car seat for small cars |
| Best Britax convertible car seat for tall babies |
| Best budget car seat |
The Review
Best Baby Lightweight Car Seats (Slim, All-In-One, Booster)
The Chicco KeyFit 30 is a great lightweight car seat that is easy to install and use. It has clear level indicators, is pretty lightweight, and works well with the Chicco TRE jogging stroller. The safety features are good, and it's made with high-quality materials. You can't go wrong with this car seat!
PROS
- Easy to install
- Easy to read/clear level indicators
- Pretty lightweight
- Easy to get in and out of the base
- Works well with Chicco TRE jogging stroller;
- Good safety features
- Good quality materials
CONS
- The release handle is in an extremely inconvenient location, squashed between the front seat of your car and its base. It’s difficult for me to find when I need it most
Review Breakdown
-
Age appropriate
-
Durability
-
Safety Features
-
Easy to install
-
Easy to remove
-
Light weight
