Best With Side Impact Protection: Safety 1st Jive

Let’s talk rear-facing car seats. As most parents know, keeping your baby rear-facing as long as you can is probably the safest option, based on years of crash test data and safety research.

So-called “extended rear-facing” use is still somewhat of a new concept for car seat makers, who until recently only made seats that were rear-facing until 30 lbs. And while rear-facing use limits have increased in recent years, what about other safety features like side-impact protection?

Car seats with side impact protection used to be a feature only seen on the most expensive options, often $200 to $300 or more. But there is good news: this relatively new seat by Safety 1st has good side impact protection AND a price that is easy on the wallet. And yes, you can use this seat rear-facing to 40 lbs., which is fantastic.

What We Liked

• Good side impact protection.

• Affordable.

• Decent brand safety reputation.

• Dual cup holders.

• Infant insert can be used starting at just 5 lbs.

• Can be used forward-facing as well, up to 65 lbs.

What Needs Work

• Padding provides only minimal comfort—so this seat may not be the best choice for long road trips.

• Straps need to be re-threaded as baby grows. That is not a safety concern, just a bit of hassle compared to seats that have a no-rethread harness.

Best For Grandma: Cosco Empire 3-in-1

Most parents have a primary car with a car seat that may have more bells and whistles (and a higher price tag). But what about other caregivers who need a car seat, like grandma? Or a little used secondary car? Or the babysitter?

Cosco makes a series of affordable car seats (Scenera, Apt) that we have long recommended for occasional use—nothing fancy, but they keep baby safe for those brief rides with the grandparents. This is the newest seat by Cosco—the Empire is a 3-in-1 seat that you can use rear-facing to 40 lbs., but also forward-facing as a convertible and even as a booster seat for older kids (that is the 3-in-1 part). 

We’ve seen this seat in person and think it’s  a good bet for secondary care-givers. 

What We Liked

• Extended use (infant, toddler and booster for older kiddos).

• Affordable.

• Side impact protection.

• Removable infant insert for use down to 5 lbs.

• Brand has good safety reputation.

• Can fit three in one back seat for most vehicles.

• Harness and headrest adjusts as one unit (no need to rethread the harness as baby grows).

What Needs Work

• Cup holder sticks on to side of seat (instead of integrated into seat), may interfere with three across configuration.

• Padding is basic. For something more plush, consider the next pick.

Best Premium Seat: Maxi-Cosi Pria Max 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat

Like most baby gear, car seats that can be used rear-facing (and forward-facing) can generally be divided into two categories: utilitarian seats that are great for everyday use and premium models that have more bells and whistles. 

We know when considering a gift for a grandchild or baby shower, some folks want all the premium features of a top-of-the-line seat. We looked at several top-end seats before deciding Maxi-Cosi is the best bet for these folks.

We like this seat’s extra side-impact protection and covers that are easy to remove. The star feature, however, is probably the premium fabrics and oodles of padding . . . this seat looks sharp and will certainly make an impression at that baby shower.

The extended use of this seat (it can be used for infants, toddlers and then as a booster to 100 lbs.) is another major feature that separates it from lower-end seats.

What We Liked

• Soft, plush cover.

• Side impact protection.

• Converts to booster mode for use up to 85 lbs.

• Rear facing to 40 lbs.

• Lighter in weight compared to other seats in this category, making it somewhat easier to move from vehicle to vehicle.

What Needs Work

• No lock-offs for belt installations. That means you’ll have to understand how to lock your vehicle’s seat belts when installing. This isn’t impossible, but just an extra step compared to other seats with lock-offs.

• LATCH connectors may be too short for some vehicles.

• Large seat size may not fit well in smaller vehicles.

• Must use a tether in forward-facing position.

• Pricey. 

Best Swivel Seat: Graco Turn2Me 3-in-1 Car Seat, Manchester

Leave it up to car seat top-seller Graco to combine two of the hottest trends in car seats: seats that convert to three uses (3-in-1) plus a base that rotates. Hence, the Graco Turn2Me 3-in-1 seat. We had a chance to poke around this relatively new seat and were impressed: yes, it can be used rear-facing and forward-facing as can most rotating car seats. But then it converts to a high back booster for use up to 100 lbs.—that’s something other swivel car seats don’t do.

Here are some more of our impressions after being able to demo the seat:

What We Liked

• No rethread harness makes adjusting harness simple.

• Easy to install.

• Easy to adjust.

• 4 step recline is good (not as deep as others, but still good).

• Soft fabrics.

What Needs Work

• Pricey.

• Seat only rotates when baby is in the rear-facing position.

About the Authors

Denise & Alan Fields are consumer advocates and best-selling authors. The Fields have authored 12 books with three million copies in print, including the best-selling guide to baby gear, Baby Bargains.

The Fields have been featured and quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

As consumer products experts, the Fields have been guests on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America and ABC’s 20/20.

How We Pick Products To Recommend

We often turn to our readers (3 million strong!) to find products to recommend. We ask our parent readers for their favorites and consider their real-world experiences in our recommendations.

When we test a product, we always purchase it with our own monies. We do not take free samples, as we believe that compromises our independence.

We also fact check manufacturer information with our own measurements. If a maker claims a product weighs X pounds, we will weigh it to make sure. If the battery life is supposed to be six hours, we will see how it stands up in the real world.

In some cases, we will do interviews with experts in the field to get additional feedback on products.

To get hands-on time with products, we regularly meet one-on-one with gear companies and even tour manufacturing facilities. (When we do this, we pay our own travel expenses).

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

We make our living from affiliate commissions, but we always recommend what we think are the best bets for our readers (not the ones that are the most expensive). We are always looking for products that offer the best bang for the buck.

Our independence is a key reason why we have been doing this so long. As we mentioned above, when we purchase a product for hands-on testing, we do so with our own money.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!