The best infant car seat on a budget

The single most useful fact in this category: every infant car seat legally sold in the United States passes the same federal crash standard, FMVSS 213. A $140 seat and a $500 seat both protect your baby in the crash that matters. What the premium price buys is weight, materials, and convenience — real things, but not safety basics.

If budget is the constraint, this is the seat we'd buy without losing a minute of sleep.