I was a Child Passenger Safety Technician for about 15 years; I’m no longer able to be active in the field but I do keep abreast as much as I can. Sorry to disappoint but there is no such thing. All seats are tested exactly the same way, the crash tests are pass/fail and while extra features claiming things lo ‘side impact protection’ might make a difference, it’s not something that’s proven.
Consumer Reports does do some comparative testing you might be able to look up. But again, except for the occasional fail’’, which they report, experts in the field say their criteria and judgement isn’t always proven or even agreed with.
There is one important rule: the best car seat for your child is always:
- THE ONE THAT FITS YOUR CHILD. To that end, consider the baby’s proportions and/or the family genetics. If very long and skinny is likely, some seats have higher shoulder strap positions than others. If you are a family with football-player body types, you will want a seat with the highest possible harnessed weight limits for each stage- rear facing and then forward facing.
- THE ONE THAT FITS YOUR CAR. Especially in older vehicles, there can be compatibility issues and sometimes a seat simply can’t be installed correctly in a particular car. Other times it’s simply extra difficult. The combinations are endless so there is no list- they'd have to consider all possible models of car and check each one with all models of car seats made! Plus, especially for cars but sometimes also for child safety seats, models may have the same name but have been redesigned in certain model years.
- THE ONE THAT IS EASIEST FOR YOU TO USE CORRECTLY on EVERY SINGLE RIDE. I think this is somewhat less of an issue with modern designs. Make sure you can fully understand the instructions and follow them to a T- tiny errors can become life threatening under crash forces. Do you have to move your child’s seat from car to car? Test the model in every car to be sure it’s easy to install in each. This issue is one I used to call ‘the cuss factor’. Properly used the cheapest car seat is expected to protect children as well as any other. But with the cheaper ones you are likely to cuss a lot more to use it safely every time. 😀 Again, there’s more standardization of parts today so I’m not sure how many things are still relevant.
- THE ONE YOU CAN AFFORD! It’s rarely safe to use a pre-owned car seat sadly. Advocates are often also environmentally concerned people and we HATE that in some ways. But unless you get the seat from a trusted friend or relative you can’t verify with certainty that it’s never been in a crash, the straps and other parts haven’t been cleaned with any product that can weaken them, and much more. You can verify, but most people don’t, that all the parts are present and properly assembled (the odds that a harness, if ever removed, was put back on incorrectly are very high. Even adjusting harness strap height some people make dangerous errors) Car seat mfrs did NOT invent expiration dates- advocates pled for them for years while mfrs resisted and finally laws were passed requiring them.
There are some very good car seat review sites out there. And some very bad ones! Don’t trust any review on a retailer site or that’s written by users who don’t have training in child passenger safety. Oh boy have I read many that make me cringe! Here are some sites I like- and read more than one about any seat you are considering. Where recommendations are made, they are usually about ease of us and how long lasting they are for different body types.
If your budget is low, you can consider MagicZC™ ISOFIX Car Seat Base
Key Benefits
Robust ISOFIX base to fix a shell in a vehicle with or without ISOFIX, for maximum comfort and safety without complex installation.
Maximum safety and stability: installation thanks to the insertion of ISOFIX connectors into the vehicle's ISOFIX device, also suitable for cars without ISOFIX (fixing using the vehicle's seat belt).
Easy and secure installation, one-click installation, and removal of the cover without the need for complicated fixing.
Robust ISOFIX base for connecting infant car seats in cars.
Simply attach the car seat to the base and drop in once the base is installed.
Product Features
Resistant ISOFIX Base Base to carry your seat in the car.
Maximum security and great comfort.
Quick and easy one-click attachment without the need to fasten the seatbelt to the seat
Also suitable for cars without ISOFIX (it is necessary to use the seat belt)
Materials: plastic, metal. Dimensions (L x W x H): 51.5 x 38 x 19.5 cm, Weight: 5.6 kg, Colour: Black