car seat

Most people opt for a "bucket" infant car seat that you snap in and out of an installed base in your car. Infant car seats are used only until the baby is 30-35 pounds (the exact weight limit depends on the car seat model, though Consumer Reports advises you should have the baby out of the infant seat by his/her 1st birthday). Alternately, you can skip the bucket and go straight ahead to a "convertible" car seat, which is a permanently installed car seat that can grow with the baby in rear- and forward-facing modes from 5-65 pounds. I strongly recommend the bucket over the convertible seat for reasons of "don't wake a sleeping baby." Babies sleep a lot when they are little, and with the portable bucket car seat you don't have to jostle and risk a wake-up when getting in and out of the car. If your baby will ride in more than one car, the bucket is simpler because you only need to buy one car seat and then install additional bases in additional cars (as opposed to dedicated car seats for each car with a permanently installed convertible seat).

We went with the bucket model and got the Chicco Keyfit because it's top-rated overall by Consumer Reports. If you are focused purely on safety, the other two car seats that get the highest marks for crash protection from Consumer Reports are the GB Asana 35 DLX and the Combi Shuttle. Note that the GB Asana and Combi are not nearly as popular as the Chicco and may not be as compatible with strollers.

Car seats relate to strollers because you want your car seat to be compatible with your stroller base so you can pop the car seat in it and make it a modified stroller. This is particularly important when transporting a sleeping baby that you don't want to wake. The Chicco Keyfit works with most but not all strollers via adapters, so be sure to check for compatibility. Or, if your car seat and stroller of choice are not compatible, look into a dedicated car seat caddy.

Babies are in rear-facing car seats until they turn 2, so I found it was helpful to have a back seat mirror so I could see the babe while driving. You attach the back seat mirror to a headrest (see image below for example), and then you adjust the angle so you can see the baby through your rear view mirror. We have the Britax back seat mirror and it's been great, but I'm sure any of the mirrors on the market would be just fine.

A note on travel: infant bucket seats are designed to work with a lap band as well as the dedicated base. This means you only need to bring the seat itself when you travel -- you don't need to lug around the base in addition. Here's a video showing how to install the Chicco Keyfit without the base.

Car seats can become traps for crumbs and other filth in your car. A car seat protector (like this one from Summer Infant) can help your car seats from getting super gross.