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The car seat — the single most important safety buy.

★ Top pick First infant seat

Chicco KeyFit 35 Infant Car Seat and Base

The KeyFit line is the perennial workhorse of infant seats, and the 35 extends the proven fit up to 35 lb and 32 in. The bubble level and color-coded LATCH tensioner make a correct, snug install genuinely easy — which matters more than any feature, since misuse is the real risk. This ASIN bundles the anti-rebound base; the carrier is FAA-approved (flown baseless). It is heavier than ultralight rivals, a real trade-off if you carry it far.

REAR-FACING · 4-35 LB · LATCH

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Skip the second seat

Graco Extend2Fit Convertible Car Seat, Rear-Facing and Forward-Facing, Extended Rear-Facing Seat Option, Redmond

The counterpoint to the KeyFit 35. The KeyFit is an infant-only, rear-facing carrier you click in and out of a base to carry a sleeping newborn or snap onto a stroller, but it's outgrown by ~35 lb (roughly age 1-2) and then you buy a second seat. The Extend2Fit is the 'buy once' answer: it rear-faces all the way to 50 lb thanks to its extension panel, then converts to a forward-facing harness to 65 lb. The honest trade is that it stays installed in the car (no carry handle, no stroller travel system) and is heavier, so it won't help you move a sleeping baby. Correct installation - not the model - is what protects the child.

CONVERTIBLE · RF 4-50 LB · FF 65 LB

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