What is the safest infant carseat?

[boymomCA]

Britax companion is the first on the consumer's report comparison chart, but Chicco's keyfit is not on the list, how can I tell if it is safe?

Thanks!

[jeanum]

Consumer Reports' carseat ratings are considered suspect by most techs and carseat afficionados, particularly because they don't reveal details of their testing methods. The Key Fit may not have been available at the time of the article's publication so it wasn't included in the article

At any rate, all carseats on the market must meet the same safety standards. However, some seats offer additional protection such as EPS foam for better side impact protection and/or more user friendly features like built-in seatbelt lockoffs or easier to use LATCH connectors. The Companion and Keyfit both have EPS foam if I'm remembering their specs correctly and both could be good choices depending on your vehicle and preferences. I believe the Companion takes up more space in the car than the Key Fit which has a narrower base, so you may want to factor that into your consideration.

If you post what vehicle(s) you have, someone may be able to tell you what infant seats they've installed in the same model car. You could also check the online carseat compatibility database at http://www.carseatdata.org/selectseat.asp to see if there are entries for infant seats in your car(s).

HTH. :)

[Joolsplus2]

<nodding in agreement>... I have both and far prefer the KeyFit :)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx