Our infant car seat testing process begins with spending tens of thousands of dollars on professional crash testing of each seat at the same crash test facility used by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). But, we don't stop there. Our review's infant seats are tested with months of side-by-side hands-on testing to evaluate their performance in each rating metric fairly. Each seat is used extensively by multiple testers and in multiple vehicles. We utilized very different vehicle makes and models in our primary testing of installation and ease-of-use to get a general overall feel of functionality and features for installation purposes. Each seat is used according to the manufacturer's manual.
At the outset of testing, we engaged with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a certified Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Technician to help us develop a set of comprehensive tests on infant car seats. As with all of our reviews, the car seat test plan and testing process are reviewed and overseen by Dr. Juliet Spurrier, our founder, mother of two, and a board-certified Pediatrician.
Crash Testing Process
We researched and analyzed the crash test data in professionally prepared reports based on sled crash tests. BabyGearLab contracted with the same crash test facility used by NHTSA to perform crash tests on car seats in compliance with NHTSA's same testing protocol and under the FMVSS 213 standard. We combined our test data with crash test data obtained from NHTSA's own tests to create a comprehensive analysis of each seat.
Crash tests utilize a test dummy with G-force sensors located at various points in the body. We analyzed the data and rated the seats in comparison with one another apples to apples. The more a seat exceeded the Federal safety standards, the better it scored in our analysis. It is important to keep in mind that all of the seats comply with Federal safety guidelines. Still, each seat responded differently in sled testing and resulted in scores that we believe can help differentiate one seat from another for comparison.
Here is one of our crash tests conducted on the Cybex Aton 2.
Testing Ease of Install
We installed each seat in different vehicles of varying sizes and manufacturers ranging from a compact car to a passenger pick-up truck. At least 2 different testers installed each seat according to the manual's instructions that came with the seat. A certified Child Passenger Safety technician audited each installation to determine if they were installed properly. The testers ranked each seat for ease of install compared to the other seats in the group, and the scores are averaged across testers for a final score for the metric. These tests were repeated for installation using the LATCH system, the vehicle seat belt, and without the base.
Testing Ease of Use
For ease of use, the seats are used as they would be under normal circumstances and then ranked compared to the other eats in the group. We looked at the buckles and chest clips, tightening and loosening the harness, harness height adjustment methods, ease of attaching the carrier to the base, LATCH storage options, and handle and canopy functionality. Each seat was used multiple times to help determine how easy or difficult it really is to use.
Testing Comfort/Quality
For comfort and quality, we compared each seat side-by-side and ranked them compared to the other products in the group. We considered padding, fabric, additional positioning inserts, canopy size and durability, and the seat's overall fit and finish. Feedback from testers was averaged to determine the final score for the metric.
Testing Weight
Each seat base and carrier were weighed separately using the same scale by the same tester. The carrier weights were ranked from the lightest to the heaviest, and scores were assigned appropriately.