In the United States, car seat companies’ products must pass certain crash test and safety ratings in order to be sold on the market.

Despite these regulations, not all car seats are created equal, and there is no way we can find out which are the safest car seats based on these tests; manufacturers aren’t legally required to release this information. But at the very least, we can be assured that each car seat sold in the United States meets or exceeds the regulations.

You can find out which car seats are safest through Consumer Reports, which does simulated car crashes to test the effectiveness of car seats. However, we should also note that scientists have discounted the results for various reasons. Sometimes it’s because of past mistakes, or because of poor parameters and less than good reporting. Still, Consumer Reports is a good place to begin your research.

Consumer Reports has written about its top picks over the years. Do remember, however, that even the safest car seat in the world is only as safe as the user. If you don’t install it properly or use it properly each time your child rides in the car, then of course it’s not safe.

Consumer Reports recently conducted tests using eleven infant car seats that were rear-facing. They were re-doing the test from the previous year, which had errors. All the seats met governmental test standards when using the LATCH and when attaching them using the seat belt.

(LATCH is an acronym for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children.) Once again, the US’ system of testing fails to gives us any idea of which were the best and worst performing models.

Consumer Reports recognized this and tried to figure out which were the safest car seats by adding a rating system for Ease of Use and Fit to Vehicle. Both of these will be important factors in a car seat’s safety.

You won’t be able to install the car seat safely if it doesn’t fit properly in the car. If the car seat is difficult to install, someone is more likely to install it improperly and unsafely.

With these guidelines, Consumer Reports rated the Chicco Key Fit as the best or safest car seat, with the Britax Companion coming in second.

For the Best Buys, Consumer Reports deemed Baby Trend Flex-Loc and Graco SnugRide as having the best value and features for your money.