Driving with your newborn can feel completely unintuitive. Is your infant car seat safe? Did you do enough research on car seats?

Infant car seats are exclusively rear-facing, allowing them to absorb crash force, and they’re designed to fit newborns with the right level of recline, supporting the head and neck in a way that forward-facing car seats don’t.

Proper installation is key. Follow the instructions in the car seat’s manual precisely.

A certified child safety seat technician can help you with installation, too. Some local fire departments offer this service, or you can search the National Child Passenger Safety Certification website to find a technician in your area.

Here are 11 of the safest infant car seats on the market.

Recommendations are made independently, but we participate in affiliate advertising programs that may pay us commission if you make purchases at Amazon.com and other linked retailer sites.

Lauren Corona is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.