In the U.S., all car seats must meet the same federal safety and crash performance standards. So, a more expensive car seat is not superior; it just has added bells and whistles, like ease of use, machine-washable fabrics, or ultra slim-fit designs. What’s best for your newborn is whichever one you can confidently and correctly install every time. This not only includes vehicle installation but also getting a proper fit when fastening your baby in the seat itself. The rate of improper car seat installations is tragically high, so it is always worth connecting with the certified car seat tech community, which can be done digitally today through resources like safeintheseat.com, csftl.org, and @thejamiegrayson on Instagram.