Figuring out the best car seats to get for twins can be difficult. I struggled as a first time mom to twins myself. What exactly do you want from a car seat for twins when compared to picking a car for a single baby?
In this post I will be reviewing what makes a car seat for both infant car seats and convertible car seats a good choice for twins. As a twin mom and mom of 3 with two cars and a nanny with car seats in her car, I have tested many different car seat brands. I will use my experience to share my thoughts on the best car seats for twins.
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What Qualities To Look For When Buying Car Seats for Twins
There are three factors I found to be important when shopping for car seats for twins and they are:
- Weight (for infant car seats only)
- Width
- Quality
As a twin mom or dad it’s important to consider these three things when picking out your car seats. First up, if you are getting infant car seats, you will be carrying them around. My goal as a first time twin mom was to find the lightest weight (but still high quality) infant car seat. The lighter the car seat, the easier it would be to carry a car seat in each hand.
Car seats look much bigger once you install them in your car! With two babies, I found it extremely helpful to get the narrowest car seats possible.
There are two reasons for this. First, if you have a third child (or have a third child in the future), you will want to be able to fit three car seats across in your car. Additionally, slimmer car seats will provide more space for an adult to fit in the third seat in the back of your car.
Finally, I recommend picking car seats from well established and highly regarded brands. I will be sharing some of the brands I personally preferred below.
Unfortunately, I DO NOT recommend Safety 1st car seats. I had two convertible car seats from them. The buckles across the chest were difficult to use and the padding inserts easily frayed.
My Picks for Best Infant Car Seats for Twins & Multiples
Let’s get started with my top picks for the best infant car seats for twins. I did like having infant car seats for the first 6-9 months because it was so convenient to be able to take my babies in and out of the car and into a lightweight double frame stroller.
You do have the option to go straight into a convertible seats. Just keep in mind when looking at infant vs convertible car seats, convertible car seats stay in the car so you will need to buckle your newborns in and out of their car seats each time you use your car. But with infant car seats, your babies can stay in the car seat and the car seat will just snap into the car seat base or the stroller you use.
While I’m on the topic, if you are getting infant car seats, then you should get the double frame stroller and not the double convertible stroller. The double convertible strollers are extremely heavy and bulky. Whereas, a frame stroller is much smaller and lightweight. I found this out the hard way!
1 – Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35
The Graco infant car seats were the car seats my husband and I chose to buy for our twins. I had two reasons for choosing them. First of all, they were one of the lightest weight seats. And second, they were one of the more reasonably priced infant car seats on the market.
After using quite a few different car seat brands, Graco was always my favorite. The buckles worked well, my kids were very comfortable in them. Finally, the price point of Graco car seats is usually very good and you get an excellent quality product.
2 – Chicco KeyFit 35
I know many parents that chose to get the Chicco infant car seat (twin parents too). This is a very high quality brand that I have never heard anything negative about. The Chicco infant seat is a little bit heavier than Graco, but you can be assured your babies will be safe and cozy in these seats.
The width of the Chicco infant seat is only 16.5 inches, much smaller than Graco’s width of 18.7 inches. Just keep in mind that infant seats also need to snap into a car seat base, and this will take up a little bit of extra width as well.
3 – Baby Trend Secure Snap Tech 35
Baby Trend is a good quality car seat brand when you are on a budget. I have included this Baby Trend infant car seat on the list to provide a cheaper option. The weight and width of this car seat is similar to the Chicco infant seat. It just comes in at a much cheaper price, especially since you will be purchasing two of them.
Best Convertible Car Seats for Twins
Below are my picks for the best convertible car seats for twins. The key here is finding good car seats that are narrow. Keep in mind, convertible car seats stay attached to your car.
Most of them can be used from the day your baby is born in the rear facing position. All the ones listed below have this feature. If you start out with these types of car seats, a double frame stroller will not work. You will need to get a double stroller that newborns can sit / lay in.
Related reading: The Best Double Strollers for Newborn Twins
1 – Graco SlimFit3 LX
As I mentioned above, my personal preference has always been the Graco car seats. Each one we had was always high quality and easy to use, all at a reasonable price point.
For convertible car seats, I particularly recommend the Graco SlimFit3 LX because they are narrow enough to fit 3-across in a car. Just keep in mind Graco makes two different car seats they market as “narrow”. You want the SlimFit3 LX and not the SlimFit 3-in-1.
This part is confusing and I’m not sure why Graco makes it so confusing. The SlimFit 3-in-1 is cheaper, but not actually that narrow. I just wanted to point that out, so you don’t get confused and get a car seat that doesn’t actually fit 3-across in your car, if that’s what you need.
2 – Diono Radian 3R
The Diono car seats are the original narrow car seats. You will find a lot of options on the market today, but Diono has always been known for their slim car seats that will fit 3-across in a car.
And the Diono Radian 3R is the slimmest on this list too. If saving space is your top priority, this car seat is your best bet.
3 – Baby Trend Trooper
We have Baby Trend here again as the best budget car seat option. I will reiterate that when picking the best car seats for twins I would prioritize the width of the seats. The Baby Trend Trooper is a great option with a slim width and the best price, all while not giving up good quality.
Before we move on, you might be interested in these FREE Twin Pregnancy Checklists. You can get them now by clicking the button below!
Should I Get an Infant Car Seat or a Convertible Car Seat for Newborn Twins?
I touched on this topic above, but it depends on your own personal situation. If you live in the suburbs or the country and will be driving in your car a lot when you leave the house, then I recommend getting infant car seats.
The convenience of being able to leave newborns in their car seat when they nap is huge! On the other hand, if you live in a big city and won’t use a car much, then a convertible car seat might be a better option for you.
If you opt to get a convertible car seat, you will potentially only have to buy one car seat that will grow with your baby. Check out the Graco 4Ever DLX 4-in-1 car seat!
I hope you are able to find the best car seat for your needs and for your twins needs from the list above!
That wraps up my recommendations for selecting a car seat for twins. I hope you found some helpful tips and have a better understanding of the qualities to look for.
One of the biggest decisions you will need to make is whether to start with infant car seats or to jump straight into getting convertible car seats. I hope you find some car seats that work well for your family.
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