Now Is the Best Time to Buy a New Car Seat

Updated April 17, 2023

Target's annual car seat trade-in event is live—it includes car seat sales on our picks from Graco and others. We've adjusted the prices of the picks in this piece to reflect the the promotion with trade-in.

Rose Maura Lorre

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If your kid has outgrown their car seat (or will soon) or the car seat you have is expired or has been in an accident, now is the time to buy a new one: Target's twice-annual car seat trade-in event is happening from April 16 to April 29.

Between birth and roughly age 12, most kids transition from an infant car seat to a convertible car seat to a booster seat; many of those, including ones we recommend for their safety features and ease of installation, cost more than a couple hundred bucks each. (Unsure about which type of seat your kid should be in right now? We have advice on how to know when to make the switch.)

From April 16 until the 29th, bring an old car seat or car-seat base (even if it's damaged or past the expiration date) to any Target store and place it in the designated drop-off box near the Guest Services counter. Then, use the Target app to scan the code on the box, which will generate a coupon for 20% off any new kid car seat or car-seat base, including items that are on sale.

Though old car seats will only be accepted through April 29, the coupon can be used in-store or online on two separate purchases through May 13. The coupon isn't limited to just car seats, either; other kid essentials like strollers and select baby gear are also eligible for the 20% off. And if you have a Target RedCard, the store's credit card, you can save an additional 5% by using it to purchase your new baby gear.

According to Target, all of the used car seats collected during the event will be broken down and recycled through Target's recycling partners to be remade into everything from steel beams and carpet padding to plastic buckets and pallets.

A big reason we recommend taking advantage of Target's car seat trade-in event is that you can get our favorite infant, convertible, and booster picks at a guaranteed discount with the 20% coupon.

Still, Ingela Ratledge Amundson, the editor of our guide to infant car-seats, points out that, even at their regular retail prices, these Graco seats are an excellent value. In particular, the Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX infant seat and the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible seat offer outstanding bang for their buck. "In our testing, we were particularly impressed by how easy these seats were to install and how many thoughtful, premium-feeling features they offered. They out-performed a lot of other seats that were far pricier," Ingela said.

The Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX is easier to install, adjust, and operate than seats that cost far more. And it has an added safety feature: an anti-rebound base.

We chose the Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX as our new infant car-seat top pick in May 2022 after our testing determined that it "provides the total package of user-friendliness, quality, and value." It's easy to install and comes with "some welcome bells and whistles usually reserved for pricier seats, like a removable seat pad for quicker cleanup, harness straps that you don't have to undo and rethread to adjust, and one-handed handle adjustment." While all car seats, no matter the price, must meet the same federal safety standards, the Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX has the added safety feature of an anti-rebound base, which "can help limit the amount the seat rotates (or rebounds) after the initial impact of a crash."

The Graco Extend2Fit Convertible does a superior job of keeping your child rear-facing longer—and it's straightforward to install and use.

If your child has outgrown an infant car seat we recommend our top-pick convertible seat, the Graco Extend2Fit. During testing, the Extend2Fit stood out from the pack for its "pretty easy installation, thoughtful features, and great value for the price."

We’re bullish on starting with an infant car seat then moving on to a convertible seat, and we note in our convertible car-seat guide that "we’ve found that each individual type of seat tends to do a far better job at its dedicated purpose than an all-in-one seat can." But if you're set on a seat that's a one-and-done purchase, the Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1, a variation on the all-in-one seat we recommend may be worth considering. (The model that we tested and recommend typically costs about $40 more than the standard Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1 model because it has an anti-rebound bar, an optional added safety feature, and a rapid-remove seat cover for easier cleaning; other than that, the seats are the same.)

The Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus is easy to use and nice to look at. And it's a hit with caregivers and kids alike.

For bigger kids who are ready to ride in a booster seat, the Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus is the top pick in our booster-seat guide; it converts from a high-back seat to a backless one, comes with two cup holders, and was deemed cushy and comfortable by our kid testers.

This article was edited by Annemarie Conte and Ingela Ratledge Amundson.

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