Are you looking for best car seat for baby with reflux? I will help you find exactly what you’re searching for but before that here’s my story. My first and third children had reflux (one projectile and the other silent). My first born Alice always hated her car seat and she would always cry whenever we went out.
Check out our How to Buy Car Seats For Baby Guide if this is your first time buying a car seat.
I never knew that some car seats could actually increase reflux symptoms until my husband and I visited our doctor. Over the years I’ve had to experiment with several infant seats and below is what I discovered and found works best for infants with reflux.
What to consider when buying the best car seat for baby with reflux
Because it can be a disaster to travel with your infant in your car because of reflux, you will have to choose an infant car seat that meets specific criteria. See also what is the best formula for colic and reflux.
Some toddlers will vomit larger quantities especially if you travel immediately after meals. An additional tip is that; try to give your baby a smaller meal if you plan to travel with him in your car. An important factor to consider before buying the best car seat for baby with reflux is the shape and angle of the baby car seat.
Car seat angle
When choosing a car seat for kids with influx, always check the angle. Most of the seats you will find on the market today have a “well” shape- intended to keep the baby settled and secured in place.
While this shape is important, it can be quite uncomfortable as it puts pressure on your baby stomach which can cause reflux. Go for a car seat that gives a more relaxed seating angle and is much shallower as well.
Choosing a baby car seat that’s too upright can also exert pressure on a child’s tummy because babies tend to fold in the middle when seated upright. Also, make sure that the crotch clip doesn’t exert pressure on your child’s stomach.
Seat material
The next step will be to examine the car seat material. You should buy a car seat with removable/reversible clothing that can be easily cleaned. And because your baby may still experience some reflux, it’s important to carry an extra set of car seat cover and baby clothing.
Convertible or infant car seat: which is best for baby with reflux?
My husband and I experimented with several car seats with our first child and when our third child born was born. Comparing convertible models to infant seats, we discovered that infant car seats are bucket shaped and they exerted more pressure to our little one stomach despite providing a more relaxed seating position.
So we got rid of infant seats and tried convertible car seats. We were surprised that our son never spits up in car regardless of how long we drove. Below are some of the car seats we’ve tried and worked best for our two kids who had reflux.
Britax marathon convertible seat
Best Car Seat for Baby with Reflux
From a simple look at this seat, you’ll realize that it meets the specific requirements I mentioned above. Offers a comfortable sitting position and it has an almost flat shaped sitting surface making it perfect for any child with reflux.
While it’s pricey, it’s worthwhile because you’ll not need to deal with spit-up mess. It’s a convertible seat, meaning it’ll grow with your child right from birth to when he’s ready to transition to booster seats.
My husband ordered it when he was away on a business trip and I had no problem installing it thanks to the ClickTight system which makes the whole process as easy as buckling a seat belt. I took my daughter (Alice) on a 30min “test ride” and she never spits despite having breastfed her five minutes earlier.
Diono Radian RXT All-in-one car seat
Best Car Seat for Baby with Reflux
(See the current deals on Amazon)
The Radian RXT all in one convertible car seat is cheaper than the Britax above and can be used right from when your child is born until he weighs 150 pounds. It can be used as an infant seat, convertible and booster seat.
You can fit three RXT’s in most medium-sized vehicles. It comes with a 12 position adjustable head support hence it grows with your little one. The best part with this seat is that it’s certified for airplane use in harness mode. It’s available in eleven beautiful colors.
Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit
Best Car Seat for Baby with Reflux
(Check Availability on Amazon)
With Graco 4Ever you will have three seats in one. It can be used as infant seat, convertible and booster seat. While its costs less than $300 with coupon code, it’s worthwhile because you won’t have to upgrade to another seat as your child grows.
This is the second seat I bought to help my third child deal with reflux problem and I’m glad he’ll use it until he’s 10 years of age. The headrest and harness can be adjusted together using one hand to perfectly fit the size of your growing child.
Graco Extend2Fit
One of the most popular best car seat for baby with reflux is the Grace Extend2Fit. It has different modes of rear facing or forward facing modes.
Your child should ride rear facing until he surpasses the 50 pounds weight limit set by the manufacturer. This is an added advantage for safety-conscious mom and dads who want to keep their kid rear-facing for as long as possible.
The seat surface is much flattered which is a good characteristic for car seats for kids with reflux problem. The extendable 4-position footrest gives a 5” leg room when the child is rear facing and this is a plus especially if you plan to keep your child facing backwards until he’s about 4 years. The only downside with this seat is that it doesn’t have an easy to remove car seat cover. But the cover is machine washable.
Safety 1st Grow and Go 3-in-1
Best Car Seat for Baby with Reflux
If your baby suffers from frequent refluxes, I would also recommend you to use to try the Safety 1st 3-1 convertible car seat. It can used rear facing for babies weighing 5-40 pounds recommended for newborns and toddlers. Check out also on how to calm a restless baby.
It can also be used as a forward facing seat for toddler, kids and as a booster when your child is big enough. Just in case the baby makes spits up (I bet he won’t) or makes messes, cleaning is a breeze with Safety 1st. The seat pad easily comes off without the need to remove the harness and can be hand washed or machine washed.
Final thoughts on Best car seat for baby with reflux
Refluxes not only cause discomfort to your baby but also can leave your car quite messy. As earlier mentioned, you will need to look for a car seat that offers a more flat sitting area (not bucket seat like infant car seats) and also examine the car seat angle.
Make sure that the harness doesn’t press your little one tummy too much as this could make the baby spit up. My two best recommendations I’ve used previously are Britax Marathon and Graco 4Ever car seat. If you are getting a car seat for your little one, do not miss out this limited free offer of getting a free carseat canopy. Remember to use the promo code PJBABY during checkout after you chose the design you liked.
You may also be keen to check out the safest booster seat for older child and the best umbrella stroller for tall parents.
