Guide in Car Seats
How Long Should Your Child Ride Rear-Facing?
Current AAP and NHTSA advice on rear-facing car seats: why to stay rear-facing as long as your seat allows, when to switch, and common myths.
Published
Buy the baby gear you'll actually use.
Honest picks for strollers, car seats, sleep and feeding, and who each one suits.
- Specs from the manufacturer
- Safety advice from the AAP, CPSC and NHTSA
- No paid placements
Your first-year gear checklist
What you need, in the order you'll need it. Tick things off as you go; we'll remember on this device.
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While you’re expecting
Before the due date
The first weeks
Around 4 to 6 months
Our top picks right now
The first choice from each of our buying guides. Open the guide to see the alternatives and who they suit.
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Best overall
Britax Poplar Convertible Car Seat
Britax
The Poplar rear-faces to 50 lb and 49 in, the highest rear-facing height among our picks, in a 17 in wide shell. Britax's ClickTight system clamps the seat belt under a panel, so a tight install doesn't depend on how hard you pull. It's rated for 10 years.
Best overall
UPPAbaby Cruz V3
UPPAbaby
The Cruz V3 is rated from birth to 50 lb: its seat lies flat for a newborn, so you don't need a separate bassinet, and UPPAbaby's Mesa and Aria infant car seats click on with no adapters. It weighs 26.5 lb and folds in one step with the seat still attached, on a frame 22.5 in wide.
Best overall
eufy Baby Monitor E21
eufy
The E21 works like a classic monitor out of the box, with the camera talking straight to its 5 in parent screen and no Wi-Fi needed. Add the app when you want to check in from your phone, or flip the switch on the camera to cut Wi-Fi entirely. The pan-tilt camera has its own battery and records to a microSD card, with no subscription required.
From The Best Video Baby Monitors of 2026, Including No-Wi-Fi Picks
Start with these guides
All buying guidesGuide in Strollers
How to Choose a Stroller: A Practical Buying Guide
Full-size, lightweight, jogging, double or travel system? How to choose a stroller that fits your baby, your car, your home and your budget.
Published
Guide in Nursery & Sleep
Safe Sleep for Babies: What Current Guidance Recommends
A clear summary of current safe sleep guidance from the AAP and CPSC: back to sleep, a flat and empty sleep space, room-sharing and products to avoid.
Published
What are you shopping for?
Safety basics before you shop
Plain-language summaries of current official advice, with links so you can check the sources yourself.
- How to Check Whether Your Baby Gear Has Been Recalled
A step-by-step guide to checking CPSC and NHTSA recall databases, registering baby products and car seats, and buying second-hand gear safely.
- How Long Should Your Child Ride Rear-Facing?
Current AAP and NHTSA advice on rear-facing car seats: why to stay rear-facing as long as your seat allows, when to switch, and common myths.
- Safe Sleep for Babies: What Current Guidance Recommends
A clear summary of current safe sleep guidance from the AAP and CPSC: back to sleep, a flat and empty sleep space, room-sharing and products to avoid.
New and updated
Buying guide in Car Seats
The Best Convertible Car Seats of 2026
Four convertible car seats worth a look in 2026: an all-rounder, a budget seat for a second car, a rotating seat for long rear-facing, and a slim three-across pick.
Published
Buying guide in Strollers
The Best Strollers of 2026, From Newborn to Trail Runs
Four strollers we'd shortlist in 2026: a full-size pick from birth, a carry-on travel stroller, a budget travel system and a jogger, with specs and trade-offs.
Published
Guide in Safety
How to Check Whether Your Baby Gear Has Been Recalled
A step-by-step guide to checking CPSC and NHTSA recall databases, registering baby products and car seats, and buying second-hand gear safely.
Published
Buying guide in Monitors
The Best Video Baby Monitors of 2026, Including No-Wi-Fi Picks
Four video baby monitors for 2026, chosen with privacy in mind: a hybrid all-rounder, a no-Wi-Fi pick, a budget monitor and a smart app-based camera.
Updated
How we pick, and how we make money
We're reader-supported. When you buy through some links we may earn a commission, but brands can't pay to be recommended and we never claim to have tested something we haven't.