Car seats are one of the most important pieces of baby gear we buy for our families! There are few other purchases that so directly keep our children safe. According to the Department of Transportation, motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of accidental death in children. And most kids ride in cars daily! This is why a properly fitted and installed car seat is so important to your child’s safety.
Now, all car seats on the market pass the same crash tests. That means you can be confident that any car seat you buy is safe! However, there are car seats that go above and beyond the standards laid out by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to offer advanced safety features. The load leg is one of those popular additions that gives parents peace of mind by making your car seat potentially safer in the event of a crash!
Car Seat Load Legs: What They Are and How to Use Them
A load leg is an advanced safety feature included on several infant car seats and a couple of convertible car seats! Consumer Reports (a third party testing organization) found that load legs reduced the risk of head injury by up to 43%. That’s a significant safety boost! To learn more about crash tests and review processes, read this post on regulations and beyond.
Here’s what you need to know about load legs:
What Is A Load Leg On A Car Seat?
A load leg (AKA support leg or stability leg) is a metal pole that extends from the car seat base to the vehicle floor. What is it for? Load legs reduce the crash forces exerted by limiting downward rotation, limiting rebound, and better distributing crash energy. This is all to decrease the risk of injury or death in a collision by reducing crash forces exerted on the child's head and neck.
Car Seats With Load Legs
Infant Car Seats with Load Legs
UPPAbaby Aria
This infant car seat has advanced safety features like the load leg and a built-in anti-rebound bar. It also has flame retardant-free fabric and an adjustable headrest with a 2-piece insert to get the right fit. Despite the extra features, it’s lightweight and compact, weighing just under 7 lbs! The UPPAbaby Aria is also easy to install and allows for European baseless installation for easy travel.
Cybex Cloud G Lux
Here’s another seat with a lot of standout safety features. It’s got a load leg, of course, but it also has rigid lower anchors, an anti-rebound base, and a SensorSafe chest clip. You can also recline this car seat when using it outside of the vehicle. If you prefer flame retardant-free fabric, the Cybex Cloud has that, too! You can also take a look at the Cybex Cloud T for a similar option.
Romer Juni
The Romer Juni is a great seat for everyday use and travel with multiple safe installation options and plenty of convenience/comfort features. A large canopy, flame retardant-free fabric, one-handed adjustable handle, and magnetic harness holders are popular with Juni users! Of course, it also has a load leg. And, if you’re excited about safety components, you’ll be happy to hear the Romer Juni also has an anti-rebound bar and rigid lower anchors.
Clek Liing
The Clek Liing has a load leg, but is still the most compact infant seat on the market! It's also a great option for 3 across scenarios in most vehicles! This car seat is also suitable for preemies, so it’s a great choice for anyone expecting a baby as small as 4 lbs. The included rigid lower anchors and seat belt lock off make either installation safe and easy! Some of the Liing fabrics are flame-retardant-free as well.
Maxi-Cosi Mico Luxe
The Maxi-Cosi Mico Luxe is another great pick. It has a load leg, a seat belt lock-off, and flame retardant-free fabric! The whole seat is lightweight with an ergonomic handle for parent comfort and extra padding and stay-cool ventilation for baby’s comfort!
Maxi-Cosi Peri
Rotating car seats are popular because of their added convenience. And, yes, swivel seats are safe! The Maxi-Cosi Peri is a lightweight rotating car seat that includes a load leg, anti-rebound bar, multiple recline positions, and an adjustable headrest. It also includes easy-installation features and plenty of convenience components like a full-coverage canopy and a magnetic chest clip.
Nuna Pipa Aire RX
The Nuna Pipa Aire RX is another great choice for a load leg car seat. It features additional safety features like rigid lower anchors, an anti-rebound panel, flame retardant-free fabric, multiple recline positions, and an adjustable headrest. The easy install and lightweight carrier are also big selling points of this seat!
Graco Premier SnugRide SnugFit 35 XT
Here’s another option that’s easy to install. It offers a variety of advanced safety features, too. Beyond the load leg, the Graco Premier SnugRide SnugFit 35 XT includes an anti-rebound bar, a seat belt lock-off, and a multi-recline car seat base. It also features a convenient one-handed adjustable handle and harness storage pockets for easy buckling and unbuckling. Another similar car seat from this brand is the Graco SnugRide 35 DLX!
Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35 Lounge
The Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35 Lounge has a load leg, anti-rebound bar, a seat belt lock-off. It also has an extendable canopy and extra-supportive padding. It is on the heavier end at 12 pounds, though!
Convertible Car Seats with Load Legs
Cybex Sirona S
At the moment, most car seats with load legs are infant car seats, but there are a few exceptions! The Cybex Sirona S is the convertible car seat with nearly all the bells and whistles you could ask for. It’s a swivel seat with a load leg that can be rear-facing or front-facing.
Other features parents love include the SensorSafe chest clip, multiple headrest positions, and magnetic buckle holders. Plus, a unique quality of the Cybex Sirona S is the fact that you only have to install it one time. When you move to front-facing mode, you simply rotate the seat and add the top tether. It does have some drawbacks though. In some vehicles it is very difficult to install and tall kids will outgrow the seat rear-facing by the 1 inch rule far before they reach the limits.
Babyark Classic Convertible
The Babyark Classic is a convertible car seat that’s easy to install and includes several enhanced safety features. It has a load leg, rigid lower anchors, flame retardant-free fabric, an adjustable recline, and an anti-rebound bar. For parent convenience, it has machine washable fabric and magnetic strap storage.
Additionally, unlike other car seat brands, Babyark car seats don’t expire due to their high-strength materials (carbon fiber and steel) that don’t degrade in sunlight, heat, and regular use like foam and plastic. So, this is a great car seat to be used for many years with multiple kids!
Can You Add A Load Leg To A Car Seat?
Some infant car seats have multiple base options, one having a load leg and one without. For those, technically you can add a load leg! But, no, generally you can’t add a load leg to a car seat that doesn’t come standard with one. Never try to modify a car seat for any reason!
Can You Put a Load Leg Car Seat in Any Vehicle?
No. Not all vehicles allow for load legs. This is because, for whatever reason, the load leg will not offer proper crash protection because of the vehicle's design. For example, vehicles with hollow floors with stow-and-go seating can’t support the additional force a load leg transfers during a collision. Additionally, some middle vehicle seats have a hump in the floor that impedes proper load leg installation.
The best thing to do? Check your vehicle’s manual before you purchase your car seat or attempt installation! Here are a few vehicles with restrictions on load leg use:
- Not Permitted in Any Seating Position
- Chrysler: Pacifica, Town & Country (MY 2008-2016), Voyager (2020-2023)
- Chrysler/Dodge: Grand Caravan (2008-2023)
- Dodge: Journey (2009-2020)
Load legs offer additional crash protection for those looking for a car seat with advanced safety features!
Choosing a car seat can be difficult especially when there are so many newer features you may not be familiar with! Luckily, at Safe in the Seat, we’re all about giving you trusted vehicle safety education and finding you the perfect car seat. You can take our car seat quiz and check out our blog for all the essential info on purchasing and using your car seat! You won’t regret taking time to find the perfect option for your family. Safe travels!
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