2026 Baseless Infant Seats Comparison: Which Car Seat Is Best for You and Your Baby?
Find an Infant Seat without a Base that’s Easy to Use and Install
Rear-facing infant seats are, at their core, designed for portability. They’re smaller than convertible or all-in-one car seats that remain installed in the vehicle, making them easy to carry. Adding LATCH connectors to the carrier (as opposed to just on a base) enhances their convenience and portability, simplifying everyday use. With rigid LATCH connectors—featured on three models—installation can take just seconds, securely attaching the car seat to the vehicle seat with ease.
There are 2 types of LATCH installation methods available on baseless infant seats: rigid LATCH or flexible LATCH on a strap.
Rigid LATCH
Rigid LATCH connectors rotate down as a pair and are pushed onto the lower anchor bars in a vehicle. It’s a super-fast installation (as fast as a click) if the lower anchors in the vehicle are exposed and easy to latch onto; if they aren’t, you have to use your hands to separate the vehicle upholstery. If it’s stiff leather, that can be frustratingly time-consuming. If it’s your own vehicle, you can use plastic lower anchor guides to keep the upholstery open for easy access to the anchor bars.
An important note about rigid LATCH installation: If the lower anchor bars in the vehicle are exposed and easily accessible, a carrier with rigid LATCH connectors has the ability to slide slightly from side to side if you manually try to move it once it’s installed. THIS IS NORMAL AND EXPECTED and is NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. The lower anchor bars in the vehicle are slightly wider than the rigid LATCH connectors, so there’s room for a little side-to-side movement. There’s this thought we get in our heads that rigid LATCH connectors clamp onto the vehicle’s lower anchor bars and don’t move and that’s a myth.
The carrier position won’t move by itself once it’s installed, but you might be able to make it move if you grab it and try to slide it back and forth across the lower anchor bars. The safety benefits of a rigid LATCH attachment system (aka, ISOFIX) are universally recognized.
Adjusting the recline angle on carriers with rigid LATCH is achieved by adjusting the angle of the LATCH connectors.
The only limitation of a rigid LATCH attachment system is that it only works with standard LATCH spacing of 280mm (bars spaced 11” apart). What many people don’t realize is that most vehicles don’t have LATCH bars for the center seating position. Some vehicles and some car seat manufacturers allow “borrowing” of flexible LATCH connectors to install a car seat in the center seat that has spacing greater than 11” apart. But you’re going to need standard LATCH spacing in order to connect a car seat with rigid LATCH connectors.
Often, this means that you need to put the car seat in an outboard seating position, either directly behind the front passenger or behind the driver. However, there are some vehicles that have a dedicated set of lower anchor bars for the center position, and a few vehicles that throw in a 5th lower anchor bar that can be used to create a center LATCH position. If you’re not sure, your vehicle owner’s manual will explain all of the LATCH positions available in the vehicle.
Flexible LATCH
The more common type of LATCH connector is a flexible LATCH attachment with connectors that are attached to a strap of webbing. There are 2 types of connectors which can be used in a flexible LATCH system: hook-style connectors and push-on connectors.
Since all car seats are required to have a LATCH attachment system, the manufacturer must find a way to store the flexible LATCH strap and the connectors on a baseless infant seat. Otherwise, they’d be slapping you in the shin when you’re carrying your baby around outside the vehicle.
Installation with flexible LATCH is more of a process because you have to individually attach each connector, then physically pull the strap tight.
Installation with Seat Belt
No matter what type of LATCH connectors you have on the baseless infant carrier, it can always be installed with a seat belt. All of the infant seats on the market right now can be installed with seat belt using the standard routing method, with only the lap belt portion of the seat belt routed through the belt path, over the child’s legs.
Some, but not all, of the infant seats on this comparison page may also be installed with seat belt using the Euro routing method, with the lap belt going through the belt path and the shoulder belt wrapping behind the carrier. We’ve indicated on the chart above if Euro belt routing is an option or not. Sometimes the seat belt isn’t long enough to allow this routing. If you discover that issue, standard belt routing is always an option.
If you travel internationally, it’s a good idea to learn how to install your infant seat using a seat belt because not every vehicle you encounter will have LATCH anchors.
➡️ Whichever method you choose to install the infant seat—LATCH or seat belt—using a baseless infant seat is completely safe if you install and use it according to the manufacturer’s installation instructions.
Weight and Height Limits: 4-30 lbs., 32” or less and 1” above head
LATCH Type: Rigid
MSRP: $269.99
Available with Base: Yes
Pros: The GoMax has 4 recline positions and a memory feature that returns the connectors to the same position they were in when the carrier was uninstalled. Its two fashions are FR-free 🌿 —a first for Graco. You can buy the GoMax in 2 ways: either as a standalone carrier or with a base. The SnugLock base is also available as an accessory if you decide you want one later on. The canopy is a soft, quiet fabric.
Cons: Getting a proper recline for a newborn is an issue in many vehicles, even if using the base. While the canopy is soft and quiet, it’s voluminous to a fault and gets in the way of reaching the release handle on the back of the seat.
Stroller Compatibility: Has its own stroller frame; Graco and Baby Jogger; uses Graco adapters; Mockingbird stroller; Mockingbird stroller adapters
Comments: On paper, the GoMax checks a lot of boxes, but the inability to get a recline that keeps a newborn’s head upright on all but the flattest vehicle seats is concerning. Using the base helps some, but you don’t buy a baseless infant seat with rigid LATCH to be weighed down by being required to use a base; that removes the portability from the equation. Be sure to put your hand between one of the LATCH connectors and the carrier when you remove it from the car; they automatically rotate up and may startle your baby when they snap against the carrier.
Weight and Height Limits: 4-30 lbs., less than 30” and 1” above head
LATCH Type: Rigid
MSRP: $299.99
Available with Base: Yes
Pros: Easy to get a good recline for newborns. The Mint Latch now has an accessory base with lockoff and anti-rebound bar available or it can be purchased with that base. The canopy has a zip-out extension panel for full coverage.
Cons: For the very smallest of riders, 4-5 lbs., the harness may not pass the Pinch Test, which is troublesome because there’s no way to shorten it or alter the padding to improve fit. Joie (pronounced “Joy”) says they’re looking into FR-free fabrics. The Mint Latch is not able to be installed with the seat belt using the Euro belt routing method. When traveling in vehicles without LATCH, this is a fast way to get a very secure install.
Stroller Compatibility: Joie and those manufactured after 5/2025 use Maxi-Cosi adapters; Mockingbird stroller; Mockingbird stroller adapters
Comments: The LATCH connectors must be manually rotated into a stored position after each use, otherwise they tend to scrape along the car door opening and other things. It’s not necessarily a con because it doesn’t snap against the carrier like the GoMax’s connectors.
Weight and Height Limits: 4-30 lbs., 16-29” and 1” above head
LATCH Type: Rigid
Available with Base: No
Pros: The original baseless infant seat with rigid LATCH, URBN has good recline and fit for newborns. It’s also lightweight, which makes carrying it easier. Zippered Sky drape canopy provides privacy. All fashions are FR-free 🌿.
Cons: No available extra base for you to install beforehand, so you have to trust that your spare caregiver will be able to install the carrier correctly.
Stroller Compatibility: Uses the Nuna ring adapter and Maxi-Cosi adapters
Comments: The pricing on the URBN is deceiving because it is only sold as a travel system with a full-featured stroller (the TRVL shown below is the most compact travel system in the URBN line). This makes price comparing a bit more difficult, but be sure to compare apples to apples if the bottom line plays a big role in your search.
Weight and Height Limits: 4-30 lbs., 32” or less and 1” above head
LATCH Type: Flexible
MSRP: $299.99
Available with Base: No (See Comments)
Pros: The Liingo was the first baseless infant seat of this generation (Britax had one in the early 2000s). Newborn fit is good. All FR-free 🌿 covers zip off for easy washing.
Cons: The carrier is heavy with the LATCH bin and connectors attached. The LATCH installation is clumsy because the bin on the back of the carrier must be opened, strap removed, then threaded through the belt path, connectors attached, and tightened. Then reverse for uninstallation.
Stroller Compatibility: Uses Maxi-Cosi adapters; Mockingbird stroller; Mockingbird stroller adapters
Comments: The Liingo is a standalone car seat, but it is available with a base as the Liing. A separate base can be bought for the Liingo, but the LATCH bin must be removed in order to use the base.
LATCH is required to be attached to all car seats sold per federal requirements, but the LATCH bin can be removed so the Liingo is lighter and installed with the seat belt. Seat belt installation using the Euro belt path isn’t hard and gives a very secure install.
Weight and Height Limits: 4-30 lbs., Up to 32"” and 1” above head
LATCH Type: Flexible
MSRP: $299.99
Available with Base: No (See Comments)
Pros: The LATCH connector storage is up front and easy to access, making LATCH installation with the flexible straps less cumbersome than having to thread a strap through a belt path. When using the seat belt for installation, the belt path is through the handle, which places it in an anti-rebound position. Zip panel on massive Pagoda Hood canopy provides full coverage over the FR-free fashions 🌿.
Cons: All that extra plastic—the side impact Kinetic Pods, handle, and LATCH hardware—makes for a heavy seat.
Stroller Compatibility: Has its own stroller frame; uses Maxi-Cosi adapters
Comments: The Urban Mobility is a standalone car seat, but a separate base can be bought for it. There are 2 available: one with an anti-rebound bar and one with an anti-rebound bar and load leg.
