Best Infant Car Seat for Toyota Corolla

Toyota Corolla Space for Infant Car Seats

Finding the best infant car seat for Toyota Corolla is challenging because of its small space at the back. Toyota Corolla is a compact sedan similar to Camry we started our research as we prepared to put together this report by going through Corolla’s safety test results.

According to crash testing results by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Toyota Corolla does excellent in most ranking categories except one critical category. In the category of crash avoidance and mitigation, Toyota Corolla scored and ‘A’ for Acceptable and ‘M’ for Marginal. In other words, it has a higher chance of being involved in an accident if the other vehicle turns on high-beam headlight.

The 2 pictures below (combined into 1) shows the test results of using Toyota Corolla with different car seats. As shown, Toyota Corolla scores Grace C when an infant car seat is used.

As shown on the grading scale above developed by cars.com, Toyota Corolla are rated C with infant car seats. A “C” is given to cars that they described as:

“Marginal room. Two fit or connection issues. Difficult to access third row when available. “

“This seat was easy to install, but our 5-foot-6-inch front passenger had her knees touching the dash and was not comfortable. “

Cars.com Rating of Toyota Corola with an Infant Car Seat

When we found out about this, we knew we had to get the safest infant car seat that has been tested and proven to work well with small vehicles that may not be as secure as SUVs and vans. We went through profiles of over 30 infant car seats and finally settled on ranking factors that emphasized on:

1. Safety: Infant car seats that have higher safety standards.
2. The size that will fit Toyota Corolla and leaving enough space for other passengers and the driver to be comfortable.

Infant Car Seat Installed on Toyota Corolla

Below is a picture of Corolla 2016 model that is similar to most earlier models from 2010 to 2015. The 2018 and 2019 models are a bit different but as we look for the best infant car seat that fits Corolla, here are what to know:

1. The backseats of Toyota Corolla models are quite small and if you are a tall parent and need to push the front-seat back a bit to get comfortable, you may not have enough space.
2. Toyota Corolla models that were manufactured after 2002 have LATCH system installed and could work well with any type of car seat; infant, convertible or 3-in-1 car seats.
3. It is possible to fit the Infant Car seat on a Toyota Corolla but fitting it may be problematic.
4. Toyota has three tether anchors that are very easy to use. The tethers are on the rear shelf behind the backseat’s head restraints

Below is a video showing the interior of Toyota Corolla:

As you can see from the video, the space is quite small and we set out to find the smallest infant car seats that can work with any Toyota Corolla of different years from as early as 2001 to 2018.

A Look at Toyota Corolla Interior Space

The video below is a demonstration of Toyota Corolla’s space by Miranda

5 Best Infant Car Seats for Toyota Corolla:

For some of the seats, you may have to install them at the center at the back of your Toyota Corolla is your height is more than 6 feet.

Diono Radian RXT and Diono 2019 Radian 3R

Diono Radian RXT and Diono 2019 Radian 3R are our overall best car seats you can fit in your Toyota Corolla in 2020.

When we checked it in July 2020, the RXT brand is no longer available on Amazon and has been replaced by Diono 2019 Radian 3R All-in-One Convertible Car Seat. Both Diono brands are known for their safety features including excellent compact. You can read some safety stories of Diono car seats on Diono’s website here.

Because of their compact size, you can fit 3 Diono 2019 Radian 3R car seats in small Toyota models such as Toyota Yarris and Toyota Corolla. Here is a snapshot by a parent:

Below is another snapshot:

Here are some reviews of parents who have used it with Toyota car models:

Pros:

• Designed to keep your baby seated comfortably in rear-facing position longer
• Comes with removable infant insert
• It has a slim design that frees up enough room to fit three across in your backseat.
• It has superLATCH Connectors that make it easier and quicker to install your car seat securely.
• It has a foldable and portable design that’s FAA-approved and makes it easier to store

Cons:

• Relatively heavy and not the most lightweight
• The Radian 3RX is lacking in enhanced features that the other Diono Radian models have

Cybex Aton 2: Perfect for Toyota Corolla

Cybex Aton 2 is our second favorite and most suitable infant car seat for your Toyota Corolla. It has been in the market for over 7 years having been released in early 2013 as an upgrade to the original Aton brand which was released in 2011 in an ABC show.

Below are some of the features that makes Aton 2 ideal for Toyota Corolla’s limited space:

• Very lightweight, weighing in at just under 9 pounds
• Energy-absorbing shell: Provides outstanding crash protection
• Secure European Belt Routing
• Integrated foldaway sun canopy with UV50+
• 18.00 x 17.00 x 26.25 inches
• Adjustable Load Leg: Prevents seat from rotating forward in a crash, protecting the spine

Watch the lady below explain why Cybex Aton 2 has smaller space compared to Britax B Safe 35 that Consumer Reports claimed to be the smallest.

Britax Marathon ClickTight Convertible Car Seat

Britax Marathon ClickTight is another baby car seat that will fit your Toyota Corolla’s compact space at the back.

Below are snapshots from parents that have used this car seat on their Toyota Corolla:

Pros:

• Easy to install without having to thread the safety belt through the back of the car seat
• Very safe for your child from birth through preschool whether you choose to use it forward or rear facing
• Comfortable car seat that you can feel good about putting your child in

Cons:

• The crotch strap can be difficult to adjust
• The bottom release button is recessed so that it becomes difficult to clean crumb catcher
• The whole thing has to be disassembled in order to be washed

Baby Trend EZ Flex Loc Plus Infant Car Seat, Elixer

Baby Trend EZ Flex Loc is another infant car seat with 16.5-inches width making it very suitable for Toyota Corolla. It also has a 5-point harness, height-adjustable back, and EPS energy-absorbing foam for superior side impact head protection.

Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat

Chicco Keyfit 30 infant car seat is our overall best infant car seat most suitable for Toyota Corolla and any other small car similar to Toyota Corolla. Why is it great with Toyota Corolla? Chicco Keyfit 30 car seat width is 17 inches which considerably small and can fit well on small space at the back of Chicco Keyfit 30 is one of the best-rated infant car seats in the market with more than 400 customers on Amazon giving it an average rating of 4.8/5 and  80% of those given it 5-star reviews. Chicco Keyfit is currently the 13th best-selling infant car seat on Amazon among the top 100 best-sellers (on Sept. 11, 2019).

Graco SnugRide Classic Connect 30

Graco SnugRide Classic Connect 30 is our fourth-best infant car seat that can fit well on a Toyota Corolla. Its width is 16.5.

Graco SnugRide 35 Infant Car Seat

The width of the base is only 14 inches, but the width of the carrier is 18. So even though the bottom is narrow, when the bucket seat is installed it’s much wider.

Grading Scale of Toyota Corolla with Car Seats

A: Plenty of room for the car seat and the child; doesn’t impact driver or front-passenger legroom. Easy to find and connect to Latch and tether anchors. No fit issues involving head restraint or seat contouring. Easy access to the third row.  
B: Plenty of room. One fit or connection issue. Some problems accessing third row when available.
C: Marginal room. Two fit or connection issues. Difficult to access third row when available.
D: Insufficient room. Two or more fit or connection issues.
F: Does not fit or is unsafe.

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Kate Nash

Hi there! I am Kate, a mother of two and a child mobility expert here at Motherhoodhq.com. I am very passionate about creating awareness and educating parents about strollers and car seat safety. I write a lot about car seats and pay close attention to the safety ratings of different brands from NHTSA and CR. I also write about the changing car seat safety laws in different states and occasionally work as a consultant to parents looking to get some help when deciding on the best car seat, travel system, and stroller to pick. I also blog on different blogs and have been recognized as a baby mobility expert. If you have any questions, you can reach me using; kate.n@motherhoodhq.com.

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