Base vs. Baseless: Installing in Your Own Car or Skipping it Entirely?

Choose a car seat with a base (most come with a base) if you have a car, but if you don’t, opting for a baseless model will save you storage space and money while not skimping on safety. While a car seat base offers convenience and safety features for those with a car, many New Yorkers do not have cars, so a car seat base becomes a storage obligation rather that a useful safety tool. Other New Yorkers have a car, yet don’t always choose to use it in the city, sometimes taking Ubers and taxis instead. 

In this article, we offer up the scenarios when a car seat with a base makes more sense, and when parents skip it altogether. 

TLDR

Choose a car seat with a base if you have a car that you’re using full time, opt for a baseless car seat if you don’t have a car, and if you toggle between your own car, taxis, and Ubers, get a car seat with a base, install the base in the car, and then navigate rideshares with just the seat and install it using the seatbelt method.

Table of Contents

• What Base and Baseless Actually Mean

• The Case for the Base

• The Case for Baseless

• The No-Car Strategy

What Base and Baseless Actually Mean

Base Install: Click and Go

When your car seat has a base, it means you’ve set up your backseat, so all you have to do is pull up with your child in the car seat and click them right in. The base positions them and offers safety features such as the load leg to stabilize the seat and minimize energy transfer to the child in the case of a crash.

Baseless Install

When you install a car seat “baseless” it could mean that you have a base but aren’t using it, or you’ve selected a seat that doesn’t include a base at all. Let’s take a look.

European Belt Routing & Seatbelt

If you’re not using a base — for instance taking someone else’s car, an Uber or taxi — you’re going to install the car seat using the “seatbelt method”. This involves threading the lap belt over the front of the seat in lock position, and threading the shoulder harness through a plastic tab on the back of the seat (if it has one) also in lock position. 

This is referred to European belt routing and it’s a must for anyone who’s thinking of installing the car seat without a base. Having these two points of security make the seat much more immobile in the back which is the name of the game — you don’t want that seat to be able to move more than one inch in any direction. At Babesta, we don’t sell any seats that don’t have this feature. 

Direct Latch

The other option for a baseless install is unique to just a couple seats on the market — is LATCH. LATCH is an acronym that stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. It’s a standard way of attaching a car seat to a vehicle using built in anchors and tethers instead of seatbelts. 

For infant car seats, the LATCH – two prongs that come out of the car seat itself or more typically the car seat base — attach to the “lower anchors” which are metal bars located in the seat crease of the vehicle. (Tether is for forward facing seats not infant seats). The LATCH can be either Rigid (metal to metal - the most secure installation) or Flexible where the prongs are at the end of seatbelts and need to be tightened to prohibit movements. 

Vehicles manufactured after 2002 are required to have LATCH anchor points in at least two rear seating positions - normally the outside seats rather than the middle. 

The Case for a Base

Here are the biggest reasons to get a car seat with a base:

One Car, Installed Once

If you’ve got a car you can install the base in your car and then any time you use it in the car, it’s just one click and voila. You can use the car seat without the base (leave the base in the car) when traveling via taxi or Uber, and install using the seatbelt method. You have all the options!

Why a Load Leg Matters 

The thing we love most about car seat bases is the load leg, as this safety feature stabilizes the seat and absorbs energy away from the child in the case of a crash. Baseless seats don’t get the benefit of this extra feature. 

The Case for Baseless

In a small NYC apartment, less is more. 

European Belt Routing Makes This Work

You can still safety install nearly any infant car seat by using the seatbelt method. We suggest choosing a seat with European belt routing so that you have two points of security and less movement. 

Integrated LATCH on Select Seats

The integrated LATCH makes the baseless option even more compelling. This is metal to metal installation meaning virtually no movement. 

Price Difference

If you purchase a truly baseless car seat, then you get a price advantage as well. A car seat with a base typically costs more than one without. And you don’t have to dedicate the space. 

The Trade-Off: Slower to Install Each Time

The only tradeoffs is a minute more of effort (using the seatbelt is a little longer than just clicking in), and the fact that you don’t get the load leg. But if you don’t have a car, it’s not like you’d carry that base around with you even if you had it. 

The No-Car Household Strategy (AKA Most NYC Parents)

NYC parents without a car are best served with a baseless car seat, like the Liingo by Clek if it’s compatible with their stroller, or a car seat with a base, and store the base. This way you save money and space in the first instance, or have a base just in case or to give to grandma and grandpa for trips or sleepovers. 

All About the Base with Babesta

The question of base vs baseless is really pretty simple — yes if you have a car and no if you don’t. At Babesta, we’re dedicated to finding the right options for city parents, no matter your situation. 

Don’t lose your cool shopping the baby market. Babesta’s got your back.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can any infant seat go baseless?

Typically, yes, most infant seats can go baseless, allowing you to install with the seatbelt, but not all of them have European belt routing meaning with some, install only allows for one point of contact which isn’t ideal. Seats with European belt routing are built for a safer baseless install, since that’s what gives the shoulder harness a second point of contact beyond the lap belt. 

Do I need a load leg if I don’t have a car?

No - if you don’t have a car you likely don’t need a base at all, and a load leg is a base feature, so isn’t relevant to you. Skip the base entirely and install with the seatbelt method using European belt routing instead. 

Is a baseless install less safe than a base install?

No - both are safe when installed correctly according to the seat manufacturer’s instructions. Neither method is inherently safer than the other; what matters is getting the install right, whichever method fits your situation. 

Related Reading

Infant Car Seat Checklist

Infant vs. Convertible Car Seat

How to Pick an Infant Car Seat