UPPAbaby’s Aria Is the Lightest Infant Car Seat on the Market

Once a baby product becomes an established fan favorite, it often hangs around for a while. That’s the case with the Mesa, the first infant car seat from UPPAbaby (the brand behind the much-loved Vista stroller). The Mesa hit the scene over a decade ago and has been a popular parent pick ever since, holding steady in the top ten most-registered-for infant seats among Babylist parents and well-loved for its safety features and convenience.

But now there’s a new kid on the block: the UPPAbaby Aria, released in 2024. As a Child Passenger Safety Tech (AKA a CPST, a specially trained car seat educator), I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this ultra-light, easy-to-install seat. After testing it out for a few months, I think it’s just as good—if not better—than the Mesa. Here’s why you should consider it if you’re shopping or registering for an infant car seat.

The Details: UPPAbaby Aria Infant Car Seat

The Aria is a lightweight infant car seat—the lightest on the market, actually—packed with safety and convenience features. Here are the key facts to know about this rear-facing seat:

• Car seat carrier weight: 6 pounds (excluding the canopy and infant insert)

• Child weight and height guidelines: 4-30 pounds, up to 30 inches

• Easy to install with or without the base

• Key safety features: anti-rebound panel, stability leg, side impact protection (including head containment), infant insert, flame retardant free, GREENGUARD Gold Certified

• Key convenience features: no-rethread harness, XL canopy with extension, ergonomic carry handle, one-position crotch buckle

UPPAbaby Aria Pros

As a CPST, I’ve tested a lot of car seats and considered the pros and cons of each, from vehicle fit and ease of installation to more day-to-day convenience features like canopy size or harness adjustment. Here’s what stands out to me about the Aria.

Weight

Weight—or the lack thereof, in this case—is the first thing that you’ll likely notice about the Aria. It was the first thing that jumped out at me, and that’s saying something considering the number of infant seats I’ve handled over the last decade.

Minus the canopy and the infant insert, the Aria weighs just six pounds. That’s three to four pounds lighter than the average infant car seat and about a pound lighter than many popular lightweight models—and a full four pounds lighter than the Mesa. The Aria is the lightest infant car seat on the market at the time of this writing.

Why is this important? While a few pounds may not seem like a big deal, I promise that once you start carrying your (growing) baby + their car seat around, you’ll quickly understand why even a pound or two can make a huge difference. Every time you lift the car seat off the ground, pop it in and out of your car seat or stroller or lug it wherever you need to be, you’ll be thankful for the lighter load. 

Safety 

As a CPST, I’m a stickler for car seat safety. And while all car seats must pass the same federal safety standards, the Aria has a few standout safety features that I very much appreciate. 

The car seat’s base features a load leg, a safety component that helps reduce the amount of force on the car seat in the event of a frontal crash and can also help to reduce the seat’s rebound. There’s also an anti-rebound panel built into the seat’s base, another energy-absorbing safety feature; anti-rebound bars help reduce the movement of a car seat as it rebounds following a crash, causing the seat to come to a stop sooner than it would have without the bar. (Fun fact: you can ride with the carry handle of the Aria in a 5th anti-rebound position, turning it into an anti-rebound bar for increased safety in rear-impact collisions.)

Other standout safety features I love: an easy installation system with visual cues (a properly installed car seat = a safe car seat), GREENGUARD Gold Certification and European belt routing for a more secure fit when you’re installing the seat without its base.

Fit

This one is a bit tricky, because this pro is also somewhat of a con. While this isn’t the case for all babies, I’ve noticed some don’t fit very well in UPPAbaby’s popular Mesa car seat. It can cause what CPSTs refer to as “chin to chest,” a slouched position where baby’s chin rests on their chest and can restrict airflow. I see this the most when preemies and smaller babies are in the Mesa.

The Aria fits smaller babies much better than the Mesa does. There’s a two-piece removable infant insert to help with body support, fit and positioning for infants weighing as little as four pounds. You can even remove the Preemie Cushion (the lower part of the insert) and use only the Back Positioning Insert on its own until approximately four months.

As baby grows, however, the fit of the Aria can become an issue for some little ones—more on that in the Cons section below. 

Thoughtful features

UPPAbaby does many things well, but one of the best is the thought they put into features that make your day-to-day parent life just a little easier. The Aria is packed with them, but my absolute favorite is the handle. While you can hold the seat in the traditional ways—the hanging carry, like you’d hold a grocery bag, or in the crook of your arm—the unique curve of the Aria’s handle means you can also carry it like this:

It relieves a huge amount of stress from your arms, back and shoulders—it’s a game-changer.  And while technically you can carry any infant car seat like this (here’s the original hack that went viral), the ergonomics of the Aria’s handle make it so much easier (and more comfortable) than with other seats. 

I also love the snap that holds the tail of the harness tightening strap in place—no more digging around for it under your baby’s butt!—and the harness strap holders on either side of the seat to keep them out of the way when you’re getting baby in the seat. 

The Aria’s canopy is also noteworthy. With the extension panel in use, it provides a ton of shade and privacy.

And I like the one-position crotch buckle (you don’t have to remember to adjust it as your baby grows; it fits from day one until they’ve outgrown the seat) and the no-rethread harness that adjusts quickly and easily as your baby grows.

Stroller compatibility

Thirty percent of Babylist parents we surveyed told us that the Vista was their favorite stroller. While you can make a travel system (a car seat and stroller combo that attach) by mixing and matching different brands with the addition of adapters, finding one that works together seamlessly is one less hassle you’ll need to think about when you’re heading out the door. The Aria directly attaches to both the Vista and the Cruz strollers. (If you want to use it with the Minu or the Ridge, you will need adapters.)

UPPAbaby Aria Cons

There are several cons to think about if you’re considering the Aria.

Low height and weight maximums

Ultra-light infant car seats are great for many reasons, but there’s often one big tradeoff: you won’t be able to use them as long as you would with a larger, heavier seat. While many infant car seats work up to about 35 pounds and 32 inches (the Mesa can be used up to 35 pounds and 32 inches, for example), the Aria maxes out at 30 pounds and 30 inches. A few inches may not seem like a lot (most infants outgrow their car seats in height long before they reach the weight limit), but it often equals at least a few more months of extra use. 

How does this look in real life? Many parents get a year or more of use out of the Chicco KeyFit 35, for example, but may max out the Aria around eight months.

Fit

As noted above, the overall infant fit in the Aria is both a pro and a con. While the seat fits most preemies and younger babies well, the narrow design can make it challenging as your baby grows. Larger, chubbier babies may feel cramped and uncomfortable in this seat sooner than they would in another wider seat. 

Limited stroller compatibility

If you’re hoping to use your Aria with a stroller that’s not made by UPPAbaby, you’re out of luck; the Aria only works with UPPAbaby brand strollers.

Stability leg vehicle compatibility

The use of a stability leg is permitted in most vehicles, but not all. You’ll want to check your car’s owner’s manual before investing in this seat. (Per UPPAbaby, you can install the Aria without the stability leg, but you’ll lose the safety benefits.)

UPPAbaby Aria Vs. the Competition

If you’re considering registering for or buying the UPPAbaby Aria, you’re likely doing some comparison shopping. The closest competitor to the Aria is the Nuna Pipa Aire Rx; here’s how they stack up. 

Both of these infant car seats are extremely lightweight. The Aria weighs just about six pounds, and the Pipa Aire is just two ounces over that mark at 6.2 pounds. Usage guidelines are about the same—both seats work from four to 30 pounds and up to 30 inches—and feature similar safety extras like side impact protection, an anti-rebound panel, an optional stability leg, European belt paths and GREENGUARD Gold Certification. There are also shared convenience features like easy installs, extended canopies, harness/strap holders and high-end fabrics. There are a few differences, though:

• The Aria is significantly less expensive than the Pipa Aire by about $200.

• The Aria has a no-rethread harness as opposed to the Pipa Aire’s rethread harness (you’ll need to manually adjust the Aire’s straps as your baby grows).

• The Aria uses semi-rigid LATCH (LATCH connectors attached to the base via a short strap), while the Pipa Aire uses rigid LATCH (steel-to-steel connections from the car seat base to the vehicle anchors). Rigid LATCH allows for less movement of a car seat in the event of a crash.

• The Aria is compatible with UPPAbaby strollers only, while the Pipa Aire can be used with several other stroller brands with the addition of adapters.

• The Pipa Aire is by no means tough to carry—but it’s not quite as easy to carry as the Aria, especially if you’re using the car seat carry hack position.

Is the UPPAbaby Aria Worth It?

The UPPAbaby Aria is a solid option if you’re prioritizing an infant car seat that’s light, safe and easy to install. It’s also ideal for parents who own an UPPAbaby stroller since it connects seamlessly to the Vista or the Cruz without the need for adapters.