Every new parent wants to know: What's the safest infant car seat? While all car seats are considered safe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there is another answer to that question: the ones with load legs.

In crash testing by Consumer Reports, load legs reduced the risk of head injury by 46 percent. That's why all infant car seats with load legs earned the organization's "best" rating in crash protection.

What is a load leg?

A load leg is a metal support that extends from the base of the car seat to the floor of your car to provide additional stability and energy absorption in an accident.

In a front collision, the car seat will continue traveling forward until snapping back at the point of impact. Without a load leg to stabilize it during the crash rebound, the car seat can tilt up and slam into the seat back. The motion can cause the child to slide upward in the seat, hitting her head and neck.

In addition to preventing the car seat from moving and rotating, the load leg also absorbs energy from the collision, helping the car seat do its job: protecting your child from harmful crash forces.

Watch this video from Consumer Reports to see how the load leg inhibits the car seat's movement during a crash test.

Will the load leg fit in my car?

Because load legs are height-adjustable, most cars can accommodate a car seat with a load leg. You may not be able to use the load leg in your car's middle seat if the ridge in the floor is too high. But in many cars, the load leg can still be used even with the hump in the floor.

Other exceptions may include minivans with foldaway middle rows, as the floor in that section of the car may be hollow. Check your car's manual for load leg information.

Which car seats have load legs?

Since debuting in Europe, the load leg remains a relatively unique feature on car seats sold in the United States. Infant car seats with load legs include:

• Bugaboo Turtle One, and Turtle Air
• Clek Liing
• Cybex Cloud Q Plus, Aton M, Aton Q and Aton 2
• Maxi-Cosi Mico XP Max, and Coral XP Max
• Nuna PIPA, Nuna PIPA RX, Nuna PIPA Lite, Nuna PIPA Lite R and Nuna PIPA Lite LX, PIPA Lite RX
• Stokke PIPA by Nuna
• Peg-Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35 Nido, and Primo Viaggio 4-35 Lounge (also includes anti-rebound bar that further stabilizes the seat in a crash)
• UPPAbaby Mesa Max
• GB Asana 35 DLX

All of the car seats with load legs tested by Consumer Reports have earned a "best" rating in crash protection. (Some car seats are too new to have been tested).

Each car seat, besides the GB Asana 35 DLX, is also compatible with numerous strollers to create a travel system.

Shop Strolleria's collection of infant car seats with load legs below.