UPPAbaby Aria V2 Review

Lightest Carrier

Overall75

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UPPAbaby Aria V2

Crash test8/10

Ease of install (LATCH)9/10

Ease of install (belt)5/10

Ease of install (no base)9/10

Ease of use7/10

Comfort & durability8/10

Weight8/10

Pros

• 6.5 lb is the real number, canopy and inserts fitted, the lightest carrier here
• Rear pull-tab adjusts harness height one-handed, no rethreading
• Steel load leg
• Docks straight onto Vista, Cruz and Minu without adapters

Cons

• Belt install through the base scored 5. Fine with LATCH or baseless; not the pick for a car without lower anchors.
• On steeply sloped car seats the base runs out of level adjustment. A tightly rolled towel underneath is the accepted fix and is in the manual, not a bodge.
• Releasing the carrier needs a button press and a straight-up lift together. Lift at an angle and it re-latches; a week of practice sorts it.
• Shallow shell. A tall baby can hit the 30 in limit around eight months.

Our Verdict: UPPAbaby Aria V2

The UPPAbaby Aria V2 scored 75 out of 100 across the seven criteria we score every infant car seat on, and took Lightest Carrier in our infant car seat guide.

What earns it that award: 6.5 lb is the real number, canopy and inserts fitted, the lightest carrier here.

The honest limit, and the reason it is not higher: Belt install through the base scored 5. Fine with LATCH or baseless; not the pick for a car without lower anchors.

Our Analysis, Comparisons and Test Results

Crash test

Eight, joint highest in this guide with the Clek Liing and the Britax Willow S, and the structure explains it: an EPP-lined shell and a steel load leg braced into the floor pan. The load leg is the part that counts, taking pitch force that would otherwise travel through the harness.

Ease of install (LATCH)

Nine, joint best in the guide. Self-retracting LATCH cinches itself as you press down and tells you when tension is right, so you are reading a confirmation rather than guessing from how hard you pulled.

Ease of install (belt)

Five, and the one real weakness. The belt path through the base is awkward enough that we would not choose this seat for a car without lower anchors. Baseless installs are fine; it is the base-plus-belt combination that scores badly.

Ease of install (no base)

Nine, the best in the guide. The carrier has a clear belt path and a European routing guide molded into the shell, so a taxi install is quick and genuinely tight. For a seat whose base-plus-belt score is its weak point, that is a useful asymmetry: leave the base at home and the problem disappears.

Ease of use

Seven. The rear pull-tab adjusts harness height one-handed with no rethreading, which is the thing you do most. Marked down because the carrier release needs a button press and a straight lift together, and it re-latches if you lift at an angle.

Comfort & durability

Eight. Well-finished fabrics that survive repeated washing, and a shell that holds its shape. Nothing here is luxurious, but nothing fails early either.

Weight

Eight. 6.5 lb is the real figure with canopy and inserts fitted, not a stripped shell. It is the lightest carrier in this guide and the difference is obvious by the second month.

Should You Buy the UPPAbaby Aria V2?

Buy it for this: 6.5 lb is the real number, canopy and inserts fitted, the lightest carrier here. Rear pull-tab adjusts harness height one-handed, no rethreading.

Go in knowing this: Belt install through the base scored 5. Fine with LATCH or baseless; not the pick for a car without lower anchors. On steeply sloped car seats the base runs out of level adjustment. A tightly rolled towel underneath is the accepted fix and is in the manual, not a bodge.

Because every infant car seat here met the same seven criteria, a low column is a trade-off rather than a defect. Work out which column you would notice, then buy on that.

What Other Car Seats Should You Consider?

We scored the UPPAbaby Aria V2 against 12 other infant car seats on the same criteria. The three closest on score:

Specifications

Conclusion: UPPAbaby Aria V2

The UPPAbaby Aria V2 took Lightest Carrier in our guide, and it is worth buying if that is what you need most. Its Ease of install (belt) score, 5 out of ten, is the one to weigh against that.

See how it ranks against the rest in Best Infant Car Seat 2026: 15 Seats Compared.

Tested against 14 other car seats in Best Infant Car Seat 2026: 15 Seats Compared. See all car seats guides and reviews.