How to Choose a Car Seat for Your Baby?

As most couples and parents have recognized, a car seat is the number one essential equipment that they could ever purchase for their babies. It is very important more than any other that they are required by law in all 50 states in the US.

Car seats, as far as I know, are highly considered for babies in the United States for a number of safety reasons. Numerous reports have noted that thousands of babies and young children are injured and killed due to car accidents, the reason that car seats are designed and required to prevent further injuries and deaths from happening. Given this fact, car seats are then worth buying. Although it is painful just like going to a dentist for the fact that car seats, because of its high demand, cost much, the benefits it can provide outshine its high price.

What is the “Best” Car Seat?

The first question that most families often ask when it comes to choosing a car seat has something to do with the “best”. To tell you honestly, there is no particular “best” car seat. You can only consider a car seat “best” based on how it is installed or how it is manufactured. Also, the safest or best car seat is the one that fits your child comfortably and the one that is used properly every time a situation calls for driving.

So, when shopping for a car seat, don’t think much about the price. As what I’ve mentioned earlier, the benefits that the car seat can give may outdo the price. Just think that those car seats that cost much have added features that may or may not offer a big difference to the safety of your new prize. Such added features may or may not also make the seat easier to use. So instead of thinking about how the seat costs, note that every car seat manufactured in the United States must meet the very strict standards created and maintained by the federal government, and its safety capabilities are highly determined by to whom the seats are specifically designed for. Yes, in the United States, there are certain standards for the use of car seats. The seats are classified according to the babies’ and young children’s ages, regardless of weight.

Besides, the best quality of care seats can be determined based on how it is installed by the parents. According to some studies, about eighty percent of the available baby car seats are improperly installed by parents, which could also be a cause of injuries or accidents. Of these noted studies, it was found out that the most common mistakes parents make are not making the seat belt tight enough for their children to hold safe. Along with this, it was found out that most parents fall into the error of not using the safety strap when in fact it is highly required for every car seat.

Given that idea, it is now easy for us to say that the safest and best car seats are as good as how they are installed. Parents who have children should then take enough time and effort to make sure that the car seat they have bought for their child is properly installed, according to the manufacturer’s instruction. It is best that when choosing a baby car seat, you should test or try it out. Place your child in if possible and make sure that the size fits to your child properly and securely. Also make sure that the seat fits securely in your car.

Types of Car Seats

Second to asking what the best seat is, most people ask what types of car seats are available for them to choose from. Generally, there are about three major types of car seat. The first is the rear facing seat, the second is the forward facing or convertible seat, and the last is the combination seat. Let’s take a look at these types closely, including their subtypes.

Rear Facing Car Seats

Rear facing car seats are also known as infant-only seats. This type is specifically designed of infants weighing 5 to 20 pounds, although there are some rear facing seats that can hold infants of 22 pounds. They can only be used rear facing and since they are created for infants, it is understandable that they are small and portable and fit only the newborns.

Below is a list of some of the features known to rear facing car seats:

• Harness Slots – Most infant-only seats come with more than one harness lot. Most manufacturers consider this as an added asset as more slots means more room for the growing baby. It is important to note, however, that when choosing a rear-facing car seat, the harness slots should be located at or below the baby’s shoulders.

• Handles – Rear facing car seats are also identified by its carrying handles. Well, I think this is common for almost all types of car seats. But in rear-facing seats, the carrying handles generally vary in style as well as in ease of use. Because of this, checking the instructions for adjusting the handles during travel is definitely worth considering.

• Detachable Base – Today, hundreds of rear facing car seat models come with detachable bases. These bases are basically designed attaching the car, so to use it you only need to unlock the seat. If for instance you are ready to drive in your car again, what you only to do is simply to buckle your baby in the car seta and lock in it to the base. Because of this feature, many consumers have claimed that of all the car seat features, this is by far a time saver. This claims stems from the fact that with a detachable base, you do not need to belt down the base every time you get ready to drive around the town again. What’s more, you have option whether to purchase additional bases to leave in other cars, or just use the car with the same base. If you prefer the former, then you can transfer easily just the seat between cars.

• Higher Weight Limits – As mentioned earlier, there are rear facing car seats that are capable of carrying children that weigh 22 pounds. According to some, this is one specific advantage of this type of seat as you can make it easier to keep your baby rear facing for the entire year. Yes, I said entire year as the rear facing seats are designed for infants up to their first year, provided that they remain below 22 pounds. If it happens that you child’s weight exceeds the 22-pound limit before a year, you can use a rear facing convertible that has a higher limit of weight.

So the features are revealed. Now is the time for you to know that there are two types of rear facing car seats: the infant-only seats and the convertible seats. The main difference between the two actually lies on the size and the weight capacity. The infant-only rear facing seats are typically small and may only carry up to 22 pounds, while the convertible type can be used rear facing, but also forward-facing once the baby is big and old enough to do so safely.

Forward Facing Car Seats

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