Having a baby is a wonderful blessing. However, your new child does bring certain stresses to your life, one of which is choosing a car seat to keep him or her safe. Eliminate the fear of injuring your child in a car accident by using these tips to pick a car seat that will keep him or her secure and protected no matter the scenario.
- Rear-Facing or Convertible
There are two main styles of car seats to consider for a newborn: rear-facing and convertible. Both have their pros and cons. A rear-facing seat obviously faces towards the back of the car so that your baby is pointed away from the windshield. It is perfect for infants because you can easily grab it out of the car without disturbing the child, but because it cannot be turned around, you will need to invest in a new car seat once your child hits a certain height.
Convertible seats, on the other hand, can transform into front-facing seats once your child is at least 2 years old, saving you from buying a new seat. However, they are portable like rear-facing seats, meaning you will have to unbuckle and carry your baby each time you leave the car.
- Measure Your Car
Not every car seat fits in every backseat. That is why it is important to have accurate measurements for your car before you hit the stores. Many seats have larger bases that do not fit in compact cars, so you will need to buy a smaller version instead. Additionally, if you have more than one child, you will need to make sure you have enough room for two seats. Measure any existing car seats and verify there will be enough room to fit a second.
- Look for Key Features
Regardless of the type of car seat you choose, it should come with a number of key base features. You will want to make sure it is compatible with LATCH systems so that it is easy to hook into your car without needing seatbelts. Additionally, it is important for seats to have side impact protection in the form of foam pads around your baby’s head. This will protect him or her if your car is broadsided.
The other feature to consider is a five-point harness system. This is the most efficient way of securing your baby in place and will include a strap between the legs that meets in the middle of your baby’s waist, two shoulder straps, and two waist straps.
- Avoid Secondhand Seats
Even if you have a tight budget and want to save some money, buying a secondhand seat is not the way to do it. Safety standards are constantly improving in the car seat industry, meaning that a seat that is just a year old could be completely outdated. Saving a few bucks is not worth putting your baby at risk in a crash.
Even if you are the safest driver in the world, accidents can still happen. By choosing a quality car seat for your baby, you will be doing everything you can to keep him or her safe while you travel.
“Car Seat Safety” by Intel Free Press under use of CC BY-SA 2.0/Cropped from original
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