How to Buy Car Seats For Baby Guide

Many first time parents usually ask the question of how can I make my child safe while I am driving? How to buy car seats for baby that is said to be safe and that you can use correctly at all times without any mishaps? Accidents can happen at any time, and one needs to at least put the right protection mechanism to ensure fewer injuries or fatalities for your little one.

How to buy car seats for Baby

Good car seats for baby must have the following list of safety features

• • 1) Harness
  • 2) Head impact protection
  • 3) Rear-facing tethers and anti-rebound bars
  • 4) Foot Props
  • 5) Carrying handles
  • 6) LATCH
  • 7) Wings
  • 8) Recline Adjustments
  • 9) Canopy
  • 10) Route path for seat belt
  • 11) Weight limit
  • 12) Locking clips
  • 13) Tether Straps
  • 14) Infant carrier bases
  • 15) Two-piece chest clips

Above are some of the critical car safety features that you should always be looking out for when purchasing and fitting your child in the car. Some of the features meet the laid down requirements by government safety authorities and have been passed fit for the crash test. You need to at all times ensure that the required elements are in proper shape and are used correctly.

[The Best Infant Car Seats For Your Baby]

Harness

Currently, in the market, there are the 5-point harness and 3-point harness. Car experts say that the 5-point harness is the best since it offers fewer movements of the baby and ensures that the baby will not have to suffer a sit ejection. But ensure you go for one which works for you correctly.

Head impact protection

Injuries to the head can be very fatal and as such excellent security needs to be given to the head region. Most baby car seats do have a layer of foam that is similar to the helmet of a bicycle. These serve to protect the baby against the impact of hitting hard surfaces.

Rear-facing tethers and anti-rebound bars

Infants and convertible seats do have this feature on them. They significantly reduce rebound effect of the rear-facing seats, increases installation stability and have improved crash performance capabilities.

Foot Props

These foot props significantly reduce the possibility of downward rotation in the event of an accident. It is highly encouraged for heavier children by increasing the safety of the rear-facing restraints.

Carrying handles

This is a feature that allows you to take the baby car seat while moving it around. Different models come with handles positioned differently. But the critical thing is that while the baby car seat is fitted in the car, the handle should be placed in a proper position to avoid breakage or harming the baby and the other car occupants.

[Best Car Seats For Small Cars] 

LATCH

This is an essential feature on the car seats. Some are fitted with the car, but on the recent models, they are installed on the seats. The LATCH offers excellent support and stability to the baby’s car seat.

Wings

They are wing like that are padded on either side of the head areas of the seat. They are helpful in preventing the head from hitting hard surfaces and also keeps the head upright while sleeping.

Recline Adjustments

This allows for the seats to be reclined at any comfortable angles. For newborns, 45-degree recline angle is accepted. Some models of car seats have built-in recline adjustments. So go for the one that gives makes you use it well and gives you your perfect recline angle.

Canopy

The canopy offers bay protection from the sun. It’s an important feature you should look out for. Check if it’s sturdy and can also retract or it is fixed permanently.

Rear-facing tethers

This feature is found in both convertible and some models of infant car seats. They serve to improve crash performance, improve installation stability and prevent the rolling over of the seat.

Route path for seat belt

This feature is essential since it makes installation of the car seat much more manageable. The route shows you where to attach the safety belt to so that the baby and the seat are positioned well enough.

Weight limit

Several baby car seat models nowadays come with weight limits. This is meant to improve crash performance and reduced greatly the chances of the baby being thrown unnecessarily. New models of convertible baby car seats have weight limits of up to 40 pounds, with infant car seats having a weight limit of up to 35 pounds.

Locking clips

Current models of baby car seats come with built-in locking clips so help improve the stability of the seat and preventing the seatbelt from being loose with time. A suitable locking clip is one which is easier to use and which offer a tighter fit.

[Best Car Seat for Baby with Reflux]

Tether Straps

The fasteners may vary in mechanism in how the adjustment of the strap is done. Some tethers come with a push-button mechanism while others come with a hooking mechanism. Ensure to go for the device that you will be easy for you to use.

Infant carrier bases

This is another exciting feature that will help you have an easy time working with baby car seats. Different models come with a base that can be fitted in the car and allows you to remove or install the carrier onto the base without having to remove the baby from the seat itself.

Two-piece chest clips

Chest clips play an essential role in a baby car seat. They reduce the twisting of the straps, and they are easy to use at any given point. Also, they are not easy for the child to detach hence making the baby stay in the seat all through.

Types of Car Seats

Infant-Only Car Seats

Infant-only car seats normally come with two parts: the seat itself, sometimes referred to as the “bucket,” and the base which remains in the car and fastens the seat in place. For convenience, some parents choose to install more than one base to leave in different cars.

Many infant-only car seats can also be installed directly into a car without using a base; check the manufacturer specifications before you buy a seat that meets your family needs.

If you decide to start with an infant-only car seat, understand that you will need to switch to a convertible car seat when your baby grows to around twenty-two pounds (approximately 9-12 months of age). It will also depend on the make and model of the infant seat.

Pros

• Specially designed for newborn, an infant-only car seat provides the baby with appropriate support and proper positioning
• These small seats can double as a baby carrier
• Parents can comfortably move a sleeping baby without disturbing him/her
• The seat can serve as a safe place for the baby to rest,eat or rock when other options are not readily available
• Most models can snap into a stroller frame for easy transportation

Cons

• Most babies outgrow these seats when they are about nine or ten months old

Convertible Car Seats

A convertible car seat, also called and infant or toddler seat, can be used from the time your child is born until she outgrows it, at around three years old.  For infants under twenty pounds and less than twelve months of age, the seat should be used rear-facing. Some seats can continue to hold children rear-facing for up to thirty-five pounds, keeping them in the safest position for a longer period of time.

In the forward-facing position, most convertible seats can accommodate children up to forty pounds, and more models are becoming available for children up to eighty pounds.

Pros

• Worthwhile investment because of the extended period of time your child can be in the seat
• If used from the time your child is born, eliminate the need to purchase an infant-only seat
• Allows young children to be rear-facing longer than most infant seats

Cons

• Cannot serve double duty as an infant carrier. A sleeping infant needs to be unbuckled and disturbed when going from one place to another
• Does not have a base and cannot easily be moved between cars
• Not compatible with a stroller; baby must be disturbed for transfer to a stroller
• Can be more cumbersome and difficult to install

To conclude How to Buy Car Seats For Baby Guide

As the car seat technology keeps on advancing, more and more feature will be added to improve on crash performance and stability. The above function will offer you an excellent decision-making point when you go about purchasing a car seat for your child.

Car seats with some of these features will be a good one only if they can be appropriately used. Consult with the technicians before you purchase the product. You can go even further to test each of the features to ensure that they are working the way they are supposed to work.

Also, ensure that your car is big enough to accommodate the baby car seat you will be purchasing. This makes it essential to much the baby car seat features to your car layout. You may also like to check out how to choose the best stroller for your baby. How do you buy your baby car seat? Drop a comment below.