Choosing The Right Car Seat

Bringing home a baby from the hospital is an amazing and frightening experience. Are you ready? The most important purchase that you make for your baby is often the last thing you buy, that being the car seat.

Types of Car seats

In considering your options, know that every family has a different situation and no car seat is right for every situation. There are many categories and subcategories of cars eats to choose from including an infant-only seat, convertible car seats, toddler cars eats, and booster seats.

American Academy of Pediatrics determines that a child under 1 year old and under 20 pounds should remain in the backseat, rear-facing, and if possible positioned away from the doors (especially if the doors have airbags). There are benefits to either infant car seat, the convertible car seat transitioning with your child from rear to forward facing, and the infant-only seat being more portable for easier transport. There are two types of infant only car seats ones that have bases that the seat simply snaps into, and ones that have to be installed by the seat belt every time.

Safety Features

Most vehicles from the year 2002 and newer are equipped with little latched inside the seat, and behind the seat. This is called the LATCH system. The LATCH system is designed to hook the car seat directly into the frame of the car. When installed and tightened properly, the car seat should have very little movement. There are options for 4-point and 5 point harnesses that secure a child. When the baby is in the seat, the buckle should be at the level of his nipples and there should only be enough slack to pull the harness about 1" from the baby's body. Most seats have several height settings for the belt by the shoulders. The setting should always be at or slightly below the baby's shoulder.

Reviews

In researching your car seat, go to several consumer websites and compare reviews for each car seat that you are considering. Ask friends, neighbors, colleagues, or online parenting networks. Everyone has an opinion, and most will give it to you whether you want it or not, so take it with a grain of salt, and ask yourself, "What is right for MY family?"

Style

Lastly, picking out a car seat isn't all legwork. Now is the time to look at brands, colors, patterns, and any theme that you may have for your child. This is where you express yourself, and your child. Will it be plain, Disney print, or maybe playful animals? You could even get multiple seat covers to change out as the mood (or necessity) presents itself. Have fun, and make the choice that you feel is right.

Choosing a car seat isn't always easy. It takes a lot of time to inform yourself, to research, and to look and compare them. Not to mention, you want to find the best deals. These are all important to take into consideration when looking for a car seat. As for now, take it step by step and keep these tips above in mind.