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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?"
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.
Reviews
I can't stress it enough. You should always look at the reviews for the car seats that you're interested in. Looking at a car seat, and then trying it out with your child is two different things. You can get a good feeling of what people who own the car seat think. They will be able to tell you the pros and cons, if it's worth the money, and if they would recommend getting a different car seat.
There are two complaints I see most often in reviews. Moms either complain that it is too difficult to adjust the straps or it is too difficult to remove from the car and far too cumbersome to put back in the car. Moms also love to see car seats that are fashionable.
Look at features
Moms like car seats that have the latest features. They want car seats that offer the latest safety designs such as the newest straps to make sure their little ones are safe if they are ever in a car accident. They want a car seat that offers easy access to straps. I think the features that are the best are the car seats that have a car seat that latches on to the base with metal clips instead of plastic ones. All car seats offer a 5 point strap which is by far the safest for any car seat for any age child. Car seats also offer enough cushion that the child is comfortable but not so much that they are a danger should the child be involved in an accident.
Look at the price
When searching for a car seat, you will notice that the prices range by a lot! You may find a similar car seat that is $50 for one brand, and $200 for another brand. Therefore it is important to do all of your researching ahead of time before you make any purchases.
Find a car seat brand that you're comfortable with, and look at all the prices for their car seats. Now, once you've found a car seat that you're interested in, compare the prices by shopping online, and by calling the stores and asking for what their list price is. It all depends on where you get the car seat, if it's on sale what brand you're looking for.
Finding a car seat is very time consuming and takes a long time to find the perfect one. If you're new at shopping for car seats, consider a few of these tips above. You will find that researching reviews, looking at the different features that are offered and comparing prices will make your searching a lot easier.