Why You Must Have a Baby Car Seat
When purchasing a baby car seat, some features are absolutely essential. Keeping your baby safe should be every parent’s highest priority, and a good car seat will do just that. Unfortunately, searching for the right car seat can be overwhelming as there are hundreds of models, features and brands to sort through. If you don’t know what to look for, the process can be time-consuming and draining. Concentrating on a few essential features will help you sort through your choices and find the car seat that’s right for your family.
One of the most important things to consider is the harness or attachment of the child safety seat. You can have a 3-point harness or a 5-point harness. As you can guess, the 5-point harness has extra attachments that serve to keep the child safe in the seat in case of an accident. The 3-point harness is sufficient, but if you want added peace of mind, the 5-point harness may be worth it.
While it is easy to understand that small children belong in car safety seats, it can become a little confusing when one begins to look around at all of the options and consider weight limits. There are several models and brands of car safety seats available on the market today, each slightly different. The basic models are rear-facing, combination, front-facing and booster seats.
There are also seats for older children of around 60 pounds. A small child will be that weight around 9 years of age. Some models of car seats for younger children are for children of 20-25 pounds, while others can accommodate riders up to 10 pounds heavier.
Of the four types of child safety seats, the rear-facing seat is considered the safest. When deciding on a car seat, you might want to consider how much your child is going to grow - and perhaps purchase a larger car seat so they won’t outgrow it as quickly. A booster seat, one kind of child safety seat, is for older kids, or those that weigh around 40-50 pounds. Whether you have a small seat, large seat, rear-facing or booster, it’s extremely important that the car seat is installed carefully and thoroughly.
Your older child’s booster should allow for the shoulder belt to cross the center of the shoulder and chest. Avoid crossing it over the neck. The lap belt should ride across the hips. If your car has low seat backs without headrests, use a high-back model. You may be able to find a model with adjustable head supports and extra padding.
All car seats for babies and small children are examined and tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Car seats are tested on a number of features, including the ease and readability of the instructions. The government’s suggestions from these tests are carefully considered by car seat manufacturers, and they work hard to update and enhance the design of their products. More information can be found on NHTSA’s web site.
Some car seats get top marks - all A’s, that is - from the NHTSA. These models are easy to find, especially if you use the Internet (check out eBay and Froogle, especially) to do your research. Whichever model you select, online or at the store, be sure to check the safety rating from NHTSA.
