How to Select the Right Car Seat for Your Child

Understanding that your child needs a car seat is the easy part. Finding the right one is a little trickier. What is the difference between a newborn seat and a toddler seat, for example? What do you do if your child exceeds the recommended weight limit? A savvy parent knows that research is the key to finding products that enhance a child’s life safely. Now, what do you need to know about car seats?

Rear-Facing

Your hunt for the right car seat begins with an understanding of the different designs. A rear-facing product for babies and toddlers comes in two formats:

Infant car seats: Use this seat for a baby from newborn to the weight limit recommended for the seat. These are rear-facing only and have a carrier that locks into the base, so you can take out your baby in the carrier and leave the base strapped in the car.

Convertible: Convertible seats hold your baby a little longer, some go up to three years. Read the instructions that come with the product and follow the manufacturer’s recommendation. They’re called convertible because they start off rear-facing and then can be turned around to face forward.

Convertible seats are often the smarter choice because they stay rear-facing for longer. All babies under the age of two should be strapped into a rear-facing car seat.

Forward-Facing

When your child reaches the top height and weight limit for the rear-facing seat, it is time to move him or her to a forward-facing seat. This can be either by moving the convertible so it faces forward or with a harnessed booster seat. At this stage of your child’s life, weight and height are the factors you want to consider. When purchasing a forward-facing car seat, check the weight limit to make sure it is a good fit.

Booster Seat

Booster seats use a seat belt to secure your child. The seat belt should lie across the thighs and not rest on the stomach. The booster seat design “boosts” your child up, so the car’s seat belt will fit properly. Most children use a booster seat between the ages of four and seven, but your child may need one for longer depending on height and weight. Once the shoulder strap sits snugly across the chest and the waist belt rests on the upper thighs, you can lose the booster.

Tips for Making the Right Choice

Finding a proper car seat reduces your baby’s risk of dying in a car crash by 71 percent, so it’s important to get it right. Before you shop, know your child’s weight and height. All children under the age of 13 must ride in the back seat whether they use a car seat or not.

A new car seat is a better choice than a used one. If you do go with a hand-me-down, look the seat up on the NHTSA’s database to make sure it still meets safety standards and check the expiration date on the seat to make sure it’s not expired. Keeping your baby safe starts with that first drive home from the hospital, so get the right car seat from day one.