How to choose a car seat, which brand and type is best? This is a question I have been asked a lot in the past few weeks. In the process of training for my car seat technician certification, I had the chance to get hands on with many different brands and every type of car seat. So after all this you would think I would have a specific car seat to recommend right? But, that isn’t the case. Car seat technicians are trained to answer this question with the right answer which is, the best car seat is a car seat that fits your child, your car and your budget and that is compatible with your vehicle. Every car seat won’t fit in your specific vehicle, some won’t fit your child (weight and height) and other’s won’t fit your budget. The key to success is to get the seat that is exactly right for your exact needs.
The types of seats you will need to choose from will include:
Infant Carriers
You probably have purchased and infant carrier seat before your child is born so you can transport your little bundle home from the hospital. These seats are great because you can take your child in an out of your vehicle without waking him up. You can also snap them into travel systems making it very functional for parents to do various activities. These usually are for children 5 to 20 pounds with some going up to 30 pounds.
- Never remove the instructional stickers from your seat.
- Always keep instructions with your car seat.
Convertible car seat (Rear and Front facing)
These seats will fit your child all the way up to 80 and now even 100 pounds. Of course each seat is different and as ALWAYS you need to check your manual and/or the side of the seat to confirm the actual rating on your seat. Although these don’t snap in and out of your vehicle they do offer the most for your money as you can use them all the way until your child is ready for a booster seat. There are also seats that do all three called a “3 and 1″ seat.
Combination car seat
This is a seat that is a front facing seat that can also be used as a belt positioning booster seat.
So whichever seat you choose, make sure that you pick the one that fits the needs of your family and is the best fit for your car. Make sure you READ ALL MANUALS for your vehicle and car seat. Do yourself and child a favor and have your safety seat checked by a professional, I’ve yet to find a consumer installed seat that was properly installed.
Try the 5-Step Test to find out if your child is ready for belt only.
- Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
- Do the child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
- Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm?
- Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
- Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
If you cannot answer every question “yes,” the child needs a booster.
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