5 Important Features to Look For When Buying a Car Seat

When you are buying a new child seat for your new baby, you want to make sure that it is both comfortable for your baby and safe. The purchase of a car seat is one of the most important purchases you will make for your baby and while every car seat sold passes the government safety standards, you may want a bit more from your car seat. There are a variety of safety features on a car seat that will improve the safety of the child and help you feel more comfortable.

Reclining Seats

If you have a newborn, a reclining feature may be very important. When traveling with your newborn, it is important that you make sure their head will not roll around and damage their neck. Many parents have resorted to using towels and blankets as props for the head, but a reclining seat can end this. A reclining seat allows infants to recline at an angle that provides adequate support for their head and does not allow it to roll forward.

Five Point Harness

Another safety feature that you will want, when choosing a car seat for your child, is a five point harness. This harness has been proven to be the safest and it helps to keep your child in the seat. If you are ever in a car accident, this five point harness will keep the baby safely in the car seat instead of allowing them to fall out or be ejected.

Impact Protection for the Head

Many car seat manufacturers have started building in extra padding to help protect the head of the infant. Be sure to find a seat that offers adequate head protection by reinforcing the plastic and adding adequate cushioning to protect your baby's head at all times.

Latch Option

Newer car seats are starting to offer a latch option that allows you to latch the car seat into the car instead of having to belt it in with a seat belt. This makes it much quicker and simpler to get your baby and the car seat into the car. These latching seats are made to be safe, but parents should always makes sure that the seat has completely latched into place before they start driving.

Rear Facing Car Seats

If you have a newborn or infant, you may want to consider a seat that faces the rear. Some seats are rear facing only, while others can be used both ways. It is always safer to have your child facing the rear to protect them from the dangers of whiplash, especially when they are very young. Having a seat that will face the rear is an important feature that you may need.

The safety needs of your children are important and whether they need a toddler car seat or an infant car seat, you want to be sure that they have the safest seat available. Take the time to check out a variety of seats and compare them before you make the final purchase. Your child's safety and comfort is worth the time spent finding the perfect car seat.

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Important Tips For Finding the Best Infant Car Seat

When it comes to finding the best car seat for your new baby, it is always important to plan ahead. After all, the nursery has been ready for the new arrival for several weeks, so your car should be ready also. There are many things to consider before you buy a baby seat, because it will be one of the most important decisions you make for you the safety or your child.

Safety is the number one thing to keep in mind when shopping for an infant seat. There are many different brands and styles of seats available, so it is a good idea to compare the safety features of different seats before making a decision. It is important to make sure that the seat is certified to comply with your state requirements. A rear facing infant seat is the only one that is safe for babies up to a year old or up to 20 pounds and should be secured to the rear of the middle seat of the car. Never use a baby seat for an infant that is designed for older children or seats that face forward.

When you are making a purchase that involves the safety of your child while traveling, the purchase of a seat that is suited for your car is quite possibly one of the most crucial car accessories you will buy. Making sure that the baby seat fits properly in your vehicle is important before you buy. The straps should hold it securely and not allow it to move more than one inch on either side. The owner manual for your car and the directions provided by the manufacturer of the child seat will help you make sure that you are securing the car seat the correct way.

The comfort of your baby is essential when you are trying to decide which infant seat is the best one to buy. Seats designed for older children are too big for infants and the seat harness will not hold your baby securely. It is critical to be sure that the baby seat reclines at a 45-degree angle to prevent the head from tilting forward and thus helping to prevent the chance of suffocation.

Price and ease of use are things to think about also. The most expensive baby seat may not be the best. Many of the less expensive styles of infant seats are just as good and as easy to use as the ones that cost a lot more. Some of the brands that have top consumer ratings are; Graco, Baby Trend, Chicco and Evenflo.

Additionally, the Department of Transportation and Safety in your state can give you the most up to date information on infant seats. They also provide classes to teach you the proper way to use and install them in your vehicle. Government and state regulations change from time to time, so it is best to occasionally check with your local agency to keep up with changes in the requirements.

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Important Car Seat Statistics

Installing a car seat correctly is the most important thing you can do to protect your child or newborn if you are in a crash. If you ever doubted how important a car seat is you'll change your mind once you realize the shocking facts about automobile accidents. First and most importantly, most parents assume that their child is safe whether their car seat is installed correctly. This is FALSE! Other parents mistakenly believe they installed their seat correctly. Unfortunately this is often not the case.

If you use your car seat wrongly or install it improperly you might be in for a big surprise. Studies conducted by transportation authorities in Canada and the U.S. show that four of every ten children are not riding in their car seats correctly. This is because of either improper installation or use of a car seat. Why might this concern you?

Car seats save babies lives. Your baby's risk of death or injury increases tenfold when your car seat is improperly installed or misused. When used correctly, your baby's odds of surviving a bad wreck increase 71%. When you are in a car crash, the force your child bears is equal to the weight of the child times the speed before the crash. So if your baby for example, weights 20 pounds, and you are driving 40 mph when you crash, your baby will undergo 1600 pounds of force in just a second. That force can kill. Fortunately a properly installed car seat can help reduce the impact your child will experience in a crash.

Tips For Installing Your Car Seat Correctly
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently reported that up to 82 percent of infant car seats are installed wrongly, increasing the risk of severe injury or mortality if an accident occurs. What can you do to lessen the risk your child faces? One thing you can do is consider buying a car seat with a LATCH system. Automobiles made after 2002 feature LATCH systems that help you install a carseat more safely. Many new infant carriers come with LATCH compatible systems. Britax and Graco for example make car seats compatible with this system.

You should also consider having your installation checked out be a certified car seat safety inspector. You can do this at your local fire station. In fact, your better-off just calling. Many have routine car seat installation days where they will inspect and even install your child's car seat free. These technicians have at least 32 hours training in proper car seat installation. That's probably 32 more hours than you'll ever have to figure out how to safely install your baby's car seat.

If you do need to install your seat on your own at least initially, here are some tips for doing it right:

1. First, check to make sure you have the right seat. An infant carrier for example, will only hold a baby up to 1-year old and 20 pounds. If your baby falls outside this range you'll need a different seat.

2. If possible always position your child's carseat in the rear of the car. This is the safest place for your baby. The middle of the backseat in fact is by far the safest place. You should never place your baby's car seat in the front passenger side if there is an air bag there you can't deactivate or uninstall.

3. Be sure before starting you read your car seat manufacturers user guide carefully and completely.

4. Once you install the seat, either using a LATCH system or traditional belt, check to make sure the seat doesn't move more than one inch in any direction.

5. If using a rear facing seat or infant carrier make sure the seat is angled properly to support your babies head.

Because it is so important, its worth saying again. If you have any questions or concerns about installing your child's car seat, have it checked out by a certified technician. This only takes a short amount of time and can save you loads of headaches when trying to install your baby's carseat. When it comes to your child's safety, you deserve the best! Remember that most seats are installed incorrectly the first time. By having someone check it over you can rest assured that your baby is safe while riding in your vehicle.

Ant Arthur is a successful freelance writer with 10 years of professional experience providing consumers with informative articles on such topics as Baby Carriers, Baby Slings and Baby Car Seats

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