There are a lot of car seats out on the market, some come with add ons and some are basic, so what should you be looking for when you buy one? Look at the following criteria, and narrowing down your options should be easy.
How often are you going to be using your car seat?
Are you the child's primary caregiver? Will you be taking him/her to the doctor's, to the store? Will you need to buy just one car seat? Is someone else going to be watching your child for you? Will they need to buy their own seat, or will you move it from car to car? You also have an option to just buy separate bases, if you can't afford more than one car seat, and it makes moving an infant from car to car easier. Will you be carrying your child around in the seat? The difference between a seven pound infant carrier and a thirteen pound carrier is a lot. Some infant carriers have padded handles specifically designed with the parent's comfort in mind. Take these questions into consideration when you buy a seat.
Safety
This is the biggest thing to look at for your child. Make sure the car seat has LATCH the Lower Anchor and Tethers for children restraint system. Either the box or the car seat will have the LATCH label on it. Anchoring your child's seat directly to your car is much safer than using a lap belt. Also, make sure the seat has a high ease of use rating. Three stars is average, but anything higher than that is great! For infants, you want to make sure the car seat has excellent head and neck support and padding. Some car seats have specially designed foam that absorbs impact if you're ever in a car wreck and keeps your child safer. Any other additional testing such as side impact or high crash test ratings are also excellent. Additionally, make sure that the car seat you buy fits your child. Placing your child in a seat that's either too small or too big is dangerous. Also, try and buy car seats that have five point harnesses. These are a lot safer for your child and also adjust as your child grows and easier to adjust. Another issue that some folks don't think about is the car seat's shelf life. Car seats are only safe for a certain amount of time, so if you plan on having more than one child in a short period of time, keep your seat's shelf life in mind.
Extra Features
Once you get the basics down, look at the additional features. Do you want to be able to put your infant's seat on a stroller? Some brands offer that option. Is the fabric easy to remove and clean? Babies are messy and needing to wash your car seat covers is a given. Make sure your car seat is easy to adjust. Another tip: Do your research. A lot of customers will post reviews on sites like Amazon and talk about the pros and cons of owning certain car seats. Pay attention to those customers. If a lot of people are complaining about a problem with a certain feature on a seat, odds are, you're going to have the same issue if you buy that seat.
Price
Car seats are expensive, but like any good investment, know what you absolutely need to fit your family's needs and then go from there. Unfortunately, most parents don't realize that the top of the line, two hundred dollar infant carrier they bought to match their car interior might last them a year. Infant carriers have a low height and weight range. Once your child surpasses those limits, you can't let them ride in that car seat as it's no longer safe. If money is an issue, you might be safer to buy a less expensive infant carrier and then splurge on a convertible or three-in-one car seat that converts and grows along with your child. You're going to use this car seat a lot longer than the infant carrier, so you might as well invest in a good one. Learn more about what affects the price of car seats at http://www.infantcarcare.com/much-infant-car-seat-cost/
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