Which Car Seat Is Safest For My Child?

There are numerous variables that will affect this answer none the less here are some guidelines you can start with.

Child safety seats are available in three different styles. The forward-facing, rear-facing, and convertible all are safe products, but intended for different stages of a child’s development. A good illustration of a convertable car seat is the Britax Boulevard.

Rear-facing seats are safest but are usually used for infants under 20 pounds and 1 year old. Now, if your baby weights 20 pounds before his/her birthday they should remain in the rear-facing car seat until they are at least one year old. A good rule of thumb is to use the seat up to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Rear-facing seats must not be used in the front seat of a your vehicle with passenger side air bags.

The forward facing seats are for children after exceeding the manufacturer’s recommendations on the rear-facing seat. When researching forward-facing car seats for your child , the best choice is one that will accommodate your child as long as possible without needing to replace the seat.

A great illustration of an infant seat that is safe is the Britax Companion seat.

Will it Fit in Your Vehicle

Not all children’s car seat can be properly installed in all seating location in all vehicles. It is important that you read all the instructions about your new car seat. In general, a correctly installed child safety seat should not move more than one inch side to side or forward.

Will you use it consistently and correctly?

Each car seat that you look at will have different features and design. It is important to choose one that you and your child are pleased with, and one that you will correctly install and adjust for every ride.

The safest car seat for you is the one that fits in your automobile , is the proper size for your baby and is used correctly every time. All safety seats manufactured in the United States have to meet with the same strict safety standards. Not all car seats are the same size, the Britax Companion car seat is rather bulky and may not fit in all automobiles.

Used Car Seats Are Not Best

A car seat that has been in car crash may have sustained structural damage that is not easy to see. You need to replace your child’s safety seat if it was in a crash. Your car insurance company may cover the cost of replacing your damaged safety seat for your child.

It is always the best policy to use a new safety seat for your child. That is the only way to guarantee you have a safe seat.However, if considering a second-hand seat, it is vital that you to request a full history of the car seat from the previous owner(s). Other critical questions to ask are: Has the seat been involved in a crash? Has a recall been issued for the seat? Is the seat too old (more than 6 years)? Does the seat have all the necessary parts?

Use these guidelines to ensure that you get the safest child seat for your precious one.