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 So Many Car Seats, Only One Kid!
Perhaps the most important baby/toddler/child product you will ever purchase is a car seat. A good car seat will protect your most valued treasure — your child. This purchase should not be taken lightly.
You want a car seat that is safe, user-friendly and comfortable. Now is not the time to skimp on quality to save a few bucks. Thanks to online shopping, you can find great car seats at even better prices.
But before you start clicking, you need to know what you are looking for. Here are some key tips you should keep in mind when purchasing a car seat:
Infant Car Seats
These seats are meant for infants only, up to 20 to 22 pounds. Nowadays, most of these seats come off of the base that stays in your car, and acts as infant carriers. Most have sophisticated handles, and many will even attach to shopping carts rather easily. These seats are only to be used with the baby facing the rear of the car.
Many believe that using infant car seats (as opposed to using a convertible car seat that can be used with infants) is safest, and I agree. Infant car seats are designed for itty-bitty bodies. They are smaller in size so your baby isn't flopping around the seat. The reclining position they are in is safest for babies while driving too. And, who wants to wake a sleeping baby to get him out of a car seat and into the grocery cart? With infant car seats, you just snap the seat off the base and off you go! Prices generally run about $40 on up, and you can only use them for a year at most (when your baby becomes too heavy for the seat and too tall), but this is chump change when you consider it is the safest bet for your baby.
Convertible Car Seats
These seats are the traditional ones you see in all the stores. They are called convertible because they can be rear facing for babies less then one year old and 20 pounds (baby must be both), and then switched to forward facing for toddlers. Generally, these seats can be used until your child is about 40 pounds and at least 3 years old, preferably 4 years old (child must be both). Convertible car seats start at about $45 and can go up to $150, depending on model and features.
Here's where manufacturers have had fun with options. Many offer reclining, extra padding for little tikes, removable and washable fabrics and several harness options. If you can, get a seat that has a recline option, extra padding and removable/washable fabric. As far as harness types go, there are two main types nowadays: the 5-point harness and the shield harness. the shield harness is very common — a big padded bar swings over the child's head and locks at the waist. Usually, the safety belt that accompanies the shield harness is a 3-point harness — it goes over the child's head and buckles between his legs, with the plastic connector at the child's armpits, connecting the two together (just like infant car seats).
The 5-point harness does not have a shield. Instead, one strap goes over each shoulder, the plastic connector connects the two at the armpit level, and each strap is buckled into the strap between the legs. Experts believe (and again, I agree) that the 5-point harness is the safest for children, and if you think about it, this makes sense. The 5-point harness is designed to evenly distribute the impact of an accident. The same accident with a shield harness will distribute the impact mainly to the abdominal area. Play it safe, get a seat with a 5-point harness.
Booster Seats
After your child is more than 40 pounds and at least 3 years old (preferably 4 years old), it is time to switch to a booster seat. Booster seats are important because your child is still too little to be effectively strapped in to a regular safety belt. Just like at the dinner table, your child needs a bit of a boost. In the car, a booster seat will raise your child high enough to be able to use the shoulder straps in your car effectively and safely. Prices for booster seats run along the lines of convertible seats. Keep your child in a booster seat as long as possible — safety experts recommend until at least 60 pounds and the age of 8.
Again, there are two main types of seats. The one you pick will depend on your car. If the backseat of your car (remember, babies and children are always safer in the back) has a shoulder belt, you can get the kind of booster seat that does not have a shield, and instead uses the shoulder belt. If your car does not have a shoulder strap in the back, you will want to get a booster seat with a shield or one that look like giant convertible car seat with a 5-point harness system.
For more detailed safety information, please see www.carseat.org. This is a fabulous resource for all parents and also lists recent car seat recalls.
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Copyright 2000, Kristine Roberson
About the Author: Kristine runs http://www.MyMamaSaid.com, an online community with advice, tips, support and help for all moms, and has purchased three seats for her 15-month-old — the Evenflo On My Way infant car seat, the Evenflo Horizon V and the Evenflo Ultara Premiere. She loves them all. You can reach her at
mama@mymamasaid.com
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