How to Choose the Best Car Seats for Your Child
When looking for a car seat it's easy to become overwhelmed. The safest car seats are ones that fit your child's vehicle and car and can be used safely 100 percent of the time.
Car seats that are difficult to install or use can make the lives of parents and children more difficult. The best car seats are rated high for ease of use, impressive crash test results, and are light.
Safety
When you are looking for car seats, safety features are the primary aspect to take into consideration. No matter if you opt for an infant, convertible, or booster seat, it should meet the safety standards of the federal government and have a proven track of third-party crash tests. It should fit inside your vehicle and be simple to operate.
A good quality seat should have a harness adjustment that is simple to use, as well as the possibility of connecting via LATCH or seatbelt. The rigid or rigid lower anchor connectors, that have clips that are similar to alligators that attach directly to the car seat base or the vehicle seat belt guides are preferred over flexible straps that move or loosen. The best seats have an indicator that changes colors and is easy to understand and lets you know when the seat has been properly connected.
In addition to these features, the best seats have top tethers that reduce head injuries during crashes by securing the front of the child's head. The harness guides are integrated into the seats to assist parents thread the seatbelt or tether correctly.
The most important car seat features are those that guarantee the seat is used and installed properly 100% of the time. Unfortunately, a lot of child passenger deaths result from children being restrained improperly or using the wrong type seat. Consult a child passenger security technician (CPST) who is located near you, to ensure that your car seat's installation and positioning is correct.
A quality seat can save your child's life in an accident. It is worth the cost to buy seats that have solid frames and top-quality materials. It is also beneficial to include well-thought-out features. It's also wise to look for a seat that is compliant with the most modern R129 safety standards that require more rigorous testing than the older regulations that many seats adhere to.
It is also important to recognize that a car seat is only as secure as the adult who is using it. Children must be properly secured by rear-facing car seats beginning from birth and continue until they reach the height required to wear a harness. This usually happens between the ages of four and five.
Comfort
A car seat that is comfortable can help your child go to sleep or remain asleep for longer and can be the difference between getting an extended road trip completed in one piece or having an exhausted, cranky kid who fights naptime. Find the right seat that will accommodate your child's growing stature and provides ample neck and head support and is well-fitted to prevent movement in the car.
The best infant car seats have a variety of features that will make your little one feel secure and comfortable, including soft materials that offer an incredibly snug fit, plush cushions and armrests that are cushioned. Some come with cup holders, adjustable headrests and sun shades. Others provide a variety of reclining positions. Other models have adjustable thigh supports and lumbar supports that help improve posture, and some even have massage features that can be activated by a button you press when your child is seated in the seat.
If your child is no longer able to fit in an infant car seat, you can move on to a convertible toddler car seat. These seats are made for children who weigh up to 40 pounds. They can be used with either a front-facing or facing forward. Some convertible toddler car seats can also be used as boosters for kids up to 120 pounds. This can save you money and reduce the number of car seat purchases you'll need to make over time.
The top-rated toddler car seats for comfort include the Evenflo Chase, which offers great crash test sensor results and is easy to install using either LATCH or a seat belt for a vehicle. Its narrow shell makes it easy to fit larger infants. It also has two different crotch buckle positions which allow for better positioning of shoulder straps. It's also lightweight and narrow which makes it easier to maneuver in smaller vehicles.
The Nuna PIPA urbn is also a great choice for a comfortable toddler car seat. It's a great option for parents looking for a car seat that is comfortable for their toddlers. It has padded sides and easily-read indicators. It's also small and can be put in with the base or without, making it a great option for parents who often transfer their car seats between cars.
Ease of Use
Car seats are the single item in a parent's life that get heavy use and lots of parents are looking for an easy-to-use car seat that can fit inside their car and also work with other baby gear. Infant car seats are lighter because they have less weight restrictions, and have a shorter life span than a convertible car seats. The most effective infant car seats are equipped with features that make it easier to install and use. They include recline feet that are spring-loaded, bubble indicators on the base to ensure it is placed correctly in your vehicle and installation guides that are clearly labeled with clear and easy-to-follow instructions. These car seats have also been designed with easy-to-read durable and long-lasting materials that can be washed in the machine as well as a soft padding for the child.
The Clek Liing is the most highly rated infant seat that we reviewed in the year 2018. It provides impressive crash test results and analysis scores, as in addition to a great load leg that can assist you in putting the car seat with ease and precision. This car seat is one of the most simple to install using either LATCH or the rigid latch connectors, with color change indication of connection on the latches and a harness that does not require rethreading that snaps quickly and securely.
Another top choice is the Chicco KeyFit 35, which provides impressive crash test analysis scores, as well as load legs to help you install the car seat in your vehicle. It's also a popular choice with parents and experts, including CPST instructor Kecia Healy, who says the seat is designed to provide comfort with an adjustable recline foot with springs and a bubble indicator on the base to help position it correctly and tighten it easily. The seat is reasonably priced, GREENGUARD certified and built to last. It features steel frames and a ventilated, high-density foam.
The all-in-one Nuna Exec is a favorite of LaBracio and Saxton, with both women saying it's a "solid" seat that is worth the price tag for its luxury feel as well as its luxurious materials and ease of installation. It has the rear-facing weight limit of 50 pounds, an expandable legroom panel and a sturdy steel frame with an anti-rebound bar. This car seat for infants can also serve as a booster seat for children weighing up to 120 pounds. It's compact enough to fit in the majority of mid-sized vehicles.
Design
You must ensure that the car seat you select is easy to use and fits comfortably. The final decision you make will be influenced by where and how you intend to install the seat and how often you plan to switch between vehicles. While it is impossible to predict what might occur in a crash, the design of your seat can help minimize damage and make it easier to get your child in and out of the car seat.
A key aspect to consider is whether the seat has flexible or rigid LATCH connectors. The rigid connectors have clips that resemble alligators which attach directly to the seat and are more difficult to disconnect in a crash. Flexible connectors come with straps that can be tightened or loosened by hand or using a type of mechanism. Most seats have a level indicator that shows when they've been correctly installed. It's usually a molded line on the shell's side or a sticker glued to the side of the seat that, when raised against the ground, indicates that the car seat is within the right angle.
A seat's ability to fit infants and newborns is also important. This is based on the width and the height of the shell, the headrest, and the ease with which the harness can be buckled or unbuckled. Some seats also come with an insert to help smaller bodies better fit into the seat as well as within the harness. These inserts can be removed when your child grows.
The third crucial aspect is the ease with which it is to adjust the height of the harness. The most comfortable seats allow you to adjust the belt of your harness without having to remove your baby. It is as easy as pushing the button or pulling a tab shifting levers. The most comfortable seats can also be adjusted to the strap around your shoulders without the need to rethread the belt.
If you're interested in an all-in-one child seat choose one that is in compliance with the federal minimum safety standards and performs well in third-party crash tests. infant car seat cheap recommend seats that exceed expectations with features like an anti-rebound bar, an energy-absorbing layer that is molded into the shell or the ability to use the seat from birth (with an insert) until your child reaches 50 pounds in rear-facing mode.