Keeping your child safe in vehicles requires the correct car seat. One of the most important things about car seat safety is following the directions to make sure your kid is strapped in safely. The other vital thing is following the size requirements for each car seat. To be safest, your child should be strapped in from the time they are a newborn to when they are 4′9″ tall. At this time, usually between the ages of eight to ten, the adult seat belts will fit them.
The car seat should always be placed in the back seat. The first one should be rear-facing. A child should remain rear facing until they weigh at least twenty pounds and are one year old. Both convertible and infant seats can be placed rear facing in a car. Depending on which brand you get, infant-only ones can be used up to either 22 or 32 pounds. These are small in design and might be part of a stroller system. The base is usually separate and can be installed into the car. If you have more than one vehicle, you’ll want multiple bases that this can snap into.
After the infant-only, your child will graduate into a convertible car seat. These are bulkier and larger than the infant ones, but they have a longer usage life. The reason that they are called convertibles is because they can convert from rear-facing to forward-facing, depending on your child’s needs. They do not have separate bases, but instead need to be installed in the vehicle. There are a couple of different kinds of harnesses. There is the overhead shield, which pulls down over the baby, and the 5-point harness, which connects between the legs and at the hips and shoulders. Either can be safe, as long as the children fit comfortably.
The booster seat is for when a child is too old to fit in a car seat, but to small for an adult seat belt. School-age children use these. The easiest way to know that your child is ready for a booster is that they’ve met the maximum height and weight for their car seat. The booster can have a back or be a backless variety. Some models can transition from having a back to being backless. The booster makes sure that the lap and shoulder belts in the car cover the child correctly.
Once you know the right kind of car seat for your child, it’s important that you buy a model that will fit your needs. There isn’t one brand that is the best, and while the more expensive models have extra features and greater convenience, price doesn’t determine the safety. Never use a car seat that has been involved in an accident and avoid a used one if you don’t know its history. All parts as well as instructions need to be included. Also check for recalls before you buy, especially if you are getting one second-hand. Once you buy one, take the time to read the instructions and install it correctly.
So are you having difficulty on looking for the best infant car seat for your baby? I understand how you feel – in fact I was comparing all different kinds of car seats through internet and shopping malls,and in result; the more I see, the more I confuse which one I should buy for my little ones. Therefore, I totally understand what you are going through right now. But, I have a review for you. . . and it is this: During our searches, we will tend to search for the popular brand name first, because it gives us more confidence from the brands’ reputations. Therefore, I have picked two popular convertible car seats for review in this article as for your reference. Britax Marathon Click and Safe Convertible car seat: It is suitable for baby from 4 to 35 pounds (rear facing) and 20 to 65 pounds (forward facing). The unique design”True Side Impact Protection” System which ensures your baby ‘ s head, neck and spine are properly aligned to prevent injury during accident. The click and safe system design is for the appropriate level of snugness to the babies. The superior comfort and positioning features are used for safety to the child and convenience to the parents purposes. The 5 point tangle free harness with four harness heights allows the baby to enjoy the seat in comfort and secure feelings. These are the outstanding features that Britax could provide. However, there are also some drawbacks. . . and it is this. . . It is kind of expensive at the range of around USD260. The harness adjustments require re-threading and it makes many parents feel inconvenient. Recaro Signo G2 Convertible Car Seat: It is suitable for child from 5 to 35 pounds (rear facing) and 20 to 70 pounds (forward facing). It could fit to most of the vehicles and it also contains the side impact protection features. Recaro has purposely design an infinite adjustable headrest for comfort and the innovative LATCH bar design for ease in changing from rear facing to forward facing positions. It has a 5 point harness, top tether and microfiber cover. Another high rated convertible car seat for most parents. The installation is simple and easy to install for most parent use. The drawbacks of this car seat are this. . . . It is expensive at the range of around USD290. This could not fit into two seat vehicle as Recaro instructs clearly that it could not be install in the front seat in any vehicle. Warning: Read the features and the drawbacks clearly and decided which one does fitted into your own needs and requirements. In general, both convertible car seats are high rated by many users and they are definitely worth your time to study for further considerations.
