Safety Tips When Buying Baby Car Seats
14th June 2011 by Babies No CommentsIt is a parent’s responsibility to keep their child safely buckled in when traveling down the road. The problem is that most parents don’t understand a lot about car seats, and usually by the one that is the least expensive, and the easiest to deal with. The thing to ask yourself is if this is a product you really want to protect you child in the event of a vehicle accident.
When you first start doing your research we recommend addressing the basic safety issues. You need a baby car seat that can connect the seat belt securely. The right choice will come with a LATCH system or Lower Anchor and Tether for Children. This is the system that fastens the car seat to your car. Without it your child won’t be as stable as you might think, even if the regular seat belt is being used.
The best baby car seats out there also come with a Versa Tether Energy Absorbing system. It’s what holds your baby in place in case there is a sudden stop. In fact, it’s built to keep the baby seat from moving anymore than six inches. A good example would be the Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat. If you have a LATCH system this is usually an integrated part.
Sometimes the force of an accident can be enough to jolt your child, which is where EPS foam comes into play. It’s something also used in bicycle helmets, so if something unexpected does occur, the force of the crash will divert away from your child. While this was created to provide a forgiving barrier between your baby and any hard surface, the HUGS harness also prevents any type of movement. So if you get hit from behind or from the side, both of these will be extremely helpful.
However, all this is great, but one of the most important safety aspects of a car seat is the safety harness. A child seat safety harness should be a five point system, completely securing you child in the seat, and form fitting so they have a range of motion, but are not able to get out of it on their own. Graco Nautilus has a good review on this. It should also securely latch down to the seat itself, with the latch out of their reach.
There are other things you need to also consider when it comes to baby car seats as well. You want a car seat that has plenty of cushioning so your child is comfortable, one that is easy to keep clean such as the Graco Nautilus Car Seat. The cushioning should be able to be removed and tossed in the washer when it gets dirty, and the body of the seat should be easy to wipe down. With how long a child is required to be in a safety seat, some of the best products are three in one seats. These change from a rear facing baby seat, to front facing, and grow as your child does. The full seat transforms into a booster seat, and will support and secure your child until they are completely able to fit a regular seat belt.
Each one of these benefits will be extremely important, but we understand you might be on a budget. If this is the case; don’t ever sacrifice quality for price. It’s well worth the extra money upfront because the baby car seat will last longer. We would also recommend NOT purchasing a cheap car seat or even a used one. The structural integrity just isn’t the same, and you could end up going through several baby car seats in the process. So if you’re in need of a car seat for your baby, expect to pay $100 to $200. It will be worth every penny.









































