As a new parent, you’re probably looking for the “perfect” baby car seat. In all honesty, there is no perfect baby car seat. They come with so many different features that it’s impossible to name one perfection. Instead of searching for the perfect one, your time would be better spent looking for the perfect on for you. This means that it fits nicely in your car, is well within your budget, and keeps your baby safe by being properly used each and every time you drive your car. When it comes to installation, most seats come with a base system that doesn’t have to be removed from your car every time the seat does. This is handy just in case you need to use the seat in another car. If it is within your budget, try to make sure that your seat has this feature. While these other factors are to be considered, whether the car seat keeps ensures safety is by far the most important.
The good news about safety is that all of the car seats for infants that are sold in the United States have to pass a federal crash test. This means that while some more expensive car seats may come with better bells and whistles, all car seats for sale have to have passed this test and thus will be certified as safe for your baby if it is installed properly within the car. The bad news is that you are likely to be more of a detriment to your baby’s safety than the car seat if you don’t install and use it safely every time. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration four out of five seats are incorrectly used in some way. These mistakes can consist of putting the harness straps or chests clips in an incorrect position and as well as changing the facing of the seats at the wrong time. This is because although some car seats for toddlers are convertible (meaning they can be used both forward-facing and rear-facing), there are weight and age limits on when a seat should be transitioned. In order to make sure that you are using your seat correctly, you should make sure to read the manual that will come with your seat before doing so.
No matter what baby car seat you decide to purchase, always make sure that you use it. Not only is it against the law to not use one, it will also help keep your child safe in the event of an accident.