Moving around with your kids can be very exciting if you have a convenient means. All you may require is the best baby car seat that will provide your kids with the comfort they deserve. However, choosing the best baby car seats can be difficult especially for parents who are just getting started on parenthood. Nevertheless, this should not be a problem anymore since a guide on how to choose the best car seat is here.
Parents have a choice of either buying a convertible car seat or buying an infant car seat. The infant car seat is suitable for babies of up to 35 pounds and 32 inches tall. Infants in their first year or so will securely fit in this seat. An infant car seat is rear facing. On the other hand, the convertible car seat is a forward facing seat that can comfortably carry a child right from birth to somewhere close to 80 pounds weight and 50 inches height. Even though a convertible car seat can be used right from the age of a toddler, experts recommend smaller infant seats for babies under 20 pounds. This is because the infant seats hold toddlers snugly and offer comfort in all angles. If you wish to buy an infant car seat and at the same time cut on cost, you may consider buying a travel system with a stroller and infant seat sold together at a discount.
On convenience, the infant car seats are quite light as compared to the convertible car seat. They also have a handle for ease of carrying. However, the convertible car seats are large and heavy.
Unfortunately, the infant car seat will not serve your kid for long. When the baby grows in size, then the convertible car seat will be necessary.
Nonetheless, whichever car seat you will go for, the following must be considered:
Ease of use
This will depend on how easy it is to secure your child on the seat, ease of installing the seat in your car, as well as the precision of the instruction manual.
Five-point safety harness
The straps should tightly secure your kid on the seat. Preferably, they should in the following format, one for each shoulder, one between your infant’s legs, and one for each thigh.
Easy adjustments
Since you will be required to adjust the harness as your child grows, seats that are quite complicated to adjust should be avoided. A convenient seat should allow you to easily adjust the straps and the harness height from the front.
A baby car seat base
Most of the car seats have a plastic base to install in your car. You need to snap the seat on the base and comfortably fasten your child. On getting to your destination, unsnap the car seat from the base.
Side-impact protection
Some car seats come with features designed to protect your kid’s head and chest from impact related accidents. These features include a special energy absorbing foam.
Comfort
A comfortable baby car seat should be well padded with enough head support to give your kid a comfortable ride.
Therefore, chose a comfortable baby car seat to give your kid a childhood worth remembering and for your own convenience.