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Car Seats Buying Guide - Taking Baby for a Ride
by Melissa Wilson, Baby EditorCar Seats Aren't Just Essential, They're the Law
From the moment you leave the hospital with your precious new cargo, you'll want to be prepared to transport your baby safely--no matter where you go. That's why, before baby arrives, you'll need to do some homework and carefully choose an appropriate car seat.
It's not only for baby's safety and your peace of mind; laws in all 50 states require car seats. But knowing that a car seat is necessary is the easy part. Choosing the right car seat is where it gets tricky. The process is almost like buying a car. There are scads of body types, upholstery styles, safety features, and prices. So fasten your seat belts, parents. Here's Car Seats 101.
Before You Buy
Before going into the nitty-gritty of types and features, keep in mind these helpful guidelines when selecting a safety seat:
• Choose a seat that you find easy to use and that fits in your vehicle. Be sure it can be buckled tightly.
• Look for the seat you can use in the rear-facing position for as long as possible.
• Be aware of weight limits.
• Keep in mind that if you buy an infant-only seat, you will need an infant-toddler (convertible) seat later.
• Determine what type of seat you need based on your child's age and weight (see chart below).
Proper Child Safety Seat Use (NHTSA)
| Weight | Type of Seat | Seat Position | Always Make Sure | |
| Infants | Birth to one year at least 20-22 lbs. | Infant only or rear-facing infant-toddler (convertible) | Rear-facing only | Children to one year and at least 20 lbs. in rear-facing seats. Harness straps at or below shoulder level. |
| Toddlers | Over one year and over 20-40 lbs. | Infant-toddler (Convertible) / forward-facing | Forward-facing | Harness straps should be at or above shoulders. Most seats require top slot for forward-facing. |
| Young Children | Over 40 lbs. ages 4-8, unless 4'9'' | Belt-positioning booster seat | Forward-facing | Belt positioning booster seats must be used with both lap and shoulder belt. Make sure the lap belt fits low and tight across the lap/upper thigh area and the shoulder belt fits snug crossing the chest and shoulder to avoid abdominal injuries. |
Car Seats - You Wouldn't Believe the Options
There are as many opinions about the safest, most comfortable, and most convenient car seats as there are car seats. But there is only one absolute to follow in the process. A baby car seat must pass Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Make sure when you're scouting around that the product you choose has passed muster.
There are three types of car seats available:
Infant Seats (Used specifically for infants up to 22 pounds or 26 inches long.) Although there are many brands and features to choose from, all infant car seats have one thing in common: they are designed to support a developing infant's back, neck, and head. Infant car seats should be installed rear-facing (facing the back window of your vehicle) in the center of your back seat. For added convenience and comfort for baby, many models are available with a stay-in-car base that not only allows you quick installation, but easy and gentle removal from the car without waking your sleeping baby (a feature parents love).
Infant car seats offer two restraint systems:
• 3-Point Harness: A 3-point harness secures your child at the shoulders and between the legs.
• 5-Point Harness: A 5-point harness secures your child at the shoulders, hips, and between the legs.
Infant-Toddler (Convertible) Seats (For use with newborns up to approximately 20 pounds, then converts to a car seat for infants 20 to 40 pounds.) They are so named because they can be converted from a rear-facing infant seat to a forward-facing seat. This means that your baby can keep the same car seat well into toddlerhood or until she weighs 40 pounds.
Convertible car seats offer three restraint systems:
• 5-Point Harness: Consists of five straps--two at the shoulders, two at the hips, and one at the crotch. This allows parents to adjust the harness closer to baby's body and is easy to buckle and unbuckle. This is the best choice if you're using the seat for a small baby and provides the best protection against head injury.
• 3-Point Harness with T-Shield: This model uses a soft, T-shaped center section to draw the shoulder straps over your child. The "T" then buckles into the seat shell at the crotch. It's simple to use and easy to position. It is not appropriate for an infant whose head does not clear the T-shield. The shield harness should be no more than chest high when fastened.
• 3-Point Harness with Overhead Shield: This padded T-shaped or triangular shield swings down over baby's head, drawing the straps over the shoulders. A third strap buckles the shield to the seat at the crotch. Some are adjustable and can be tightened to accommodate smaller children or loosened for bulky clothing. This restraint system fits properly when the shield is at the child's chest level.
Booster Seats When your child has outgrown the convertible seat, but is too small to use your car's safety belt system alone, it's time to move to a booster seat. Designed specifically to help standard vehicle seat belts fit children better, these specialized seats are appropriate for children who are 4 to 8 years old, weigh between 40 and 80 pounds, and who are less than 4-feet-9-inches tall. By reducing the potential for belt-induced injury which can occur when a lap or lap/shoulder belt is a small child's only restraint, booster seats play a very important role in protecting children as they transition from a child safety seat to an adult-sized lap and shoulder belt.
There are three types of booster seats:
• Belt-Positioning Booster: Designed for children who weigh between 40 and 80 pounds, belt-positioning boosters are available in high-backed and backless models. The child sits in the booster seat and uses the vehicle lap and shoulder belts for restraint. Lap and shoulder belts together offer better protection than lap belts only.
• High-Backed Booster with 5-Point Harness: This type of booster seat can be used as a forward-facing child safety seat for a child who weighs between 20 and 40 pounds, or more. The booster seat is attached to vehicle with either the LATCH system's lower anchorages or the vehicle's belt system and tether (if the seat has one), while a 5-point harness provides full body protection. When a child reaches 40 pounds, the 5-point harness is removed and the seat converts to a belt-positioning booster seat. In this configuration the child uses the vehicle's lap and shoulder belts for restraint, and a tether will not be used.
• Shield Booster: This type of booster seat can be used as a forward-facing child safety seat for a child who weighs between 20 and 40 pounds, or more. The booster seat is attached to the vehicle with either the LATCH system's lower anchorages, or the vehicle's belt system and tether (if the seat has one), while a 5-point harness provides full body protection. With some booster seats, when the shield is removed, the booster seat becomes a belt-positioning booster using the vehicle lap and shoulder belts for restraint. Never allow a child to sit in the booster seat without the shield while using only the lap belt.
What About Preemies?: These extra-small bundles of joy need extra attention while on the road. Here are some helpful suggestions when considering a seat for your preemie.
• Use a seat with the shortest distances from seat to harness strap slots, and from back to crotch strap.
• Supplement baby's comfort and safety by rolling blankets or towels and placing them on either side of baby to keep his head from slumping.
• Never place any extra cushioning under or behind the baby.
The New LATCH System
Beginning September 1, 2002, all new car seats and vehicles will be equipped with an innovative new anchorage and tether system known as Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children, or LATCH. LATCH is a new standardized child restraint system designed to simplify child safety seat installation and enhance child safety. The result of a new government regulation (FMVSS 225) aimed at reducing the number of car seats that are installed improperly, the goal of the new LATCH system is simple: to increase the effectiveness of car seats by requiring an easy-to-use anchorage system independent of the vehicle seat belts. The LATCH system calls for vehicles to be equipped with one upper (tether) and two lower anchorage points. The upper (tether) anchorage will be a ringlike object permanently attached to the vehicle on either the rear filler panel or on the cargo floor, depending on the vehicle. The two lower anchorages will be a set of two small bars in the rear seat of the vehicle, generally located where the seat cushion meets the seat back. Outfitted with permanently affixed hooks or buckles that are compatible with the anchorages in the vehicle, LATCH-equipped car seats will now attach to the vehicle seat via these anchorages instead of being held by the vehicle's seat belts. Learn more about LATCH in our What Is LATCH? article or watch our informative video.
Safety Tips
To be sure you're making the most of your seat's innovative safety features, be sure to follow these guidelines from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):
• Use the lowest harness slots for a newborn. Keep the straps in the slots at or below your baby's shoulders for the rear-facing position.
• It's important for an infant to ride sitting semi-reclined, about halfway back or 45 degrees from horizontal.
• Make sure harness straps fit properly over the shoulders and between the legs of your infant.
• To fill empty spaces and give support, roll up a couple of small blankets and tuck them in on each side of your baby's shoulders and head.
• Never use any car seat or booster car seat in a seat with an air bag.
• Be sure that the car seat you purchase is appropriate for your child's height and weight.
• Send in the manufacturer's registration card. If by any chance your car seat is recalled, you will be notified by the manufacturer.
• The base of your car seat should rest firmly on the seat, and the vehicle's belt must be able to secure it tightly. If it moves an inch in any direction, it's too loose.
• If your car has lap and shoulder belts with a free-sliding latch, you must use the locking clip included with most car seats. (Locking clips are also sold separately.) Follow manufacturer's instructions for installation. If you have any questions, contact the manufacturer. Also, many local police stations, fire stations, and hospitals can offer you assistance.
• To make sure you have installed your car seat correctly, attend a car seat safety check and read our Safety Tips for Car Seat Installation from the NHTSA. Many local fire departments, police stations, healthcare facilities, and even some local baby stores like Babies "R" Us will periodically hold these meetings and will examine your car seat installation at no charge.
• Avoid used car seats. Normal wear and involvement in accidents may limit their effectiveness. Also, they may not conform to present safety standards.
• Read more in our Safety Buying Guide.
Here are some additional car seat safety tips as set forth by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA):
• Always follow all manufacturers’ instructions for both the vehicle and the car seat.
• The back seat is the safest place to ride.
• Infants must ride rear-facing or in a car bed.
• Always anchor the car seat to the car using the seat belt exactly as directed by the car seat manufacturer.
• Never use a car seat in a seating location with an air bag.
• Always check that the car seat is securely installed. A locking clip may be necessary. Read the vehicle owner’s manual for information on other belt accessories that may be required.
• Do not use a car seat that is more than 6 years old or one that has ever been involved in a crash.
• Do not use a car seat that is missing the manufacturer’s label showing the name of the manufacturer, model number, and date of manufacture.
• Set a good example and make sure the entire family buckles up.
General Shopping Guidelines
Be sure it's a car seat. Sounds like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised at how easy it is to confuse some of the newer, top-of-the-line carriers with car seats. Make sure the product description specifies "car seat."
Look for car seats featuring easy-release latches and buckles. When your hands are full, an easy release can save aggravation.
Make sure there's wiggle room. You want your baby to be comfortable year-round, so allow room in the seat for bundling up during cold weather. Make sure the product description indicates that the seat accommodates larger youngsters than yours.
Read what other parents have to say. Read customer reviews from other parents--see what they think about installation, overall ease of use, etc. Look for products that have received a rating of four or more stars. Our Amazon.com/Babiesrus.com Editorial Reviews, written by our knowledgable staff, are also a great way to learn about features and car seat pros and cons
Melissa Wilson acts as both Infant and Toddler Toys editor and Baby editor at Amazon.com. Her "kid-filled" background includes several years as a nanny, cofounding a children's birthday party business, and a stint as copywriter and editor at a children's software company.