How to Choose the Best Car Seats for Your Child
It's easy to get overwhelmed when looking for a car safety seat. The safest car seats are ones that fit your child's vehicle and car and can be used correctly all the time.
Car seats that are difficult for parents or children to install or use could be a serious issue. The best choices have impressive crash test results, come with high ease of use scores and are light and slim.
Safety
When choosing a car seat, safety features are the most crucial aspect to think about. Whether you choose an infant or convertible seat, it should meet the safety standards of the federal government and have a proven track record of third-party crash testing. It should fit inside your vehicle and be simple to operate.
A high-quality seat must have a harness adjustment that is easy to use, and also the option of connecting using LATCH or seatbelt. official source or rigid lower connectors with an alligator-like clipping that connects directly to the vehicle seat belt guides or the car seat base are preferable to straps with a flexible design. The most comfortable seats have an easy-to-read color-change indicator that indicates that the seat is attached correctly and ensure a tight fit.
In addition to these features, the most comfortable seats come with the top tether, which reduces head injury risk in crashes by restraining the front of the child's head. They also have built-in harness guides to aid parents in securing the belt of their child or tether.
The most important car seat features are those that guarantee the seat is used and installed correctly all the time. Unfortunately, a lot of child passenger deaths result from children being improperly restrained or using the wrong type seat. Contact a child security technician (CPST) located close to you, to make sure that the car seat's installation and position is right.
A good seat can help your child survive a crash. It is worth paying more for a seat that has solid frames and top-quality materials. It also helps to include thoughtful features. Find seats that are compliant with the R129 safety standards that are more rigorous than the older ones most seats adhere to.
It is also important to understand that the car seat is only as safe as the adult who is using it. Children should be properly restrained by rear-facing car seats starting at birth and continuing until they reach the required height to wear a harness. This usually happens at around the age of four or five.
Comfort
A car seat that is comfortable can help your child go to sleep or remain asleep for longer and could mean the difference between getting an extended road trip completed in one go and having an exhausted, cranky child who is fighting naptime. Choose a seat that can accommodate your child's growing stature and offers plenty of neck and head support and has a good fit to stop movement in the car.
The best infant car seats offer a variety of features to help your baby feel secure and comfortable, including soft materials that provide an incredibly snug fit, plush cushions and armrests with padding. Some come with cup holders, adjustable headrests and sun shades. Others offer various recline positions. Others have adjustable thigh supports and lumbar supports to improve posture. Some include massage features which are activated by a button you press when your child is in the seat.
When your child grows out of an infant car seat The next step is a toddler car seat that can usually accommodate kids who weigh up to 40 pounds. They can be used either rear-facing or forward-facing. Some convertible toddler car seats can be used as boosters for children weighing up to 120 pounds. This will save you money and decreases the number of car seat purchases you'll need to make over time.
The most rated toddler car seats for comfort include the Evenflo Chase, which offers great crash test sensor results and is simple to put on using LATCH or a car seat belt. Its slim shell allows it to accommodate more babies and infants of average size than other carseats and comes with two crotch buckles for better shoulder strap positioning. It is also light and narrow making it easier to move around.
The Nuna PIPA Urbn is a fantastic choice for a car seat that is comfortable for toddlers. Babylist's gear editor Jennifer LaBracio says the seat is luxuriously comfortable and plenty of padding and easy-to-read indicators to install. It's also lightweight and can be used with or without the base, making it a good option for parents who regularly move their car seat between vehicles.
Easy to Use
Many parents use their car seats frequently and want a seat that is easy to use and fits in their vehicle. They also want it to be compatible with other baby equipment. Infant car seats are less heavy due to their lower weight limits, and a shorter lifespan than convertible car seats. The most effective infant car seats are equipped with features that make it simpler to install and use. These include a recline foot that is spring-loaded, bubble indicators at the base for positioning it properly in your vehicle, and installation guides clearly labeled with clear directions. These car seats have also been designed with easy-to-see and durable materials that are machine-washable, as well as comfortable padding for your child.
The Clek Liing is the top-rated infant seat that we reviewed in 2018. It has impressive crash test results and analysis scores, as well as an excellent load leg that can help you place the seat in your car with ease and accuracy. This car seat is also one of the most simple to install using either LATCH or the rigid latch connectors with a color-changing indication of the connection on the latches and a no-rethread harness that snaps easily and securely.
Chicco KeyFit 35 is another top choice. It provides impressive crash test results and loading legs to assist you in installing the car seat. Experts and parents love it, including CPST instructor Kecia H., who says it's well-designed, with a spring-loaded recline foot as well as a bubble-indicator at the base that helps you position the seat correctly and tighten the seat without difficulty. It's also affordable and GREENGUARD-certified. It's constructed to last with steel frames, high-density foam and a ventilated seat back that allows air circulation to keep your child cool.
The Nuna Exec is an all-in-one seat that's a favorite among LaBracio, Saxton and other women. Both women consider it an "solid" elegant and luxurious seat that's priced for its exquisite feel, luxurious materials and its easy installation. It comes with a 50-pound rear-facing weight limit and an expandable legroom panel, in addition to an all-steel frame that is sturdy and has an anti-rebound bar. This car seat for infants can also serve as a booster seat for children weighing up to 120 pounds. It is compact enough to fit into most mid-sized cars.
Design
You should ensure that the car seat you choose is easy to use and is well-fitting. Your final choice could be influenced by the location and how you plan to install the seat, as well as the frequency you plan to switch between vehicles. It is impossible to predict what will happen during an accident. However, the design of your seat will help minimize the damage and make it easier to get your child into and out of their car seat.
One important factor is whether a seat comes with flexible or rigid LATCH connectors. Connectors that are rigid have clips resembling alligators that attach directly to the seat and are more difficult to disconnect in a crash. Flexible connectors come with a strap that can be tightened or loosened by hand or with some kind of mechanism. Most seats feature an indicator for level to tell when they've been installed correctly. It's usually a molded line on the shell's side, or a sticker that is affixed to the bottom of the seat that, when raised against the ground, indicates the car seat is at the correct angle range.
The capacity of a seat to fit infants and newborns is also important. This includes the size of the shell and head rest and the ability to buckle and unbuckle the harness. Some seats come with an insert for positioning to help smaller bodies fit into the seat and harness. These inserts can be removed as your child grows.
The third aspect to consider is the ease of changing the belt's height. The best seats let you move the belt of your harness without having to remove your child and are as simple as pushing the button, pulling a tab or shifting levers. The most comfortable seats can also be adjusted to the shoulder strap without having to rethread your belt.
If you're considering an all-in-one seat, make sure it meets the minimum federal safety requirements and has performed well in third-party crashes tests. We recommend seats with additional features, like an energy-absorbing layer molded into the shell or an anti-rebounding bar.