How to Select a Car Seat for Your Infant
Allowing your infant to ride in a car without a car seat is not only illegal but also unsafe. With the variety of car seats available to choose from, you might experience some confusion about how to choose the car seat that will give your family the best bang for your buck. Several factors go into choosing an infant car seat, including the amount of time you want to use the car seat, your car̵7;s configuration, safety ratings and they type of car seat you need.
Instructions
Research the car seat options available to you. For an infant car seat, you have two basic choices, an infant carrier or convertible car seat. An infant carrier consists of two parts, the actual seat that you can carry into the house, into the store, or place in a stroller that matches the car seat and a base that stays in your car. The second type of car seat available is a convertible car seat that is stationary in the car. Convertible car seats work as a rear-facing seat until your child outgrows the rear-facing limits and can move to a forward-facing configuration. Look at the weight limits of the seat you are considering. Many infant carriers are only acceptable until your child reaches 22 to 35 pounds, according to BabyCenter. Even before your child reaches the weight limit of the seat, he might become difficult to carry around, making the portability of the infant car seat difficult. It is also time to move out of the infant carrier when your infant's head is within an inch of the top of the seat, according to What to Expect. When choosing a convertible car seat, pick the seat that has the highest weight limits for rear-facing available. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that your infant remains rear-facing until he outgrows the weight or height limits of the rear-facing seat and until he is at least 2 years old; there are rear-facing seats on the market that will hold a child until he reaches between 40 and 70-pounds. Pay less attention to price -- expensive doesn̵7;t always mean better, according to KidsHealth. Instead focus on safety features, measurements and the ease of use for your car̵7;s configuration. Choose a car seat with lower anchors and tethers for children, or LATCH, if your car has tethers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires any car manufactured after 2002 to have at least two lower anchor tethers in the backseat and tethers on the top of the car̵7;s seat. If your car is not equipped with tethers, you can still install a car seat safely with a seat belt alone. Visit your local fire or police department for a car seat safety check. A car seat technician staff member will check that the installation is correct, help you make adjustments to keep your seat within the installation instructions of the manufacturer, and give you tips and advice, if you are looking into purchasing another seat.
