So, here’s a little shock to the system when it comes to children’s car seats: All car seats are not created equally and the safest car seats aren’t always the ones you hear about. Of course, reliable brands have details and trustworthy standards that they have used for years that you can always rely on, but the fact is that for quite a long time, consumers were not always kept in the loop when it came to children’s car seats. After all, yes, we knew that all of the car seats on the market did have to pass the right federal standards to be sold, but for a long time, the Child Passenger Safety Techs who were responsible for testing these items were told they shouldn’t actually recommend a specific seat. But the fact is that every brand and design has different drawbacks and positive aspects, so it’s important that we have ratings systems and reviews.
Now that there has been a rating system for the last few years, the systems have become quite easy to use and easy to determine the safest car seats. Even after these rating systems have come out, though, the most important thing to remember is that there is no one “best” seat, one car seats that set themselves high above the rest in safety and comfort and would fit everyone. Just like when you sit in an office chair, you won’t necessarily find the best fit for you just by sitting somewhere. For example, some people love office chairs with big armrests and little cushioning for a very firm chair. On the other hand, other people need the massive amounts of cushioning or they are just not happy. It’s the same way with finding the “safest car seats.” It is different depending on the age, the build, and the height of your child. It comes down to personal needs, really, but there are a few things you can do to help yourself choose the safest car seats for your child.
Number one, make sure that when looking at different car seats and brands that you read the reviews left by consumers who have bought the product. One of the fastest ways to know if the convertible car seats will be an investment you want to make is to see how well other parents have been able to use the seats. It isn’t foolproof, given that different car seats will work better with different cars and of course different children, but you can always see what consumers say is their selection for the safest car seats.
Secondly, you can help your own understanding of how to select infant car seats by knowing what it is you’re looking for. For example, if you are looking for a car seat for your infant, then you need to make sure that they have a rear-facing car seat (NO exceptions) until they are at least a year of age and they also weigh over 20 pounds. Likewise, when you have a toddler, or maybe even a child who is ready for pre-school, you still want them to be in a rear-facing car seat as long as you can. However, many car seats wind up being convertible seats that are forward-facing, and that is fine, as long as they are over a year old and they definitely weigh over 20 pounds. Then, if the safest car seats you want are for school-age children, then you really need to move them to a booster seat. Booster seats are car seats that are for children who are too big for a forward-facing seat but the adult seat belt does not fit them. Typically, once your child is about 12 years old and is a little over 4 and a half feet tall, then they can forgo the booster seat. Until then, though, you need to know what seat is appropriate for what age group.
While you cannot decide simply by the reviews of others, a rating system, or by price, there are a few things that you should certainly see as a red flag that something might be amiss and this won’t be a good investment. Look at the age – if it was made too long ago it may not be reliable. If you see cracks or it has missing parts, then you need to make sure you don’t use it. If you don’t have any labeling to tell you model numbers and the date of manufacture, then how are you supposed to make sure it hasn’t been recalled? Just use your common sense and work with your needs to find the right car seats for you.