Car seats are lifesavers. They are designed to keep your most precious cargo safe in the event of an accident. According to the National Safe Kids Campaign car seats reduce the risk of death of infants by 71% and by 54% for children age one to four. With numbers like that it is pretty obvious why kid's car seats are mandatory in most states.
Choosing the right one can be tricky because there are so many choices available if you are in the market for a new car seat. Here are a few features you may want to look for in a car seat.
The first is a 5 point harness experts agree that this type of harness will keep your child the safest because it highly reduces the change of ejection from the vehicle in the event of an accident. This type of harness has two belts that go over the shoulder that come together at the bottom and clip into a buckle between the child's legs.
Front harness adjustments are also a feature that will save you a lot of time and aggravation. It seems especially when our children are little they grow like weeds. One day you put them in the car seat and everything is fine and the next you are struggling to get the belts around them. Front harness adjustments allow you to simply pull a lever located in the front of the seat and gently tug each belt out a little more.
Car seats with bases are also a godsend with infants. The last thing you want to do is have to wake up your baby that fell asleep in the car to run into the grocery store. With this type of seat you simply pull the latch and the whole carrier comes out. The other great thing about this set up is these seats are versatile. You will find you can place them right inside the buggy at the supermarket or rest it perfectly on an upside down highchair in a restaurant.
It is recommended that you never buy a used car seat. Most experts agree that after a car seat has been in an accident it should be replaced so if you are buying used you just do not know the history and the seat could be faulty. Also always check recalls before you make a purchase to make sure your kids car seat is safe.