subject: Choosing The Best Infant Car Seat For Your Baby [print this page] It can be confusing to pick the best infant car seat for your baby. This is because there are myriad aspects one has to investigate just to make sure that the one chosen is appropriate and comfortable. The first step is to engage in careful research so as to become aware of the characteristics of an infant appropriate seat. Read baby car seat reviews and gather advice from experts.
There are several useful sites that will help you to match up your child's statistics with the seat that would suit him or her best. The Car Seat Buying Guide which was written by a group of Child Passenger Safety Technicians is one good area to start you off. Also consider surfing related bulletin boards and discussion forums. The Child Safety Seat Ease of Use Ratings, located on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website, evaluates four different factors that affect the usability of child safety seats, then boils it all down into an overall "ease of use" rating.
Here are some factors one needs to contemplate when searching for the best infant car seat for your infant:
The child safety seat needs to fit the child. You need to have your baby's fundamental statistics written down and bring them when you are out shopping. Before purchasing a baby seat, you must also check the weight and height limits. Be sure that your child does not exceed either of the weight or height limits. Typically, most seats have about a 20-pound weight limit. If your baby weighs more than you'll need to check other seats which come with a higher weight limit. Height limit is also crucial to make sure that the baby sits comfortably. Lower height limits may cause discomfort for the baby, and could be unsafe.
Once you have matched up your baby's height and weight to an appropriate seat, find out how difficult it is to install it. An appropriate infant's seat should be one that is simple to install and use. You should be able to confidently buckle your baby to the seat at any time. It is an added bonus if the seat has extra features like no-twist harness straps and front harness adjustments. These features make the baby seat even easier to use and they will not require much attention when using them.
Also, a good car seat should fit your car. One should therefore find out whether the baby seat you would like to buy for your infant would fit in your car. To start you off, you might consider visiting the Car Seat Compatibility Database. Here you will get guidance on the seats that are likely to fit well in your car and those that will not. You will also get data regarding seating positions and problems they could pose when installing or using the infant seat.
You should be aware that an expensive child safety seat does not necessarily mean that it is the most compatible for your child, especially if its installation process and use is complicated. Cheap car seats, however, would certainly miss extra features that are necessary to make the child safety seat easy to use.
For more tips that can help you select the best infant car seat for your needs, be sure to check my sig below.
