So Many Carseats, Only One Kid

Perhaps the most important baby/toddler/child product you will ever purchase is a car seat. A good car seat will protect your most valued treasure 􀂲 your child. This purchase should not be taken lightly. You want a car seat that is safe, user-friendly and comfortable. Now is not the time to skimp on quality to save a few bucks. Thanks to online shopping, you can find great car seats at even better prices. But before you start clicking, you need to know what you are looking for. Here are some key tips you should keep in mind when purchasing a car seat:
Infant Car Seats These seats are meant for infants only, up to 20 to 22 pounds. Nowadays, most of these seats come off of the base that stays in your car, and acts as infant carriers. Most have sophisticated handles, and many will even attach to shopping carts rather easily. These seats are only to be used with the baby facing the rear of the car. Many believe that using infant car seats (as opposed to using a convertible car seat that can be used with infants) is safest, and I agree. Infant car seats are designed for itty-bitty bodies. They are smaller in size so your baby isn't flopping around the seat. The reclining position they are in is safest for babies while driving too. And, who wants to wake a sleeping baby to get him out of a car seat and into the grocery cart? With infant car seats, you just snap the seat off the base and off you go! Prices generally run about $40 on up, and you can only use them for a year at most (when your baby becomes too heavy for the seat and too tall), but this is chump change when you consider it is the safest bet for your baby. Convertible Car Seats These seats are the traditional ones you see in all the stores. They are called convertible because they can be rear facing for babies less then one year old and 20 pounds (baby must be both), and then switched to forward facing for toddlers. Generally, these seats can be used until your child is about 40 pounds and at least 3 years old, preferably 4 years old (child must be both). Convertible car seats start at about $45 and can go up to $150, depending on model and features. Here's where manufacturers have had fun with options. Many offer reclining, extra padding for little tikes, removable and washable fabrics and several harness options. If you can, get a seat that has a recline option, extra padding and removable/washable fabric. As far as harness types go, there are two main types nowadays: the 5-point harness and the shield harness. the shield harness is very common 􀂲 a big padded bar swings over the child's head and locks at the waist. Usually, the safety belt that accompanies the shield harness is a 3-point harness 􀂲 it goes over the child's head and buckles between his legs, with the plastic connector at the child's armpits, connecting the two together (just like infant car seats). The 5-point harness does not have a shield. Instead, one strap goes over each shoulder, the plastic connector connects the two at the armpit level, and each strap is buckled into the strap between the legs. Experts believe (and again, I agree) that the 5-point harness is the safest for children, and if you think about it, this makes sense. The 5-point harness is designed to evenly distribute the impact of an accident. The same accident with a shield harness will distribute the impact mainly to the abdominal area. Play it safe, get a seat with a 5-point harness.