Safety comes first!
Did you know that every state does have a car seat law? State laws may vary on car seats in their details, however, in all cases, it is illegal (and unsafe) for children to ride in the front seat of the car. Some require toddlers up to the age of six to be in a car seat. Others permit use of a ‘booster’ seat when the child reaches the appropriate age. Regardless of the state law where you live, protecting our loved ones with a new car seat makes sense!
New car design laws require that the back seats of cars come equipped with a latching system. Minimum requirements call for a latch in the back of the seat (a belt attaches to the back of the car seat and runs up over the back of the seat – usually under the headrest). This belt has a latch or hook that fastens to the lower part of the seat. The other two hooks or latch points are located at the back of the seat – in the space between the back rest and the seat, or sometime in the seat itself with small cut outs for access.
Nowadays, many parents like to buy their infant car seat as part of a travel system with a matching stroller or other accessories. It’s fine to buy the car seat this way, just be sure your focus is on finding the car seat that best fits your vehicle and is easy to use, and not on finding the prettiest pattern.
When considering any infant car seat, be sure to check the weight. Most infant car seats will accomodate a baby up to 20 pounds, but some infant car seats have a slightly higher weight limit, which can extend the useable life of the car seat. Pay attention to the height limit and watch your baby carefully in the infant car seat, as it is outgrown by height when the top of baby’s head is within an inch of the top of the shell. Legs hanging over the bottom is not a safety issue, though.
Going back to the safety considerations, baby car seats are traditionally designed to ride down the force of a crash by rotating downward at the top (by baby’s head) and then popping back up. In severe crashes, the pop-up at the end could result in baby hitting the vehicle seatback. Some infant car seats have an anti-rebound bar on the base to minimize the chances that baby will pop up that far in a crash. This added safety measure is becoming more popular with new parents.
It’s best if you order a five-point harness infant car seat, with straps that go over baby’s shoulders and hips. The extra harnessing protects baby much better, particularly in side-impact crashes. Take a look at the way the harness is adjusted on infant car seats. The harness will need to be tightened and loosened regularly, based on what your baby is wearing and also on frequent growth spurts. Some infant car seats are designed in a way that puts the harness adjustment in an awkward spot once the seat is installed in a vehicle. Try the car seats out in your vehicle and make sure you can reach the harness adjustment easily, and that it works smoothly.
So, regardless of tastes, price and comfort, keep in mind that all car seats must comply with state and federal laws! Your child’s safety is most precious!
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