Buy an Infant Car Seat

Traveling with an infant can be a stressful experience, especially if you are a new parent. You suddenly become conscious of every danger on the road and drive defensively to ensure your baby’s safety. It is in your best interest to make sure you have the safest car seat available for your infant. There are many factors to take into account when shopping for a car seat to ensure maximum safety and comfort for your child.

Steps

Ensuring Car Seat Safety

  1. Research safety ratings for a range of car seats. Car seats are tested for their performance in crashes, and various safety organizations publish the results. These organizations and safety ratings vary by country; Australia, for example, has some of the strictest safety ratings for car seats.
    • In Canada, Transport Canada publishes information about car seats.[1] In the United States, consult Consumer Reports[2] or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for information about safety ratings.[3] Additional information can also be found at the National Child Passenger Safety Board’s website.[4]
  2. Pay attention to recalls. If a particular car seat has defects in it, its manufacturer may have issued a recall. The car seat would then be returned to the manufacturer for a new seat or a refund. When you are looking into different car seats and brands, check to see if there have been any recalls on the particular car seat model or the brand itself. Search online for “car seat recall” to find the most up-to-date information.
  3. Consider the car seat’s safety features. All car seats have basic features that will ensure a solid level of safety and comfort for your infant. Many car seats do, however, have additional features. These might include additional side-impact cushioning, extra padding all around the seat, or an anti-rebound bar at the foot of the car seat. At the end of a major crash, during the rebound, the car seat might bounce up and hit the seat in front of it. The anti-rebound bar, available in newer seats, is intended to minimize the impact that the car seat will take.[5]
  4. Make sure the infant car seat has a 5-point safety harness. There should be one strap per limb: one for each upper arm and one for each thigh, as well as one for the area between the child's legs. There are alternative restraint systems, such as plastic shields and T-bar restraints, but the strap system is more customizable, which can make the seat more comfortable for your child’s size.
  5. Choose an infant car seat with LATCH tethers. Starting in 2002, all infant car seats were required to be compatible with the LATCH system, which stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. The LATCH system allows infant car seats to attach directly into a car seat rather than being held in place by the seatbelt. Hooking up directly into a car seat will maximize the safety of your child in your vehicle.
    • The LATCH system is compatible with or known by different names in other countries. In Canada, the system is called the Universal Attachment System (UAS). In Europe, the system is called ISOFIX, and ISOFIX compatible in Australia.[6]
  6. Only buy or borrow used seats from trusted family or friends. As car seats are used, their materials deteriorate and can become less reliable. Car seat manufacturers imprint their seats with expiration dates, typically 6 years after the date of manufacture. This date can usually be found imprinted into the plastic on the back or bottom of a car seat. Ensure that the car seat has not been in a crash; this might compromise the integrity of the seat and its materials. If the seat is older than 6 years, it is not recommended for use.

Buying the Best Seat for You and Your Baby

  1. Get the right size and style of car seat. There are two kinds of car seats available for infants: infant car seats and convertible car seats. Infant car seats only last for the infant stage, but are usually considered safer for babies, especially smaller babies. Convertible car seats will last for a few years, accommodating the child as she grows from infant to toddler to preschooler.
    • An infant seat is only for babies, and will always be rear-facing in the car. It usually has a base that is strapped into the back seat of a car, and a snap-in seat that can be removed and carried. These seats are recommended for weights up to 22 or 40 pounds, depending on the model. The snap-in seat can be more convenient, as it can be removed from the car without disturbing the infant.
    • A convertible seat will be rear-facing for at least the first year of the baby’s life (most safety organizations and manufacturers now recommend two years for rear-facing seating), and then the seat will “convert” into a seat for a toddler. These seats can accommodate up to 40 or 50 pounds, depending on the model.
    • Pay attention first and foremost to a car seat’s weight and height limits, not to the age of your child.
  2. Get a car seat before the baby is born. You will need to have a car seat to transport the baby in just about any moving vehicle once it is born. If you are taking the baby home from the hospital, the nurse who discharges you will likely need to confirm that you have a properly installed car seat in your car. If you are going home in a taxi, you will still need a car seat for your baby to safely and legally ride in a car.
  3. Get a lightweight and easy-to-carry car seat. If you are using an infant car seat that you will snap in and out of a base, think about how much you will be carrying this around. Also consider the weight of the baby; adding the car seat and the baby together may mean you’re toting around 30 pounds or more. Removable infant car seats also have handles to carry them; test out the handle to see how comfortable it is in your hand.
  4. Check the car seat’s materials if your baby has allergies. If you are buying a car seat before the baby is born, you will not be able to complete this step. If you are buying a new car seat for an infant that is already born, however, consider if the baby has any allergies or sensitivities to certain materials, such as plastics, polyurethane, wool or cotton, or other materials. Most babies will likely not be affected by allergies to seat materials, but if your baby is particularly sensitive, you may want to take this into account when buying a seat.
  5. Purchase a seat that is easy to install and adjust. Many parents buy car seats that can be transferred into grandparents’ cars or nannies’ cars. Consider how much you will be transferring the car seat to another car and factor that into your purchase decision. Make sure the car seat is easy to install. Also consider how easily the seat can be adjusted as the baby grows. The seat harness straps will need to be adjusted as the baby grows, and many of these need to be re-threaded through the seat back. This can be a time-consuming task, so take into account how easy these adjustments will be.
  6. Make sure the seat fits well in your car. Smaller cars may need smaller car seats. Drivers with long legs may need to put their seats all the way back, which minimizes the amount of space behind the driver’s seat that can accommodate a car seat. This is particularly important to consider when you have a rear-facing car seat. There may already be a car seat or two in the car, depending on the number of children riding in the car. Choose a seat that will fit in your car.
  7. Balance features with price. Car seats can range greatly in price, from $50 to $150 or more. They all do meet the minimum safety standards, but more expensive car seats may have additional features, higher quality fabric, additional padding, cup holders and compartments, and so on. Balance how much money you spend with what you realistically need in a car seat. If you are planning to have more children or pass the car seat along to a family member to use, and the car seat will get more use, you may want to get something a little more durable that will last.
    • Consider the fabric and pattern of the car seat. Infant car seats will inevitably get covered in stains, and having washable fabric that also emphasizes stains can be helpful.
  8. Read online reviews and get feedback from friends. Research several car seats online to find out what their pros and cons are. Ask friends and family which types of car seats they use and what they like or dislike about them. This will help you make an informed decision about which car seat will be best for you.
  9. Visit a children’s store to purchase a car seat. These stores should have a range of models to choose from. You should do some online research to determine which seat will be the best for you, but seeing the seat in person goes a long way in figuring out which seats look the best, feel the best, and offer the best safety. Bigger stores like Target, Toys R Us or Babies R Us, or Walmart also sell car seats and usually have a decent selection of seats. Ask a clerk for help or suggestions with car seats, and for advice on installation, adjustment, and so on.
  10. Get a free car seat. The United States federal WIC (Women Infants Children) program often gives out vouchers for free car seats to low-income families. If you are already registered with WIC, inquire at your local office to find out more about the program. They may require that you take a 1-2 hour class on car seat safety, and then you can receive a voucher for a free car seat.
    • Free car seats may also be available through your health insurance, local fire or police department or hospital. Everyone wants an infant to ride safely in a car, and if the family is low-income and cannot afford to buy a new car seat, there are resources in most communities to ensure that they have access to a new car seat.

Buying Accessories for the Car Seat

  1. Buy a head support pillow for a new baby. While infant car seats are small, there might still be surplus room for their little body. A newborn baby cannot hold its head up and needs extra support to stay comfortable. There is a range of head support pillows and padding that are specially made to fit in car seats. These can be placed behind the baby with the pillow around its head, and can be removed when the baby has grown.
  2. Install a mirror so you can see the baby while you are driving. Because the baby is rear-facing in its car seat, the driver can’t see how the baby is doing. Mirrors that can be attached to the car seat are available, which enable the driver to look in their rear view mirror and see the baby in the baby’s mirror.
  3. Get a blanket or covering for added warmth. Dressing a baby warmly enough in winter can be a challenge, especially when you need to get the car seat harness around the baby properly. There are blankets and other coverings available that are specially made to fit in car seats, with holes in the blanket for the seat harness. These are available in a variety of weights and colors, and can keep the baby cozy in the car.
  4. Have a toy available for the baby. Newborn babies don’t really need toys to play with, but it can be entertaining for an older infant to play with a colorful toy that looks like an animal or a face, or a toy that makes noises. Many of these toys can dangle from the handle of the car seat. While you are driving, the handle of the car seat is bent down so it is not above the baby’s head, but the toys can still be within reach.



Warnings

  • A preemie may be too small to ride in an infant car seat. If you are traveling with a preemie, make sure he or she is approved to ride in a car seat. Otherwise, you may need to transport them in a car bed. Talk with your hospital to learn more about this option.
  • You may not be able to use your car seat in other countries. Canada, for example, strongly discourages the practice of cross-border shopping when a car seat is concerned. It is illegal to import a car seat that does not comply with Canadian standards. Check with your country’s transportation division or ministry for information on importing car seats.
  • It can be dangerous to use untested after-market products with your car seat. Read the car seat manual before purchasing any accessories.

References

  1. ↑ https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/safedrivers-childsafety-index-53.htm
  2. ↑ http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/index.htm
  3. ↑ http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/laws/safetybeltuse?topicName=child-safety
  4. ↑ http://www.cpsboard.org
  5. ↑ http://www.cpsboard.org/ceu_quizes/LatestCRS_October2012.pdf
  6. ↑ https://www.childcarseats.com.au/faqs
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