The safety of their children is the priority of every responsible parent that most of them become \”overprotective\” and \”over-acting\”. This is manifested especially in occasions where they need to seat their children in cars during long rides. As such, an important responsibility of most parents is choosing the best car seat that will keep their children safe and comfortable. However, a number of car seats are now offered in the market that selecting the best one to get is quite difficult. Read on for the criteria you may consider in choosing the best car seat for your babes.
An important consideration before buying a car seat is the weight limit of the product as car seats must fit the baby. Your child\’s height, weight, and age should be the basis with this first criterion. Most car seats available today, like rear-facing-only car seat, can accommodate about 20 lbs. of weight. Nevertheless, there are also other models that can accommodate a higher weight limit as to provide extended usable life for the car seat. Height-wise, on the other hand, ideal is having the baby\’s head an inch or more below the top of the car seat when rear-facing or the tops of the baby\’s ears below the seat top if front-facing.
You must also make sure that the car seat you will be purchasing fits the seat of your car. As seats of vehicles are now designed in various ways, not all car seats for babies fill in every given vehicle size. You must make sure that the car seat can be properly installed on the vehicle\’s seat and that there is at least an inch of side-to-side wiggle. Be reminded that even if you purchased that most expensive and most technologically advanced car seat, if not installed appropriately, it is useless.
Other than these, there are also many safety features that are available and being presented in the market today. Listed below are some essential details that should be considered:
a) Anti-rebound features, though not very much necessary, are structured w/ a very deep shell that \”cocoons\” the baby, protecting it against hitting the vehicle seat during rebound.
b) Base system structures of car seats allow easy removal and installation of the product in vehicles. The car seat should easily click in and out of the vehicle especially if you are to travel using different cars.
c) Harness adjustments must be easily reached and must work smoothly. As babes grow and travel in various clothing, it is necessary to tighten or loosen the harness occasionally.
d) Always check the protection facility of the car seat. This feature helps to reduce the amount of damage in case of accidents. These seats are designed in such a way that the risk of injury to your child will be minimized to a great extent.
e) When buying a car seat, bypass all of the car seat accessories and installation aids. If an item didn\’t come with the car seat, it\’s not safe to use it with the car seat.
So which car seat best suit yours and your baby\’s needs? Aside from those criteria aforementioned, you can also look into products from established manufacturers like the Maxi Cosi. Nevertheless, the best car seat that would suit you would depend on your car, your budget, and most especially, your baby\’s safety.
S. Moby has a 2 year old boy. Being a protective daddy, his child\’s safety is often his main priority. Through Autokindersitz Maxi Cosi, a type of car seat (Autokindersitz in German), Samuel ensures that during long drives, his toddler is safe.