Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through our links, at no cost to you. Please read our disclosure for more info.
Is it a car seat or a launching pad? In the early 80’s when my son was in a children’s car carrier, car seats were better than nothing at all. Well barely.
Today manufacturers are competing with each other to have the safest most comfortable seat on the market. In the U.S. we have safety standards that most car seat companies meet and surpass.
So is there a best car seat for your child? I have 3 tips to make your choice a little easier.
In This Post:
1. Look for the Safest Seat on the Market
All of the modern seats at least meet U.S. safety standards but some really stand out. Priority one is safety and here’s your challenge: when you’re shopping, make cost a secondary concern.
I know that you’re on a budget but this is your child. Most seats have a 5 point harness which serves as a restraint. It’s designed to restrain your child in an accident without injuring him or her. Seat belts inflict serious abdominal damage to little ones if you should be in a serious accident.
The best car seats have higher side panels to help protect children in case of a side impact crash. They also will be packed with a high tech foam that absorbs forward or side to side thrust produced in an accident. Government reports are available to the public on crash tests of all seats that are being sold in the U.S.
2. How Long Will the Seat Last?
I’m not referring to how long before it falls apart. The concern here is how many seats will you have to buy until your youngster is old enough to use a regular seat belt?
An infant seat that faces the rear is usually designed to be used until a baby reaches the weight of 20 pounds. Then you need a front facing seat that is good for another year or so or when your youngster reaches 50 pounds.
Next you’ll need a booster seat so that they can use your car’s seat belt. Buying all of these seats is expensive and not necessary.
The best convertible car seats can be used by a newborn up to the weight of 70 pounds. That means you own a seat that faces the rear until your little one attains the weight of around 30-40 pounds and then it’s turned to face forward for the next few years.
Booster seats are available that can be used from 20-120 pounds. There is no need to buy one car seat after another.
3. Owner’s Testimony
I have researched every car seat on the market. One of my favorite tools is Amazon and other retail review sites.
Is there a better source than customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction when investigating a product? I read the reviews on Amazon and there are two things I look at first.
How many reviews are there and are they positive or negative? A car seat with ten 5 star reviews doesn’t mean nearly as much to me as a seat with 200 reviews and an average rating of 4.5 stars.
The fact is that people won’t bother to review a product unless they are thrilled or very unhappy. A product with many reviews means that people love it or hate it and that means I should look at it more closely.
The goal is to find a children’s car seat that has cutting edge safety features, will be in service for years and is loved by current owners. Do a little research and you’ll find the perfect seat for your little one.
Need a new car seat? Make payments when you order a car seat online.