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Every single time you strap your child into their car seat, you should have complete peace of mind that the single device will protect them in the event that there is an accident. In order to feel confident that your car seat if as safe as possible, it is important to use the following checklist when purchasing a new car seat.
Don’t settle for the cheapest model or for the first one you see. Instead, be thorough to guarantee that your child is safe no matter what happens.
1. The Size of Your Child: If you are buying a brand new car seat for a newborn, your needs will be very different than if you are purchasing an upgrade for your toddler. Remember that different car seats work best for different sized babies, so keep that in mind. Every baby and the majority of smaller toddlers should be facing the rear of the car when in their car seat. Older children can begin to sit facing the front once they are large enough. While there are some car seats that can be convertible and adjust for your growing child, many parents prefer to stick with a rear facing car seat that won’t move around or have the possibility to closing or adjusting at all.
2. Your Car Model: Although many car seats claim to fit in any car, that is not always the case. If your car seat does not fit the car perfectly, do not use it. Some parents try to make it work rather than return the item, but this can be a safety hazard and potentially dangerous to your child. Instead, ask the staff at the store to try and fit in in your car before purchase. If for some reason this is impossible, make sure you can return the car seat if it does not fit and exchange it for a different one.
3. Online Reviews: If you have picked out a few potential car seats but cannot narrow down your options, look online to see what parents think of the car seats themselves. Look to make sure that people with similar cars to your model have successfully used the car seat and have had no serious problems. If there have been complaints, analyze whether they are general issues or something specific to the car seat in question.
4. Popularity: When you are at the store looking at potential car seat purchases, ask the staff which are the most popular among new parents. Since most parents do some research on which car seat to buy, you can assume that the most popular car seat is also the best choice. Ask staff which car seats are returned most often as well, and avoid purchasing those whenever possible.
Be sure to consider all of these factors when choosing the perfect car seat for your baby. The size of your child, online reviews, popularity and your car model are all important things to think about. Remember that although saving money is important, do not skip any safety features when it comes to your car seat.
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