But what type of car seat do you need? Are some seats safer than others? What factors should go into picking out the right seat for your family? Choosing a car seat is a big decision. There are three types of car seats: 1. Infant car seats 2. Convertible car seats 3. Booster seats. An infant car seat is a seat made specifically for infants and younger babies. Infant car seats attach to a base. The base stays installed in your car and the seat clicks in and out, making it easier to get your baby in and out of the car.
Also read: Best Infant Car Seats. A convertible car seat can be used with children of various sizes and can flip from a rear-facing to a forward-facing seat. A convertible car seat can take you from day one through the preschool years and beyond. Convertible car seats are heavier and bulkier than infant car seats. Also read: Best Convertible Car Seats. Booster seats are designed to be used for children who are at least four years old and at least 40 pounds.
There are two types of booster seats: high-back and backless. High-back boosters are similar to car seats in that they are a smaller-sized seat with a bottom and a back. Backless boosters only have a seat component. Also read: Best Booster Seats. This chart provides a quick overview of car seats by age. A growing body of research proves riding rear-facing is safer for babies and children than riding in a forward-facing car seat.
If possible, always choose a convertible seat that has a high rear-facing weight limit so you can extend the opportunity to rear-face for as long as possible. While many convertible car seats will work for your little one from birth, most parents decide to start with an infant car seat first. Most children will reach one of those two milestones sometime between 9 and 18 months.
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Learn more. While 53 percent of infant seats left demonstrated head contact with the simulated front seatback, 96 percent of rear-facing convertibles prevented it. What We Found The recent release of Ratings for convertible child seats marks the second group to be rated using Consumer Reports' new test protocol for child car seats.
A month-old child dummy making head contact in a rear-facing infant seat left ; the same dummy is protected in a convertible seat. Height matters. Many infant and rear-facing-only seats have weight limits between 30 and 35 pounds, so you may think those seats are adequate until your child reaches that weight—at about 2 years of age.
Still, most newborns can fit in a convertible car seat and be perfectly safe. If you decide to get one, consider looking for extra padding to help smaller babies fit comfortably in the large seat. As of , all new car seats have to adhere to strict safety standards.
There are simple rules that determine whether a car seat is safe for your child or not. It all depends on how you use it. During those first few months, an infant seat is the better option to hold them in place on bumpy roads. Some infant seats provide additional side-impact protection, anti-rebound features, and a deeper cove to nest the baby inside the seat. A rear-facing position also means that your baby is five times safer in a crash.
If you can afford it, the safest option is to get the infant car seat first then the convertible car seat as the baby grows. Important note: Always check the expiration date of the car seat. Related read: Best infant car seat. Just before your child reaches the maximum height or weight supported by an infant car seat, move on. The best time to switch from an infant car seat is when your child is at the 1-year mark, even if they have not exceeded the seat limits.
If you can afford it, stay away from the used seat altogether.
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