What to Look for in an Infant Car Seat

Among the highest goals for any parent is baby safety. The most important part of that plan is to choose the best seat for the particular car. Here are a few things to look for when trying to find that perfect model.

The first considerations are age and weight. Babies less than one year of age need to have a safety seat that is especially made for their small size. It should also be rear facing and not intended for use by older babies.

The average weight for a child between the ages of one and four is about 20 to 40 pounds. They're also, of course, taller than infants and the older they are the taller. This introduces the possibility for a car seat that faces forward, making things more convenient for the parents. However, it still needs to be placed in the back seat.

The good news is that you don't have to give up convenience to achieve these goals. Many models are convertible. That is, they can be turned from a rear-facing position to forward-facing with a few simple movements. Still, keep in mind the correct age and weight characteristics.

It's important that your car seat satisfies certain criteria. It's important to look for a seat with a five point harness feature. So the parents can use the car's safety belt to fasten the baby seat at the shoulders, hips and between the legs. That provides a very stable, secure platform.

An overhead shield is also a useful option. These are padded covers that rotate down over the child. AT-shield is another option; this is a padded attachment for the should straps, in the shape of a T of course.

Look for models with a tether at the top that can be attached from the top of the child's car seat to an anchor point in the car. That adds extra safety. Some have a system called LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children). This eliminates the need to use the car's safety belts which, after all, were designed for larger children and adults. The car seat attaches, instead, entirely to the anchors.

A baby car safety seat that makes it easy to safely and securely add or remove padding, blankets and more provides additional comfort and safety. As well, parents don't have to spend as much time making adjustments to the seat for a good fit. That's a win-win situation for both. There are even those with an integrated travel vest to buckle around your child.

That same double theme of safety and convenience is carried on by seat designs that make it easy to insert and adjust the restraining straps. Parents are busy folks and it's easy to succumb to the temptation to take a short cut. But no one wants to sacrifice safety. A model that needs just a few seconds to put in or move is the answer to all of those issues.