20 Fun Details About Best Infant Car Seat

How to Choose the best car seat Infant Car Seat

What do you want from your car seat? "If you need a car seat that will expand with your child think about an all-in-one seat like the Graco 4Ever DLX," Saxton says. The seat has a long rear-facing weight limit and is able to convert into the high-back and backless booster.

The soft cushioning that can be machine washed is an advantage. Load legs are another useful feature. These are shock-absorbing elements that are attached to the car seat base and limit movement during a crash.

Safety

Dedicated infant car seats are made to fit small babies best, so they usually have more padding and cushioning than convertible carseats. They also tend to be lighter and easier to get out of the car or set on a stroller frame rather than convertible car seats, which is vital considering you will likely have to transport your child in the seat frequently outside of your vehicle. Dedicated infant car seats also have the advantage of often being designed to last for the first year of your child's life so you don't need to worry about them outgrowing their height or weight limits as fast as the convertible car seat might.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's standards for car seats are rigorous, but it is still an excellent idea to conduct your own research prior to buying. Consider reading reviews from other parents and reviewing safety guidelines from groups such as Consumer Reports and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, both of which have a lot of crash test data to give to families.

Look for features that will help your family. This could include the ability to release the strap, a no-rethread harness or a leveling foot with a spring-loaded mechanism. These features make it easier to buckle up your child, but keep in mind that even the most secure seats are useless in the event that they aren't used properly.

Other factors to be aware of are the size and weight of the car seat. A lot of infant seats can be put in your vehicle alongside older car seats. Some can expand with your child, and then convert to an adult booster at the same time. If you are planning to use your car seat to travel or take taxis, then an infant car seat that can be fitted using only your vehicle's seatbelt will be a convenient choice.

In general, it is recommended to buy the most safe seat you can afford. The cheapest models don't always meet the highest standards of safety in crashes. For instance, it's best to stay clear of models that do not include side impact testing and permit companies to self-certify their products.

Convenience

The best car seats for infants (link webpage) are ones that fit inside your vehicle with your family They are also easy to install and have convenient extras such as a built-in running stroller or rotation capability. It should be affordable. Infant seats can vary in price from about $180 to over $500. They can cost more when they're convertible and will be used as an infant and toddler seat.

Convenience features include how easy it is to install the seat using either the LATCH system or a seatbelt and whether you can adjust the headrest and harness without removing the infant out of the seat. You want to be able to install and remove the seat with ease and quickly, particularly if you need to switch it between cars often or take Uber rides with your child. The seat should also be light and have clearly labeled installation guides and bubble levels to ensure you can quickly get the car seat correctly installed.

It should be easy to adjust the buckles and harness and move the seat when not in use. It is also essential to verify the weight and height limits of the infant car seat prior to you purchase it, and then consider whether your baby will outgrow it before its first birthday. A good guideline is to select a car seat that will grow with your baby until they reach the 90th percentile.

Some manufacturers go beyond the federal safety standards to include additional features like crash-testing as well as comfort and convenience in their car seats. The Clek Liing, a top pick among our gear editors and Consumer Reports, is an excellent example of an infant seat that offers more than just great crash protection. It also has a load leg, which can help stabilize the seat in a crash, and reduces the forces exerted on the body of the child by 40%. This alone could save the life of a child, which is why it's worth paying more for a car seat that is safe and has additional safety features.

Comfort

The comfort factor is one of the most important factors to consider when selecting the right car seat for your infant car seats on sale, since babies spend the majority of their time in the car seat. The most comfortable ones feature large, breathable fabrics as well as plenty of padding on the harness and headrest. They also offer easy-to-use adjustment mechanisms like strap covers, buckles and headrest adjustments that don't require rethreading.

The weight and size of an infant car seat can affect the comfort of your child, particularly when you are planning to change cars or travel with the seat often. Some models are tinier which makes it easier to fit them in the back seat with other car seats or even siblings seats. While they all have weight and height restrictions certain models are lighter. This will help you from sore biceps when you carry it from one place to another or between cars.

Certain infant car seats come with extra features to allow them to be more flexible. For instance they can rotate or be converted into a stroller with no need for additional adapters. Other models have top features such as harnesses that are adjustable and do not rethread or anti-rebound bars to add extra safety in the event of a crash. These features aren't essential for safe riding, but they can enhance the overall experience.

In addition to safety and convenience factors, many parents also want a clean, comfortable car seat for their child. Select a seat that is machine washable, stain resistant and easy to remove for cleaning. Some seats can be cleaned using the dishwasher, making it easier to keep them looking fresh.

Some models go above and beyond to ensure that their customers get an enjoyable and safe experience. For example the Graco SnugRide (tm) Elite has an anti-rebounding bar, and is compatible with Graco ProtectPlus Engineered(tm) which is designed to withstand front and rear collisions. The seat also comes with a Silent Shade canopy that keeps baby seat comfortable and quiet and an indicator that tells you whether it's securely attached to the base. The seat's carry handle is adjustable as well as harness tightener indicator let you know that it's properly connected to the base.

Design

Car seat manufacturers design infant car seats with safety and comfort in mind, but the variety of features available makes it difficult to determine which one is the best fit for your family. You'll need to take into consideration factors such as weight and height limits and the number of buckles and belt paths. Other features like anti-rebound bar, load legs and straps that do not rethread could increase the price of the seat but improve the comfort of your infant. You may also think about features that allow you to easily get your child in and out of the seat, for example, rotational mechanisms. You'll also want to be aware of the dimensions and weight of the base as not all seats are suitable for every vehicle.

The ease of attaching and detaching the base is an aspect that's important. This is influenced by the quality of the LATCH connectors as well as whether they're rigid or flexible. It is also important to determine whether the straps are easy to tighten and loosen, and whether there is a single-hand release mechanism for installing and uninstalling the seat.

Certain models let you use the seat without a base which is useful for those who frequently use taxis or plan to switch cars often. Find models that come with a built-in lock as well as bubble level indicators to make sure that the seat is placed properly.

Certain features could be worth the extra cost like the headrest that grows with your child, a five-position reclining feature, or an extension canopy that locks into the position. Our product testers also mentioned that having a seat which can be used for a highback booster using belt positioning or a backless booster when the infant has finished using it is a nice benefit.

Doona is an infant car seat that will spoil parents. It's loaded with features that address almost every complaint families have about infant car seats, which is why our product testers scored it highly across every category. For instance, it's certified for use on planes, and features an exclusive handle that doubles as an anti-rebound bar. It also can be converted directly into a stroller (no need to purchase separate stroller adapter). The crash test results are excellent and it's GREENGUARD Gold Certified.