How to Select Good Infant Car Seats
The choices available when it comes time to choose a car seat for infants can be overwhelming. There are a few steps you can do to narrow down your search.
High-end features such as load legs, an easy to tighten harness and an adjustable headrest that grows with baby can make your experience on this parenting journey easier.
User-Friendliness
If you're planning to purchase an infant car seat before the baby is born, it is important to consider the weight and height limits. You should make sure that the seat will last for your child until they outgrow it, which typically happens around the age of 2. You also need to consider whether you'd prefer a car seat that goes up to the 90th percentile for weight or height, or one that's a bit shorter or taller. baby car seat will help you determine how you'll need the seat for before you decide to upgrade to a convertible car seat.
In addition to the size and weight, you must consider how easy the seat is to set up and use. The ease of loosening or tightening straps, latch connectors, and the number of buckle positions all influence the user-friendliness. Consider the comfort of the head and body pads, as well as any other extra features like a cupholder and hideaway harness pad.
The more simple a seat is, you are more likely to use it properly. This can affect the safety of your infant. Seats that are easy to put on and take off from the base with a minimum of effort are the best.
Another aspect to consider is the car seat's weight and how portable it is. You must be able to pick up the car seat with your infant in it and carry it easily. This is especially important in the event of an extended trip. Check the seat's width and height to make sure it fits in your vehicle. If you plan to use it with a stroller for your baby, choose a model compatible with various strollers.
In the end, it is recommended to be sure to look over the results of the crash tests conducted by the manufacturer. You should be able to look them up on the car seat's website or via an online search. You can then determine whether or not the seat has a good record of protecting babies in crashes, and also determine what their replacement policy is.
Safety
If parents are in the market for an infant seat, they want to know if the product will keep their child secure. All infant car seats have to conform to the safety standards set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Opens in a new window (NHTSA) that include rigorous crash testing and the five-point harness system.
However, there are a few other aspects to consider when choosing an infant car seat. First, it is essential to choose the best infant car seat for your child based on their height and weight, and also the type of vehicle you own. It is also important to ensure that the seat is properly fitted, as poorly installed car seats increase the risk of injury during the event of a crash.
A good infant car safety seat will come with clear installation guides, a bubble indicator of the level that is easy to read, and a locking clip which prevents the base from being accidentally removed. It should be lightweight, and have features that are convenient such as an extended no-rethread strap with an anti-rebound bar and a premium leg that protects your baby's head in the event of an accident.
Some parents may be interested in an infant car seat that can be made a toddler seat by pulling an incline at the base. This will give parents more flexibility and allow them to use the seat until their child is at the manufacturer's weight and height limits.
It is also important to consider how it will be easy to use the car seat on a regular basis. The buckle should be simple and smooth to click into place and out of position. The straps must be easy to loosen and adjust. The bag should be simple to carry empty and the base must be simple to remove from the car without having to fumble around.
It is also a good idea prior to buying a car seat, to verify if there are any recalls. You can do this by visiting the NHTSA Opens in New Window website, which has an index that can be searched to find the most recent and past recalls of car seats.
Comfort
When it comes to infant car seats comfort is the primary concern for parents. These rear-facing car seats have been designed to protect your baby in the case of an accident. Many come with built-in head and back supports to ensure that they are in a comfortable position. Choose a seat facing the rear with features like no-rethread straps and magnetic buckle holders and adjustable shoulder belts.
Another factor that can be the difference between a good and bad the infant car seat is how simple it is to install and use. Ideally, you should be capable of getting the seat off its base with one hand while holding your baby in the other. When you're ready to place the seat back on its base it should snap easily into position and take less than a minute.
Many infant car seats can also be used without a base - ideal for parents who frequently switch cars or ride taxis. If you opt for a seat with this capability make sure you check the weight and height limits to make sure your baby isn't too big for it. Car seats are also often equipped with an infant insert that can be used if your baby is very small (like in the first few months or weeks of life) up until their shoulders reach the lowest harness slot.
Convertible models are a great choice for an infant car seat. They offer convenience and security. These seats are compatible in conjunction with strollers, and they come with a mechanism to tuck them into the car when not in usage. However, they're generally larger than regular car seats for infants and are more difficult to transport.
Another thing to consider is whether the seat has a load leg, which is a brace that is placed between the seat and the floor to offer extra stability. While these aren't a requirement however, they can be helpful for small vehicles or vehicles with multiple seats.
Convenience
A good infant car seat will give you peace of mind knowing that your child is safe and comfortable during long journeys. Look for features like shoulder straps that are padded, extra padding around the neck to ensure your baby can fit comfortably, a wide range of recline positions and more. You might also want to consider a car seat with additional features, such as UPF 50+ sun-shields and a fully-coverage canopy with zip-open zippers that provides your baby with the protection they require.
Think about the ease of installation and use of the seat when it comes to convenience. It is likely that you will need to install the seat using the LATCH system as well as the belt for your vehicle to ensure that it is the model that makes this as simple as it can be.
For example our top pick for best infant car seats, the Nuna Pipa, has an easy-to-install process due to the steel-reinforced LATCH connectors that open from the base and flash green when properly connected. This feature, along with the recline angle indicators and colored belt-oath indicators, make this model stand out among infant car seats with regard to user-friendliness.
The seat is also compact and light, making it an ideal choice for parents who must travel with baby or who are switching between vehicles frequently. Additionally, it comes with a no-rethread harness and magnetic buckle holders that allow you to secure the harness using just one hand.
A slim shell that's less than 17 inches wide means the seat is more suitable for newborns than some others on the market, while the extra padding in the shoulder and chest areas offer added comfort. The seat is more expensive than others, but we believe the premium features like the adjustable base and SnugLock locking system are worth the cost.
Infant car seats are a major expense, but with right information and the right considerations you can narrow your choices to a few models that will best suit your family's requirements. Then, you can concentrate on the crucial task of preparing for your little one's arrival!