7 Simple Tricks To Rocking Your Best Infant Car Seat

How to Choose the Best Infant Car Seat

What do you want from your car seat? "If you want a car seat that can develop with your child you should consider an all-in-one model such as the Graco 4Ever DLX," Saxton recommends. The seat has a long rear-facing weight limit and can convert to both an incline-back booster and a backless one.

It also scores high in terms of comfort and quality, thanks to soft and machine-washable padding. Load legs are another beneficial feature. They are shock-absorbing parts that are attached to the base or car seats and reduce movement during an accident.

Safety

Car seats for infants are designed to fit tiny babies the best, which is why they usually offer more cushioning and padding than convertible carseats. They are also smaller and lighter to remove from the car or attach to a stroller frame which is important because you'll need to carry your child in the car seat outside of the vehicle often. The infant car seat travel car seats offer the benefit of being designed to last for the first year of your child's life so you don't need to worry about them exceeding their height or weight limits as fast as the convertible car seat might.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's guidelines for car seats are stringent, but it is still a good idea to do your own research before purchasing. Take a look at reviews written by other parents and reading car seat safety guidelines from organizations such as Consumer Reports or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Both have crash test data that can be shared with families.

Look for features that will be useful to your family. This could include the ability to release the strap, a no rethread harness or a foot that can be leveled with a spring-loaded mechanism. These kinds of features could help you buckle your baby faster and easier however, you must remember that even the safest of seats are useless if you don't use them properly.

Other factors to be aware of are the width and weight of the car seat. A lot of infant seats can be installed in your car alongside older car seats. Some can be able to grow with your child, and convert to a booster simultaneously. Also, if you intend to use your car seat for transport or to take taxis, a baby car seat that is installed using only the seat belt of your vehicle is a convenient alternative.

In general, it is recommended to buy the safest car seat inserts for newborns seat you can afford. The cheapest models don't always meet the most stringent standards of crash safety. For instance, it's recommended to avoid models that don't include side impact crash testing and allow companies to self-certify their products.

Convenience

The best car seats for infants are ones that fit inside your vehicle with your family, are easy to install, and have convenient extras such as a built-in jogging stroller or the ability to rotate. It should also be affordable. The price of portable infant car seat seats is between $180 and $500. If they're convertible and are designed to be used by both infants and toddlers The price could be higher.

Convenience features include how easy it is to install the seat with either the LATCH system or a seatbelt and whether you are able to adjust the harness and headrest without removing the infant out of the seat. Installing and removing the seat should be simple, especially for children who ride Ubers or frequently switches between cars. The seat should be light and clearly labeled with instructions for installation and bubble levels to make it easier to install the car seat.

You must also be able to rotate the seat and lock it when not using it and have easy access to buckles as well as harness straps. When you purchase an infant car seat, it's important to check its weight and height limits. Also, consider if your child will outgrow the seat by the time they turn one. A good guideline is to select a car seat that will grow with your baby until they reach the 90th percentile.

Some manufacturers go over the federal safety standards to incorporate additional features like crash-testing, convenience and comfort in their car seats. The Clek Ling, a top choice among our gear editors and Consumer Reports is a great example of a baby seat that offers more than just good crash protection. It also comes with a leg that stabilizes the seat during an accident, reducing the force on the child by 40 percent. That feature alone could save a child's life, so it's worth paying more for a car seat that is secure and comes with additional convenience features.

Comfort

Comfort is a major factor to consider when selecting an infant car seat, because babies spend the majority of their time in the car seat. The most comfortable ones feature thick, breathable fabrics and plenty of padding in the harness and headrest. They have easy-to-use adjustments, like strap covers, buckles and headrest adjustments that don't need the rethreading.

The weight and size of an infant car seat can affect the comfort of your child, particularly when you are planning to switch cars or use the seat frequently. Some models are narrower, making it easier to place them in the backseat alongside other car seats or siblings seats. While all have minimum and maximum height and weight restrictions, some are lighter than others--which could help keep your biceps from becoming sore when carrying it between vehicles.

Certain infant car seat in front seat car seats come with extra features that make them more flexible, such as rotational options or the capability to click into strollers without the need for extra adapters. Certain models include high-end features, such as an adjustable no-rethread strap or anti-rebound bar to provide additional security in the event of the possibility of a crash. While these additional features aren't essential to a safe ride, they can add to the overall experience using the seat.

Parents want their infants to have a comfortable, clean car seat. They also consider safety and convenience. Look for a model that's machine washable and stain-resistant, and also easy to clean. Some seats are dishwasher safe, which makes it easier to keep them looking fresh.

Certain models go over and beyond to ensure that their customers enjoy the most secure and comfortable ride. For example, the Graco SnugRide (tm) Elite has an anti-rebounding bar and meets Graco ProtectPlus Engineered(tm), which is designed to withstand front and rear collisions. The seat also comes with a Silent Shade canopy that keeps your baby calm and comfortable and also an indicator that informs you when it's properly attached to the base. The adjustable harness tightener and carry handle make easy single-handed adjustments.

Design

Car seat manufacturers make infant car seats with safety and convenience in mind, but the myriad of features available can make it hard to determine what's best for your family. You'll want to consider factors such as weight and height limits, as well as the number of buckles and belt paths. Other features such as anti-rebound bars load legs, no-rethread harnesses can add to the cost but could also increase the comfort of your baby. Consider features that make it simple to get your child in and out of the car seat, such as rotating mechanisms. You should also be aware of the dimensions and the weight of the seat as not every seat will fit in all cars.

The ease of attaching and detaching the base is one feature that is 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 be aware of whether the straps can be easily tightened or loosen and if there is a single-hand release mechanism to remove and install the seat.

Certain models allow you to use the seat with no footrest, which is convenient if your plan is to change cars or take taxis frequently. Make sure you choose a model that come with a built-in lock as well as bubble level indicators to ensure that your seat is set correctly.

Other features worth the cost include a headrest that grows with the growing baby or a recline with five positions, as well as an extended canopy that locks in the position. Our product testers have observed that a seat that can be used as a high-back belt-positioning booster, or a backless one after the baby has finished using it is an advantage.

The Doona is an infant car seat that delights parents. It's packed with features that address nearly every issue families have with infant car seats, which is the reason our testers scored it highly across every category. For example, it's approved for travel on airplanes, has a unique handle that doubles as an anti-rebound bar and converts directly into a stroller (no need to purchase separate stroller adapter). The crash test results are outstanding and it's GREENGUARD Gold Certified.