A Few Tips On Buying A Car Seat
Posted by Babies - 17/03/10 at 11:03 pmThe car seat situation in my family was madness. There was the infant seat, then soon after a small one that faced front. She quickly outgrew that. Then there was the next weight category seat that we got mail order. It was so big that passengers could barely fit in the back seat! Why does the car seat situation have to be so difficult?
We should have done our research before buying. Seats can differ greatly, and we should have taken into account what type of vehicle we had. We should have measured things. And we should have thought about how many passengers and other children we would have in the car on a regular basis. But instead we treated it like something simple, like buying baby bath toys or blankets! Save yourself the big hassle by treating it like any serious purchase.
The number one thing I can recommend to you is to keep the original box and any receipts! If for any reason the seat does not work for you, you can return it and not be stuck! (We were stuck with the giant one because we threw out the box and receipt).
Definitely think about getting a convertible car seat, like the Evenflo convertible. It’s so much easier! What it does is start out as a infant seat. Then, when the baby gets old enough, you can convert it into a regular forward-facing child seat. Look for one with a high weight limit. That way you can keep it even longer as your child grows.
Another thing to think about is investing in quality. One brand that gets high marks is the Britax car seat. While I do not have personal experience with this brand, I would definitely give Britax a try if I needed another car seat, just based on reviews. By getting a quality car seat, you reduce the chance that you will have to buy an new one later on. Also, a quality car seat is more likely to keep your child safe if you have an accident.
One special note: If you do get in an accident, manufacturers and experts say you are supposed to replace the car seat. Even if it does not look damaged, it might have invisible fractures or other stress damage. Then it may not perform correctly if you happen to get into another accident. It’s not worth the risk!
While this is clearly not a complete guide to buying car seats, I hope it helps a little. Just do the extra work up front and you will save yourself a lot of hassle later on. Research the Internet, and also ask other families what they recommend. Good luck to you!
