Car Seat Buying Guide 
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Page 1 of 4 Which car seat should I buy? This is one of the most common questions we get asked. It might even be the most commonly asked question. There is no easy answer, unfortunately. The safest, best car seat is the one that will fit securely in your vehicle, that fits your child's age, height, and weight, that you can operate correctly every time, and that fits your budget. Looking at safety ratings is not enough--if the seat rated "safest" doesn't fit securely in your vehicle, or if you can't figure out how to operate it, it is NOT the best seat for YOU. All car seats are safe and will protect your child if properly used. There are so many factors that go into picking the best car seat, here are some things to consider. Will it fit in your car? A great car seat for you will install easily in the center position of your vehicle--since passengers sitting in the center are 43% safer than passengers on the side, it is safest to get a car seat that will work in the center. Many car seats unfortunately are difficult or even impossible to install in the center of many vehicles, largely because the center seat of most vehicles does not come equipped with lower latch anchors. You can read more about installing a seat in the center on our Using Latch in the Center page. While we can't make a specific recommendation about which specific car seat will work in your particular vehicle without speaking with you, we can recommend that you look for a car seat with a built-in lockoff for the seat belt. These car seats install easily in the center position because they don't require latch to get a tight installation. Instead, they will install easily and securely using the vehicle's seat belt in conjunction with the built-in lockoff. Car seats with built-in locking devices also don't require that you convert the vehicle seat belt to the automatic locking mode, which often causes infant seats to tilt to one side over time, and don't require use of the metal locking clip, which is difficult to install properly. Will it fit your lifestyle? A car seat has to work for YOU. If you travel a lot and are constantly installing and uninstalling your seat, you need to buy one that is easy to install. If you need to take taxis or use rental cars frequently, buy a seat that is easy to install using the seat belt and doesn't require lower anchors (so you don't have to dig around the seat bottom of strange cars). If you walk everywhere, the car seat needs to fit on your stroller--but you should base your stroller purchase on the car seat, not vice versa, since the car seat and not the stroller may one day save your child's life (see our Stroller Compatibility page). If you plan on having a second child soon, buy a car seat with a long lifespan, so that you can pass it down to the next child, and buy one that can be installed in multiple locations in your vehicle, since a second child may change your seating positions. Good car seats for taxi travel can be found on our Using Taxis seat selector page; good seats for airplane travel on our Airplanes page. Will the car seat fit your child? Car seats are expensive! Buy a seat that has high height and weight limits. This will allow you to use the seat for longer and will push off your next purchase for as long as possible. An infant or convertible car seat with high height and weight limits will allow you to keep your child rear-facing for longer, and since rear-facing is 5.32 times safer than forward-facing, it's the best way to keep your child safe in the car. Will the car seat fit your budget? As we said above, car seats are expensive! However, they are also the one baby item that could one day save your child's life. They are well worth the money when considered in this light. You do not need to spend hundreds of dollars to get a safe car seat, but if you have to pick one item to splurge on, we (obviously) think the car seat is the one. |
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