As a parent, the main task for you is to choose a good baby car seat for your newborn, infant, toddler, or preschool-aged child. You should be careful about your baby’s safety by keeping the capacity of the car in mind. The safety of your child should be your topmost priority, so we’ve prepared a list of core tips for buying a comfortable car seat for the baby.
RELATED: Best Infant Car Seats Of 2021
Factors For Determining How To Choose A Good Baby Car Seat?
1. Tested Car Seat
There are two main rules to test and approve the car seats. The first one is ECE R44 and the second is UNR-129 size. It is necessary to ensure that your car seat is tested according to one of them.
Also, the main difference between these two rules is that UNR 129 (iSize seats) has passed the latest test. In this testing process, it has passed the maximum requirements which are required to secure your baby. The car seat that is allowed according to ECE R44 has been tested in a two faces collision. The first one is a forward-facing collision and the second one is a rear-facing collision.
2. Correct Car Seat Size For The Baby’s Age And Weight
Being parents, it is also essential to choose the perfect car seat for your kid according to their height and weight. Car seats are best recommended for children aged between 0 years to 12 years.
Moreover, these baby car seats have been further divided into 4 main different groups based on their age, weight, and height. The age groups are 0+, 1+, 4+ and 8+. Each group has a different weight and age requirement.
For your ease, we’ve prepared a chart containing in-depth details for every age group. The Baby’s age requirement is the same for both iSize seats and R44 seats. However, the weight and height of the baby vary in both sizes.
| Perfect Fit Car Seat For The Baby | Group | Child’s Weight That Applies To ECE-R44 Seats | Child’s Height That Applies To UNR-144 Seats | Child’s Age |
| Rear-Facing Car Seat | 0+ | 7 lbs – 20 lbs | 50 cm – 74 cm | 0 months to 12 months |
| Forward Facing Car Seat | 1+ | 21 lbs – 31 lbs | 75 cm – 95 cm | 1 year to 3 years |
| Booster | 4+ | 33 lbs – 79 lbs | 105 cm – 150 cm | 4 years to 12 years |
Still, confused about how to choose a good baby car seat that best fits your child? Head over to the right car seat calculator by the United States Department Of Transportation.
3. Look For Stroller Compatibility
Most of you have heard about car seat compatible strollers before. If you’ve ever wondered that what does this even mean? So, let’s get into this. A car seat compatible stroller is a stroller that can fit a baby car seat in it. There are a large variety of baby car seats available in the market that can be attached to a stroller.
Stoller compatibility should be a must-have benefit in your baby’s car seat if you’re a traveling person. Stroller compatible car seats are easy to install and assemble. If you adore going to walks or traveling abroad or even outside the city, then these car seats are pefect for your babies.
In this way, you wouldn’t have to spend a lot of bucks on a stroller as you’d already have an existing baby car seat that can be easily attached to any stroller.
4. Safety Ensured Car Seat
When you go out for getting a car seat for your baby then make sure to explore the complete market multiple times. Your topmost priority should be the safety and security of the car seat.
Consider getting a car seat for your toddler that has a latch system and proper harness system for the baby. The latch system helps in the secure installation of the car seat in the car. The harness belts keep your baby protected and safe from accidents. It prevents sudden accidents.
There are car seats that have only a latch system or a harness system. But 101 child’s first recommendation for you would be a car seat that has both a latch system and a harness system.
5. Know Your Car
Some of you might wonder what does this even mean knowing your can or does it really matter? Yes, for sure. Knowing your car type and brand is essential.
The car seats present in today’s market vary in features. There are some car seats that can fit in any car. Also, there are some baby car seats that are only compatible with cars having seats of the same brand as that of the baby seat.
That’s why consider checking your car and its seat’s brand before buying a car seat for your baby. As the installation of the baby car seats depends on their compatibility with the car so knowing your car appropriately should be your top-notch priority.
6. Make Sure You Get A Growing Baby Seat
A growing baby car seat is always the perfect one for babies. By the growing baby car seat, it means that the car seat has multiple changeable positions. It grows with the baby.
In today’s world, you’ll get a car seat consisting of 6 different changeable positions or 8 different changeable positions. Make sure to choose one of them as they can grow timely with your baby’s growing age.
As the child grows from newborn to an infant, infant to toddler, and toddler to a pre-school-aged child, the growing baby car seat will grow along with your kid.
This factor should be on your list of “top factors for choosing good baby car seats’.
7. Cleanable And Washable Car Seat
Buying a good baby car seat also includes choosing car seats with smooth and comfortable fabric. Baby car seats having smooth and soft fabric tend to be washed and cleaned easily.
You can wash the smooth cover of the baby car seats easily in any washing machine. Also, you can clean these baby car seats with any sort of wipe or tissue.
If you love cleanliness and purity, then car seats with washable covers should also be one of your top priorities to consider while bringing a car seat for your baby.
Core Tips For Identifying How To Choose A Good Baby Car Seat?
Apart from the main factors for choosing a reliable baby car seat, it is important to know some short tips and tricks to keep in mind before buying a baby car seat.
Check out the tips and tricks for identifying which baby car seat is a perfect fit for your kid:
Make sure you buy a car seat that has cup holders attached to its corners. They help in carrying drinking items for your child. You can carry baby feeders or water bottles in them.
The rear-facing position of the baby car seat must have a minimum of 5 inches extra space for the legs. In this way, your baby can be relaxed and straightening his legs without any disturbance or issue.
A good baby car seat always has a simple push-button attaching system. With this button or Latch, you can easily attach the baby’s car seat with your car’s seat.
A car seat should also have multiple height changing positions. This makes it easier to increase the seat’s height with the baby’s height accordingly.
Choose a car seat that is “protectplus engineered”. It means that the car seat has been tested and proven safe many times for rollover crashes or accidents.
Good baby car seats have hassle free and adjustable harness belts. So, your baby can easily get in the car seat and out from it.
