Car Seat Strollers

Posts Tagged ‘Choosing’

Never use a hand-me-down or used car seat. Safety standards change and technology continually improves. Though it might be tempting to save a little money, your child’s safety isn’t worth the risk. Accept those clothing hand-me-downs, and purchase new car seat.

Find the right seat for your child’s age and weight. There are several kinds of car seats on the market. Infant car seats or “carriers” often come with a detachable base. The base is fastened securely into the car with the seatbelt, and the carrier portion lifts out so you can take baby into the house or store. You can also purchase infant seats that clip right onto your stroller. Baby seats, for children over 20 lbs and one-year-old are larger and stay fastened into the car all the time. Booster seats can be used by children who are 4′9″ and taller.

If you travel often, make sure the car seat is FAA approved for air travel. Your child is much safer in his car seat when traveling on the airplane – if you experience turbulence, he’ll be safely buckled in.

Install the seat correctly. Infants up to 20 lbs, or under one year of age should always ride facing the rear. Make sure to follow the directions carefully for installation – many parents think they have their car seat installed properly, but haven’t followed all directions. Check out the American Academy of Pediatrics website for proper installation instructions, along with other tips: http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm

Check to see if your car seat has been recalled. You can call the Auto Safety Hotline at 888/DASH-2-DOT (888/327-4236) or visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/childseat.cfm.

Consider purchasing more than one car seat for your child. Properly installing a child seat can take time. If you have more than one car, or the child will be traveling often with grandparents or caregivers, purchase seats for each car. This will save you lots of time and ensure that each seat is installed correctly.

Replace car seats that have been involved in an auto accident. A moderate collision can compromise the safety of your child seat. The NHTSA considers a crash minor if all the following are true:

a. The vehicle could be driven away from the crash.

b. The vehicle door closest to the car safety seat was not damaged.

c. No one in the vehicle was injured.

d. The air bags did not go off.

e. You can’t see any damage to the car safety seat.

Always install child seats in the back seat, especially if your car is equipped with air bags. An air bag is deadly to a small child, even if they are in a safety seat. Some vehicles, such as trucks that only have one row of seats, are equipped with an on/off switch for passenger air bags. In this case, turn off the airbag.

Choosing safe baby car seats is one of the most important tasks that parents and caregivers have. When driving or operating motor vehicles with infants and children onboard, it is imperative that children are safely secured in baby car seats that have been placed in the vehicle correctly. Car seats are the only tool that your vehicle has to provide protection for your child should your vehicle be involved in an accident. Choose baby car seats that have been tested and meet all current safety requirements as determined by law. Safe car seats are ones that have been installed in the vehicle correctly.

One of the greatest advantages of modern baby car seats is the fact that they can be bundled with a stroller or pram. This makes the car seat versatile and allows the mother or caregiver the flexibility of transporting their baby easy and effortlessly. Some car seats will fit snugly on the handlebars of the stroller or pram and can be easily lifted back into the vehicle. This is excellent when baby is sleeping and you don?t wish to wake him or her up, especially since babies often fall asleep during car rides. With these systems, you don?t have to worry about lifting baby out of his or her seat and then trying to put the baby in the stroller without waking him or her up. By simply releasing a button on the car seat, you can lift the seat away from the base and then place the baby and car seat on the stroller.

In addition to baby car seats being safe and installed correctly, they must also be comfortable. Your baby will be spending a lot of time in his or her car seat and may spend many hours sleeping or napping. It?s important to make sure that the car seat provides adequate head and neck support and offers extra padding.

It?s also a good idea to check for ergonomic features in the car seat. Ergonomic baby car seats are designed to ensure that babies rest comfortably and won?t suffer any discomfort to their bodies while residing in the car seat.

Not only must baby car seats be safe, installed correctly, and comfortable but you will also need to take into consideration how you can clean the car seat. Car seats that have easy to remove padded covers make it simple and easy to clean up any spills or food debris. This is especially important once your child reaches toddler age and begins eating in his or her car seat. Make sure to regularly launder the car seat covers and follow the manufacturer?s instructions for doing so.

If you have any questions regarding properly installing the car seat you should contact the manufacturer. Baby car seats save lives, but only when they are installed correctly. Unfortunately, many statistics show that the majority of vehicle operators fail to install their baby car seats correctly. Always make sure that the car seat is installed according to the manufacturer?s standards and recommendations.

Finding the best possible car seat for your new baby is an absolute must. Whether you are a new parent or an old pro, car seats are always changing. This means that you will have your share of research to do. It is not as simple as grabbing the cheapest one from the Wal-Mart shelf. When your child’s safety is the focal point, there is no room for compromise. Whether it is a matter of price or preference, some essential points must be considered.

The size of the car seat is important. A newborn baby cannot sit up so a car seat that allows them to lie down is best. Some car seats are convertible, meaning that they sit up as well as lie down. Some of them even become part of a stroller when taken out of the vehicle. Your child should fit snugly in their car seat, not loose in any way.

Car seats come with specified weight and size restrictions on the label. Always read this label before making your final selection. You want it to last a decent amount of time but it must also be legal and realistic. Keep an eye on your child’s weight as they grow so as not to exceed the car seat’s limit.

A car seat that is easy to install is best. It makes it easy and convenient to take it out of the car and put it back in without risking a mistake. Since many babies fall asleep in the car, taking the whole seat out is preferable by most parents. It also makes it much easier when it comes to babysitters taking the safety seat in their vehicle.

Try doing a consumer search online in order to get consumer reviews from other parents who have personal experience with certain car seats. This is also a great way to learn about any possible recalls. Though it does not happen often, it has happened and it is essential to stay informed.

Asking people that you know and trust for car seat advice definitely does not hurt. Some hospitals will give brand name recommendations as well. Make sure all car seats you consider meet the legal safety requirements for your state or country. Most car seats sold in stores are all legal but this can expire over time. It is best to avoid buying a car seat used.

Always note the year on the car seat label. If it is more than a year or two old, you may want to look around for one that is newer. Things that are related to safety tend to expire and constantly be upgraded to newer, better models. Stay on top of current information regarding car seats, especially if it has been a while since you have needed to buy one or if this is your first time.

Try more than one car seat if you must. Test them out by placing your child in the seat in the store, before you purchase. Make sure the important aspects all fit as they should. Your child’s safety is vital.

If a child is using either a toddler only car seat, or a ‘convertible’ infant/toddler car seat, its time to transition the child into a booster car seat when he or she has outgrown the existing car seat restraints (usually at about 40 pounds), but is not yet ready for just seat belts (the minimum height recommended for a child to start using just seat belts is 4′9″). Booster car seats can typically accommodate a child from 30 to 100 pounds (usually 4 to 8 years of age). Child car seat manufacturers are bound by very strict guidelines, and you may be surprised to find that some of the more expensive car seats don’t provide any better level of protection than those which are more moderately priced.

Many State laws require children to be in a safety car seat only up to age 4 or so, and many parents assume that children who are older than this will be safely restrained by just an adult safety belt. This, however, is not the case. An automobile’s seat belt system is designed for use by adults, not small children, and it usually will not fit a child properly. A booster car seat is designed to improve the fit of the vehicle’s safety belt system across the child’s body, for greater comfort and safety. (A booster car seat should never be positioned in front of an air bag, as deployment of the bag can cause serious (even fatal) injuries to a child.)

Booster car seats are available with either a “high back” or a “low back”. High back car seats should always be used in cars without headrests, or with low seats, both to provide the child with a comfortable place to rest his or her head, and to provide protection against “whiplash” in an accident. Low back car seats are generally cheaper than high back car seats, and are easier to move from car to car, but should only be used in cars with headrests and high seat backs.

High back car seats are often available with a 5 point harness (when car seats are not being used with a harness, they are considered being used in the “belt positioning” mode). Using a harness is generally the safest way to restrain a child, and it is recommended that, if a harness is used, it be used until the child outgrows it (usually at about 40 pounds). There are also ‘convertible’ toddler/booster child car seats available. These car seats can be used for children from the time they are ready to start using a toddler car seat until they are ready to start using just the car seats belts.

Booster car seats are designed to raise the child up so that the lap and shoulder seat belts fit properly. Belt positioning car seats must always be used with a car’s lap and shoulder belt (never with a lap only belt). The car seat will raise a child so the lap belt goes over the child’s pelvis and hips (instead of his or her abdomen), and the shoulder belt crosses the middle of the child’s chest and shoulder (the car seat may have a clip that can be adjusted to ensure that the shoulder belt does not cross the child’s face or neck).

Where to Shop:

GalaxyOfStores is an Online Shopping Center for THOUSANDS of different products for the whole family.

Please visit CHILD CAR SEATS for more information about car seats, as well as a great selection of car seats, strollers, and travel systems, and visit the GalaxyOfStores.com HOME PAGE for all of its great products.

Infant car seats are designed for the comfort of newborns, and can be used from an infant’s birth until the infant reaches a weight of approximately 20 pounds (depending on the model of the car seat). These car seats are designed to be used in a rear facing position, with the infant riding in a lying down position, and with the car seat, itself, secured either by the car’s seat belts or a special anchoring system, and the infant secured in the car seat by a harness. This arrangement provides the infant with the best protection while riding in a vehicle. Infant car seats come in a variety of designs, colors, and patterns, and their cost and available features vary by brand and model. Child car seat manufacturers are bound by very strict guidelines, and you may be surprised to find that some of the more expensive car seats don?t provide any better level of protection than those which are more moderately priced.

There are also ‘convertible’ infant/toddler child car seats available. These car seats can be used for children from infancy (with the car seat in the rear facing position), into their toddler years (with the car seat turned around and used in the forward facing position), until they are ready for a booster car seat. In the rear facing mode, these types of car seats can typically be used with a child up to about 25 lbs, and then used in the forward facing position until the child reaches about 40 lbs. These types of car seats have a larger seat than an infant only car seat, and many come with padded inserts for use when the child is still small.

Whichever type of child car seat is used, the car seat’s harness should fit the child snugly, but not too tightly, and the harness straps should be easily adjustable. Many of the newer models feature a ‘five point’ harness to keep the child secure. The straps should be long enough both to allow room for the bulkier clothing that the child will wear in colder weather, as well as to allow for the child’s continuing growth, so that he or she will not outgrow the car seat prematurely.

There are a variety of accessories available for many models of car seats for infants. A common accessory is a head rest for the infant. This is a small inverted U shaped piece that helps keep the infant?s head secure, and prevents him or her from slumping over in the car seat while riding.

Some child car seats have a detachable base that stays in the vehicle, and to which the part of the car seat that the child sits in can be locked. With this type of car seat, the base must be set properly in place before the other piece is locked to it, or the combination will not provide the child with the highest level of protection. Extra bases may be available for purchase to allow the same carrier to be used in multiple vehicles without having to keep shifting the base between the vehicles. Also, some car seats are compatible with strollers, to create a convenient infant travel system.

Where to Shop:

GalaxyOfStores is an Online Shopping Center for THOUSANDS of different products for the whole family.

Please visit CHILD CAR SEATS for more information about car seats, as well as a great selection of car seats, strollers, and travel systems, and visit the GalaxyOfStores.com HOME PAGE for all of its great products.