Types of car seats

The car seat you buy will depend on your child’s height, weight, and age. Your baby will go through different stages that will require different types of car seats. Don’t move to the next stage too quickly. It is important to keep your child in a rear-facing car seat for as long as she can.

When you’re just starting out, you have the option of putting your newborn in a convertible car seat or a special infant seat. Although the convertible types can be forward and rear facing and will hold your baby until they are two tears old, the infant car seat is a much safer and more comfortable option.

infant car seat

The best and safest type of car seat for newborns is a rear-facing infant car seat. They’re convenient with an easy-to-use carrier that’s detachable and mounts to a base that stays in the car. When it’s time to get out of the car, just click and grab the seat with baby in it. You can also purchase additional bases if needed.

All infants must use a rear-facing seat until they are two years old or have reached the height and weight limit of the seat you are using. Weight ranges for infant car seats can start at 4 pounds and go as high as 35 pounds. Infant seats are equipped with five-point harnesses that offer good security for your baby and can only be used in a rear-facing position, which is much safer in a crash. The seat should also be adjusted to recline at a 35 to 45 degree angle.

You can install some seats without the base, but the installation is not as secure and often reduces the weight limit of the seat. buy a stroller travel system which includes the car seat, the stroller and the base is also an option.

This is a good way to save money if you plan to buy a stroller and car seat.

convertible car seat

Similar to the child model, this type has a five-point harness system and is rear-facing, but also has the option of being forward-facing, hence the name convertible.

Some convertible models can accommodate a baby from birth to 45 pounds. There are a few companies that offer convertible models for toddlers who weigh up to 80 pounds and have an allowable height range from a minimum of 19″ to a maximum of 53″.

A convertible car seat will allow you to switch from a rear-facing to a forward-facing position once your child grows to the toddler range. While this can save you money, this type of seat does not offer the same comfort or fit as an infant car seat. They’re also not stroller compatible, which is a drawback if you take your baby in and out of the car frequently.

All in one car seat

An all-in-one seat has all of the same features as a convertible seat. It can be forward or rear facing and has a five point harness system. However, this type can be used, after the harness is removed, as a belted booster seat. As the name implies, this seat is designed to meet all your car seat needs from birth to the time you transfer your child to a booster seat. The advantages of an all-in-one seat are higher rear-facing weight limits (up to 40 lbs.) and increased seat length. The increased length makes it easier to keep your baby in a rear-facing position for longer without worrying about weight limitation.

The forward-facing weight limit for this type of seat is 50 to 65 pounds while using the five-point harness. This allows young children to take advantage of the five-point harness system, which is a much safer and preferred method than your vehicle’s three-point seat belt system. An all-in-one will definitely save you money because it could be your child’s only car seat. The larger size allows your child to stay secure and rear-facing longer, but may not work as well for a newborn as an infant car seat.

Combination toddler car seat

This model is designed to be used as a forward-facing seat only. These seats can be forward-facing or rear-facing and have five-point harness systems and will easily convert to a toddler booster seat once your child is out of the harness.

When your child has reached the upper height and weight limits of the five-point harness, it’s a simple task to remove the harness. You now have a booster seat that will raise your child to the proper height for using your vehicle’s seat belt.

There are a few things to keep in mind when opting for a combination booster car seat for toddlers. Some manufacturers will certify that the weight range for a particular model is between 20 and 65 pounds. It is not recommended, nor is it a good idea, to place any child or infant weighing as little as 20 lbs. in a forward-facing car seat. Often, some children under the age of three will weigh enough to meet the minimum weight requirements for a belted booster seat. Research has shown that this is not as secure as a five-point harness when facing forwards.

booster seats

It’s easy to mistake a combination toddler booster for a high back booster seat and vice versa. The simple difference is that a high back booster seat does not have a harness and is designed to be used with your vehicle’s 3-point seat belt.

A belt-mounted booster or “booster seat” does not have a built-in harness. It is designed for use with your vehicle’s seat belts only. A booster seat does not require any installation. Some of the more recently introduced models come with LATCH (“Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children”). LATCH will keep the lift secure and prevent it from flying off in the event of a crash. When a booster seat is used, it is the vehicle seat belt that keeps your child safe, not the booster seat. Some high-back booster seats have slots or guides to help you better position the belt on your child, but a backless booster seat is just a cushion that raises your child high enough to allow the use of a seat belt. security.

A quality booster seat will position the shoulder section of the seat belt over the strong bony part of your child’s clavicle and chest and allow the lower webbing of the belt to run across the hips and thighs, rather than the stomach or abdomen. When fitted correctly, your child’s back should rest comfortably against the back of the vehicle seat (or the back of the booster seat, if using one). Your child’s knees should bend comfortably at the edge of the seat. The seat belt must also stay on when your child moves around in the seat.