How to Pick the Best Car Seat for Your Child

If you are a parent, your primary concern will be the safety of your child. Studies have shown that child car seats reduce the chance of an infant being injured or killed in a collision by 71 percent.  That figure stands at 54 percent for toddlers, so a child safety seat is certainly a worthwhile investment.

Look Online

The best way to start your search for a high quality car seat is to begin by looking online, so you can read reviews and compare product features.  While you want to get a good deal on the seat, price should not be your primary concern.  The most important factor is the safety of the seat.

If you want to check for reliability and safety of the car seat, then look up customer reviews to see what real people have to say about them.  Simply put, this is not the place you want to look for discounted products or deals.  Stick to safety, and make the investment for the well-being of your child.

Avoid buying used car seats, and ensure that the product is not recalled.  If you need a car seat immediately, look at a local children’s store for limited, but quality options.

Don’t Jump the Gun

Never buy the first car seat that you find.  Always take the time to research and see what other people are saying about it, and make sure that it will work with your needs.  When you do have a car seat, make sure that you know how to use it properly, and always ensure that your child is in the seat and strapped in correctly.

The National SAFE KIDS Campaign website states that 80 percent of child restraints in cars are badly or incorrectly fitted, so make sure you read the instructions first to make sure you’re fitting the seat correctly, and swap out the seat as soon as your child has outgrown it. By trying to save money, you may end up sacrificing your child’s life.

The Best Brands

Car seat manufacturers that have some great reviews online include The First Years, Evenflo, Eddie Bauer and Britax USA.  Customers who buy and review the products say that the seats are easy to use and that they are safe.  Some of the reviews, including one for The First Years seats, even claim that the car seat was instrumental in preventing injury to their children when their cars were involved in accidents.