Features of a Great Child Safety Seat
Monday, September 22nd, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Among the highest goals for any parent is baby safety. The most important part of that plan is to choose the best seat for the particular car. Keep these tips in mind when looking for the ideal design.
The first considerations are age and weight. Babies less than one year of age need to have a safety seat that is especially made for their small size. It still needs to be facing the rear, and shouldn’t be used with an older baby.
Those older than one but less than four will weigh on average between 20-40 lbs. They’re also, of course, taller than infants and the older they are the taller. This introduces the possibility for a car seat that faces forward, making things more convenient for the parents. However, it still needs to be placed in the back seat.
Convenience doesn’t have to be sacrificed for any of these goals, of course. Some styles can be converted. This means that they can be switched from facing backward to facing forward with just a few moves. But don’t forget about the specifications concerning weight and age.
It’s important that your car seat satisfies certain criteria. A 5-point harness attachment design is key. So the parents can use the car’s safety belt to fasten the baby seat at the shoulders, hips and between the legs. That provides a very stable, secure platform.
An overhead shield is also a useful option. These are padded covers that rotate down over the child. A variation is the T-shield, a padded T-shaped section that attaches to the shoulder straps.
Look for models with a tether at the top that can be attached from the top of the child’s car seat to an anchor point in the car. This provides additional safety. LATCH is a system featured in some models, which stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. This eliminates the need to use the car’s safety belts which, after all, were designed for larger children and adults. Instead, the safety seat is fastened only to the anchors.
Extra safety and comfort is provided by baby car safety seats that safely allow for adding or subtracting padding or blankets. As well, parents don’t have to spend as much time making adjustments to the seat for a good fit. That’s a win-win situation for both. There are even those with an integrated travel vest to buckle around your child.
The twin concerns of convenience and safety are once again addressed by models that simplify the process of inserting and adjusting the restraining belts. Parents are busy folks and it’s easy to succumb to the temptation to take a short cut. However, nobody wishes to skimp on safety. A design that requires only a few seconds to install or move the seat satisfies all those needs.
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