Babylist
Being a new parent can be tough, the question of what kind of car seat to pick for your child is indeed a serious consideration for every new parent. So how do you make this decision?
Worry not because this article is going to cover the entire process of selecting the perfect car seat for your child and make it easy for you to follow along. You might also like to read the detailed buying guide from The Safety Restraint Coalition, where you’ll find all the information you need to make a decision.
When picking the right seat for your child the three parameters to keep in mind are weight, height, and age. Depending on age, the kind of car seat can be classified into those meant for children of the ages 4 and below and those for children above the age of 4 up to the age of 7. You might even choose to hire baby capsules made by companies like https://www.maxi-cosi.com.au/ during travel.
What are Baby Capsules?
Baby capsules are simple carriages that can help function as a safe, portable, and comfortable bed for your infant to lay in. They can be made to fit into a car seat and can thus function as portable cribs for your baby. With the baby capsule, you have the advantages that:
- You can easily click the capsule in and out of your car seat and on to a pram. With the click of a single button transporting the capsule is a piece of cake.
- Without sleep your baby tends to get very cranky, so by having a portable bed, your baby can sleep peacefully no matter the situation.
- The comfort of using a baby capsule for both you and the child is a serious consideration for you to get it. Where no other contraption offers so much comfort, the baby capsule does.
- These are compatible with most brands of prams and can be attached to the base and converted into a perambulator at a moment’s notice.
However, the baby capsule is a variation of a car seat meant for children under the age of 4, booster seats and baby car seats are available for when they are awake.
What is a convertible car seat?
A convertible car seat or forward-facing car seat is a car seat made to seat children from birth to the age of 4 or until the height mark is reached.
It is generally considered as the second stage to introduce your baby to after the baby capsule.
Up to 30 months of age or until the infant’s shoulders reach the middle height marker, place them in the rearward facing position.
After the infant’s shoulders reach the middle marker, you can seat them in the forward-facing position.
These make traveling while sitting a lot safer and more comfortable for your children.
Beyond the ages of 4 years, you will need to use a booster seat for your kid.
You could choose a seat that can be used from the age of 6 months onward or one that is only meant for children above the age of 4.
What are booster seats?
Booster seats are designed to give side impact protection, however, their main purpose was always to ensure that the seat belt fitted perfectly to secure the child.
A few things to consider when buying a booster seat are the number of points of contact. It is always safer to buy a booster seat with more points of contact. A 6 point harness such as the ones designed by Maxi-Cosi is safer than a 5 point harness in this way.
Make sure that the sash crosses the child’s shoulders and not their neck as it might lead to serious damage.
Remember to use the top tether strap when using a booster seat. Make sure the booster seat you choose has an expandable headrest to accommodate your child’s growth.
If you can manage to keep these few pointers in mind when buying a suitable car seat for your child you will be able to make the optimal purchase in terms of both safety and comfort and will lead to a happier and healthier baby in the long run.
With the right investments and effort, each and every child can be given the comfort of a safe and easy mode of travel in every possible situation.
