Safest Car Seats For Baby

Choosing the Best Infant Car Seats

With prices ranging from $35 for a basic infant seat, to more than $400 for a seat that transitions as your child grows, it’s not always easy choosing the best and safest car seats for your most precious cargo. Thankfully, infant car seats break out into 3 overall types:

Infant-only seats

• • For infants up to 22 to 35 pounds, depending on the model
  • Have a 5-point harness system that attaches at the shoulders, at the hips, and between the legs
  • Typically have carrying handles and may be used as part of a stroller system
  • May click into a base that can be left in the car; parents can buy more than one base for additional cars
  • Should be used for travel only, not seating outside the vehicle
  • Pictured above is the Chicco KeyFit infant carseat, chiccousa.com.

Also read the car seat challenge

Convertible seats

• • May be used for newborns and infants up to 40 pounds
  • Can be used rear-facing, then “converted” to forward-facing for older children
  • Typically bulkier than infant seats and don’t come with carrying handles or separate bases
  • May have higher rear-facing weight and height limits than infant-only seats, which make them ideal for bigger babies
  • Have a 5-point harness that attaches at the shoulders, at the hips, and between the legs
  • Pictured left is the Britax Advocate convertible seat in Opus Grey, britaxusa.com.

3-in-1 seats

• • May be used for newborns and infants up to 40 pounds
  • Can be used rear-facing for infants, forward-facing, and then as a belt-positioning booster for the convenience of using one seat as long as possible
  • Are often bigger in size so adequate space within the vehicle when rear-facing should be determined
  • Pictured left is the Graco Smart Seat All in One, gracobaby.com.

For your guide to the new car seat recommendations, see http://www.health4mom.org/a/babies_facing_backwards

Related article: Buckle Up: Car Seat Safety