Having a kid means investing quite a bit of your time and money into selecting, well, just about anything you can think of. The market for baby and child accessories is enormous, from the vital (a bed, a high chair, a carrier) to the downright superfluous (experienced parents will attest to high levels of overbuying, especially for a first child).
One of the most important pieces of kid equipment, and one you really cannot overlook or cut corners on, however, is a car seat. As with all things kid-related there is an enormous market for car seats and booster seats to help your child graduate to wear a seatbelt normally. And there’s lots to consider as well, the number one priority being safety. Take some advice on choosing the best booster for your kid.
Why Do You Need A Car Seat?
The simple reason is safety, of course. Seatbelts are designed to fit adults (and larger children) of all shapes and sizes, but for babies and small children, they are no good. Your local authority will have different rules and regulations about the most appropriate and road safe models, and as a safety-conscious driver, you must follow these important laws. The regulations vary from place to place (and it is important you inform yourself, accordingly), but many place emphasis on whether a child should be in a front or rear-facing model (more on this below) and at what age you should graduate to a booster seat and finally to a seatbelt. Check the laws wherever you are – they are designed to keep you and your young ones safe!
Certification and Logistics
Whatever model of car seat or booster you choose, and whatever age group you are choosing before, be sure to choose an accredited, tested and approved model. This is absolutely crucial – this is a market in which you cannot cut corners and look to save a few pennies at the expense of safety and the peace of mind that comes with it. Also – before you buy, make sure that you can actually fit the model of car seat into your car! Many are caught out by this, as are the 50% of us who don’t know how to install one correctly! It can be a fiddly job, so if you are unsure get the retailer to show you exactly how the seat should be installed.
Front or Rear-Facing?
The general rule determining whether you should choose a front or rear-facing car seat for your little one regards just how little they are. Most safety experts recommend that as long as a child is small enough to fit into a rear-facing car seat, that is where they should stay. There is a consensus that children up to four years should not travel in any other fashion, when in a vehicle. We all know that an infant takes time to develop their neck muscles sufficiently to hold their head up on their own – but even when they can do that, the rear-facing seat gives much greater protection to the neck and spine in the event of an accident.
It’s also worth noting that the weight of a baby or young child’s head is proportionally much greater than an adult – another reason that extra support is encouraged. Add to this the fact that a baby or toddler’s bones haven’t fully ossified and the rear-facing seat becomes a real no brainer – keep them in until they are too big, by that time they will be just as safe in a front-facing seat. Of course, if you’re buying for an older child a front-facing seat is a crucial stepping stone to becoming a fully-fledged seatbelt user!
Buy Long Term
We all know how quickly kids grow up, and how frustrating that can be when buying clothes, bikes and other things which rapidly become too small and have to be saved as hand-me-downs, sold or given away. You’ll find that many models of car seat are adjustable, meaning that your little one can grow into a slightly bigger one without outgrowing it. Of course, according to the advice outlined above it is highly advisable to begin with the rear-facing kind.
But don’t despair – this doesn’t mean you’ll have to make another big purchase two or three years down the line – many models can be used as both forward and rear-facing. Many have extendable backs and adjustable armrests so that they can be adapted to keep your fast-growing kids safe and comfortable until they are ready for a more simple booster or full, grown-up seatbelt use. Look out for seats which adjust in height and have movable side impact bars – that way they won’t compromise safety when converted into a bigger seat.
As you can see – safety is the only real consideration when choosing a car seat. And so it should be – whilst modern cars are stronger and more safety-orientated than ever before, kids are just as fragile as they’ve always been. So before you buckle up, make sure your family is as safe as they possibly can be.
