Advice For Buying A Car Seat
Monday, April 5th, 2010My family had all sorts of trouble with car seats. First we fought with the infant seat. Then we had to get a small, cheap, forward-facing one. The baby quickly grew to big for it, and we had to get a new one. That one was so huge (we got it mail order) that passengers had to squeeze into the back seat. Why did the car seat thing have to be such a nightmare?
We should have done our research before buying. Seats can differ greatly, and we should have taken into account what type of vehicle we had. We should have measured things. And we should have thought about how many passengers and other children we would have in the car on a regular basis. But instead we treated it like something simple, like buying baby bath toys or blankets! Save yourself the big hassle by treating it like any serious purchase.
One important thing to keep in mind is to hold on to your receipts and the original box. We threw away those things and ended up stuck with that seat that is way too big. Keep your paperwork and all packing materials so that you can easily return the car seat if it does not work out for you.
I also wish I had known about convertible car seats like the Evenflo convertible! It starts out as a back-facing infant seat. Then you can switch it over into a forward-facing seat when the baby gets older. Try to get one that has a high maximum weight limit (if it will fit in your car!) so that you can keep it for a long time without having to buy a new one.
Also really consider investing in a top-quality car seat. The Britax car seat gets really high marks in reviews, though I have not used it personally. The initial cost may be higher, but you save more in the long run. Plus, by getting a good car seat you improve the chances of protecting your child in the event of an accident.
One special note: If you do get in an accident, manufacturers and experts say you are supposed to replace the car seat. Even if it does not look damaged, it might have invisible fractures or other stress damage. Then it may not perform correctly if you happen to get into another accident. It’s not worth the risk!
I know this is not an in-depth guide on how to buy a car seat, but hopefully it gives you a few things to keep in mind while you are shopping. Just try and avoid the mess our family got into by taking the time to do some research (or ask families with children for opinions) before you buy.
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