Having your first child increases the number of items you may wish to have on hand when expecting: A box of diapers (or ten!), a crib, and a baby monitor.

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But your infant’s first car seat could be the most crucial item of equipment. Until your kid is able to travel securely with only a seatbelt, you will need one for the journey home from the hospital and for every other ride. That might last for ten years!

So with all the many alternatives on the market, how do you pick the perfect car seat for your baby?

The following five factors are crucial to take into account when choosing the first car seat for your baby:

Recognize your options:

Until your child outgrows the greatest height or weight permitted by the manufacturer, which is often at 2 years of age or older, your child will need to ride in a rear-facing car seat. The best protection for your child’s head, neck, and spine in the case of an accident is provided by a rear-facing car seat. There are three different kinds of rear-facing seats available:

automobile seats with only the rear facing.

A lot of them are foldable; the base stays in the car, and the seat may be utilized as a stroller or as a baby carrier. (You may purchase more bases to install in other vehicles.)

convertible automobile seats.

These are bigger and may be used with the youngster looking backwards and then forwards when they are ready. These are often not portable; instead, they remain in the automobile and can be utilized by kids weighing four to fifty pounds or more. Read labels carefully!

a car seat with three functions.

This may be used as a booster later on as well as forward- and rear-facing. It is not portable from one automobile to another, much like the convertible seat.

Depending on your circumstances and way of life, all three of these solutions are sensible and safe choices. For specifics, read the labels rather than the box.

Think About Your Budget:

Of course, safety should be your top priority, but don’t fall into the trap of believing that a seat is safer the more money you spend on it. All car seats on the market are held to the same safety requirements by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, so regardless of how they may differ in appearance, they all effectively safeguard your child. (With more costly seats, you can be paying for additional cup holders or leather seat pads, which aren’t always greater protection.) For less than $100, there are many of excellent alternatives available, including car seats that are guaranteed to last six or more years. A word of caution: Do not attempt to purchase a secondhand car seat in order to save money. You cannot be positive that an automobile seat is defect-free, that it has never been in a collision, or that it has not expired or been recalled unless it is brand-new.

Verify the fit:

There isn’t a single car seat size that fits all people. Your vehicle’s size will determine whether you need a smaller or larger one. To figure out where to put the car seat, look in your rear seat. The middle location in the rear seat is where you might want to place your car seat, although it could not be broad enough in some vehicles. Measure the area where the car seat will go and compare the measurements to the base of the car seat you wish to purchase to be sure. Testing things out is the only way to truly know. To ensure fit, ask the merchant to let you try on the display model before making a purchase. To accomplish this, you might have to leave your license with customer service.

Correctly install the car seat:

To begin the process of installing the car seat correctly, consult the owner’s handbook for your vehicle as well as the instructions included with the seat. There are typically two ways to fasten your car seat to the vehicle: Use the LATCH system on the vehicle or the seat belt, and be extremely cautious. For chairs that face forward and those that face back, you utilize each differently. Refer to Safe Kids Worldwide’s Ultimate Car Seat Guide (UCSG) and watch these YouTube videos for further in-depth instructions. Even while it’s crucial to understand how to install your child’s car seat correctly, visiting one of the 42,000 trained child passenger safety specialists that operate in American communities for a free consultation can also be beneficial. Click this link to discover one near you. An additional piece of advice: Your fifth month of pregnancy can be the ideal moment to organize your child’s automobile safety strategy. After then, you can be too bulky and awkward to get in and out of the rear seat while putting on your car seat.

Utilize the car seat properly:

The last but equally important step is to make sure your infant is securely fastened in their car seat when they arrive. After the harness is secured, make sure the straps are tight enough to prevent you from pinching any excess webbing and that they are coming from the correct slot. (A “non adjust” harness that fits correctly when the harness strap is tightened is currently a common feature on many car seats.) See the Ultimate Car Seat Guide for further specific details.

To ensure maximum safety, always make sure your kid is buckled up and securely fastened in their car seat before heading anywhere! Please visit safekids.org if you have any inquiries concerning car seats or any other safety-related matters. We promise to be at your side the entire time.