Car Seats

Here’s the sad truth: thousands of toddlers are injured or killed in car mishaps every year. The good news is that by using the right baby car seat, you can keep your children safe and comfortable whenever you’re hitting the road. However, the dilemma kicks in when you don’t know which one to choose among the myriads of seats available in the market.

But before we check out the tips and tricks to choose the perfect car seat, let us dig a little deeper into how exactly the baby car seat came into play. The baby seats you see today aren’t new. They’ve been manufactured since 1933. It was the bunny bear company who did it first. But, the fun part is that they did not create the baby car seat for safety purposes. They created it to raise the kids seated above the passenger seat. This, in turn, helped the adults in the front seat to see their babies easily. It was Jeam Ames who invented the true safety bay car seat in 1962. Well, the rest is history! Today, you’ll find a plethora of their types, models, and styles. Below we’re going to look at a few significant ones that are trending in the market now.

The various types of baby car seats on trend

As mentioned earlier, a baby car seat is used to make transporting your baby in a car safer and easier. Well, this I regardless of the types you choose. Moreover, the type you choose largely depends on the age, height, weight, longevity, and many more factors as such. However, to pick the perfect one, you need to understand their significant types. You need to know their characteristics, features and peculiar straits to be able to purchase wisely. Well, we’ve listed a few significant types of baby automobile seats below. Study them, and we guarantee that your buying process will be a breeze.

The convertible car seat

You can use the convertible baby seat from birth until your child outgrows the seat. Apart from this, you could also use them as both forward-facing and rear-facing positions. However, this largely depends on the weight of your baby. Generally, you use the rear-facing seat for infants up to 3 years. Once, above that, you can put your child in the forward-facing position. However, like any other product, this too has a fair share of downfalls. One of the major demerits is that they aren’t portable and you cannot use them as infant carriers. Apart from that, they do not have bases. Moreover, they are bulkier than others. Some parents take the bulky feature as a credit, as it often promotes a feeling of safety.

The infant to toddler car seat

Just like the name, the newborn car seat is designed for infants. You usually use this type of baby car seat for babies from birth until your baby is at least 2 years old. Also, note you can position these automobile seats only in the rear-facing position. Apart from that, you’ll find models of these baby car seats that you can either strap into the car directly or into the base that stays strapped into the car seat. Also, this seat lasts from six to 24 months. However, this depends on the growth rate of your baby. Some babies outgrow their car seat sooner than the others. So once, your baby reaches the maximum limit for the seat, you need to switch to another type. Typically, you must switch to the one designed for toddlers or older babies.

The 3 in 1 car seat

The 3-in-1 baby car seat is very similar to convertible seats. However, they work as a booster seat too. Also, you often call them all-in-one seats too. One of the biggest advantages of this seat is that you only have to buy one seat and it will grow with your child. It will grow from rear-facing to forward-facing to a booster seat until he or she is old enough to just use a seatbelt. It is also bigger when compared to other counterparts. However, this too has its cons. And one of the significant demerits of this baby car seat is that they do not come with separate bases. Also, it doesn’t come with a carrying handle. Therefore, it is best for babies above 2 years old.

The front-facing car seat

Once your munchkin has outgrown the rear-facing height or weight limit for the convertible seat, then a forward-facing seat with a harness will be required. The four types of restraints that you can use for this option are travel vests, built-in seats, combination seats with harness and convertible. Travel vests come in designs that suit children weighing from 20 lbs. to 168 lbs. and can be a great option to standard forward-facing seats. However, you must not use the built-in seats until your little one has reached the highest height or weight allowed for your rear-facing convertible car seat. But, the combination seats with harness are your best pick if your little one weighs between 40 to 90 pounds.

The booster rear-facing car seat

When your children have outgrown forward-facing seats, then it’s time to go for boosters, which come in two standard types such as high-back and backless. They don’t feature harness straps but are used with shoulder and lap belts. Moreover, they raise a child so that the belts fit properly over the strongest parts of their body. Above all, the booster car seat works till your child is old enough to not need a car seat anymore. Hence, your child’s height will determine which is the most comfortable baby car seat. If possible it is best to try out the car seat before you purchase them. However, when it comes to online purchases, you can always study their specifications.