Choosing the best car seat for your baby can be much less complicated than it seems! Newborns, infants or toddlers, one thing is a fact: if you have a car, you will need a car seat.
Are Travel Systems worth it? How long will it last? Do I need to change it over time? These are some of the doubts we might have as moms!
If you are giving birth at the hospital, for example, youāll need a car seat that meets the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 to bring the baby home.
Besides, every time you go out with your baby in the car, the seat is mandatory for their safety until they are tall enough to wear the regular seat belt.
Because the car seat is the best way to keep your baby safe inside the car, it must be appropriate for child weight and height.
For this reason, there is a lot of offers on the market, so it seems confusing in the beginning.
Worry not! We debunked the car seat rules in 3 STEPS to help you find the best one for you.
First step: know the Federal Regulation
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), you must follow these rules to find the right car seat:
- Look for car seats compliant with safety regulation
- Find which type is right for the height and weight of the baby
- Follow the manufacturer installation instructions
- Have the installation verified by an authority
- Register your car seat to make sure you get a notification in a recall situation
ā° Here are the car seat types, according to the CDC:
Second Step: understand the manufacturer’s different denominations
As follows:
| MARKET DENOMINATION | NHTSA DENOMINATION |
| Infant | Rear Facing Only |
| Convertible | Rear and Forward Facing |
| 3 in 1 or All in One | Rear and Forward Facing and Booster |
| Booster | Booster Only |
| Travel System | Car Seat (Infant) + Stroller |
Third Step : find the perfect car seat for your style
Now that you know the rules for car seat safety, choose the one that makes more sense for your lifestyle and budget!
We did the dirty job and selected only the ones on the NHTSA list!
Looking for something modern and stylish ā« | girly ? | non-toxic??
Find your favorite on the links below!
ā° BONUS STEP:
If you are still not sure, the NHTSA provides an amazing free tool where you can insert your baby measurements and they will tell what is the best type of car seat.
The AAP site also has a complete guide on Car Seat Safety.
?IMPORTANT: Only use the car seat for transportation, do not put the baby to sleep or nap in it. A new study shows that putting babies to sleep in it may lead to SIDS (Sudden infant death syndrome), suffocation and fall, even under adult surveillance.
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