Before You Buy A Car Infant Seat

There are five very important questions you should ask yourself before you purchase car infant seats for your baby. You will want to consider important issues such as who will be driving the vehicle with your child in it, the type of airbags your vehicle has, and whether you want to purchase a used or second had car seat. You will also want to consider if you prefer a fixed car infant seat, or would rather have a portable car infant seat so your purchase can double as an infant carrier as well.

#1 - Do I want portable car infant seats?

Portable infant car seats have the advantage of being able to convert to an infant carrier. This is a great option for parents and caregivers who want to be able to take their child from car to house, or practically anywhere without doing much more than unbuckling the seat and popping up a handle, which is a great feature. It is also a wonderful option if your child has multiple caregivers, drivers, or if you’re a really busy parent who might forget to pack the stroller. It’s also good for small vehicles that simply don’t have enough storage space to accommodate both a stroller and a full load of groceries.

You can find out more about portable infant car seats at Consumer Search. They review car seats and share the best infant car seats for 2011. You can view the review at http://www.consumersearch.com/baby-car-seats/review.

#2 – Do I want fixed car infant seats?

Fixed infant car seats are meant to be left in the car. Essentially, you strap or click them into the appropriate space of your vehicle and leave them there. Your child is placed in the car seat, secured, and then removed just like any other passenger taking a seat. The only difference is they have a special seat that accommodates their weight and height. Then, when your child outgrows the car seat you are able to remove it and they can ride on the regular car seat. This is a good option if you know that you won’t need to transport other, larger, passengers in your car. For example, for parents who only drive one vehicle, or don’t often transport other family members of friends in their car.

You can learn more about fixed infant car seats at CarSafety.org. This website has illustrations and explains some of the common features of fixed car seats. You can view this helpful information at http://www.car-safety.org/latch.html.

#3 – Should I buy used car infant seats?

In most cases, professionals say no to this option. Buying car seats that have been used can be risky business. You are better off buying a new car seat for your child than purchasing one used, or accepting a second hand car seat gift. This is because the car seats do experience wear and tear over time. You also want to make sure that your vehicle and the car seat are compatible. This is especially important because if the car seat is not used properly, or doesn’t quite fit your seats well you can risk your child’s life in case of accident or quick stops. There have been many incidents where children in second hand car seats have been injured when locking mechanisms that were old failed.

If you are thinking about buying a used car seat, there is some helpful information located at CPSafety that can assist you. This website has a checklist of important features and concerns with second hand seats. By checking off the boxes you can assess whether the car seat you are considering will be safe. You can start your free used car seat quiz at http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/usedseat.aspx.

#4 – Does my car have passenger airbags?
Knowing if your car has passenger airbags, and where they are is very important to the car seat you decide to purchase. If your car has passenger airbags or side airbags you will need to always have your child in the center rear seat. This is because the impact from a passenger airbag can suffocate or cause impact trauma to a small child in a car seat. For example, many parents want their child right next to them on the passenger seat because they feel as if their child is too far away in the back seat. However, they are much safer in a rear facing seat in the back seat where an airbag will not deploy and harm them.

There is a very useful PDF from Carseat.org that helps parents decide on the best car seat placement for their vehicle. It shares dangers of passenger air bags, talks about car seat requirements based on ages and weights and speaks frankly about the dangers of air bags to children.  You can access this helpful information at http://www.carseat.org/Resources/58a_air_bags.pdf.

#5 – Who will be transporting my child?

This is one place the issue of fixed car seats and portable car seats come into play. If you will be switching your child from car to car and have multiple caregivers transporting your child you really need to think about what option is best in car infant seats. With a fixed seat, it means you need to have the child in that particular vehicle. With a portable seat you are less likely to forget and leave your child with a caregiver who doesn’t have a car seat. Consider this even if you personally drop off your child and pick them up from the caregiver. Accidents still could happen during that time and without a car seat your child could end up having to be transported in a risky situation.

These are just a handful of questions you should ask yourself when purchasing a car seat. However, they are five of the most important car infant seats questions you need to answer to keep your child safe. Using the right car seat is one of the most important things you can do to keep your child safe during transport, so choose carefully and wisely.