Car Seat Safety - An Absolute Imperative for Your Infant

Buying a car seat is one of the most important purchases you will make for your baby. A well fitted, high performance car seat can absolutely mean the difference between life and death for your infant, particularly when they are small, so it's imperative to select one that will give your child the best protection available.

Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions when it comes to buying a car seat for your baby. Since you absolutely, as a parent, want to protect your child, here are a few helpful tips on how to select a car seat.

Check Consumer Reports or Other Online Rating Industry Before Buying
While the last car seat article Consumer Reports provided on car seats was unfortunately poorly done, CR has a history of doing an excellent job testing car seats for infants. You can also search out other unbiased test results on the internet. This step is crucial because.....

Not All Car Seats Are the Same
Yes, there are minimum safety requirements set forth by the government for safety seats, but they are just that- minimum. All brands on the market meet the safety requirements, but some exceed the standard. For instance, Graco and Britax generally outperform most other seats and routinely have very high safety ratings. Evenflo, unfortunately, tends to lag behind. It's important to know these facts and to check ratings before your purchase.

NEVER accept a used car seat
Used car seats are dangerous for a variety of reasons. There is always a risk, first of all, that the seat has been improperly cared for and might have minuscule cracks or a slightly bent frame, etc. Additionally, car seats which have been in an accident must be thrown away immediately. However, you have no way of knowing the seat's history. Finally, car seats do expire after six years and some are recalled. Since not everyone is cautious about checking for recall information or expiration dates, the seat you receive might not be safe.