Car seats keep your baby safe during your travel from hospital to home and for a picnic with your baby. It is difficult to select the best car seat for newborn first time without the knowledge of proper requirements, handling of seat and safety measures for kids. Car Seat may be one of the important expensive purchase for babies.
Therefore I have researched a lot and meet with my family members and to friends, I also have found out a lot of information on the internet and now I am able to share my research with you so that you may feel comfortable when you come to know that How to choose a car seat for newborn and for your Toddler, Which is the best.
Parents have to select the best Car Seat that fits baby and also fits according to your car. It is better to test Car Seat in Car and with the baby before purchase,
however, the following features and tricks are also very important to keep in mind before purchasing:
Basic Information and Car Seat type for Kids
I have research on Baby Car Seat and now I am able to divide Car Seat into three stages in childhood life. A Baby Car Seat is used in the first year of your baby life. Then till the age of approx 4-5 years life Toddler Car Seat is being used according to the body structure of your kid and at the end of childhood life from 4-12 years, life Booster Seat is best for your kid.
The Best Cat Seat is the only Seat that is fit for your kid, fit for your car and best to install in the car and to use. I have described the basic requirement of the car seat as following:
How big is your child Body Structure?
There are two basic regulations for the best car seats:
- i-Size (R129) is used the length of the kid to classify car seats
- ECE R44/04 is used Kid’s weight to divide car seats into groups
To ensure that you are going to select the best fit seat according to your baby’s body, you have to measure the Height and Weight of your kid’s body. I have categorized kids seats as follows:
| Type of Kid | Weight of Kid | Age of Kid | Seat Dimensions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baby (Group 0+) | 0 to 13 Kg | 0 to 12 Months | 40 to 75 cm |
| Toddler | 9 to 18 Kg | 9 Months to 4 Years | 70 to 105 cm |
| Child | 15 to 36 Kg | 3.5 Years to 12 Years | 100 to 135/150 cm |
Following are our few recommendations to buy a Car Seat for your Newborn and for Toddler:
- The car seat should grow with your child and its harness should also easy in adjustment height-wise.
- Must consider Side impacts because it could source of serious injury for kid’s head areas, therefore, need extra protection for side impacts.
- A lightweight car seat is easy in carrying and for movement, it is also more comfortable. Therefore select a lightweight car seat for your kid.
- If your journey in the car is for running errands, then you should select a pushchair to avoid waking your baby up every time.
- If you get ISOfix base then it will good for easy installation of the seat and better for easy usage.
- Always select a baby car seat that must have a sun-canopy to protect the sensitive skin of your kid.
- As per my recommendations, an i-Size is best for the baby car seat to protect for side impacts.
- A child will increase his height with his age, therefore it is important to change seat according to height and leg space of a child.
- The use of Toddler car seat is from the age of 06 months to 4/5 years approx. Therefore you must have to select your toddler car set carefully for this long duration.
- You should try to select a car seat that indicates the signal when the seat is installed correctly.
Extra Safety Measurement when choosing a car seat for newborn and toddler:
- Try to use a clip with an infant car seat as babies under the age of six months are not able to sit by their own properly and only a few strollers are not fully able to recline the seat.
- Maintain a proper temperature during hot and cold weather so that you can store the kid car seat inside the car always.
Some Examples of Car Seats are giving below for your easy understanding and direct purchasing:
| S.No. | Seat Name | Functionality | Advantages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iZi Plus | Vehicle Belt Installed | Entirely Rear Facing Car Seat |
| 2 | iZi Kid X2 i-Size | ISOfix installed | Entirely Rear Facing Car Seat |
| 3. | iZi Modular RF i-Size | ISOfix Base installed | Purely Rear Facing Car Seat |
| 4. | iZi Combi X4 ISOfix | ISOfix installed Rear Facing/ Belt Forward | Combi Car Seat, Easy to turned vehicle seats |
| 5. | iZi Modulator i-Size | ISOfix Base installed | Combi Car Seat |
| 6 | iZi Comfort X3 ISOfix | ISOfix installed | Purely forward-facing |
| 7 | iZi Comfort X3 | Vehicle Belt Installed | Purely Forward Facing |
If your kid is being tended toward the tall in height then you may need a convertible seat for your toddler. The convertible baby car seat is able to keep up with the growing child.
Few car seats have lots of padding, cup holders and other features that make a seat more comfortable and luxurious. These extra features surely will increase in the cost of car seat
however these features will also enhance the durability and usability of the car seat. You just have to consider use of seat and your budget,
if you have to use seat only a few times then you may purchase any lower budget seat but you have to use seat most of the time or on daily basis then you should spend money on fancy features of baby seat for luxury and comfort travel of your kid.
How to Choose an Infant Car Seat [Video]
Accessories for Newborn Car Seat:
Now, we are going to discuss some unique accessories for the Car Seat of your newborn, and we hope you will like our research and will find it very useful to these accessories.
Second car seat base:
If you and spouse both have cars and you both use your vehicles for baby, then you don’t need to buy two car seats for two different vehicles. You can get a second car seat base in cheaper and move your baby comfortably in the bucket back and forth. This is very easy if you drop your baby to daycare and your spouse pick up the baby from the daycare centre.
Car Seat Canopy:
Almost, all newborn car seats come with an attached canopy, but there is a difference in canopies.
Therefore, you must consider the coverage shade area of sun protection. It will be more beneficial if the canopy has a peekaboo window to check on baby while strolling.
Secondly, the canopy is durable and is stable enough to resist the tugging of small hands and feet of your cute baby.
Seat Cover of Newborn:
The seat covers are available in multiple designed and best for the comfort of the baby during sleep, and playing of baby and these covers also help to keep babies warm in winter. It is advised to must buy extra car seat covers
and use them when the cleanness of the first one cover is required, or you want to give a new look to your baby car seat.
A cushion of Car Seat:
The car seats are soft and cosy for infants and babies. There are also extra luxury cushions are available for car seats. You can use the cushions in your baby’s car seat according to the material of your car seats or any other material that you want for relaxing of your baby.
Back Seat Mirror:
Baby car sear mirrors are used for the care of the baby during your driving. If you are driving a car and your baby coughs, and then the baby stops coughing, then you will feel worried.You can use the back seat mirror to see your baby always. This mirror is also less than $ 20 but you will drive very quickly with your baby.
Select a car seat for newborns carefully according to your and baby’s needs. Don’t forget to order accessories along with car seat for your newborn.
Please comment your views about our research and also inform us if you want more research for your seats/chairs of your kids.