Buying A Car Seat: Be An Informed Consumer

One of the most important purchases you will ever make for your children is a car seat. This is an item that will be used everyday to protect and secure your babies and should not be purchased lightly. There are so many choices and so many ways to choose it can be a little overwhelming. An informed purchase is a smart purchase and nothing is more important than the safety of your children

To start your search, visit the websites of the government agencies designed to regulate anything related to car seat safety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website, http://www.nhtsa.gov has an excellent rating system that rates the ease of use on many styles and brands of car seat. Parents can also research complaints and recalls and locate the car seat fitting station nearest to them. After researching the safety and ease of use of a car seat, then take into consideration the other factors such as brand, price and look.

The first car seat I ever bought for my oldest son was actually part of a travel set. It was one of those baby carriers that can go from the car to a stroller for ease of use. To tell the truth, I bought it because I liked the way it looked. I wised up after that and did some research on his next one which ended up being an Evenflo convertible (can go from rear-facing to forward facing) and was reasonably priced at about $170.00.

The point I am trying to make is that the most expensive is not necessarily the best, the safest, or the easiest to use. In my search I saw seats that cost twice as much as mine and I saw seats that coast half has much. More often than not the "high-end" seats got lower ratings than most others, including the one I purchased. Really, who cares what brand your car seat is as long as it does the job it is designed to do: protect your most precious cargo.

Not all car seats are alike, obviously, and that includes the way they sit in your car. To make sure that the seat you purchase is a proper fit, visit the Car Seat Compatibility Database at www.carseatdata.org/ . Enter the make model and year of your car and the database will compile a list of compatibility results showing a fit rating and an ease of use rating.

Finally, use your own good instincts. If you are not comfortable with the seat DO NOT USE IT! Your child's safety comes first and if you don't feel they're safe, replace your seat. There are tons of resources out there for parents; the websites I mentioned are just a couple of them. Be smart and be safe.