Five Star Safety - Car Seats

Car Seats

Car seats are a necessary baby safety product that you'll need before you even bring your baby home from the hospital. Here's what to look for when choosing a car seat.

Different Kinds of Car Seats

Before you start shopping for car seats, it's helpful to do research. What you're likely to find is that there are many different types of these all-important baby safety products. We'll outline them below:

Rear-facing, infant only - These are for babies that weight 5-20 pounds. These are the ones that have a handle so you can snap the seat out and it turns into a carrier. Some have a base that stays in the car so you don't have to mess with the seatbelt when you take the seat out to use it as a carrier. In order for these seats to be effective, they have to be positioned at a 45 degree angle.
Convertible seats - These are for babies or toddlers weighing 20-40 pounds. These can face the front or the rear, although they should face the rear until the child is at least one year old and has reached the highest weight or height that's recommended by the manufacturer.
Combination seats or Booster Seats - These are for children who weight 20-100 pounds. They come in high-back models for cars that don't have headrests, an they're a good idea for kids who tend to fall asleep in the seat. In addition, some seatbelts don't fit right with backless booster seats.

Another important consideration when choosing a car seat is to make sure it fits in your car. Car seats that fit in an SUV might not work well in a compact car.

After you choose the right car seat, make sure it's installed properly. Although car seats are important safety products, if they aren't installed correctly, they are essentially useless. If you've worked and worked to get it installed properly but you still aren't 100% sure you got it right, stop by your local police station. They will be more than happy to check it for you and make any necessaryy adjustments.