What Car Seat Should I Buy?

This is one of the most common questions that expectant parents have. And it's a good one!

Choosing the right car seat is one of the most important things you'll do to keep your child safe, but there are so many options that it quickly becomes overwhelming: Bucket seat or All-In-One? Convertible or combination? This brand or that brand? Something lightweight or something hefty? Does it pay to spend more? How easy is it to install? Will it fit in the car? Can I get one on my local buy nothing group? What about a hand me down from my sister?

There are so many things to consider and they vary from family to family, but I'd like to offer a place to start. Here are the top 5 things you should consider when purchasing a car seat:

1) Infant Carrier or All-in-One? Convertible or Combination?
Many caregivers like the infant carrier option because it's a quick and easy way to get the baby from the house into the car. You can harness the child in the house and then just dock them into the car! Infant bucket seats also come with bases, which means if you have two cars you can buy one seat (which comes with a base) and then just buy a second base for the other car, which is much less expensive than buying two full seats.
Some urban caregivers will need the infant bucket seat if they are using car services like Uber or Lyft to transport a child.
Note that not all infant bucket seats can be installed without their base! Most notably, the Nuna Pipa Lite can only be installed with the base.

An All-in-One car seat could take your child from birth through booster seat. This can be convenient because it's potentially a one-and-done solution. However, not every All-in-One car seat is a good fit for an infant. Also, a lot can happen in the 10 year lifespan of these All-In-One car seats: Blow-outs, food spills, throw up...kids are messy, so be sure that if you invest in an All-In-One, you know how to (safely) clean the seat so you can get all 10 years of use out of it. It also means you are sacrificing the convenience of the infant carrier.
All-in-One car seats also do not have a base, so if you have two vehicles you'll need to purchase two seats or commit to moving the car seat between vehicles and making sure it is re-installed correctly each time.

A convertible car seat can go from rear-facing mode to forward-facing mode and sometimes also convert into a booster seat. These seats are great for kids who have graduated from their infant carrier and are still rear-facing. You'll get many years of use from these seats.

A combination car seat is a forward-facing only car seat and converts from a forward-facing 5-point harness to a booster seat. These seats are best for kids who are older and ready to be exclusively forward-facing.

The bottom line: Look at your lifestyle and your child's height/weight/maturity level and decide which type of car seat makes the most sense.

2) Which brand?
All car seats that are on the U.S. market must pass the same federal crash test standards and will help keep your child safe and prevent injuries if they are used correctly. Seriously. That being said, some brands/models have additional safety features (like anti-rebound bars, load legs, side impact protection, and rigid LATCH connectors). You will usually pay extra for these brands/models, but if it's in your budget and it gives you peace of mind, then go for it! If it's not in your budget, please know that as long as you install and use your car seat correctly, it will still help keep your child safe, even without extra features.

The bottom line: The safest car seat is the one that you use correctly every time.

3) Used or New?
Here's what you should know before you accept a used car seat:

• Has this car seat ever been in any kind of crash (minor or major)?

• If the fabric on this car seat has ever been cleaned/dried, has it only been cleaned/dried as directed by the manual?

• Have any changes been made to the car seat (after market add-ons, "swapping out" the harness pads, etc.)?

• Do you have all the parts of the car seat (harness pads, infant insert, body cushions, etc.) and the manual?

• Is the car seat past its expiration date?

• Has the car seat been recalled?

If the car seat has ever been in a crash, been cleaned/dried not according to the manual, has ever been altered in any way, is not coming to you with all its parts (including the manual), if the car seat is expired, or if it has been recalled, it's best not to take that used car seat.

If a new car seat is not in your budget, check out community resources like West Side Baby Corner who provide necessities (like car seats!) to families in need.

Bottom Line: Unless you know (with certainty and in detail) the history of the used car seat, it is best to purchase new.

4) Will the car seat fit in my vehicle?
This is a really important question, especially if you have a smaller car or are interested in a car seat with a larger footprint! Typically, stores like Target or Buy Buy Baby will allow you to try a car seat in your car before you purchase. It's also important to take into consideration what your vehicle manual says about transporting children. In your vehicle manual you will find information about LATCH positions and sometimes even recommendations for the best seating position in which to install a car seat.
If you have your car seat already and you're thinking about buying a new car, it is absolutely reasonable to take the car seat to the dealership and try to install it in any car you are looking at. You want to make sure you're getting the right fit, after all!

Bottom Line: Test out a car seat in your vehicle before purchasing to make sure that it fits!

5) Is it easy to install?
While all car seats on the market will help keep your child safe, some are trickier to install (or have more considerations) than others. These Ease of Use ratings by NHTSA are helpful to give you context as you decide how easy it may be to install the car seat. Keep in mind that these ratings are NOT evaluating how safe the car seat is when used correctly. They are simply showing how easy it is to use the car seat correctly.
It is always best to see/touch/try a car seat before you purchase. Many stores that sell car seats have floor display you can test out!

Bottom Line: If possible, see and test out your car seat in person before you purchase. If you need a seat that is extremely easy to install, check out the NHTSA Ease of Use database for their ratings.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of everything you should consider before buying a car seat, but hopefully it is a place for you to get started.

Maybe you read through that list and your head is still swimming. That's okay! If you'd like help going through your options and narrowing down your list of car seats, I am here to help. Send me a message and we will set up a car seat purchasing consultation to get you on the right track.