How do you even begin to choose the right car seat? Our Acura of Laurel team gets this question quite often. Here's a quick rundown of our best tips to help you out.
Age, Weight, Height and Safety Standards
Before comparison shopping, keep your baby's age, weight and height in mind. For children to 2 years of age, always use a rear-facing seat. Be sure your child's weight doesn't exceed the allowed weight limit of the seat. For older or heavier children:
- Use a forward-facing seat for children over 2 years old or more than 40 pounds
- A belt-positioning booster seat in the back seat of your vehicle is ideal for children 4 to 8 years old or children who are at least 4-feet-10-inches
- Beyond 8 years of age or 4-feet-10-inches in height, a seatbelt without a booster seat is fine
For older children mentioned in the last bullet above, the seatbelt lap belt and shoulder belt should cross the upper thighs and the chest, respectively. By all means, keep using a booster seat until seat belts fit your child as described above. Children under 13 years of age should always ride in the back seat. Those under 2 years of age should always be in a rear-facing seat until they attain or exceed the manufacturer's height and weight limits.
Ensuring Car Seat Quality
Your future child's car seat should:
- Meet or exceed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213, declared on the safety label
- Have a five-point harness
- Have a four- or five-star National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ease of use rating
- Be new, unless you fully know the complete accident history of the used car seat you're buying
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