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The life of a baby is a highly sensitive one. Children are one of the most vulnerable age groups in our society; and no parent knowingly would put their child’s life in danger, the reason why selecting the right baby car seat for your baby is the responsibility of each parent. A baby car seat as the name suggests is used to place your child in an exclusive seat designed according to his age, height, and weight to keep him intact and secured while traveling.
How to choose the best car seat for your baby?
Knowing what I’m buying before the purchase is as important as buying it. Before buying a car seat, it is very important to do proper research around its utility, one way is also to read the vehicle manual to understand where the seat should go and ways of installing it, instead of struggling later; homework is done beforehand is good. Another point to think about is how you want to attach your baby's car seat – using a belt or a latch. In case you opt for a latch; make sure you know where the latch attachments are in you.
Things to remember while buying a baby Car Seat
While buying a car seat for your baby; make sure you choose the correct one according to your child’s age, height, and weight, some of them can be classified as - Rear-facing seats for newborns or infants, forward-facing seats for around 2-year-old, Booster seats for children over 18 kgs. Choose smartly.
Try also seeing how much room you have in the back seat, as a seat with a large base may not fit in a small car hence opt for one with a narrower base.
Make sure the baby car seat installation is easy and there should be clear instructions on the seat If there is a diagram explaining the process, then nothing like that!
Check the belt path properly and make sure it is easily accessed. It is also important to see that the seat belt is properly fastened and secure.
Choose something that is easy to clean, as hygiene should be one of the most important factors each parent should take care of. Seats made with smooth fabric will be easier to clean, than a textured ones.
A most important factor to be considered is not to place the rear-facing baby car seat in the front seat if the front seat is protected by an active frontal airbag, as this could cause serious injury to your child in case of accidents. Make sure the child's car seat is fitted in the back.
Never go for the second-hand car seat, as you may not know if it meets the current standards, has the seat ever been in a crash or is damaged or weakened points may not be visible and the baby seat may not perform as well as it should during a collision, will it still have the manual and fitting instructions or not, etc. whereas, benefits of buying a new seat are that you know the standard of compliance, the condition of the seat, also you are sure there are no missing pieces in it.
Ways to secure the child into a car seat
Your child should use a baby seat for every single journey – no matter how short the trip is. It’s etiquette.
Take out enough time to get the child comfortably strapped in. Safety first.
Ensure the seatbelt or seat’s harness is correctly adjusted for your child and should be tight enough to avoid serious injury in the event of a collision.
Never ever tuck the seatbelt under the child’s arms or behind their back.
A lot of times, it happens that the child releases the buckle or slips out of the harness, in that case, ensure the harness is adjusted correctly and that your child is comfortable. Children learn from you, so always set a good example in front of them by wearing your own seatbelt and being responsible.