You will purchase a lot of baby gear. And some of it you will find is … not useful. Like shoes and a tie for your three-month-old (yes, I had that, thanks for asking). Other pieces will be enormously useful, and some are required — in that latter camp, we have the car seat.
If you have a car, or ever plan to drive in a car, you need a car seat. In many places, they will not even let you leave the hospital without one.
Purchasing a car seat is, however, oddly confusing. Infant versus convertible? Snapping versus not snapping? Does it need to rotate? In this post, I’m going to try to simplify this decision-making, and then we’ll answer a few questions.
Note: I’m focusing on the car seat you buy now, for your infant. There will be more car seat choices down the line, but let’s leave the question of 4-year-olds for later.
Are all car seats safe?
Here is the good news: car seats are regulated by the government for safety. You can tell if a car seat is approved by looking for a label with this language:
“This restraint system conforms to all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards. This restraint is certified for use in all motor vehicles and aircraft.”
This doesn’t help you pick the type of seat, but it does tell you that you can be confident that the ones you buy are approved.
Infant or convertible?
Your baby will start out in an infant car seat, facing backward. This is the car seat you imagine — a cradle-like seat that tucks them in. Within this, you have two options.
Option 1: Buy a smaller version of this, which will be the right size for a year or so, and then plan to buy a “convertible” car seat in around a year. Convertible car seats can face either forward or backward. Down the line, then, when your child gets a bit older you’ll buy a forward-facing seat with a five-point harness.
Option 2: Buy a larger version of this, which could last up to two years, and then plan to move into a forward-facing toddler seat (with a five-point harness) directly.
There are tradeoffs here. The advantage of option 2 is it is overall less expensive. Even though the larger car seat is generally a bit pricier, you skip the middle step.
The disadvantage is two-fold. First, the larger infant seat is heavier and it may be less comfortable for a child close to 2 than a convertible car seat. Second, you may want your child to face backward for longer than two years, and you may end up needing a convertible seat anyway.
Neither of these options is the “right” one. Both are fine, and whether one dominates or not is actually hard to predict. What if you have a second child and you can re-use the car seats in some configuration? What if regulations change and kids have to face backward for longer? This decision doesn’t matter very much, so do not obsess over it.
Other common questions
Do I need anything else to go with the car seat?
If you are going to be taking the car seat in and out of the car a lot (which most of us do), you will want to get a base to go with it. The base stays in the car, and the seat clicks into it. You can install the seat without the base, but this makes it easier.
You may well also want a stroller base that the car seat snaps into. This can be great for transitioning a sleeping baby from a car ride to a walk (or vice versa), and it saves the need for another stroller. These bases fold up easily, once you figure out how to do it (pro tip: practice in advance).
Are some brands of car seats “better”?
There are sources (like this one) for car seat crash-test ratings. From a safety standpoint, if the car seat is approved, it has hit a very high safety standard. Beyond this, it’s not clear that the differences are really important enough to sway your decision.
Like all baby gear, you may like some better. Some have swivel bases, or attach to a fancier stroller. Sometimes they come with shade hoods (very useful). You might like a car seat “system.” All of this is just preferences, though, not safety.
Can I use an expired or used car seat?
Car seats have expiration dates. This is true for a few reasons. Plastic can degrade over time, and straps can get less tight. Safety standards also change, so it is possible that a 20-year-old car seat wouldn’t be up to our modern safety standards.
This expiration date is not, of course, like expired milk. Plastic degrades very slowly, and marginal changes in the tightness of straps are likely unimportant. There is some judgment here. Reusing your car seat for kid #2 and going a year past expiration is very different from buying a 15-year-old car seat at a tag sale.
The other problem with purchasing a used car seat is that you do not know its history. Generally, if a car seat has been involved in an accident, use is not recommended, since it may have been damaged. Unless you know the full history of the car seat, new is best here.
How should I install my car seat?
You can read instructions online about how to install your particular car seat or car seat base. In addition, most towns and cities will offer help on this, either from the police or the fire department. This is especially helpful if you are installing a base that can just stay in the car, so you’ll know it’s in right.
The bottom line
- All car seats sold are regulated for safety and must meet federal standards, so any approved car seat is a safe option.
- You can choose between a smaller infant seat that lasts about a year or a larger option that may last up to two years.
- Car seats have expiration dates due to degrading plastic and evolving safety standards. You should avoid a used seat unless you know the full history, since prior accidents could compromise its safety.
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