When it comes to safe car seats, one needs to read a lot before they make a purchase. Buying a car seat requires that you have sufficient information about the features that can make the car seat experience better. A car consists of many parts, accessories, comfort features and so on. This is more so the case when it comes to car seats. You want to buy a car that has seats that make your ride safe and comfortable at the same time. For people who will be driving for long distances, a safe car seat is one issue they have to be on the lookout for. If you will be carrying a child or a baby along, then the safest car seats should be your topmost priority when you are deciding to buy a car.
So, when we talk about safe car seats, what exactly does this entail? What are some of the features that you need to consider in this regard?
Well, here are the features that should be included in the safest car seats, especially baby car seats:
They should be easy to install
This is a very important feature that one needs to consider when buying a car seat. Most of the time, you will be buying a car seat for a baby and this means that it should be easy to install so as to save time when installing it. Does the car seat come with a latch system or does it have metal hooks? What kind of a seat belt installation is done for the seat? This is something you have to be wary of, especially for the babies who have already outgrown the weight capacity recommended for the latch system. Does the seat come with a lap and shoulder seat belt or a lap-only seat belt? Does this system help to hold the seat in place? If there is a locking system for the belt, this could be a much safer car seat to buy since it holds the seat in place.
Should have easy harness adjustments
You should consider a car seat that makes it easy to secure the child through the harness of the seat. When the seat is front-facing, it is advisable that the harness height should be at the child’s shoulders or below it. As for the seats that are forward-facing, ensure that the harness is placed above the child’s shoulders or above the head. Well, one of the best safety features to look out for when considering the harness is that the harness height needs to be adjusted with a knob or a dial and instead of a seat that needs to be removed and the harness straps to be threaded.
The seat should have a crash impact protection
The purpose of safety seats is to protect the child and the parent in the event of a crash. There is no parent that would want to envision a crash when they have children in tow. However, anything can happen and this is the reason safety seats need to be custom made for the passengers such as children and babies. Some seats will have side impact protection in the event of side collisions. There are others that come with a bounce-back feature for the seats that are front-facing. When deciding to buy a car seat for a child, have it custom fixed and custom made for the kid just in case of a crash.
Should be sized correctly for the child
The seat needs to be sized correctly for the needs of the child. This has to be done based on the age of the child, the weight, as well as the height of the child. However, you should not be in a hurry to move a child from the current seat size to the next size until they outgrow the current safety seat. A correctly sized seat for the child will give them the best comfort during the car rides.
Consider side impact protection and side wings
It is common knowledge that accidents don’t always happen from the front. As such, one needs to buy car seats that have protection for this kind of an accident, just in case. Seats that have side wings are good for this kind of risk. Side impact protection pads should also be available to help protect the baby in the event of an accident that happens from behind. These features are good at protecting the baby’s spine and head just in case an accident happened.