Buying an infant car seat can be overwhelming because it’s such an important purchase. It’s likely to be the first baby gear item that you use after your baby is born and the item that gets the most day-to-day use during the first year of your baby’s life. Here are 10 tips for buying the right car seat for your infant:
1. Safety is always first. Always consider safety above all. Keep in mind that this is a purchase that is designed to save your baby’s life. You may be in love with the look or features of a particular car seat, but none of that matters if it isn’t safe. And remember, more expensive doesn’t equal safer. Consumer Reports crash test ratings and safercar.gov are a great resources when it comes to infant seat safety.
2. Pay attention to the height and weight limits. Different seats have different height and weight limits. Since you want your infant seat to last as long as possible, consider seats with higher height and weight limits (30+ inches/30+ pounds). You may want to switch seats before your baby hits either of the limits, but you won’t be rushed to do so.
3. Never buy used. There are many things you can buy used for your new baby, but a car seat shouldn’t be one of them. Always buy new infant car seats! That’s a purchase you won’t regret.
4. Decide which features you adore. There are MANY infant car seats on the market, so you will have to wade through many selections. Take the time to decide what your “musts” are when it comes to car seat features, and then pick the safest seat with those features.
5. Bases are important. While you can use a seat belt to secure an infant seat in the car (when done according to the instructions), car seat bases are so much easier. Check to make sure that your car seat comes with a base and if it doesn’t, how much additional it will cost, so you can build it into the purchase price. If you’re purchasing a car seat that’s part of a travel system, consider if you’ll be able to purchase additional bases for second car’s, grandma’s car, etc. You might think this is a minor thing, but I had friends purchase a travel system recently who wanted to purchase a second base and the company doesn’t offer the option.
6. Don’t discount the convertible car seat. Most, if not all, convertible car seats can be used for infants when placed in the rear facing position, so you can skip the infant bucket-style seat altogether if you’d like. It may not be as convenient if your baby falls asleep while you’re out and about, but it is an option if you’d prefer to invest in only one seat.
7. Check for recalls. Before you purchase an infant car seat, make sure you check for safety recalls. And once you do purchase an infant seat, be sure to fill out the information card so the company can get a hold of you in case of a recall.
8. Consider the weight and handle of the car seat itself. I can’t stress enough how often you’re going to be carrying this car seat, so besides being comfortable for baby, it needs to be comfortable for you. Take into consideration the weight of the car seat alone so you’ll have an idea how much you’ll be carrying around on a regular basis. I’ve reviewed car seats as light as 7 pounds, and I can tell you it makes a huge difference. And while lots of companies are changing their handles to be more ergonomic, some parents don’t prefer that option. The only way you’ll know is to try them out, which brings me to…
9. Test it out. Lots of stores will actually let you take the display car seats out of the store and try them in your car, you just have to ask. Walking with the car seat out to car should tell you if it’s easy to carry and putting it in your car should tell you if it’s easy to install. Just a few minutes of this hands on experience should help determine which seat is right for you.
10. You don’t always have to buy the travel system. Some people buy car seats based off of the travel system as a whole. Just keep in mind that a car seat is designed to save your child’s life and a stroller isn’t. Always choose the safest car seat despite your love for the entire travel system. If you find a travel system/car seat that you love, that’s great, but if not, buy the seat you trust and the stroller you love. Lots of strollers have optional adapter bars for specific brands of car seats, so you can buy any car seat you’d like and still use it.
Do you have any tips for buying the right car seat for your infant?
Great tips! I second getting more than one base for the car seat. It makes passing your kids off to your parents much easier. I’m sure I am not the only one who would rather not redo the car seat base every time my parents babysit or want to take the kids. You get really good at it, but it is so much easier to just click the seat in.