14 Smart Ways To Spend Left-Over Newborn Car Seat Budget
Choosing Between an Infant and a Convertible Newborn Car Seat
A newborn car seat, also known as an infant safety seat or baby car seat, helps protect babies from injury and death from car accidents. They are fitted with a harness that distributes restraint forces across the child's body and head instead of the spinal cord and neck.
They are available in rear-facing and convertible versions, and with the option of varying weights and height limits. They can also be part of an entire travel system that snaps into and out of a stroller base.
Rear-facing
Rear-facing infant car seats provide unbeatable protection in accidents for infants. They are designed to support and cradle children, while protecting their neck, spine and head. They also help to reduce the impact of a crash to prevent your child's body from being hit, reducing injuries. This is because your child's body isn't hitting the car seat or front passenger seat, but rather a soft, padded surface inside of their car seat.
Parents should ensure that their child is rear-facing until they reach maximum weight or height limit of their car seat, as per the AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). At around the age of 1, children will outgrow their infant car seat and be moved to a convertible seat that can be oriented forward. Many parents will keep their child in the rear-facing seat until their child turns two.
There are two main kinds: infant-only car seats and convertible car seats. Both are equally secure, but each offers different advantages. For example, infant-only seats are smaller, lighter and have an easy release base which can be easily removed from the car, and then reattached to a stroller base. Convertible car seats are larger and heavier, and do not have a built-in base for strollers.
It is important to use the back seat, regardless of the type of seat. It is also recommended to put tightly rolled washcloths or blankets between the crotch strap and your baby to ensure there isn't any slack in the harness. Ensure that the lower anchors of your car seat are correctly installed and are connected to the lower attachment points on the lower anchor bars.
Research shows that babies who are facing the rear of the car are less likely to be injured in a car crash. Car seats with rear-facing seats allow babies to be less impacted when they crash into the car's front, in contrast to the rear which could result in serious injuries.
Forward-facing
The majority of parents have given lots of thought to their infant's car seat. It was an important item on your baby registry and the method you used to bring your child home from the hospital. You may think about changing the car seat to face forward as your child gets older. It's important to keep it in mind that your child isn't ready until they reach the weight and height limits established by their car seat manufacturer.
Rear-facing is recommended until your baby weighs at least 20 pounds and reaches the age of one year. This is because babies younger than a year don't have strong enough neck muscles to withstand the whiplash that results from being caught in a crash and thrown forward. Additionally they are at a higher risk of suffering spinal injuries in head-on collisions.
You can purchase a convertible car seat or an all-in one seat that will allow you to keep the child rear-facing up until the child is at the weight and height limit of the seat. These are typically bucket-style infant seats that have a base to install in your vehicle. They can also be removed from the base and attached to strollers to form travel systems. They typically have lower weight and height restrictions than standard car seats.
You can also purchase an extra booster. These seats are fitted with a harness and can be transformed into a booster seat which allows your child to wear a seat belt once they are ready. The main advantage of this type of car seat is that it will remain in your vehicle throughout the child's life making it easy to transport your child from one vehicle to another.
It doesn't matter which car seat you pick be sure to read the instructions and follow the guidelines. It's also a good idea to speak with a certified car seat safety technician to ensure that the child's car seat is set up and used properly. It is not uncommon for parents to misuse car seats, and even the most well-intentioned parents can cause injury to their children. It is best to read the instructions on the car seat and follow the guidelines of a CPST.
Convertible
Many parents opt for convertible car seats for newborns since they can expand with your baby which allows them to safely travel from the time of infancy until toddlerhood. These seats are cheaper than car seats for infants and have an extended lifespan. However, it is important to select a seat that is simple to install and will fit in your vehicle. Also, make sure you buckle up your baby in the correct way each time.
Snug straps prevent the head from shifting to the risky chin-to-chest position that can cause strangulation or asphyxiation. Many infant car seats come with straps that are loose or not buckled which pose an extremely risky safety issue. Straps that are not buckled can result in an unbalanced neck, which has been the cause of numerous accidents. The crotch buckle could pose a risk in the event that it is not secure enough to pass the pinch test. This test determines if the crotch buckle is close enough to prevent a newborn's legs from sliding down the seat, leading to them getting cut or trapped.
Some convertible infant car seats come with an adjustable torso height that lets you alter the height limit to suit your child's development. The torso's minimum height should be equal to the height of your infant's shoulders or one inch lower. Some models include an infant insert to help bring your child up to the proper height for the seat.
The best convertible newborn car seat should be a snug fit, comfortable padding and a narrow base that lets you install it in your vehicle. It should also feature an incredibly tight, snug harness that passes the pinch-test and a small tight-rolled blanket or towel for emergencies. It should also include an tether strap that is attached to the anchor points on your vehicle, which can reduce crash injuries by cutting down the impact force on your infant. It should also include the travel set, which is a stroller and car seat that can be used to transfer your baby from the car to the stroller.
Safety features
When choosing the right car seats for their newborns parents must consider a myriad of things to take into consideration. Car seats are an essential purchase for new families, as their correct use can reduce the chance that a child will suffer an fatal motor vehicle crash injury by 71 per cent. The decision between a baby car seat and a convertible car seat is based on a few key factors such as safety features and compatibility with your vehicle, and ease of use.
Car seats for infants are created with the delicate body of a newborn in mind. They usually come with the base that is able to stay in the car and the carrier snaps into the position, making it simple to move your baby from the car to stroller and back again without disturbing them. car seat for newborn come with a crotch as well as a harness built in to ensure your child safe.
Some infant cars are also equipped with side impact protection, which is designed to disperse the force of collision away from the baby's neck and head. Foam, metal, and plastic absorb energy and shield the baby's face from direct contact with a vehicle's frame or any other object involved in the event of a collision. Some come with a special pod that extends beyond the door to protect the child's head.
Another safety feature that is becoming more common in infant car seats is a chest clip that holds the harness straps flat across your newborn's chest. This stops the straps from pinching or twisting at the shoulders, which can expose your baby to higher risk of injury. If you select a seat with this feature, make sure that the chest clip is placed at armpit height. It is also important to avoid dressing your baby in bulky outerwear that might interfere with the fit of the harness.
No matter what kind of car seat you pick make sure it's installed in your vehicle in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Look for the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system. The system is comprised of an attachment that clips onto the lower anchor points of your car and an tether that is attached to an anchor inside the vehicle. If your car does not have LATCH, a seatbelt can be used to secure the car seats.