With a growing family, it’s quite a busy time of any expecting parent’s life. This is also the time when you may thing about getting a bigger car and baby seat to go with it. What should you be looking for? That’s what we cover today.
6 things to look for when choosing a baby seat
There are 6 things that every expecting parent should consider so you end up with a seat that’s safe, comfortable and easy to maintain. With babies under 6 months old, it’s a rear-facing seat we need to look for.
Easy to use
When you’ve got a baby, the chances are that you’d need to get the car seat in and out more often than you think. This is where a baby seat that’s easy to install and clear instructions (not like the ones you get from IKEA!) help.
This will make your life so much easier. To do this, you can find the ease of use rating on Child Car Seat website.
Easy to adjust
Your baby will grow and so will the need to adjust the safety harness and the headrest. Car seats that have easy to adjust securing straps and headrests are the way to go.
Ask the salesperson at your local baby products shop to show you these adjustments before buying the baby seat.
Fitting it in the car
One of the most important things to look for is how easily can it fit in the car. Every car that’s sold in Australia which was made after 2005 will have either tether points and/or the newer ISOFIX securing points.
If your car has ISOFIX points as shown below, then they are much easier to use and will save you fitting time.
Baby comfort
When travelling with the baby, you would want them to be as comfortable as they can be. For comfort in a baby seat, you need to look for a baby seat with lots of soft padding, especially around the headrest. It’s quite easy to spot a seat that has the comfort. If unsure, feel free to feel the padding for its softness.
Side protection
Some car seats have side protection features that can help in case of an accident from the side. These are generally more expensive.
We believe having a safer car is way more important since its the car that will absorb most of the impact in an accident. Always look for cars with a 5 star safety rating.
Easy to clean
There is no doubt that with babies, spills will happen. You will need to clean the seats quite regularly so having one with a removable cover that can be washed is a bonus.
For advice on seats that have washable covers, please ask the salesperson at your local baby products shop.
Choosing the right baby seat
Finding the right baby seat is a must for all parents. By looking out for features that make the seat comfortable, easy to install, fit and clean will make your life a whole lot easier when travelling with the little one.
