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Women & Families
Choosing a Car Seat
By Joanne Helperin
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Does shopping for a car seat make you feel overwhelmed? There are so many makes, models and sizes that you might feel like walking out of the store — except that there's your child to worry about. Choosing a car seat is a little like choosing a dentist — it's painful, but it has to be done.
Types of Seats
The first question that must be answered is, what's the right seat for your child? Here are the basics about the different types of seats and some of their features.
Rear-facing, infant-only seat. For infants 5 to 20 pounds; some seats will hold up to 22 pounds. These have a handle that allow you to take the seated infant with you, and then snap the seat into either a frame or stroller. Many models also have a detachable base that stays in the car, allowing you to easily snap the car seat in without fooling around with the seatbelt. It's very important that the seat be angled correctly to protect the baby (45 degrees), so some seats come with angle indicators and built-in angle adjusters. Also look for harness adjusters and head support systems. Some infant car seats now come bundled with strollers and can snap into them (called "Travel Systems"). Personally, I prefer the Universal Infant Car Seat Carrier made by Kolcraft or the Baby Trend Snap-n-Go. They are compatible with most infant seats and have less bulk and weight than travel systems, but won't take you past the infant stage.
Convertible seat, which can face rearward or forward. For toddlers, 20 to 40 pounds; some Britax models go up to 65 pounds. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, you should keep your child rear-facing until he is at least one year old and has reached the highest weight or height allowed by the seat's manufacturer (check the manual). At that point, you should turn the safety seat forward-facing and make the following three adjustments before installing:
- Move the shoulder straps to the top slots or as they are described in the manufacturer's instructions. The shoulder straps must be at or above your child's shoulders. Check your instructions for any additional information on the placement of the shoulder straps that may be specific for your car safety seat.
- Move the car safety seat into the upright position. (Check the manufacturer's instructions for the recline angle allowed when forward-facing.)
- Route the seatbelt through the "belt path" marked for forward-facing.
Combination seat, which can be used with a harness or as a booster. They hold children ranging at least one year old and from 20 to 100 pounds (weight depends on the model). Sometimes called toddler/booster seats, these forward-facing seats can change from a five-point harness to a belt-positioning booster seat. Sounds practical. But in August 2004, Consumer Reports rated a number of 2004 model car seats and found some surprising results: the shoulder belt guide on some seats could prevent the belt from retracting properly in an accident. The only combination seat it could recommend was the Cosco Summit High-Back Booster. This is not to say all combination seats are inherently bad — Consumer Reports only tested three.
Booster seats. Will hold a child from 30-100 pounds, depending on the model. Also see our article: "Booster Seats: Fight the Good Fight." Children should not move from a full harness to a booster seat until they reach the top weight or height allowed by the car seat manufacturer. High-back boosters are for use in cars without a head rest or high seat back. They're also a good idea if your child tends to fall asleep in the seat, or if the seatbelt still doesn't fit properly with a backless booster. Avoid shield boosters altogether.
Built-in (Integrated) Seats. Most Volvos and Chrysler/Dodge minivans offer built-in booster or child seats as factory options. This certainly makes life easier, though you need to check carefully with the manufacturer to see what weight, age and height limitations exist. These seats do pass federal safety tests, but Chrysler had some problems with the seats' release mechanism in the late '90s.
Always buy a new seat if you can. If you want to use a friend's used seat, make sure it's less than six years old and that you know its history. (Was it in a crash?) You can check for recalled models at the Web site of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Check for recalled infant car seat/stroller combos at the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
What is LATCH?
In 2001, federal law began requiring new car seats and most vehicles to feature LATCH, or Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. If both a child seat and a car are equipped with LATCH, there's no need to use the seatbelts. LATCH is supposed to make installation easier, but sometimes makes it more difficult. (See article "Sitting Tight.") Consumer Reports found that LATCH-equipped seats were often difficult to install and sometimes performed somewhat less safely in their crash tests than those fastened with vehicle safety belts. Go figure. Considering that most people using vehicle seatbelts to install car seats do so incorrectly, though, LATCH is still a pretty good bet.
LATCH attachments come in rigid and non-rigid. Generally, the rigid ones are considered easiest to install (a simple "click and go") and release, but different seating cushions and placement of LATCH anchors can make installation impossible. Again, it all depends on what model of car seat and vehicle you're installing it in. And don't worry: Buying a car seat without LATCH is still perfectly fine. You can do a proper installation without it.
Other Factors to Consider
Will the seat grow with your child? What are the manufacturer's limits for a child's height and weight? If you have, or expect to have, a child on the large side (many infants are 20 pounds before their first birthday, for example), make sure to choose a seat that has higher limits.
Will it fit in your current or future car? Whether you're installing car seats in your current car, or buying a car with kids in mind, ask yourself a few questions.
- Is the seat bottom flat enough to allow the car seat to fit snugly? The bolstering in some sportier cars can make it hard for seats to sit flat.
- Do the belts allow you to secure your child's seat properly? Belt placement can make it hard to get the seat snug in some vehicles, even some LATCH seats. Is the seatbelt receptacle a stiff plastic piece, which can make it easier to install booster seats with one hand, or is it at the end of a free-floating belt strap? Does the angle at which the seatbelt receptacle projects out of the seat crack work with the car seat, or against it?
- Is there enough clearance for rear-facing seats in the backseat? For buyers of compact cars (VW Jetta, Mazda 3, Ford Focus, etc.), this might be an issue.
- Is there enough legroom for older kids in front-facing seats, or will they always be kicking the back of your seat? (One of our editors had this problem in the Subaru Forester, which is marketed as family-friendly.)
- To be sure a car seat will fit properly in your vehicle, try installing it before you buy it. Try it in all the different positions that it might go, especially the middle seat. Most middle seats aren't LATCH-equipped. Rear-facing infant seats usually do fine in that position, but older children need both a shoulder and lap belt. Use the standard (non-LATCH) seatbelt installation for the middle seats unless your child safety seat specifically says otherwise.
- Bear in mind that the third-row seat of any vehicle is extremely difficult for any adult to get to, and is best left to the booster seat crowd if possible.
Features for adults. Make sure the seat will be easy to use. The weights and handles on infant seats can be different — how does it feel when you carry it? Try opening and closing the harness fasteners on the seat to see how they work. Some European models, like Britax, may come with what's called a "puzzle" lock, where two pieces have to fit together like a jigsaw in order to safely secure the child. The Europeans consider this a safety feature, but it's also quite difficult for most people to use. If anyone besides you (such as a nanny or day care worker) will have to buckle your child into his seat, puzzle locks can be very annoying.
Features for children. Once you know what type of seat you want, you can also look for features that make riding more comfortable or fun for the kids. For example, is the harness easy to open and close, or will it take all day? Can the child open it himself? (Bad sign.) Does the harness have any padding to protect your little one in case the car sits in the sun and the metal parts become hot? (Ouch!) Are the straps comfortable for your child? Does the combination or booster seat have cupholders, armrests or mesh bags for the kids? Is the seat pad thick enough to provide cushioning during long trips? (This can be critical.)
Finally, if after you choose a seat and install it, your child isn't reasonably comfortable, the problem may not be your child, it might just be the seat. It's surprising how children react differently to different seats. Despite harness adjustments, one size does not exactly fit all. So before you make that purchase, ask the store what its return policy is. Consider it a love match — it might take a few tries before you find "the one."
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