Convertible Car Seats

You’ll likely buy no more important piece of safety equipment for your child than his car seats. Choosing and installing car seats may seem a bit confusing, because there are many styles and prices to choose from. However, choosing and using a car seat is serious business. Motor vehicle crashes claim nearly 1,800 lives and result in more than 274,000 injuries each year to children under the age of 14.

Convertible car seats are just one style of infant car seats. They are essentially designed to be your baby’s second car seat. They are meant for children who weigh between 20 and 40 pounds. They are called “convertible” seats because they can be used forward facing or rear facing.

Proper Use

It’s important that you use your convertible car according to the safety guidelines. The convertible seat should be used in a rear facing position until your baby weighs 20 pounds and is at least one year old. Then the car seat can be turned to the forward facing position for use until the child weighs at least 40 pounds (about the age of 4).

Choosing Your Seat

Your convertible infant car seat is the seat that will likely sustain the most abuse from your child because of the age he’ll use it through his toddler years. Therefore, it’s very important to purchase a durable car seat. Cheap convertible infant car seats are not usually your best bet. Don’t choose by price; choose by safety rating. Do your research and find the safest convertible car seats on the market. Then, when you’ve narrowed down your choices, use the following guidelines to choose the right one.

• Fit – Have your child sit in the car seat before you buy. Keep in mind that he’ll grow quite a bit before he’s finished with this seat, so be certain there’s room for growth.

• Good Straps – Choose a car seat with a strap system that’s hard to unbuckle. This will lessen the likelihood that your toddler will learn to unbuckle it and escape while you’re driving.

• Washable Cover – Be certain that your car seat’s cover can be removed and washed. Over the course of four years you’ll need to wash it quite a few times.

• Installation Ease – Make sure you can install the car seat! Experts estimate that about 80% of all children’s car seats in the US are improperly installed. If your car has the LATCH system, by all means use it, as it helps ensure that the car is installed properly. If you need help, ask for it. Many stores that sell car seats train their salespeople on proper installation. They may actually install the car seat for you when you buy, if you ask them. When I bought my first vehicle with the LATCH system, the car dealership installed my car seat for me using the LATCH system tethers.