Hi friends! Today I'm partnering with The Baby Cubby to share all of the information you'll need to choose the right car seat for your little one.
The Baby Cubby is a great, one stop shop for all of your baby's needs. The Baby Cubby's team is made up of parents, just like us, who have been there and experienced the same things as us. They are passionate about encouraging, inspiring, and reminding parents that their role is so important! Hundreds of hours are spent researching the safest, best products, which are then made available to us. I love that I can shop stress-free knowing the research has been done for me. The Baby Cubby is not only a baby store, but a great resource for new parents and seasoned parents alike. Whether it's at their online store, their retail store, or engagement through their social media accounts, you can feel the difference. One of my absolute favorite things about The Baby Cubby is that they price match, even Amazon! They also offer free shipping on orders over $49. Now let's get to car seat shopping!!
Buying a car seat can be so stressful because there are so many different things to consider. My husband is police officer and also a child passenger safety certified technician so he's always able to help our friends with little ones figure out which car seat is best and install it for them. Without help, everything from safety ratings, seat location, latch systems, your child's weight - it can get so overwhelming! The Baby Cubby has a great information guide to break down all of the info you need. Their car seat stages guide is so user-friendly and so informative for parents. From infant seats to booster car seats, it's covered for your buying needs.
Before purchasing a car seat, there are a few things to consider:
- Your state laws - Every state has different child-restraint laws.
- Your car - Not every seat fits in certain cars. Go to the store and see if you can try the seat you are looking for in your car first before purchasing.
- Seat location - Some vehicles have LATCH systems and some do not. Some seats may only be able to be installed on the sides, whereas some seats have to be able to be installed in the middle back seat.
- LATCH system - LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. Car seats are now required to have LATCH systems, but some cars may not be LATCH compatible. If your car is not LATCH compatible, you will use the seat belt and tether. Do not use both the LATCH system and seat belt and tether at the same time!
- Weight Limits - It can be confusing to figure out the weight limit of a car seat. Is it a combined weight of the child and the car seat? Is it just how much your child weighs? This chart is so great for figuring it out!
- Expiration dates & accidents - Car seats expire! Most car seats have the date of expiration on the bottom or side and it's normally within 5-6 years of the manufacture date. If you are using a second hand seat, it's so important to make sure the seat has never been involved in a car accident and/or that it is not expired. If you are in a car accident (other than minor, which is determined by strict criteria) and the car seat is in your car, regardless of whether your child is in it at the time, it is no longer usable and now considered unsafe. Most insurance companies will replace the seat, which has actually happened to us twice so far.
Buckling Your Child
Once you have purchased your seat, it is SO important to buckle your child correctly. It drives me nuts when I see babies and/or toddlers buckled incorrectly. It's completely preventable and so important for their safety. For rear facing children, the top of the harness straps should be AT or BELOW their shoulders. For forward facing children, the strap should be AT or within one inch ABOVE their shoulders. The chest clip should be armpit level, not belly level nor collarbone level. Lastly, use the pinch test to make sure your little one is properly strapped in. The pinch test is to ensure you cannot pinch enough fabric, which means your little one is nice and snug in their seat. Also, if you live in a colder climate, do not put your child in a snow suit or bulky jacket in their car seat. We actually have "car jackets", which are thin flannel jackets that are only used in their car seat. Once we get to our destination, we dress the kids in their normal winter jackets. It's so important because those bulky layers create space between your child and their straps, which can be extremely dangerous if in a car accident.
Rear Facing or Forward Facing
Both of our kids are little peanuts so we chose to rear face as long as we could with Olivia, and will continue to do so with Charlotte. When Olivia turned three, she started forward facing. Depending on which state you live in, the laws may be different as to what age to forward face. This list a great guide that shows the four different types of seats. One of the brands The Baby Cubby carries just released a new convertible car seat and a booster seat and it is gorgeous! Um...such a mom thing to say, the little things that we love now ;) The Nuna AACE Combination Booster and the RAVA Convertible Car Seat are so nice!
I hope this guide makes your car seat buying experience successful and stress-free! The Baby Cubby is such a great resource that I hope you will utilize and love! P.S. - They're having a huge sale on diaper bags right now, run don't walk! ;)
