Top Rated Car Seats
What are some of the top rated car seats on the market?
One of the most important purchases you will make for your baby is a car seat. It is vital that you take this purchase seriously, as the life of your baby literally may depend on it one day. That is why I strongly recommend setting aside a big portion of your baby budget for a top of the line car seat and doing all of your homework before making the final purchase.
The prices on most car seats can range anywhere between $50 all the way up to $400 or more, but many mid-range car seats can offer outstanding protection and the most expensive car seat is not always the safest. Please remember that.
Best Rated Car Seats
Car seat manufacturers rarely release any documented test crash ratings, and even the usually reliable Consumer Reports did a retraction in 2007 on some of their recent testing results.
You can at least rely on government test ratings, right? Surprisingly, the US government only rate car seats with a passing or failing grade. Sadly, the ratings for these car seats are much less stringent than in other countries around the world.
So basically you really have to really do your research and make the best possible decision with the knowledge at hand.
What Should I Be Looking For In A Car Seat?
Keep in mind that there is no universally “safest car seat” you can buy. Each car seat sold in the US has passed the government’s safety and crash test regulations, but not all of them are created equally.
When buying a car seat some of the most important things for you to consider are:
- Side impact protection – this is a critical component of any safe car seat as studies have concluded that side impact crashes account for more injuries than frontal and rear impact accidents combined. Keep in mind that manufacturers will boast about their new side impact protection advancements, but all of them test differently.
- Five point harness – this is easily considered the safest harness on the market and is more likely to prevent your baby from being thrown from the car seat in the event of an accident.
- Front harness adjustment – you most definitely want to find a car seat that is easily adjustable. You will be putting your baby in this seat countless times and it is paramount that you can adjust the harness to the proper snugness each and every time.
- Chest clips – you will want to look for models that use chest pieces that clip together, preferably a two piece chest clip. This will help prevent your baby from wiggling loose
- Head impact protection – many newer car seats are now being manufactured with better head protection, including side impact head protection. This is a feature you may want to highly consider in the car seat you buy.
Simply buying the safest car seat you can find is not enough. Please remember that the best car seat in the world can’t protect your baby if it isn’t installed properly. This is why you should always have any car seat you install properly inspected by a Child Passenger Safety Technician at your local hospital or police station.
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