To ensure your wee one doesn't end up injured (or worse) in a crash, choosing the right child seat should be a top priority for any family driver - but with so many seats available, it can be a nightmare choosing the right one.
In an accident, an unrestrained or incorrectly secured child becomes the equivalent of a human pinball. Sounds harsh but being thrown round the cabin or even out of window is a very real and life-threatening risk for an unharnessed child - so belting them up is essential and also a legal requirement.
While many child seat manufacturers offer the online ability to enter your car's details to check if their seat will fit in your motor, Buyacar recommends that you go along to a retailer and see the seat in person. There are three key advantages - one, you'll be able to see just how well your child fits and how comfortable they are. Secondly, you can double check the seat does fit properly and thirdly, the retailer's child seat specialist can take you through the installation procedure so you learn how to fit the seat correctly; despite the introduction of ISOFIX (see below), some seats can still be a bit of a fiddle to fit the first few times.
Baby and child seats come in all shapes and sizes; a key feature to bear in mind though is how it is secured. Some simply use the car's existing safety belts to secure the seat while others use the ISOFIX system where you can 'plug' the seat into special fixtures that are nestled in the back seats of most modern motors; the latter option while pricier offers a more secure and easier way of fixing the seat into position.
Babies should always be seated in a rear-facing seat and must never be placed on the front seat if your car has airbags fitted - an airbag going off can cause serious injuries to your loved one. Once your baby has either outgrown their first seat - he/she is over 9kg Autel ms609, can sit up unsupported and/or has outgrown the seat (the top of their head pokes above the top of the seat) - you can then move them into a forward-facing seat.
There are many swanky options available - from seats that can turn to face the car door to make placing or removing your child much easier through to seats that can recline the toddler into the ideal sleeping position. Do your research, check out reviews online and in the press, and make sure you get the seat you are happy with; after all, you could be stuck with your choice for years MK808TS.
Finally, do yourself and your child a favour and don't cut corners. Buyacar recommends that you always buy new; while the idea of picking up a used unit might be tempting, you'll have no real idea where it's been, how it's been treated and if there are any hidden problems. Also, child seat development improves year on year so it pays to buy the latest - after all, it's more important to secure your child as safely as possible than it is to secure a bargain...
Ben travels throughout the world visiting various car shows and seminars and gets to sit in some of the most amazing new cars. Ben is a family man and a passionate car enthusiast who is fortunate enough to work in the car industry writing car news and reviews on the up and coming cars before they hit the roads. Ben started off as a car dealer but is now writing a book on the car industry.
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