If you’re a mom debating on what car seat best suits your car this is the perfect read for you.
There are a few questions you will need to ask yourself before purchasing a car seat: Will it fit in my car? Is it safe? How easy is it to install? What are the car seats' best features? Will my child fit properly? And can I afford it?
Answering all of these questions is crucial when it comes to making your decision. Once you’ve answered these questions there is this handy article on the NHTSA website that asks you a couple more questions to find the perfect car seat for your child. From there you can compare all of the car seats to see which ones fit you and your child’s needs.
Car Seat Safety Guidelines
In the state of Texas, infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing car seat until they are two years old or until they have reached the highest height or weight requirement that is allowed by the car seat’s manufacturer.
If your child is over the age of two and has outgrown their rear-facing car seat, they should start using a forward-facing car seat with a harness.
Once they get to the ages of four to eight, depending on the forward-facing car seat’s weight and height requirements, your child can switch to a belt-positioning booster seat.
You can find out the exact height and weight requirement for a car seat by clicking the article that is linked above. It will ask you for your child’s birthday, height, and weight to find the right car seat for you.
This article can also help you in finding out which car seat can be used throughout all stages of your child’s life. Just make sure to look at the chart and details next to each individual car seat.
Which side is the safest for my child’s car seat?
Hospitals will tell parents that the safest place to put their car seats is in the center. There are a couple of issues that parents could have with placing the car seat in the center. Sometimes car seats won’t be properly installed, there is a hump or the seat is too narrow, or recovering moms who have had cesareans wouldn’t be able to lean that far.
Research shows that 41% of parents put their child’s car seat in the rear passenger side. Placing the car seat in this location does have benefits like being on the sidewalk side whenever putting your baby in, having easier access when placing your baby in the car seat, and whenever you’re driving you can check on your baby easily.
Even though the safest location to place your car seat is the center, it is more important for the car seat to be installed properly and correctly than to have your baby in the center.
Which vehicle seats three car seats comfortably?
It’s important to note that your vehicle size will be a deciding factor in which car seat is best for you. If you are searching for a bigger vehicle, these are some you should be looking for depending on what vehicle type you want.
Top 2022 Vehicles based on Makes and Models:
Mini-van: 2022 Toyota Sienna
Mid-size/Full-size SUV: 2022 Kia Telluride
Crossover/Compact SUV: 2022 Toyota RAV4
Truck: 2022 Ford F-150
Sedan/Hatchback: 2022 Honda Accord
The vehicles listed above are the number one choices for each category. This article from the Kelley Blue Book website has lots of other options that you might like.
More Resources
This article from the Clek website can also give you more helpful information on crash tests that have been tested for kids' car seats.
Even though our auto technicians are not CPS-certified, you can search for a technician near you using this search box. Just fill in your basic information like your city, state, county, and postal code. This will point you to the closest technician in your area and will have all of their contact information. If you’re looking for more child safety and family content, come back and read some of our future blogs.
Give us a call at (210) 341-1171 if you have any more questions or concerns.