How To Buy A Car Seat For Your Newborn

Bringing home baby is one of the most exciting things you can do. Nevertheless, knowing what type of car seat to bring your baby home in, is something many people struggle with. Whether it is a convertible or an infant car seat, or what features you need to be on the look-out for, we are here to help you figure all that out. Buying a car seat for your newborn is likely to be very expensive and also one of the most important purchases you will make. Here are a few tips to help you along the way.

1. Read Your Car Owner’s Manual

Before buying the car seat, you will need to read the car owner’s manual. This is to see if the car seat should be attached using the LATCH system or seat belt. Newer cars tend to employ a LATCH system. Knowing this in advance will help you decide what kind of car seat you should get — belt or LATCH.

If you will be buying a car seat with a LATCH system, check to see if you know where all the attachments go in your car. You want to have attachments such that you can put the car seat in the middle, back-seat position, which just happens to be the safest spot for the baby.

Finally, measure the car seat so you know what size car seat to get and so you can factor in the number of passengers you will usually have at the back and how many other car seats you need to have. 

2. Go for a Convertible Car Seat

Newborns grow very quickly in their first two years and car seats are expensive, so you don’t want to be constantly buying car seats. Your best bet is a convertible car seat that you can adjust as your baby grows. Broadly, there are two kinds of car seats, rear-facing and convertible. The convertible starts off facing the rear but can be converted to face the front as the baby grows. Convertible car seats are safe, but they do come with a drawback: you can’t take them on and out of the car the way you can with an infant car seat. 

3. Think About Getting a Car Seat Stroller

Now, it is true that convertible car seats can save you a lot of money, but sometimes parents find that they need to be able to move a sleeping baby in its car seat, even if that means changing car seats as the baby grows. This is a legitimate concern and to address this, parents should look at getting a travel system, which would consist of an infant seat and a stroller, which are often sold at a discount when bought together. 

4. Buy the Safest Seat Possible

Safety is of primary concern for a parent. Thankfully, all seats are tested according to exacting safety standards by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association. Technology is constantly improving so you should try and get a new seat rather than a hand-me-down. Look at getting a Nuna car seat, for example.