If you are facing a transition of your little angel from baby to toddler, then you must think about the transition of the car seat of your baby from an infant car seat to a toddler car seat.
You must be thinking about the best car seat for your toddler. Are you thinking about this? I know your situation. You may be confused with dozens of features of toddler car seats. You don’t know which toddler car seat is good or which is not good? What to look out for when to buy a toddler car seat?
OK! I am going to make it easy for you. I am going to tell you about the important features of the best toddler car seat so that you can easily pick the right toddler car seat. You just have to focus on some important points while you buy a toddler car seat.
Just read this blog. Believe me, dear. You will get enough info about the best toddler car seat.
Table of Contents
Common types of car seats for toddlers:
There are many common types of toddler car seats.
- Rear-facing toddler car seats are designed for rear-facing only. They are best for newborns and toddlers that are little bit weak. If your toddler is somewhat weak physically, the rear-facing car seat is good. It provides maximum protection to the toddler.
- Forward-facing toddler car seats are designed for forward-facing only. These car seats are very good for toddlers. When you see that your toddler is now secure to shift from rear-facing to forward-facing car seat, do this. Your toddler will enjoy this transition from rear-facing to the forward-facing car seat. But you must use a five-point harness for a forward-facing car seat. Without this five-point harness with the forward-facing car seat, there is a risk for our toddler. Don’t make this mistake.
- Convertible car seats are very useful car seats. These car seats are easy to transition from a rear-facing car seat to a forward-facing car seat. Most of the parents prefer to buy a convertible car seat. This car seat is expensive than other car seats. But if you buy this car seat once, it will be useful for the transition of little angel from an infant car seat to a rear-facing toddler car seat and then from a rear-facing toddler car seat to a forward-facing toddler car seat easily. But the issue with these convertible car seats is their weight. As they are fairly heavier, so you can’t easily shift them from one car to another car. This makes these convertible car seats a bad choice for many parents.
What to look for in a toddler car seat?
There are many risks associated with a toddler car seat. Here is what to look for in a toddler car seat. You have to decide based on these risks.
- The first and most important point to consider in a toddler car seat is the Safety of a toddler car seat. Without the safety of a toddler car seat, there is nothing to see in this. As per the directions of the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, it is quite easy to determine the safety of a toddler car seat. There is a simple rule. As long as possible, keep your baby in a rear-facing car seat. When you face difficulty in keeping your baby in a rear-facing car seat, use the forward-facing car seat then. But with a forward-facing toddler car seat, make sure to use a five-point harness for maximum protection of the toddler in the car.
- The second point is the ease of installation of the toddler car seat. There are two designs normally available in the toddler car seats. One is the universal system that attaches to the universal points of your car. The second is the LATCH system. This system is complex. LATCH system also works in the limit of specific weight. If the weight is more, the LATCH system will not work.
- The fabric of your toddler car seat is also important. If the fabric is irritating, your toddler will cry in this car seat. Not only this, but you also see the fabric of the toddler car seat by the point of washing the seat. Try to buy fabric that is easy to clean or wash.
Change car seat with the growth of your toddler
The growth of your baby is the best part that parents enjoy from the core of their hearts. But like clothes, this growth makes things useless with time. The same is the case with the car seat of a toddler. So, you will need to change car seat with the growth of your toddler.
First, you use a rear-facing car seat for baby and toddler, then move to the forward-facing car seat with five different points of buckle for harnessing.
Then you do the transition from forward-facing car seat to the booster that uses the seat belt of your car without buckles.
Safest point in the car for toddler car seat
According to the reports of different car crashes, experts recommend that center of the back seat is the best point for your toddler. Try to install the toddler car seat in the center of the back seat of your car. According to the survey, 13% survival rate increases in the toddlers sitting at the center of the back seat of the car.
Used Toddler car seats vs New Toddler car seats
Many parents purchase a new car seat for their infant. After that, they purchase used car seats for their toddlers. But this is a tricky thing. You must be very careful while buying a used car seat for your toddler. Used car seats mostly lack safety in comparison to a new toddler car seat. If you have money, don’t go for used car seats. Try to buy the new toddler car seat. If you are planning more babies in the future, then don’t worry, your money is safe then. But if you are seriously short of money, then buy a used toddler car seat.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, toddler car seats are very important for the safe travel of your toddler in your car. Don’t go for money. Instead, look at the safety of your toddler. If weight is not an issue and you have your own car, I suggest you go for a convertible car seat. You can also use the LATCH system of installation But if you don’t have your own car, you can buy a forward-facing car seat for your toddler with universal installation points.