Buying advice Child car & booster seats

A child car seat should be high on your to-buy list. You'll need one to bring your baby home from the hospital and for every car trip with your baby thereafter. In fact, hospitals and birthing centers generally won't let you leave by car with your newborn if you don't have one. Every state requires that kids up to 4 years of age ride in a car seat; most require booster seats for older children.


WHAT'S AVAILABLE

The major brands of car seats you're likely to encounter are, in alphabetical order: Baby Trend (www.babytrend.com), Britax (www.britaxusa.net), Chicco (www.chiccousa.com), Combi (www.combi-intl.com), Compass (www.compassbaby.com), Cosco (www.coscojuvenile.com), Eddie Bauer (www.djgusa.com), Evenflo (www.evenflo.com), Graco (www.gracobaby.com), Peg-Pérego (www.pegperego.com), and Safety 1st (www.safety1st.com). There are also car beds for preemies and other very small newborns if there's a concern that a car seat may not provide a secure fit or that it may exacerbate breathing problems. In addition, there are specially designed car seats for children with physical disabilities. Ask your pediatrician for a recommendation or visit the Automotive Safety Program at www.preventinjury.org (or call 800-543-6227). Every model of car seat sold in the U.S. must meet federal safety standards. These are your basic choices:


Infant seats

These rear-facing seats typically are for babies up to 22 pounds. They allow infants to recline at an angle that doesn't interfere with breathing and protects them best in a crash, compared to a convertible car seat. Many strollers are now designed to accommodate infant car seats, or you can purchase an empty stroller frame that will accept many infant car seats. All infant car-seat models come with a handle, a convenience that lets you remove the seat and use it as a carrier. And nearly all have a base that secures to your vehicle with LATCH connections or a vehicle safety belt. LATCH, which stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children, includes belts that hook the base to metal anchors in the car. You can strap most infant seats into a car without a base, using the vehicle safety belts, and some people continue to do so.

Infant seats have either a three-point harness--two adjustable shoulder straps that come together at a buckle in the shell or a crotch strap--or even better, an adjustable five-point system--two straps over the shoulders, two for the thighs, and a crotch strap. The vast majority of infant car seats have five-point harnesses, but there are a few three-point models still around--though we recommend the five-point version.

The handle on infant seats usually swings from a position behind the seat's shell when in the car to an upright position for carrying. When using as a carrier, be sure the seat is reclined so that your baby's head doesn't fall forward and inhibit his breathing. Also, never place the seat on an elevated surface.

Slots underneath most seats help them attach to the frame of a shopping cart, but the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) doesn't recommend using them this way, and neither do we.

Pros: With an infant car seat, you can move your baby from car to house or vice versa without waking him up--a plus for both of you. Extra bases are available so you can keep a secured base in each of your vehicles.

Cons: Your baby may outgrow an infant car seat quickly and become too heavy for you to use it as a carrier. As a result, you may find yourself having to buy a convertible car seat after your baby is 6 to 9 months old. However, our advice is still to start with an infant seat before moving up to a convertible seat because it's more secure and compact for infants. We consider them the safest way to transport the youngest babies.

Price range: $50 to $250 for the seat and base; stroller frame sold separately. At least one brand of seat, the Orbit, is sold as a system-car seat base, infant car seat, and exclusive coordinating stroller frame. We have not tested the Orbit infant car seat system, which retails for $900.


Travel systems

A travel system offers one-stop shopping: It consists of an infant car seat, a car-seat base for your car, and a separate stroller all in one. With these systems, you create a carriage by snapping an infant car seat into a stroller. The snap-on car seat is generally positioned atop the stroller so the infant rides facing you-the person pushing. Once your baby can sit up, she can ride in the stroller seat. Many car-seat manufacturers offer these combination strollers/infant car seats. And many stand-alone strollers are now designed to accommodate infant car seats from various manufacturers.

Pros: A travel system allows you to move a sleeping baby in the infant car seat undisturbed from car to stroller and vice versa.

Cons: Some travel-system strollers can be used only with a car seat from the same company. A way around that is to choose a stroller that accepts car seats from a number of different manufacturers. Travel systems can also be bulky, so if you're a city dweller who negotiates more subway stairs than highways or if the trunk of your car isn't too roomy, you may be better off with a separate car seat and a compact stroller that's appropriate for a newborn.

Price range: $130 to more than $600.


A LOOK AT THE LATCH SYSTEM

Since Sept. 1, 2002, all child car seats with an internal harness (three- or five-point safety belt) and nearly all passenger vehicles sold in the U.S. have been required to include equipment designed for simpler buckling. This system, called LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children), consists of child car-seat connections that attach to anchor points in the vehicle-two lower attachments and an upper tether on a child safety seat that anchor and connect with lower anchors usually found in the crease of the vehicle rear seat, and a top tether built into a vehicle's back seat. LATCH eliminates the need to use a vehicle's safety belts to install the seat. You can still use safety belts to install a LATCH-equipped child car seat-for example, in an older car that lacks LATCH anchors. We think you are more likely to get a secure connection with LATCH. However, the system is not without its problems. We believe that infant car seats might be better secured if their bases were attached to floorboard anchor points in addition to existing LATCH anchors. Another improvement would be for the U.S. standard to allow for car-seat bases similar to many sold in Europe. They include a "foot" that adds stability in a frontal crash.

Another problem with LATCH is that anchors in many cars are hard to access. And most vehicles don't have LATCH anchors in the safest seat in the car: the center rear. It can also be hard to adjust safety belts to a car seat located in the center rear. General Motors vehicles are an exception; many have center LATCH anchors. And some Ford models allow parents to use the inner two LATCH anchors from the outer seats to install a child seat in the center rear. A big advantage of LATCH is that once you access the car anchors, the car seat typically fits securely. A tight fit is a major factor in crash protection. With LATCH, our testers are able to get child seats to fit tightly in almost all cars. With vehicle safety belts, a secure fit is hard to achieve in some cars.


DOWN THE ROAD

Here are more seating options for children riding rear or front-facing.


Convertible seats

With a convertible seat, your child faces rearward as an infant, then toward the front of the vehicle as a toddler. The seat can function as a rear-facing seat for infants up to 30 or 35 pounds, depending on the model, and as a front-facing seat for toddlers generally up to 40 pounds (a few have a 65-pound limit). Models typically have an adjustable five-point harness system-two straps over the shoulders, two for the thighs, and a crotch strap between the legs. A convertible car seat can be a money saver, taking your child from infancy to kindergarten and maybe even beyond. But we advise starting with an infant seat first, though, as mentioned earlier, then switching to a convertible car seat when your baby outgrows his infant car seat.

Use a convertible car seat in the rear-facing position until your baby is at least 1 year old and weighs 20 pounds or more provided the seat can handle that weight. If your baby weighs 20 pounds before her first birthday, she should remain rear-facing until she turns 1. Convertible seats aren't compatible with strollers, so you will have to transfer your baby from the convertible car seat to a carriage or stroller when you're ready to set out on foot. Such jostling can wake a sleeping baby, a problem if you need to take your child on frequent shopping expeditions or other errands.

Price range: $60 to $300.


Toddler/booster seats

Looking like large versions of convertible seats, these front-facing seats are used with an internal harness (three- or five-point safety belt) for toddlers 20 to 40 pounds, for most models. Some models, however, can be used with the internal harness at higher weights. The SafeGuard Child Seat, for example can be used with the harness for kids up to 65 pounds when attached with vehicle seat belts.

Toddler/booster seats are either LATCH-attached or can be secured using the vehicle belts and tethers. When kids reach 40 pounds, the seat becomes a belt-positioned booster seat (see below), which children can use until they're 80 pounds, although some models of toddler/booster seats go as high as 100 pounds.

Price range: $80 to $270.


Belt-positioning booster seats

These are generally for children weighing 40 to 80 pounds. Belt-positioning booster seats use the vehicle's own safety belts to restrain the child.

Price range: $20 to $130.


Built-in seats

Some U.S. and foreign automakers offer on select cars and minivans an integrated, forward-facing child seat that has a harness and accommodates toddlers weighing more than 20 pounds. There are also some booster-seat versions. Built-in seats must meet the same performance standards as add-on child seats. However, they offer little or no side protection and they're usually located next to a door, instead of the safer center position. You may also need proper child restraint for when your child travels in other vehicles.


SHOPPING SECRETS--FOR CONVERTIBLE CAR SEATS AND BEYOND

Make sure the seat is compatible with your car. Check the fit of any models you're considering in your own car. Even before that, though, we suggest placing similar-looking models side by side in the store to compare features. Place your child in the seat to get a sense of the ease of buckling and unbuckling. Then, if possible, bring the floor model to your car for a mock installation. Be aware that some vehicle seats are too short, indented, or excessively sloped to allow a good fit of a child car seat.

Try the floor model of a convertible seat in both the rear- and front-facing positions. Check out the harness release button in the rear-facing position; in some models it may be too low to reach comfortably. If the store won't let you take the seat out to your car to try it, make sure you can return any car seat you buy-or go to another store.

Check the store's return policy. If you're not happy with a particular car seat for whatever reason, it's important to know that you can return it and try again with another model. Be aware that a badly soiled or damaged seat may not be exchanged.


RECOMMENDATIONS: CONVERTIBLE AND OTHER CAR SEATS

Pay close attention to the height and weight limits of the seat you buy. As mentioned, we recommend starting out with an infant seat because that is the most secure seat for very young babies. Next, use a convertible seat in the rear-facing orientation up to the seat's limits in that mode, then switch the convertible seat around, and use it front-facing until your toddler reaches the next height and weight limits. After that, use a booster seat until your child is tall enough to use the car's safety belts, typically at least 57 inches and between 8 and 12 years old. Even with a seat belt, all children under the age of 13 should ride in the back seat.


INSTALLATION: GETTING IT RIGHT

When installing a seat for the first time, give yourself a good half-hour. If you can recruit a helper, even better. Here are a few pointers for making installation easier.

Read all about it. Consult the instructions that come with the seat so you're familiar with the seat before you try to install it. Also, check your vehicle owner's manual for information on how to use your car's LATCH anchors or safety belts with that car seat. Some car manufacturers also have a free how-to brochure or video that can help. Keep these instructions handy for future reference.

Position the seat. As we've mentioned, the center rear seat is the safest spot. You may have to place the seat next to a door if you have more than one small child; if there isn't a shoulder belt in the center (for use with a booster seat); if your LATCH-compatible vehicle lacks lower anchors in the center rear position and you don't want to use the center-seat vehicle belt; or if using the center rear seat would make the child seat unstable, among other reasons.

Secure the seat. Use your weight to push the child seat into your vehicle's seat (you may want to use a knee) while pulling the slack out of the car's LATCH strap or safety belt. With a rear-facing seat, adjust the angle as directed by the manufacturer, using the level indicator or other means to get the backrest of the car seat close to a 45-degree incline. With a front-facing seat for a toddler up to 40 pounds, use the top tether of the car seat. If the top tether is not in use, such as with a toddler/booster seat used as a booster, remove the top-tether strap or secure it so it doesn't fly around and injure your child in a crash. When you're securing an infant or toddler seat with a car's safety belt, you may need a locking clip so the lap belt remains tight. See the manufacturer's instructions for details.

Check the seat every time you use it. Whenever you buckle your child in, try shifting the car seat from side to side and back to front. It shouldn't move more than an inch in either direction. Make sure the harness straps fit snugly. Your overall goal: The seat must be buckled tightly into your vehicle and your child must be buckled snugly into the seat at all times.

Double-check with the experts. After you've installed the seat, make sure it's correct. You can find a free car-seat inspection station near you by visiting www.nhtsa.gov. The NHTSA site also has detailed instructions with photos for seat installation.

DON'T DO THE TWISTED-CAR-SEAT LIFT Lifting your toddler in and out of a forward-facing car seat can put stress on your knees, lower back, neck, shoulder, elbows, and wrists, leading to injury over time. That's especially true if you twist and lean into the car with both your feet on the ground. You'll probably catch yourself doing this unhealthy stretch once you become aware of it. A better idea: If your car seat is near the door, put one leg into the car and face the car seat as you're putting your child in it, advises Boston University's Diane Dalton. You'll take pressure off your back. If your car seat is in the middle of the back seat, climb in and face it as you lift your child in. Of course, positioning yourself properly can take a few extra seconds you may not always feel you have. Still, "It doesn't have to be perfect all the time," says Dalton. "But the more often you lift correctly, the better you're able to tolerate it when you don't." One other safety tip: Use the curb side (rather than the traffic side) when putting a child into your car or taking him out.