Choosing the Best Car Seat

The best car seat is one that:

  1. Fits Your Child
  2. Easy to Install and Use Correctly Every Time
  3. Fits Your Car

Further Research

1. Fits your child

There are many, many things to take into consideration before deciding which car seat suits your child's age, size, weight, etc. We recommend that you do careful research (with your child's vital statistics written down in front of you) before selecting a car seat. Numerous sites are available to help you choose the right type and style of carseat for your child. While some are admittedly easier to navigate than others, all of the most important information is available. Take your time, and read everything thoroughly. Selecting a car seat is not a decision to be taken lightly.

Two good places to start are the Car Seat Buying Guide created by a group of Child Passenger Safety Technicians, and The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Child Passenger Safety Pages. Numerous Bulletin Boards and Discussion Forums available online where you can post questions and get answers-from CPS Techs, as well as other parents:

2. Easy for You to Install and Use Correctly Every Time

The best, most expensive car seat in the whole world isn't worth much at all if you don't install and use it correctly. Choose a car seat that you find easy to use, so that you'll always use it right! Get to know your car seat so well that you'll be confident buckling your child safely and securely in the dark with pouring rain while your child is screaming (because this WILL happen, guaranteed). Some seats have extra features to make them easier to use, such as front rather than behind-the-seat harness adjustment, no-twist harness straps, even mechanics that tighten the tethers automatically. Cheaper car seats skip these "extras", so there is usually a trade off between higher cost seats and those less expensive models that require extra attention each time you use them. We recommend getting as many ease-of-use features as you can for the price you can afford; since a car seat that is easily installed should be easier to install correctly.

LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. Instead of using the shoulder belt to hold your child seat, tethers with clips on either side of the safety seat to attach to anchors. Cars build after 1999 should have at least two lower anchor points (in the crack of the back seat) where you can attach your LATCH tethers. LATCH is not inherently safer than using the shoulder belt, but LATCH often gives safer installations because it tends to be so much easier to do, and you can leave them in place without regular re-adjustment. Check your vehicle manual to see if you have LATCH anchors. Older model cars can be retrofit with the anchors, sometimes free of charge from a dealership.

Note that if you plan to have your child in the center of the backseat (which is the safest position in your car), you will probably have to use the seat belt system, even if your vehicle has LATCH. In most cars, only two LATCH positions are provided: one behind each of the front seats. Check your car's manual for further details. If you have to choose between LATCH on the side or the belts in the center, try the belts. As long as you get a good fit in the center, it is going to be your safest option.

Check out our Buying Guide page to find help in making your own short list of seats that will best meet your needs.

3. Fits Your Car

Now that you've found out what kind of seat your child needs, you should narrow the list to a few seats that have the features you'd like. You need to find out if the seats you like best will fit in your car. Below are some great resources that we've put together:

Further research