Before you buy car seats - here are some important points to remember

We are often asked which of the many car seats is the best car seat on the market. The truth is, the best car seat is the one that fits your vehicle, your budget, your baby and that you will fit properly each time your baby goes out in the car. Here are some important points to help you choose which car seat is the best choice for your baby.

• Which is the safest car seat?
• It's weight not age that matters
• Can you install and use the car seat easily?
• Does the car seat fit your car?
• Are used car seats safe?
• Keeping your baby safe as long as possible

It's weight not age that matters

Use your baby's height, weight to choose the type of car seat to use. Once their weight has been factored in, then look at other issues such as their development, height and character to help narrow down the choices. Click here to see our table to help you choose which Group of seat you should be looking at. If you're not sure about something please seek some prefessional advice - as this case study shows not all babies are the same!

Case Study:

Nicky's baby girl is 9 months old and all her friends' babies are in forward facing seats already. Nicky's concerned because her baby's legs look squashed in her infant carrier. Should she move her baby into a Group 1 seat? All her friends think it's OK.

She goes to the shop where she bought her infant carrier for advice. The fitter finds out that Nicky's baby is just 9kg, so could (in theory) move forward facing. But, he notes that the baby isn't all that confident sitting by herself yet. The baby's legs do look squashed but explains that her head is not even close to the top of the seat and she's certainly not too heavy for the seat. He recommends that Nicky wait another few months before buying a Group 1 seat. Why?

The fitter explains it's much safer for a baby to travel in their rear facing seat for as long as possible because it offers better support for the baby's head, neck and spine in a crash situation. Nicky gets the fitter to check which Group 1 seats fit her car there and then, but delays her purchase. 3 weeks later, Nicky's car was involved in a serious accident - fortunately because Amelie was in the right seat for her weight and stage she survived the crash unscathed.

Does the car seat fit your car?

With so many vehicle seat styles and seatbelt lengths it's not possible for all car seats to fit in every vehicle. So, it is essential to find a car seat that can be installed so that it hugs the contours of your vehicle seats, can be fitted tightly (less than an inch of side-to-side wiggle) and at the proper angle with no buckle crunch (see Common fitting problems). It's wise to try before you buy ; it may be that you need to try a few before you find one that fits properly. At babyworld.co.uk we have RoSPA (Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents) accreditation and we offer a car seat fitting service, for more information click here. To find your local free Fit Check locations contact your Road safety officer or check out RoSPA's website.

If you can't try before you buy always check the return policy to be sure you can return the seat if it doesn't fit the vehicle.

Can you install and use the car seat easily?

The most expensive, feature-rich car seat won't be safe if you don't take the time to read the directions and install it properly every time it is used. Check the car seat fitting instructions to be sure you can install and use the car seat as it is intended. Can you adjust the harness to secure baby in the car seat and can you adjust the harness as your baby grows? Will you get the belt routing right, and tight each time?.

Are used car seats safe?

Our advice, don't buy a second-hand car seat. However, we know how tempting it is to accept a seat from a friend, especially when you're on a tight budget. So if you do accept a seat, you need to know, and trust its history - it must not have been involved in any sort of crash.

Car crashes, even slight ones can cause hidden damage to car seats; the car seat could fail in a second crash, putting your child at risk of serious injury. You need to ask yourself if it's worth putting your child's life at risk for the cost of a new car seat?

Keeping your baby safe as long as possible

The best advice here is to keep your child in a car seat with side-impact protection until they're about 11 or 12, and perhaps most importantly to keep babies rearward-facing for as long as possible. Many seats today offer higher rear-facing weight limits, and this is a good option to choose. Only move them to a forward-facing seat once they have reached the maximum weight for the baby seat, or the top of their head is higher than the top of the seat. Only move your child to from a Group 1 seat to a Group 2/3 seat once they have exceeded the maximum weight for the seat, or their eyeline is level with the top of the seat.

From September 2006 new legislation means that until your child reaches 135cm (4ft 5in) tall an appropriate child restraint must be used in the front and back seats i.e. a Group 3 car seat. This will mean your child will need to be in a car seat for longer, so choosing seats that grow with them will be important.

Which is the safest car seat?

• Check that it's the right Group /type of seat for your baby/child's weight, size and development
• Check it fits your car properly
• Check that you can fit it properly and adjust it as your child grows
• Then look at other features that might make the seat "easier" to fit or more comfy for your child

If you have a premature or low-birth weight baby you may wish to consider the latest lie-flat technology in car seats. Click here for more information.

Where to next?

• Read our other features on car seat safety
• Talk to other parents about travelling with tots in our Travel discussion forum
• Get the lowdown on Isofix car seats
• View the isofix seats in the babyworld shop
• babyworld shop offers the only RoSPA accredited car seat fitting service in Oxfordshire