How to Buy a Car Seat
Choosing a car seat for your infant or toddler should never be done hastily. Take your time to read reviews online of different car seats, and compare features, both for safety and convenience. And with car seats, convenience means safer. If adjustments and installation are too difficult, you'll be more likely to rush and use the car seat improperly, putting your child at risk. Compare prices, but don't base your decision on cost alone.
Infant Seats vs. Infant to Toddler Convertible Seats
First things first, you'll want to decide if you are buying an infant seat or an infant-to-toddler convertible seat. The advantage of an infant-to-toddler seat is that you won't need to buy another car seat for awhile. However, infant seats are safer for small babies. A very young child will often slump in the infant-toddler seats, while infant seats are made to cradle newborns securely.
Also, infant seats usually come with a detachable base, so you can take the baby out of the car without taking the baby out from the car seat. This can be very helpful if your baby falls asleep, and you don't want to wake them when you arrive. Infant seats can also be used around the house to hold the baby (never place on top of a table).
Your best bet is to buy an infant-seat, and when it's time to graduate to the toddler seat, buy one that will last into the preschool years.
Restraints
You want to buy a car seat with a 5 point harness - this means it goes over the shoulders, over the thighs, and between the legs. This is the safest restraint available, and will keep your child most secure.
It's also important to look for a car seat with easy to adjust belts. You do *not* want a car seat that requires adjustments from the back of the seat. If it's too difficult to adjust, you're less likely to make adjustments when necessary, which will put your child in danger.
Convenience
Look for a car seat that has a removable cover, so you can clean it easily. Some car seats do not have covers that remove - I don't think parents designed these car seats. Kids spills things, have accidents, and get car seats pretty dirty, quite quickly. It's worth paying extra for a removable cover.
Also, be sure the car seat is easily installed in your car. You can (and should) have your car seat installed by a professional, often for free. Call your local police, and they should have information on where a registered car seat expert can help you. Still, you don't want to buy a car seat that is extremely complicated to install. So, watch for that.
Comfort
Not only should you feel comfortable with your choice of car seat - your baby should also be comfortable! Comfort is even more important for toddlers, because you will need them to corporate when it's time to sit in their seats. Be sure to choose a seat that provides a good amount of support, and, if you're buying for an older child, those cup-holders that come with booster seats are often thrilling for them. (If you can get one with a cup holder, just watch - the first thing they will want to do is buy a drink so they can try it out.)
Booster Seats
Speaking of booster seats, how do you know when your child is ready to graduate from their car seat to the booster seat? Your child is ready to switch to a booster seat are if he is at least three years old and weighs more than 40 pounds, or if he is too tall for the car seat. Your child is too tall for the car seat if his shoulders go higher than the top belt slots.
It's important to not switch your child to a booster seat just because they turned three (or four, or five). The choice should be made primarily on their height and weight. Kids usually need booster seats until age 8, but, again, don't make the choice to stop using a booster seat on their 8th birthday. They should stay in the booster seat as long as the shoulder strap fails to fall in the correct place.