What are all the different types of car seats?
In most of my First Aid classes we usually have some good discussions on car seats and where children should safely ride in the car. As our children get older it can seem so confusing; there are infant seats, car seats, combination seats, convertible seats and booster seats. There are also questions on where to seat children in the car and when are they old enough or big enough to no longer need child safety seats. Laws vary from state to state so it can be confusing! This is part 1 of several posts on car seats. This post will go over the different types of seats.
Please note that all infant and child car seats should be placed in the BACK seat of your vehicle. This is regardless if you have front seat airbags or not. The ONLY exception to this are pick-up trucks with no rear seat.
Infant car seats are small infant carriers, some people call them ‘baby buckets’. They have a base you install in the vehicle and the seat attaches to the base. You can easily carry the infant carrier outside of your vehicle and many stroller models have attachments designed for the infant carrier to snap into for parents’ convenience. Infant car seats are placed rear-facing in the back seat of the car.
Child car seats are designed to be forward facing for children older then age 1. Basic child car seats are forward facing only. Each manufacturer will clearly state in the directions and on the seat what the weight range is for the seat. Most child car seats are convertible seats.
Convertible car seats are designed to be both rear-facing and forward facing. The weight range that the seats are rated for vary by manufacturer so make sure you read the directions and information on the seat before purchasing it.
Combination car seats are a cross between a car seat and a high back booster. They have 5 point restraints like car seats, but the seat is shaped like a high back booster. As your child gets older you can discontinue using the 5 point restraint and use a regular car safety belt.
High back booster seats allow you to safely use the vehicles seat belts on your child. The seat allows the child to sit higher and usually has guides for the seatbelt so that the belt is appropriately placed from the child’s shoulder to hip and across the lower abdomen/upper thighs. Again different manufacturer’s recommend different heights and weights with these seats. Different states have guidelines on use of boosters with kids.
No-back booster seats are the most economical of boosters. They’re basically the bottom of the high back booster. It allows your child to sit higher so that the seatbelt stretches appropriately from shoulder to hip and across the lower abdomen/upper thighs. These are good for older children who still need to sit higher, but need a deeper seat than the high back booster provides.
Both types of booster seats make the seat a bit narrower than your vehicles regular seat. If you child is petite or if your child slides back and forth on the seat while seatbelted then booster seats are good way to make sure they are secure in the vehicle.
Gail Klanchesser is a MoM of 4 and the owner of Coastal CPR and First Aid, LLC located on the New Hampshire Seacoast. She regular writes and blogs on CPR, First Aid, and Safety topics topics as well as her random life with kids. You can follow Gail on her blog , Twitter, and Facebook.
http://www.aap.org/family/Carseatguide.htm
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