833-654-8733

 Email Us

Car Safety Seats

What to look for

 

Find out THE RIGHT SEAT – PDF

 

The seat needs to fit the child – fit the Vehicle – and be used correctly on every trip!

 

From the American Academy of Pediatrics.

 

Each year thousands of young children are killed or injured in car crashes. You can help keep this from happening to your child by using car safety seats and seat belts correctly on every single trip you take. Here are some helpful tips.


Which car safety seat is the best?

No one seat is the “best” or “safest.” The best seat is the one that fits your child’s size, is correctly installed, and is used properly every time you drive. When shopping for a car safety seat, keep the following in mind:

 

  • Don’t decide by price alone. A higher price does not mean the seat is safer or easier to use. All car safety seats available for sale in the United States must meet government safety standards.
  • When you find a seat you like, try it out. Put your child in it and adjust the harnesses and buckles. Make sure it fits properly and securely in your car.
  • Keep in mind that pictures or displays of car safety seats may not show them being used the right way.
Important safety rules
Rear-facing seats
Infant-only seats
Convertible seats (used rear-facing)
Features to look for in rear-facing seats
Forward-facing seats
Forward-facing seats
Convertible seats (used forward-facing)
Built-in seats
Travel vests
Booster seats
Seat belts
A warning about seat belt adjusters
Installing a car safety seat
Is the car safety seat buckled into the vehicle correctly?
Is the child buckled into the car safety seat correctly?
Installation made safer and easier
Tether Anchors Since September 2000
Car safety seats and shopping carts

COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT CAR SAFETY SEATS

What if my baby is born prematurely?

Premature infants should be observed by a health care professional in their car safety seats while still in the hospital to make sure the reclined position does not cause low heart rate, low oxygen, or breathing problems. If your baby needs to lie flat during travel, use a crash-tested car bed. Otherwise, use a rear-facing car safety seat without a tray shield. Shields often are too big and too far from the body to fit correctly. A small baby’s face could hit the tray in a crash. If possible, an adult should ride in the back seat next to your baby to watch him closely.

What if my baby weighs more than 20 pounds but is not 1 year old yet?
What if my child has special health care needs?
What if my car has air bags?
What if my car has side air bags?
What if my car only has lap belts in the back seat?
What do I need to know if my child will be driven by someone else, such as for child care or school?
Can I use a car safety seat on an airplane?
Can I use a car safety seat that was in a crash?
What about using a used car safety seat?

Never use a car seat that:

 

  • Is too old. Look on the label for the date it was made. Many manufacturers recommend that car safety seats only be used for a certain number of years. Check with the manufacturer to find out how long the company recommends using their seat.
  • Has any visible cracks in the frame of the seat.
  • Does not have a label with the date of manufacture and model number. Without these, you cannot check to see if the seat has been recalled.
  • Does not come with instructions. You need them to know how to use the seat. You can get a copy of the instruction manual by contacting the manufacturer or looking on the Internet.
  • Is missing parts. Used car safety seats often come without important parts. Check with the manufacturer to make sure you can get the right parts.
  • Is a shield booster. Although shield boosters are still around, the AAP ­recommends against their use. Major injuries have occurred to children in shield boosters. The only time shield boosters should be used is if the shield is removed and the seat is used with a lap and shoulder belt as described previously.
  • Was recalled. You can find out by calling the manufacturer or by contacting the following:
  • Auto Safety Hotline: Toll-free: 888/DASH-2-DOT (888/327-4236), from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm ET, Monday through Friday
  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) - Visit Website

 

If the seat has been recalled, be sure to follow the instructions to fix it or to get the parts you need. You also may get a registration card for future recall notices from the hotline.

Always read and follow manufacturer’s instructions


Don’t leave your child alone in or around cars


Children should never be left alone in or around a car whether they are in their car safety seats or not. Any of the following can happen when a child is left alone in or around a vehicle:


  • The temperature in a vehicle can reach a deadly level in minutes, and the child can die of heat stroke.
  • She can be strangled by power windows, sunroofs, or accessories.
  • She can knock the vehicle into gear, setting it in motion.
  • She can be backed over when the vehicle backs up.


Don’t leave your baby unattended in a car safety seat outside of the vehicle either. When your baby falls asleep in her car safety seat, it can be tempting to bring her inside and leave her alone in the seat, but this can be unsafe. Your baby can fall out of the seat, or the seat can fall over. The best place for your baby to sleep is on her back in a safe crib.


All products listed in Car Safety Seats: A Guide for Families 2007 meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 as of the date of publication. There may be car safety seats available that are not listed in this handout. The information is current as of the date of publication. Before buying a car safety seat, check the manufacturer’s instructions for important safety information about proper fitting and use.If you do not have the manufacturer’s instructions for your car safety seat, write or call the company’s customer service department. A representative will ask you for the model number, name of seat, and date of manufacture. The manufacturer’s address and phone number are on the label on the seat.

MANUFACTURERS NAMES ARE BOLDFACED.

Infant-only seats

Name

Harness Type

Rear-Facing
Weight Limits

Height Limits

Price


Baby Trend EZ-Loc, Flex-Lox, Latch-Loc Adjustable Back

5-point

5-22 pounds

28 1/2″

$79.99–$199.99


Britax Companion

5-point

4-22 pounds

30″

$199.99


Chicco Key Fit Infant Car Seat

5-point

4-22 pounds

30″

$150–$160


Combi Centre/ST/DX/EX

5-point

5-22 pounds

29″

$110–$130


Combi Connection

5-point

5-22 pounds

29″

$159.99


Combi Tyro/Tyro II Infant Car Seat

5-point

22 pounds

29″

$100–$149


Compass Baby LP Infant Car Seat

5-point

4-22 pounds

30″

$100–$140


Cosco Arriva

5-point

5-22 pounds

29″

$75


Eddie Bauer Comfort Infant Car Seat

5-point

5-22 pounds

29″

$100


Evenflo Discovery

3-point

5-22 pounds

19″–28″

$50–$60


Evenflo Embrace

5-point

5-22 pounds

19″–28″

$60–$90


Evenflo First Choice

3-point

5-22 pounds

19″–28″

$40


Graco Infant Safe Seat

5-point

5-30 pounds

32″

$129–$169


Graco SnugRide

3-point
5-point

5-22 pounds

29″

$69–$120


Orbit Baby Infant Car Seat

5-point

22 pounds

29″

$899.95


Safety 1st Designer 22

5-point

5-22 pounds

29″

$60-$80


Safety 1st Starter, Starter DX

5-point

5-22 pounds

29″

$70

Convertible seats

Name

Harness Type

Rear-Facing
Weight Limits/
Height Limits

Forward-Facing
Weight Limits/
Height Limits

Price


Britax Boulevard

5-point

5-33 pounds

1 year and 20–65 pounds
27″–49″

$299.99


Britax Decathlon

5-point

5-33 pounds

1 year and 20–65 pounds
27″–49″

$284.99


Britax Marathon

5-point

5-33 pounds

1 year and 20–65 pounds
27″–49″

$269.99


Britax Roundabout with Latch

5-point

5-33 pounds

1 year and 20-40 pounds
27″-40″

$219.99


Combi Avatar

5-point

5-30 pounds

20-40 pounds

$85–$100


Cosco Alpha Omega Elite (rear-facing, forward-facing, or booster)

5-point

5-35 pounds
36″

Forward-facing: 22–40 pounds; 40″ Belt-positioning booster: 30–100 pounds; 52″

$130–$160


Cosco Regal Ride

5-point

5-35 pounds
36″

22-40 pounds
43″

$40-$70


Cosco Scenera/DX

5-point
Overhead shield

5-35 pounds
36″

22-40 pounds
43″

$60–$90


Eddie Bauer Deluxe 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat (rear-facing, forward-facing, or booster)

5-point

5-35 pounds
36″

Forward-facing: 20–40 pounds; 40″ Belt-positioning booster: 30–100 pounds; 52″

$170–$180


Evenflo Titan 5/5 Deluxe

5-point

5-30 pounds

20-40 pounds

$60-$70


Evenflo Tribute 5/DLX

5-point
Overhead shield

5-30 pounds

20-40 pounds

$50-$60


Evenflo Triumph 5/DLX

5-point

5-30 pounds

20-40 pounds

$120-$140


Graco ComfortSport

5-point

5-30 pounds

20-40 pounds
40″

$69-$120


Safety 1st Alpha Elite, Alpha Sport, 3-Phase Convertible Car Seat (rear-facing, forward-facing, or booster)

5-point

5-35 pounds

Forward-facing: 22–40 pounds; 40″ Belt-positioning booster: 40–80 pounds; 52″

$179


Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite (rear-facing, forward-facing, or booster)

5-point

5-35 pounds

Forward-facing: 22–40 pounds
Belt-positioning booster: 40–100 pounds

$159


Safety 1st Enspira (rear-facing, forward-facing, or booster)

5-point Overhead shield

5–35 pounds 36″

Forward-facing: 22–40 pounds; 43″ Belt-positioning booster: 30–80 pounds; 52″

$100


Safety 1st Intera (rear-facing, forward-facing, or booster)

5-point

5–35 pounds 36″

Forward-facing: 22–40 pounds; 43″
Belt-positioning booster (high back and backless): 40–100 pounds; 57″

$140


Sunshine Kids Radian65 Car Seat

5-point

5-33 pounds

Up to 65 pounds
49″

$199.99


Sunshine Kids Radian80 Car Seat

5-point

5-33 pounds

Up to 80 pounds
49″

$299


Tripleplay Products Sit n’ Stroll

5-point

5-30 pounds

20-40 pounds

$200

Combination seats

(Can be used with 5-point harness or as belt-positioning booster.)


Name

Weight Limits/
Height Limits
With Harness

Weight Limits/
Height Limits as
Belt Positioner

Price


Cosco High Back Booster

22-40 pounds
43″

40-80 pounds
52″

$39–$59


Cosco Summit/Deluxe

22-40 pounds
43″

30–100 pounds
52″

$80–$135


Cosco Ventura DX

22-40 pounds
43″

40-80 pounds
52″

$40–$80


Eddie Bauer Adjustable High Back Booster

22-40 pounds
43″

40-100 pounds
52″

$129


Eddie Bauer Comfort High Back Booster

22-40 pounds
43″

40-100 pounds
52″

$90–$140