To transport a baby in a car, you will definitely need a comfortable and reliable car seat. This device ensures that the newborn's body is properly secured, preventing even the smallest injuries. For this, most modern cars are equipped with special universal mounts on the rear seats. Why you should use a child car seat
Carrying small children in road transport without the use of specialized seats is prohibited in accordance with the current legislation of most developed countries of the world. Standard belts are designed for the size and weight of an adult. Therefore, additional restraint is needed to provide protection to the newborn.
Newborns do not yet have a reliable musculoskeletal system. Their bones are still too fragile, and the muscle corset is weak. Even the smallest traffic accidents can harm your baby's health. In the event of sudden braking or collision, individual body parts are displaced by inertia, which often leads to serious injury.
Carrying a baby in your arms is almost as dangerous as it is without a car seat. The physical strength and speed of a person's reaction turns out to be insufficient in order to reliably protect the vulnerable child's body. The crash test results showed a high probability of an unfavorable outcome at speeds above thirty kilometers per hour.
Types of car seats for babies
Today, you can find many types of child car seats on sale. By design, they are divided into the following three categories:
- Infant car seats. Used to transport the smallest children and do not provide the maximum level of security.
- Car seats. They are suitable for all ages and are characterized by the highest possible security.
- Boosters. They are not used for transporting babies, as they are intended for children weighing 19 to 36 kg.
The infant carrier is mounted in the rear seat perpendicular to the direction of travel of the vehicle. In them, the child's body is fixed in a lying or reclining position. The bottom of the cradle is often made curved so that the baby can be rocked outside the car. Children very quickly grow out of the overall dimensions of such a device, forcing parents to look for a suitable model again.
Infant seats are usually rear-facing. This provides a high level of protection in frontal collisions and heavy braking. According to statistics, such devices reduce the likelihood of irreparable damage by more than 70%, even in the most serious accidents. You can use such a seat until the baby's weight reaches 10-13 kg.
Instructions for choosing a car seat for babies
The chair should be selected based on considerations of the child's safety. The device should be pleasant, comfortable, and ideally suited to the car model and the physical capabilities of adult family members.
Mount
All modern infant car seats can be divided into two groups according to the type of attachment used. Fixing the device on the standard car seat can be done in the following ways:
- Isofix mounts;
- seat belts.
Standard Isofix fasteners are rails with metal brackets mounted in the rear seat of the machine. This type of fastening is considered the safest and easiest to use, so most modern European car models are equipped with it. The design of the brackets completely excludes incorrect installation, even in the absence of experience. In the USA and Canada, their own analogues of the Isofix system are distributed, called LATCH and Canfix, respectively.
Most often, manufacturers use standard three-point straps. This type of fastening is less convenient, but it can be used even in cars that do not have special fasteners. Isofix system models can also be secured with straps if no other fastening elements are provided in the machine.
Practicality of upholstery materials
Upholstery materials should provide a high level of comfort for a small passenger. Strict sanitary and hygienic and operational requirements are imposed on upholstery fabrics. Most often on sale you can find models with covers made of the following material:
- natural or synthetic fabric;
- finely dressed leather;
- suede leather;
- velours.
It is unacceptable to use synthetic or natural fibers that can cause an allergic reaction or irritation. The upholstery should be easy to clean and pleasant to the touch. Covers made of cotton, linen and hypoallergenic artificial fibers have proven themselves best. Upholstery made of velor, suede and natural leather is well suited for the cold season, but in summer, due to the high air temperature, these materials can cause discomfort for the baby.
The frame of the product is made of metal or durable plastic. The main structural elements are designed in such a way as to effectively absorb impact energy, reducing overloads to a minimum.
Car seat manufacturer
One of the most important parameters of an infant car seat is the manufacturing company. Product stress testing is performed at the proper level only by the most conscientious manufacturers. The product of a little-known Asian manufacturer, most likely, will not meet the declared protection parameters.
The world's leading brands achieve a high level of protection even against extremely dangerous side collisions. You need to focus on the marks of the ECE-R 44-03 and 44-04 standards. Pay attention to the following manufacturers:
- Cybex;
- Maxi-Cosi;
- Romer
The quality of the child seat depends on the materials used to make it. Overly available models can contain hazardous chemicals, allergens and dyes.
Car seat type
For the transportation of babies, devices of groups 0 and 0+ are intended, which are rarely made stationary. On sale you can find the following mobile versions of car seats for babies:
- Portable. Such models have a special carrying handle, which makes it easy to move them with the child. The third most important characteristic of such products (after safety and comfort) is the mass of the structure.
- At the base of the stroller. Models of this design can not only be carried separately, but also installed on the wheelbase of the stroller.
- With an adjustable backrest. The adjustable backrest angle makes it easy to switch between sleep and wake modes. Since babies cannot yet hold their heads, they need to be in a position as close to horizontal as possible.
All this allows us to provide comfortable conditions not only for the baby, but also for his parents. The ease of handling a child car seat is considered one of the most important criteria for assessing its safety.
Additional features and accessories
To increase the level of comfort and expand functionality, car seats can be equipped with a wide range of additional accessories:
- set of interchangeable covers;
- screen for protection from direct sunlight;
- rain cover;
- a set of toys;
- Warm bag for the cold season.
How a child should sit in a car seat
With any dangerous car maneuvers, the life and health of the newborn depends on the correct position of his body. For children under one year old, it is recommended to be placed with the back forward in relation to the direction of movement of the machine.
The backrest angle of a car seat is very important. Optimum values are in the range of 30 to 45 angular degrees. This provides maximum protection for the baby's neck, abdomen and spine during collisions. In the cradles, children are located lying down, which corresponds to the anatomically correct body position. However, most carrycots are not strong enough to provide adequate protection.
The use of pillows and rollers made of soft fabric will help to reliably protect the newborn's head from collisions during transportation. But experts recommend using for this only those products that came with the car seat.
The car seat is a guarantee of the safety of the baby on the road
Some parents believe that using a car seat is detrimental to their child's back health. However, studies have shown that this seat supports the baby's head well, ensures a more correct body position, and also contributes to the correct development of his spine.
A quality car seat is the only effective way to protect your baby while traveling by car. Even if you have to move to a short distance, you should not risk the health and life of the baby. In just half an hour on the road, anything can happen.
It is best to use a full-fledged car seat from a renowned manufacturer. If there is no money for a new one, you should not take a cheap Chinese analogue. It would be more correct to get a used model of proper quality.
!
In the following articles, our experts will tell you how to choose the right car booster for your child.
Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a purchase guide.
