How to Choose Toddler Car Seat

How to Choose Toddler Car Seat: [Details Guide]

Are you having a hard time to choose toddler car seat for your family kid? Maybe yes. If not, then why do you come here?

Baby safety is more crucial than anything in our world. We know how parents hurry to provide them with the best protection in the world. A safe toddler car seat may sound simple, but an essential item. And today, we will tell you how to choose a toddler car seat.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has made some recommendations for parents about the toddler car seat. When you are on a trip with your family, they care about the safety of your family, especially the toddler. We come up with the best toddler car seat buying guide.  

How to Choose Toddler Car Seat?

Before purchasing a car seat, you need to go through a thinking process. Mainly, this thinking process adapts to the comfort of your toddler. Here we will talk about the considerations you need to make before choosing the best toddler car seat for traveling.

  • Type of the car seat: We talked about the main type of car seat available in the market. Depending on your child’s age, weight and height, you will choose the perfect type of car seat.
  • FAA Approval: A car seat is not just for cars only. If you are traveling via airplane, FAA means Federal Aviation Academy. As a convertible car seat is an excellent option for air travel, the product needs to be FAA approved. FAA approves specific car seat models depending on the weight of your child. Especially children on 20 to 44 lbs. Check out if the seat is FAA approved or not.
  • Weight: A car seat should be sturdy and portable, but the seat needs to be lightweight. Looking for the best lightweight toddler car seat is always a must. I recommend you get a car seat with around 10 pounds of weight.
  • Width of the car seat: Checking out the width of the car seat is also essential. Depending on which vehicle you are traveling is also a critical consideration. If you are looking for a car seat for an airplane, I should inform you that an airplane seat’s width is around 14 to 23 inches. Check out the width of your car seat.
  • Convertible or not: You should check if the seat is convertible. If you get one, you can save a lot of your money alongside ensuring your child’s safety.

Infants and toddler

  1. Rear-facing
  2. Rear-facing convertible

All infants and toddlers must get a rear-facing car seat. If their age is less than 2 years, going for the rear-facing car seat is the best option.

Preschoolers

  1. Convertible forward-facing
  2. Forward-facing car seats with a harness

When your child has outgrown to use of a rear-facing car seat, going on with forward-facing seats can be the best choice. Especially, you should use a forward-facing one with a harness as long as possible.

School Ages children’s

  1. Booster Car seat

When your child’s weight or height exceeds a forward-facing car seat, you need to use a booster seat. When your child reaches the height of 4.8 inches or more, you need a booster seat. The most forward-facing car seat can hold 65 pounds of weight. If the weight exceeds 65 pounds, going for a booster seat is the best choice.

What Car Seat Position Is Safest for Toddler?

Both baby car seats and booster seats are made for keeping the Baby safe and sound on a ride. Whether you admire it or not, it is a plain truth. According to The American Academy of Pediatricsa rear-facing seat is the best position to keep toddlers safe. They should sit rear-facing until they reach the maximum toddler height, weight, and age limit. Parents should keep their toddlers rear-facing for at least 2 years or more.

There are two types of car seats for a toddler. Some car seats support both front-facing and rear-facing, like convertible car seats. We will recommend you look for the best rear-facing toddler car seat. We will now talk about the types of toddler seats in detail. 

Toddler car seat type:

  • Rear-facing
  • Rear-facing convertible

Rear-facing toddler seats are only used for maximum of 2 years. After that, you cannot use it. You have to buy a new baby car seat of the pre-school age type. On the other hand, the rear-facing convertible toddler seat is like the market’s regular convertible car seat. You can transition the convertible seats from toddler to pre-school and booster mode.

Why Do You Need a Toddler Car Seat?

For your child’s safety, you need to use a car seat. Well, this is the first thing we have for the answer. We are going to talk about the American FAA later in this content. Anyway, they recommend that you should use an infant restraint device while traveling. If your toddler is below 2 years old, using a car seat is a must, especially when traveling via airplane.

A toddler car seat is hardy and can keep your child on put. Just to let you know, you don’t need to buy an additional car seat. That leaves you to your own choice. But for the safety of your child, you should get one.

We also recommend you to buy a stroller, when you market for baby car seat. You may think about hassle of installing, but we have talked about how to put car seat stroller with some best stroller examples. When you buy a toddler seat, you will need it.

We have recommended about the best three newborn car seats. You can check the specifications and quality. They meet most of the point we have picked in our guide. otherwise, visit online market, check the specifications randomly. You will get a suitable toddler car seat.

FAQ

When do I switch the toddler car seat?

When your baby reaches the age limit of the toddler car seat, you have to switch it. Generally, after the baby is 2 years old, you need to change the toddler seat.

How long will I use a car seat?

You can use a baby car seat until it expires. But if your child reaches the seat limit, you will need to change the car seat.

What is a forward-facing baby weight?

The baby’s forward-facing weight is set from 40 to 120 pounds. In some car seats, it starts from 50 pounds.

Final Verdict

Choosing the perfect toddler car seat for your precious little one can be a challenge. We hope our guidelines about how to choose a toddler car seat will help. Now, you should find a toddler car seat within a short time. If you follow our guidelines, a hundred options on the market cannot confuse you. And don’t forget to follow our toddler car seat installation guide. If you think installation is hassle, then this guide is for you.

Good luck, and keep all your travels safe and comfortable!

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