What brand of car seat is best to buy for my 4 month old?

Answer 1

graco and brittax both so great car seats for babies and toddlers.

Answer 2

I'm presuming here that you must be just getting a car now for the first time since your baby was born or maybe your old car seat got damaged. There's no reason to swap out an intact car seat at this stage. The second stage seat will only be needed when your child reaches about 20 lbs.

The manufacturers play on parents' paranoia as to which is the safest and people presume that the most expensive is the safest and best.

We went to Mothercare and bought their own brand baby transportation system. This had a buggy (with a rain cover included) and a cosy-toes (sleeping bag thingy), a car seat base and a car seat. We also bought an additional base so that we'd have one for each car.

It was very useful to be able to take our little girl out of the car still in her seat when she was sleeping without having to unravel the seat belt from the car seat. The car seat also clips into the buggy.

The buggy goes completely flat or sits up and will last until about 3 years old.

The other good thing about Mothercare rather than an online supplier is that their staff are very well trained and they will actually try your proposed purchase in your car and tell you if it's not suitable. If there is a fault after purchase, you have an actual place to take it back to, unlike an anonymous online retailer + they give you a courtesy replacement while yours is being fixed.

Answer 3

My hubby is a vol fireman and has seen lots of car accidents. When we got a seat he refused to get one that unclips to carry around and we got a 5 point latch seat that could be used for an infant and then turned around to a foward face position for use after 1 year. The pros to this are you can buy one seat and use it for 3-4 years and it is more secure and safe (at least in my hubby opinion which I trust as I have never worked an accident scene thank god). The cons are that these seats can't clip in and out so you have to move the baby vs moving the seat and they are bigger so they may not fit into the car as easy as those ones with a base and the seat clips in place. But for me the peace of mind was worth it.

As for brand-we went with Evenflo.

Answer 4

I would recommend Cybex car seats- there are two kinds, one that you can use for baby up to 15 kg, and the other (Cybex Solution-S) from age 4 to 12 (or until the child is 35 Kg in weight). It's a very safe, practical and sort of Rolls Royce of car seat. They are not that pricey, either. You can source them in the UK (www.kiddicare.com)or do an Internet search. I specifically wanted these and got them from Germany 6 months ago. Very pleased!

Look at cybex website, and you can make up your own mind!

Answer 5

Are you in the US?

Every brand out there is as safe as another provided they're USED CORRECTLY EVERY SINGLE TIME. You'll find the $40 Scenera is just as safe as the $450 Safeguard Child Seat if they're both in properly. If you're misusing the Safeguard, then it's less safe than the Scenera.

As a certified child passenger safety technician, there are two groups of seats we generally recommend. The first is the Scenera. It has the highest rearfacing weight limit in the US, 35 pounds. The shell is tall enough to generally accommodate children to that weight. The price cannot be beat, $40, and it fits in most cars without too much of a struggle (some require pool noodles to help with angle, and/or a locking clip). However, it's a pretty lousy forward facing seat, with low top slots (14.5") and a low forward facing weight limit, only 40 pounds. But at $40 for the 2-3 years your child will rear face in it, it's a bargain.

The other seat, or seats I should say, are the higher weight Britaxes. The three are nearly interchangable, which is why I put them together in one group. The Marathon/Decathalon/Boulevard. They range in price from $210 for the Marathon on sale up to $300 for the Boulevard or Decathalon. They have a nice and high rear facing weight limit, though not as high as the Scenera. 33 pounds. They have a rear facing tether, one of the two brands that offer this feature. They are very comfortable for the child and very easy to install in just about every vehicle. They don't require a locking clip, in fact they're not allowed. They have built in lockoffs. They sit up nice and high for the child to see out well. With the tether you can adjust the angle easily rear facing, so you don't need noodles or towels to help adjust. The seats forward face to 65 pounds and have a top slot height of 17" (seats are outgrown by height forward facing when the shoulders are over the top slot). The straps never twist, and they will likely last your child the entire six years of their lifespan. So you won't need to buy anything more except a booster at the end (assuming no other children to pass it down to). The Boulevard has true side impact protection with the head wings, and a headrest and harness system that you adjust with a knob, instead of rethreading the harness through the shell. The Boulevard and Decathalon have infant padding. The Decathalon has a slightly different LATCH system, no black bars for the LATCH attachments to ride on, which may be helpful if you're trying to fit seats tightly next to one another. The Decathalon also has a toddler pillow, and instead of a lever release for the harness it has a pushbutton release (little fingers sometimes find the lever, though you can solve this by sewing down the flap over the lever). The Marathon is the basic of the three, and the main selling point, besides the relatively amazing price tag, is the cover choice. There are probably 100 Britax made covers for the Marathon. College covers, patterns, girly, sporty, just about anything you could imagine.

So, as a CPST, those are my two general recommendations. They may change depending on your car, budget, child's torso length and growth pattern, weight, how often you'll be moving the seat, etc. but generally those are them. Keep in mind, though, that the best carseat is the one that will fit your child, fit your car, fit your budget, and will be used correctly 100% of the time. Any seat is safe if you follow those rules.

If you have more questions come over to car-seat.org and let us help you. Also, have your seat checked by a CERTIFIED safety technician (not just some guy at the fire/police station who does carseats, the only certifying body is SafeKids, and if they're doing seats they should have their SafeKids CPS card on them, ask to see it) and have them teach you how to install your seat properly every time you need to do it, and help you troubleshoot somethings that may come up that are specific to your situation, if there are any.

Answer 6

There is no one 'best' car seat for every body. The American Academy of Pediatrics says "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 base your decision on price alone. A higher price does not mean the seat is safe 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."

There are a few guidelines to follow, though. Don't get any seat that has a sheild/T-Bar. Don't buy a used seat if you can at all help it, unless it's from a trusted friend/family member. You put your child's life at risk when you buy a used seat. Seats only last for 6 years. 5 point harness is safer than 3 point harness. Kids should be kept rear facing AS LONG AS POSSIBLE! Not just to 20lbs./1year. They are safest when kept rear facing to the limits of the seat, look to purchase a seat that goes up to at least 30/35lbs.
Not all seats fit in all cars. For small cars, Evenflo Triumph 5 is a great seat, and they're coming out with a new one this summer that has a new higher weight limit of 50lbs., the current ones go to 40lbs. front facing/30lbs. rear facing. Great easy to use seats. Britax makes awesome seats that will last your baby a LONG time b/c they have high harness slots and higher weight limits, the roundabout goes to 50lbs, the marathon goes to 65lbs.

The Britax seats can be pricey, but ordering online can save you some money and they are plush, comfy, easy to use seats that you can get lots of use out of and come in an array of colors. It you're budget strapped, the Cosco Scenera (Walmart, $40) is a great option, it rear faces until 33lbs. and then forward faces to 40lbs. Look for seats with EPS foam, like what is in bike helmets, but don't confuse it with ESS foam which is just for comfort, not safety.

Your best way to choose a seat is to go somewhere like Babies R Us where you can try the seat out in your car before you buy it, or at least keep your receipt from wherever you purchase in case it doesn't fit well in your car.

To be an acceptable fit, a seat:
shouldn't move any more than 1" (and preferably less)
Pull your seatbelts out a little, do they lock and not come out any more? If not, pull the seat belt out all the way, and then feed it back in a little, do you hear a little clicking noise, and the seatbelt now won't come back out? If this happens you shouldn't need the little H-shaped locking clip that comes with your seat. If you have a pre-1997 car, you will need to use the locking clip!
Good luck!

P.S. I actually liked my son's Triumph so much, I reviewed it on epinions.com, see link below. It's a great seat for $120, has the easiest to use controls, no more tugging straps to tighten harnesses!

Answer 7

Without going into brand-name overload, and not knowing what car you have, I'd suggest going to Mothercare (or somewhere similar) and getting an expert to take you through the options - there are other options than just the name - how they fasten, are they integral with a pushchair, etc., so it's worth taking a bit of time to get it right for the most valuable cargo you're ever likely to carry!

Answer 8

I would go to the shop and ask them. I thought you just go in and buy a car seat off the shelf, but you don't. Certain car seats are only suitable for certain cars, we've two cars, so we had to buy one to that fitted both.

try Mothercare or halfords if you are in the UK.

Answer 9

Visit www.halfords.co.uk or go to to your nearest halfords store for the latest car seats with great offers.

Answer 10

You should invest in a good convertible car seat, like Britax. It's soft, has good extra features like the shield against hot buckles, and has great warranty and customer service.

Answer 11

Recarro bucket seat for kids there the business.