One of the most important, some way say the most important, investments you can make for your child is an infant car chair. As well as protecting your child wile you are on the road and particularly if you are involved in a crash or accident, it is also a legality to have a car chair.

With so many to choose from, it can be overwhelming trying to find the best for your child. Let us help, with this post we will outline some great tips to help you find the right infant car chair for your little one.

Check Your Car Owner Manual

Before you set out shopping or start looking online, check the car owner’s manual so you can see where your car chair should go and how it should be installed. This information will help you better decide on the right seat, not just for your child but your car as well.

Choose The Appropriate Chair For Your Child

This may sound obvious, but it could be easy to get caught up in other factors, than the most important. You need to choose the most appropriate chair for your child, taking into consideration their height, weight and age. If you look at the owner manual for an infant car chair, it will normally specify the height and weight specification for the seat. To give you further help though, here is some of the common types of chairs and who they are best suited to.

• Rear Facing – Rear Facing chairs are best suited to infants and newborns and in fact many experts recommend that children remain in these types of chairs as long as possible. The best way to determine if your child is too big for a rear facing chair is if their head is below the top of the seat by 1 inch.
• Forward Facing – Forward Facing chairs are only suitable for children over the age of 2 and who are at the maximum weight or height for the chair.
• Booster Seats – Booster Seats are only suitable for children that are heavier than 40 lbs. It is often at the age of 8 years old or thereabouts that a child may be able to sit in an adult seat without a booster. You should always check the shoulder and lap strap fit snugly before allowing them to make the change though.

Calculate The Amount Of Room You Have in Your Back-seat

For instance, if you have a smaller car, a car chair with a larger base might not fit, meaning you may have to choose one with a narrower and smaller base.

You also need give consideration to the people who will be sitting in the back seat with your child. How many other children do you have? Measure the back seat before buying an infant car chair and take your measuring tape with you to check chairs you are interested in.

Make Installation An Easy Task

The chair itself should have clear and specific instructions outlining how you should install it. You can make it easy for yourself by choosing a car chair model with a diagram and text. But, don’t rely just on the instructions on the chair. Check the instruction manual too, so that you have as much information at your disposal to get it right the first time with as little stress and frustration as possible.

Hopefully you will find these tips helpful. For more help, you should also take a look at this infant car seat review.