Trying to decide what the safest car seat for your child is can be one of the most important decisions to make concerning your child’s safety. You want to be sure you have one of the safest car seats on the market since this product will protect the safety of your child.
There are many different brands of car seats such as Cosco, Combi, Chicco, Graco, Evenflo, Britax, Baby Trend, and many more, so be sure to research as many different brands as possible to see which ones are available within your budget.
The maximum weight and height limits can play an important role in choosing the right car seat for your child. If you purchase an infant car seat that has a higher weight limit, it will allow you to use the product longer, therefore you get more for your money. Make sure you also look into how much an extra base might cost for an infant car seat. Some extra bases can cost up to $100, which adds a significant amount to the final price of the car seat.
Evenflo is one of the most affordable brands for infant and toddler car seats. Evenflo toddler car seats range from around $35 up to $200, and infant car seats are around $50 to $180. The Evenflo Discovery 5 infant car seat retails for about $55. An extra base for this car seat retails for around $30.The Evenflo Titan Sport toddler car seat retails for around $80, making it an affordable and highly recommended choice.
Evenflo is not rated as well as other brands for their ease of use according to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, however they did have mostly 5 stars when it came to installation features and their instructions.
A popular brand for many child products is Graco. Graco is in the middle of the pricing spectrum, offering infant car seats as low as $85 all the way up to $180 through some retailers. They have quite a few more options compared to other brands for the type of car seat, fabric choices, and specifications.
A popular choice among their infant car seats is the Snugride 30. This car seat can hold an infant from 4 pounds up to 30 pounds, and the height of the child can be up to 30 inches. This particular car seat retails for around $140, and it is rated one of the best infant car seats currently on the market. This is a good option if a premature baby is possible, since there are not many car seats that can accommodate a baby as little as 4 pounds.
An extra base for this car seat retails for about $50. Graco has plenty of choices when it comes to toddler car seats as well. The My Ride 65 toddler car seat retails for around $160. Rear facing, this car seat can hold a 5-40 pound child, and forward facing it can hold a child from 20 pounds to 65 pounds. This car seat can also be used as a booster seat, allowing children up to 100 pounds.
Britax is one of the highest rated manufacturers for car seats. While they are one of the most expensive brands, you can rest assured that your little one will be well taken care of while riding in the car. They are the highest rated manufacturer for car seats by many for the best infant car seat and the best toddler car seat. Britax has two different infant car seat models- the B-Safe and the Chaperone.
The B-Safe infant car seat has an MSRP of $179.99. The weight limit for this seat is 4-30 pounds, and the height limit is 32 inches. The Chaperone has the same specifications as far as height and weight are concerned, however it has a few more bells and whistles, making it the more expensive of the two. MSRP for the Chaperone is $229.99. An extra base for the B-Safe model will run about $80, and an extra base for the Chaperone will cost about $90.
Britax has five of the best toddler car seats on the market, ranging in prices from $199.99 to $379.99. Most of their toddler car seats can hold children up to 70 pounds forward facing except for the Roundabout 55, which only accommodates children up to 55 pounds forward facing. While Britax is a more expensive brand, they do offer a lot of extra safety features compared to most other brands.
Conclusion
Picking out the best infant car seat or the best toddler car seat for your child can seem like a daunting task. However, every car seat that is on the market must meet the same safety requirements. There is no “bad” choice, but some manufacturers have gone above and beyond in their safety features. Be sure to compare your top picks to see which offers the most safety features.
Keep in mind that while buying a car seat secondhand is budget-friendly, it is not recommended. There is no way you can be 100% sure that the car seat was never in an accident.