The key to having the safest car seats for children is making sure the seats are installed correctly.  The LATCH system can really help.

What is LATCH?

LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children.  All vehicles made in the U.S. after 2002 are required to have LATCH built in.

What manufacturers build in to vehicles are anchors that are located between the back of the seat and the cushion.  There is also a built in anchor at the top which secures two different positions of the seat.

What does LATCH Mean for You?

LATCH means that you no longer need to use a car’s seat belt to secure the seat.  Installation is often difficult and the LATCH system helps make installation easier.

LATCH also is a more secure anchoring system as it keeps your child’s seat that much more solid and less likely to move or break in a frontal or side impact crash.  You can still install car seats for children in older pre-LATCH vehicles using seat belts.

Infant only seats, rear facing, front facing and convertible and booster seats that are a combined front facing-booster seat all are LATCH ready when you buy them.  Booster only seats and restraint vests may not have LATCH attachments.

The Safest Seat Made Must be Installed Correctly

Installing your child’s car seat correctly is critical.  You can pay top dollar for the safest seat on the market but it will fail if it’s not installed right.

1  Always install car seats for children in the back seat.  The force of an airbag going off in the front seat could seriously injure or kill your little one.

2.  Always install a single car seat in the middle of the back seat.  If your seat is a rear facing seat only, never install it facing forward.

3.  The U.S. government has made it law that manufacturers include an instruction manual for installation.  The manual must be detailed and clear.  Call the manufacturer if any part of the book is unclear.

Do You Own a Convertible Seat?

4.  Manufacturers should also make it clear when to turn a seat to face forward if the seat is a convertible seat.  Convertible seats are rear facing seats until a child reaches the weight of 20-40 pounds and then should be turned to face forward.

5.  When anchoring your front facing seat, push down on the seat with all of your weight to make sure that it’s really as tight as possible.  Don’t be afraid to put your foot into the seat and really push down if necessary.

6.  If you're installing your seat into an older car, make sure you’re guiding the belt through the correct loops and be sure it’s tight.  The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has said that at least 75% of car seats on the road are not installed correctly.

Look for Car Seat Installation Check Sites

7.  Many times you can find sites that will sponsor free installation of your seat or at least check them to insure they’re installed safely.  If you have any doubts be sure to have your seat checked.

Car seats for children will greatly reduce the possibility of injury or death in youngsters involved in an accident.  Make sure your child's seat is installed correctly.

Jerry Patterson is the parent of two children and five grandchildren.  He’s a retired teacher, child safety advocate and creator of the Car Seats Reviews site at http://www.carseats-reviews.com.  He researches and writes car seat reviews on the best car seats.  He recently has written a review on the best convertible car seats.

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Our children’s safety should always be priority number one.  The question is which car seats are the safest, most comfortable and won’t force you into bankruptcy?

The best convertible car seats might be the answer.  So what are convertible car seats and which are the best?

How Many Car Seats Will You Buy?

I’ve heard many parents talk about how many car seats they had to buy until their youngster reached the age to safely use seat belts.  This was often at least two seats and many times even three.

A newborn infant requires a small seat that faces the rear.  This is a much safer position for children in case of an accident.

Sitting in a rear facing car seat protects the neck from snapping forward and thus injuring the spine.  Most infant car seats are made to give service from a babies weight of 5 pounds to 20 pounds.

At 20 pounds you must shop for a front facing seat that will probably fit your child until they reach the weight of around 50 pounds.  Now you have two seats but you’re not done yet.

Your youngster is still not safe in a regular car seat belt as an accident could result in abdominal damage as the belt doesn’t ride in the correct position for your child yet.

This results in the purchase of a booster seat which allows a child to sit safely using a seat belt.  You’ve now bought three car seats and they aren’t cheap.

A Convertible Car Seat Could be Your Best Option

There is an alternative to this scenario.  The best convertible car seats on the market today can solve the problem.

A convertible car seat is simply a seat that is rear facing for babies and then converts to a front facing seat.  Instead of two seats you only need one.

Many convertible seats are rear facing until the weight of 20 pounds is reached and then convert to front facing and your child would grow out of the seat at around 40-50 pounds.

However the best convertible car seats are rear facing from 5-40 pounds and then convert and are fine until a youngster grows to around 70 pounds.  This saves you money and gives additional safety to your child.

Is the Convertible Seat Safer?

You save money because you’ve only had to buy one seat instead of two.  The seat is safer for two reasons.

Since safety is really the most important aspect of your buying decision, why is the seat safer?  A top quality convertible seat not only meets the minimum requirements of federal safety tests, it should exceed them.

The convertible seat I recommend has been tested by Consumer Reports and other consumer groups and found to be extra safe for not only frontal collisions but side impact crashes also.

The second reason I like convertible seats for safety is that they allow you to continue using the seat as a rear facing seat for a much longer time.  Instead of turning your child forward at 20 pounds, you can keep them rear facing until 40 pounds.

The one negative of convertible seats is that they are larger than seats made specifically for infants.  If you have a very tiny newborn, the smaller infant only seat is probably a good idea as they will provide a tighter and safer fit for your baby.

No matter if you choose an infant only or convertible car seat, check safety test results and also the owner reviews on Amazon.  Many high ratings by satisfied users could well be a thumbs up in your decision making process.

Jerry Patterson is the parent of two children and five grandchildren. He’s a retired teacher, child safety advocate and creator of the Car Seats Reviews site at http://www.carseats-reviews.com He researches and writes reviews on the best infant car seats. He recently has written a review on the best convertible car seats.

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Although adults realize how important car seats are, children don’t quite see them the same way. Many kids hate being strapped down in car seats, especially children who have just begun to crawl or walk. They would really rather be scooting around exploring the world instead of being buckled into a seat they can’t get out of. They will cry and yell as you put them into the car seat and continue kvetching the entire time while you’re driving, which results in an unpleasant driving experience for anyone in the car. As a parent, there are some things you can compromise on, but safety isn’t one of them. With this in mind, is there anything you can do to help your child get used to the car seat and relax?

The first thing you can do is to keep your cool. It can be extremely frustrating trying to wrestle an unhappy child into a car seat. But instead of yelling at them, just talk to them calmly. Explain to them why they must sit in a car seat. Tell them that you understand how frustrating it must be for them to sit in the car seat. Although your child may be too young to fully understand what you’re saying, they will respond to the tone of your voice. Maybe it won’t calm them down completely, but raising your voice and speaking with annoyance in your tone will definitely not help you get the response you want.

Try to associate going into the car seat with a special treat. For example, give your child a special toy that they are only allowed to play with while in the car seat, or give them a reward after they’ve sat patiently in their seat. You can also try to distract your child from their misery by telling them stories, singing or putting on music or a book on tape.

Some kids resent being put into car seats because they have no choice in the matter, so try to give them some sort of choice. Don’t ask them if they want to sit in the car seat – rather ask the child if he wants you to place him in the car seat or if he would rather climb in by himself. By having some sort of choice, children feel more in control of the situation and are more willing to go along.

This post was provided by CRX - a website offering cheap car rentals in Toronto and many other major cities in North America.

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Britax Car Seats:

Britax is making some of the safest and most loved car seats on the market right now and they are just getting more popular all the time.  You may pay a little more for these ultra comfortable and safe car seats, but it's well worth it in the end.  One of the most popular models in the Britax Marathon car seat which is really the only car seat you will ever need since it can hold children from 5 pounds to 80 pounds.  And the Britax Boulevard is also a popular model.

Graco Car Seats:

You can find these car seats just about anywhere and they offer a nice combo of price and features.  Graco offers more economical choices than other brands but they do not skimp out when it comes to safety either.   Two of the most popular models from the company are the Graco Infant Snugride and the Graco My Ride 65 The Snugride has gotten some rave reviews and continues to be a top seller.  You can find this brand pretty much anywhere, including Walmart and Sears.

Safety 1st Car Seats:

Safety 1st has an 'A' from the BBB and continues to live up to their name of making some great car seat models that are very safe.  They offer a lot more than just car seats and make a variety of products for child-proofing your home.  Some of their most popular car seat models are the Safety 1st Go Hybrid Booster seat and their version of the All in One Convertible Car Seat.  The convertible car seat concept is one that allows a child anywhere from 5 pounds to 80 pounds to use the same seat so it can save the consumer a lot of money in the long run.

Recaro Car Seats:

The Recaro company has received all kinds of awards for making some of the best car seats which are "kid approved" and ultra safe.  They have a huge staff that is constantly trying new ways to make the car seat experience great for both the child and parent.  Some of their most popular models are the Recaro Vivo Booster Seat and the Recaro Como Covertible Car Seat which have been hot sellers recently.

Cosco Car Seats:

This company is often confused with Costco, but Cosco is one of the premier makers of car seats in America.  Chances are that if you see a car seat in the back of someone's car it is probably a Cosco.  These are more affordable than other brands but still offer some great features.  Some of the most popular models from the company as the Cosco Scerena Convertible car seat and the Alpha Omega Elite.

Sunshine Kids Car Seats:

Sunshine Kids offer some of my favorite car seats.  The Radian line is just exceptional and they do not require any seat belt at all to secure into your car.  This is a state-of-the-art company that is always pushing the envelope when it comes to creativity and safety.  Both the quality and convenience of their products put them on top of the list.  Their top selling models are the Radian XT SL and the Monterey line.

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Safety 1

Weight of Seat: 23.2lbs

Dimensions: 29H x 20W x 21D”

Baby Weight: 5-35 lbs rear-facing, 22-40lbs front-facing 5-point harness, 40-100 pounds booster

Colors Available: black and red lady-bug design

Safety Features: 5-point harness, Engineered & Crash Tested to meet or exceed US Standards

Front or Rear Facing: rear 5-35lbs, front 22-100lbs.

Part of stroller system?: no

Extras: 3 position recline, infant body support, removable pillow, cup holder, LATCH equipped

Safety 1st Complete Air LX Convertible Car Seat - Chromite Offer by: BabyEarth Price: USD 209.95

Safety 1st Complete Air Convertible Car Seat Offer by: BabyEarth Price: USD 179.95

If your kids love whimsical designs, and you don’t mind a giant lady-bug sitting in your back seat, then you may like the Safety 1^st Intera Convertible car seat! Safety 1^st calls this a 4-in-1 seat: rear-facing harness 5-35lbs, front-facing harness 22-40lbs, belt-positioning booster 40-100lbs, and backless booster. The reality, however, is that the front-facing harness has limited functionality (only 5 lbs more than rear-facing harness) and that the high-back booster is safer than the booster without the back.

Some people have experience technical challenges with the installation of this seat and with adjusting the crotch strap length. To adjust the crotch strap there is a metal rod that you need to remove and replace, and the fit is quite tight, so you may need a pair of pliers. In addition, here are some people who say the position of the crotch strap is too close to the back of the seat, but perhaps they just haven’t bothered to adjust it. Many owners, however, say that if you read the manual carefully the directions are very clear and you will have no problems. Save yourself hours of frustration and spend ten minutes reading – this way you will also be sure the car seat is properly adjusted and installed, so it is safe for your child.

That said, if you want a seat to move from car to car, this is not the one. Even those who say that installation caused no major problems would not like to be reinstalling it every day, as it involves to much work.

The comfort and padding of this seat are generous, and children seem to be comfortable in this seat (as well as liking the ladybug pattern!).

The general consensus on the Safety 1^st Intera seems to be that for a 4-in-1 you can’t beat the price of the Intera, but that you may have to put up with a few frustrations in exchange for the good value.

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Safety 1

Weight of Seat: 8.5lbs without base, 16.5 with base

Dimensions: 28H x 17W x 22.5D”

Baby Weight: 5-22 lbs rear-facing

Colors Available: blue, grey, light green

Safety Features: 5-point harness, energy absorbing foam, EPP Engineered & Crash Tested to meet or exceed US Standards

Front or Rear Facing: rear only

Part of stroller system?: yes, available as part of a travel system

Extras: multi-position rotating canopy, LATCH equipped, stay-in-car base

There is currently a manufacturer’s recall (as of January 2010) on certain models of the Safety 1^st Designer 22 Infant seat, manufactured in late 2008 and early 2009, for a flaw in the handle. If you already own this seat phone Safety 1st for details and numbers of affected models.

If you are still considering purchasing this seat, read on! The Safety 1^st Designer 22 Infant Seat (available in Disney Designer style) can be bought on its own or as part of a travel system with a stroller. It has a removable stay-in-car base that is very handy for carrying small sleeping newborns without disturbing them. If you have two cars and lots of money, you could even buy an extra base for your second vehicle to make switching between cars very easy (and anything that makes life with a ne baby easier is worth it!)

A limiting factor with this seat is that it only carries up to 22lbs, which is a very low maximum weight in today’s car seat market. As it is now recommended to keep children rear-facing as long as possible, if you buy this seat you may be looking at buying a bigger rear-facing seat before your child’s first birthday.

Some parents also find this seat is quite upright for newborns and that the padding could be more generous, considering the target market.

What really frustrates some owners is that to adjust the height of the shoulder harness traps on this seat you need to unthread the straps through the cover and back. In the first few months babies grow quickly, so this means you will be adjusting straps every month or two! Some people also say the straps twist, but this could be user error more than anything.

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Safety 1

Weight of Seat: 17.2lbs

Dimensions: 28.4H x 21.6W x 20.6D”

Baby Weight: 22-65lbs front-facing 5-point harness, 40-100 pounds booster

Colors Available: black, blue, grey

Safety Features: 5-point harness, energy absorbing foam, EPP Engineered & Crash Tested to meet or exceed US Standards, side-impact protection

Front or Rear Facing: front only

Part of stroller system?: no

Extras: removable hand-wash cover, fixed armrests, adjustable headrest, removable toddler insert for added comfort, LATCH equipped

SALE!! Safety 1st Go Hybrid Booster Seat In Waterloo Offer by: MyStrollers.com Price: USD 169.99

Many parents are starting to realize that 40 lbs is too early to take a child out of a 5-point harness car seat. The harness is much safer than just a belt-positioning booster, so why not keep your child safer as long as possible? The Safety 1^st Apex 65 Booster seat addresses the needs of parents who are looking for a long-wear harness. There are only a few seats on the market that have a higher upper weight limit for harness use (80lbs).

One of the other limiting factors for harness use, however, is not the child’s weight but their height. Often a child is too tall for the harness before they are too heavy. For parents of the ‘tall and skinny’ children, the Apex 65 may also be a pleasant surprise: the highest of the four harness settings if 17.25” inches from the base, much higher than many, and almost as high as the highest harness seat (18”, but much more expensive). Even if your child is not particularly tall this may be a good feature, because some average height children have short legs and long torsos, and will therefore require this added harness strap height! Safety 1^st have, therefore, really tried to make this a front-facing harness that will keep your child secure for a long time.

The armrests on this seat are stationary, as opposed to the pivoting ones found on some booster seats. If you have an extremely small car this may be an issue, but if your child is agile enough they will be able to jump over and in. If you drive a van with captain’s chairs this is probably a non-issue.

Installation with LATCH and tether, or with the car seat belt (as is law over 48lbs), is quite easy.

The biggest complaint about the Safety 1^st Apex 65 is that many owners find the crotch strap is too short. Some users have phoned Safety 1^st and they have been mailed a longer one free of charge. Safety 1^st has also reported that they will ship new seats out with the longer strap automatically. Another solution for other users is to remove the loosely attached seat cushion to provide more length on the crotch strap. A good way to know if this will be a problem is to try this seat out with your child before buying it.

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Safety 1^st All-in-One Convertible Car Seat

Weight of Seat: 17.8lbs

Dimensions: 25H x 24W x 19D”

Baby Weight: 5-35 lbs rear-facing, 20-40lbs front-facing 5-point harness, 40-80 pounds booster

Colors Available: black, grey

Safety Features: 5-point harness, energy absorbing foam, EPP Engineered & Crash Tested to meet or exceed US Standards, side-impact protection

Front or Rear Facing: rear 5-35lbs, front 20-80lbs.

Part of stroller system?: no

Extras: QuickFit harness system (no re-thread) , 3 position recline, adjustable pillow, removable seat pad, infant insert, removable cup holder, LATCH equipped

Safety 1st Complete Air Convertible Car Seat Offer by: BabyEarth Price: USD 179.95

Safety 1^st says this is 3 car seats in one: a rear-facing harness seat, a front-facing harness seat, and a front-facing booster. This seems quite versatile, but the problem is that the middle position, front-facing harness, has an upper weight limit of only 5 pounds more than rear-facing harness. This means the front-facing position is only good for 5lbs, which may be a few months at most. There are other car seats available that offer front-harness seating until 65lbs or 80lbs, and these are truer “all-in-one” seats.

Despite the issue of low upper harness weight, the Safety 1^st All-in-One Convertible does have some nice features. It comes with the company’s QuickFit harness system, which is incredibly popular with parents – this system allows the height of the shoulder straps to be adjusted without rethreading the straps, and with just of click of a button while the seat is still in the vehicle. The one-hand 3-position recline also adds ease of use to the design of this seat, allowing you to tailor the fit of the seat to your child on a daily basis according to their growth and what they are wearing.

As this is a seat that you will potentially use for years, the material needs to be of high quality. Users report they have removed and machine washed the cover in cold water many times and that it is still in good condition. Some have found, however, it is quite difficult to reassemble, so when you go to wash it do yourself a favor and follow the instructions in the manual!

Children like that this is a big seat and they can sit up quite high, making them feel like “big kids” and letting them view the world through the windows. If you have a small car, check the measurements of your back seat against the car seat dimensions to ensure proper fit.

Parents also like the recline feature, finding that smaller children like it fully reclined and older children like it more upright. When the children get older there is also a removable cup holder to hold their drinks and snacks.

Installation, like on many seats, gets mixed reports. Some owners experience troubles, and others say it is ok. If you read the manual it will be easier, and if it is too bothersome take it to the fire hall and have them do it for you. A large number of users require towels or pool noodles under the seat when in rear-facing position.

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Safety 1^st Vantage High Back Booster Car Seat

Weight of Seat: 14lbs

Dimensions: 27H x 18.5W x 19D”

Baby Weight: 22-40 lbs front-facing 5-point harness, 40-100 pounds booster

Colors Available: black, orange, tan, brown

Safety Features: 5-point harness, Protech energy absorbing foam, Engineered & Crash Tested to meet or exceed US Standards

Front or Rear Facing: front only

Part of stroller system?: no

Extras: padded armrests, removable cup holder, adjustable headrest (2 positions)

Safety 1st 22256AHE Go Hybrid Booster Car Seat, Baton Rouge Offer by: HealthCheckSystems.com Price: USD 209.00

Safety 1st 22256AHD Go Hybrid Booster Car Seat, Waterloo Offer by: HealthCheckSystems.com Price: USD 209.00

If you are looking to move your child out of a rear-facing carrier, the Safety 1^st Vantage High Back Booster is an option, as it has a front-facing harness for 22-40lbs (and minimum one year of age). This is not, however, the longest you could keep your child in a 5-point harness, as seats with 65lb and even 80lb upper weight limits are available. As a 5-point harness is the safest way to travel, unless you are constrained by a very tight budget, you may also want to consider options with higher harness limits.

Parents do find this seat quite low, which could be good or bad: good if you have issues with visibility in your vehicle, bad if your child likes riding up high and looking out the window.

Children find the interior width of this seat very generous, good for heavy kids or those who don’t like feeling “squished in”. There are also armrests, which could be a nice change for those used to sitting in more ‘carrier’ style seats. There is a removable cup holder, which is not of any incredible quality, but a cup holder none the less.

There are some complaints of strap twisting, which is a common enough complaint. Often when this occurs it is because the users did not read the manual to learn how to properly loosen and tighten the straps.

A small complaint that some parents have with this seat is that there isn’t really a good place for their child’s head to rest – the sides are not very padded or cushy. This could be most bothersome for smaller children or on long car trips.

Overall, this is an ok car seat…22lbs is probably early to go front-facing than ideal, and 40lbs if not the highest harness weight, but the Vantage is a decently made product that will probably be best as a high backed booster than as a seat for children of 1-2 years. It is also available for a great price, which could make this high-backed booster accessible to some families that might go without a booster to save money.

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Safety 1^st Go Hybrid Booster Car Seat

Weight of Seat: 9lbs

Dimensions: 23-27H x 17W x 17D”

Baby Weight: 22 (and one year)-65 lbs front-facing 5-point harness, 65-100 pounds booster

Colors Available: black, grey, red, blue, tan

Safety Features: 5-point harness, energy absorbing foam, EPP Engineered & Crash Tested to meet or exceed US Standards

Front or Rear Facing: front only

Part of stroller system?: no

Extras: QuickFit harness system (no re-thread) , LATCH equipped, folding design which is great for travelling, travel bag included, SafeGuard Secure advanced restraint system

SALE!! Safety 1st Go Hybrid Booster Seat In Clarksville Offer by: MyStrollers.com Price: USD 169.99

Safety 1^st boasts the the Go Hybrid Booster car seat installs in under one minute! How could any parent resist that marketing scheme?! It also folds in half and comes with a travel bag, and only weighs 9lbs, so if you are a parent who likes to travel by air, or you want to carry you car seat around for any other reason, this is definitely the one! If you are going on holidays and are concerned about taking your baby in cars or taxis on the trip, just take this seat along!

Owners say it is very light and easy to carry when folded up. One other group of consumers who may find this the ideal car seat are those who do not own a car (public transport users) but who would like a car seat to use in friends cars or in cabs/taxis. You could take it on the bus in a carry bag, and then install it in 60-90 seconds in the cab or friend’s car! Wow.

One important thing to note is that the top-tether is required for use in 5-point harness mode. For this, it is very important to read the instruction manual before installation and to ensure that your vehicle is able to use the tether function – not all cars have this tether-hook, and the seat will not work without it. If you are buying this to use in cabs, lots of cabs do have the tether hook, so don’t be too worried. If you want, just phone your local cab company (the one you usually use) and ask about the hook.

The trade-off for such portability is that users find the seat is quite upright sitting, so for children closer to the lower weight limit (20-some pounds) this may not be a good everyday seat. Especially on long trips, small babies could find this uncomfortable for sleeping.

Another great advantage of this seat is that the forward-facing harness is good up until 65lbs! This is a very high weight limit for a 5-point harness (though 80lb seats can be found), and will keep your child much safer in a crash than a belt-positioning booster seat.

Also because of the portable design of this seat, it does sit lower in cars than some other harness/booster seats. This could be good, however, if you have a small back seat or visibility problems with some of the ‘monster size’ booster seats! Rest assured that despite its smaller appearance it has passed all safety tests and will keep your child secure.

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