Your Car Seats Questions Answered!

03/10/2015

There is a lot of conflicting information out there on, well, every topic relating to baby! Car seats are one of those tricky topics with a ton of questions, so we’ve interviewed a car seat expert, Chris Pearson to get some of those questions answered for you!

Are you shopping for a new car seat, but not sure which one to get? Read these reviews on the following car seats: Argos 65, Graco Affix & Snugride Click Connect 35 in the links following the interview.

Q. How do you know if a car seat is tight enough in the vehicle? 

A. You use your non dominant hand to pull on the seat at the belt path.  If the unit moves more than an 1” at the belt path then it needs to be tightened some more.

Q. What do you think about the car seat warmers like the JJ Cole Bundle Me etc. – are they safe.

A. These are all compressible materials if they go behind the child.  This could cause the belts to be loose during an impact or incident.  We would recommend only what we call shower cap covers that go around the outside of the carrier no the top of the seat.  We would also recommend dressing your child in light, thin clothing and applying layers of blankets on top of the child once they are strapped into the seat.  This way as your vehicle warms you can remove layers keeping your infant comfortable.

Q. When do you transition out of the bucket set?

A. You would change out of the Bucket seat when your child has reached the max weight or height of the seat.  This can vary depending on the bucket seat and or the child.  There are buckets that now go up to 35 pounds on the Canadian market.

Q. Is it really unsafe to leave a sleeping baby in their bucket seat?

A. The risk here according to Health Canada is that bucket seats are not designed for sleeping children.  Since the baby’s head is disproportionally large and heavy, they have a tendency to fall over which can obstruct or reduce the child’s airway.

Q. When should you flip your child’s car seat forward? 

A. The minimum to change your child to forward facing in Canada is 22 lbs. and able to walk unaided.  The Car Seat manufacturers also add to this requirement 1 year old.  Please keep in mind this is the minimum.  The Canadian Pediatric Society now recommends keeping your child rear facing to a minimum of 2 years.  A child is up to 5 times less likely to be severely injured in a collision rear facing than forward.

Q. What are some top mistakes parents make when putting their kids in the car seat?

A. Belts not tight enough, Child restraint not installed properly, Chest clip not used correctly, Clothing interfering with the belts of the restraint, improper restraint, used / damaged or expired seat, not the proper seat for the child, switching the child to the next step too early / before minimums.

Q. When can a child go into a booster seat? 

A. Like switching to forward facing from rear it is recommended to keep your child restrained in a 5 point harness to the max of the seat.  In Canada that weight limit is 65lbs and the height varies depending on the seat.  The child is safer and will be held in position better in a restraint than boostered.  Please keep in mind vehicle restraints are designed for the 95^th percentile female.  This is a significant difference than your average child.

Q. How long should a child be in a booster seat? 

A. Until they can pass the 5 Step Test #1 Have their back fully  against the vehicle seat #2 Knees bent comfortably at the edge of the vehicle seat with their feet touching the floor #3 Shoulder Belt centered at the collarbone #4 Lap Belt low touching the thighs #5 remain in this position for the entire ride be it 1 minute or all day.

Are you in the market for a new car seat? Read our reviews on these three car seats from Graco.

SnugRide Click Connect 35 Infant Car Seat MSRP: $239.99 available at Babies“R”us

Argos 65 Multi Stage Car Seat MSRP: $319.99 available at Babies“R”us

AFFIX TurboBooster Car Seat MSRP: $129.99 available at Babies“R”us