are you sitting down?

Filed Under Pregnancy and Birthing, Tips & Tricks | February 25, 2010

Babies bring many things – joys, laughter, smiles and big-ticket purchases.  And one of the most vital of those big ticket purchases is your car seat.

Car seats come in many shapes, sizes, colours and price points, but ultimately, the most important thing is that the seat gets our kids to their destination safely.

We talked to Gerry at Crocodile Baby about things to consider when buying your baby’s seat:

Think big:  If mommy and daddy are tall, chances are baby will be tall too.  As appealing as a portable infant bucket seat that you can use with the stroller can be, if you are on a limited budget, consider buying a convertible seat that will take your baby through their car seat years.

Bucket bonus: If you aren’t worried about your child growing out of the infant bucket seat too quickly, or portability is important, make sure that the seat fits with your stroller for maximum convenience.  Make sure you pay attention to weight and height limits of the seat – some have higher limits than others.  And try to use both hands when carrying your bucket seat to avoid even more strain on your back.

Ages and stages: Your child will be safest in a five-point harness, no matter what his or her age.  Consider a convertible seat with a higher weight if possible to allow you to keep your child in the harness for longer.  Canada safety regulations state that children should be in a harness until they reach 4 years and 40 lbs, but keeping them in a little longer certainly won’t hurt.

Double check: If you aren’t confident about how you have installed your car seat, don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Check out the BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation for information on clinics and inspectors near you.  Unfortunately, BCAA and most fire halls aren’t doing inspections any more as they simply don’t have the expertise available.

Reduce, reuse, recycle: Car seats, like dairy products, have expiry dates.  If you are done with your car seat before its past due, consider passing it on to a friend or donating it to a local shelter if you aren’t planning to have another child.  Second hand stores will generally no longer accept car seats due to liability issues but you can recycle them at Pacific Mobile Depots as long as you remove all fabric and metal.

And most importantly, remember to make sure you get your car seat early…because you never know when your little bundle of joy might decide to show up!