A child car seat is a guarantee of the child's safety while traveling by car. To choose a special restraint device, it is necessary to take into account not only the quality of the car seat, but also the child's weight and height.
Complete safety cannot be guaranteed for a small passenger while driving. However, using a child seat can avoid or reduce bruises and injuries in the event of an emergency. To choose a car seat, you must first take into account the weight of the child. His height and age are already a secondary indicator, because all children are different, so be sure to pay attention to the weight category of the product.
The child seat must have an ECE R44 / 04, R44 / 03 badge, which indicates that the model complies with the European safety standard.
Child car seat groups
There are five main groups into which car seats for children are divided:
- 0 - these are cradles-type restraints that are installed perpendicular to the direction of travel, such chairs are created for babies from birth to six months, the weight of which is no more than 10 kg;
- 0+ - car seats for children from birth to one year old, suitable for passengers weighing less than 13 kg, installation type - with your back in the direction of the car;
- 1 - for children from one to 4 years old, set by the face in the direction of travel, like all subsequent groups, it is optimal for a child with a weight in the range of 9-18 kg;
- 2 - for babies 3-7 years old and weighing 15-25 kg;
- 3 - suitable for schoolchildren under the age of 12, weight - 22-36 kg.
When buying a seat, in order to ensure the reliability of fixing a small passenger, do not opt for a model "for growth". An exception can be made only by transformer products that are suitable for children of different ages due to the ability to "grow" with the child.
The nuances of choosing a car seat for a child
To fix a baby under three years old on the car seat, soft five-point type and Y-shaped belts should be provided. They will not squeeze the internal organs of the child, even if he is sleeping.
When choosing a chair, be guided by the features of the interior of your car. Today there are several types of restraint attachment systems. The seat can be fixed with standard seat belts, the Isofix system is also common, which involves fixing the car seat with brackets.
When choosing a car seat of a certain brand, be sure to ask the seller to provide crash test data for this product or look for relevant information on thematic sites.
The best option for long journeys is a seat that can be adjusted so that your child can sleep on the go. It is also convenient to use car seats with tables, bottle holders. For the little ones, a good decision would be to buy a safe seat with a mini-mobile - bright toys that can entertain the baby.
