Introduction to Buying a Car Seat
Buying a car seat is an important part of caring for your child. But even more important is buying the right car seat. You are legally required to use a car seat for children under 12 years old or 135cm in height. Car seats come in many different models and prices. What you can be sure of, though, is that a more expensive seat is not necessarily better, because all car seats in the UK must conform to the United Nations ECE Regulation R44.03 or later version of the standard.

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Why Are Car Seats Necessary?
Seatbelts are designed to protect adult-size passengers. As the most dangerous collision is getting hit head-on, the seatbelts restrain the passenger from flying forward by tightening around the hips and chest of the person.

Although seatbelts have been around for almost forty years and are extremely effective, they do not provide proper protection for children, as they are not big enough to have the belt fit them properly and the force of the restraint would seriously hurt them. Hence the need for a specially designed car seat.

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Types of Car Seats
There are three main types of car seats. Rear-facing seats, convertible seats and booster seats. The different types are designed for the various stages of childhood, from newborn to six-year-old, when the child should be big enough to be protected properly by a seatbelt.

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Rear-Facing Car Seats
Rear-facing seats are suitable for babies up to 20 pounds and 12 months of age. These seats protect the baby like a cocoon shell, rather than trying to restrain it, and prevent injury to the baby's head, neck and spine. They are best used, like any other car seat, in the back, especially if the front seat has airbags which could injure the child. If you must put your child in the front seat- turn off the airbag switch. But if there is no airbag switch do not put the child in front at all.

These seats usually come with either a 3-point harness or a 5-point harness. The 3-point harness system has straps that come down over the shoulders and attach between the legs. The 5-point has these straps along with two straps that come down from the hips as well, and attach at the same place. Some of the seats come with a base piece, which stays attached to the car and allows you to remove the seat and use it as a baby carrier. Another option is a matching stroller which the seat can fit into, letting you keep the baby in the carrier.

It is recommended to keep your child in a rear-facing seat for as long as possible, as these provide the best protection available. However, once your child exceeds the maximum weight of the seat, it is time to move up to the next size, as the seat will no longer be able to hold him properly. Also make sure his head isn't higher than the seat's back, so the seat will protect him well.

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Convertible Car Seats
As your child gets bigger, you may have to change to a convertible car seat, which can be used either forward-facing or rear-facing. The advantage of these kind of seats is, as the child grows bigger and gets older the seat can be turned around to face forward (in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions).

Some convertible seats have overhead shields or T shields instead of the point-harness system. The overhead shield features a padded bar that comes down in front of the child, while a T shield has shoulder straps and is attached to the front of the seat. These restraint systems are not as well suited for infants as the 5-point harness system.

It is also possible to buy a dedicated front-facing seat for a child that has outgrown the rear-facing models instead of a convertible seat.

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Booster Seats
When the child outgrows the harnessed car seat and weighs at least 40 pounds, it is time to move to a booster seat, usually meant for children aged 4 to 6. Seatbelts are meant to protect adults by spreading the force of the impact throughout their ribcage and pelvis, which are the strongest parts of the human skeleton. Children of these ages now have strong enough bones to wear seatbelts but usually are not big enough for the belts to fit them safely.

This is why booster seats are needed. They literally boost up the child and make it possible for the seatbelt to fit him properly, and do not use a separate harnessing system. Some booster seats are backless, and are meant for children who are big enough to graduate from the regular booster seats. One must remember, though, that the regular booster seat provides additional protection from side-impacts and whiplash, especially if your car has low seats and no headrests.

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Car Seat Brands
Maxi-cosi, Britax, Graco, Bebe Confort, Silver cross, Primo Viaggo, Cybex Solution Plus

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