How to Properly Match Your Child Car Seat With Your Car.

Cars come with numerous fitting problems ranging from long seat belt buckles crunch, reclining issues. These fitting issues may reduce the efficacy of your car seats’ ability to protect your child. For this reason, you must select a car seat that suits your vehicle type.

This article will furnish you with information on how you can correctly match your car seat with your car. Read on.

Do all Child Car Seats Suit All Vehicle Types?

No, some car seats are better suited for certain vehicles. Just because a car seat is of high quality doesn’t mean it is suitable for your child. Improperly installed car seats or seats ill-suited for your car type won’t offer your child the promised protection. To ensure your car seat offers the best protection for your child, you must select one that matches your vehicle type.

We recommend that you visit a car safety seat center before purchasing that car seat. The experts there will install various car seats into your car to check which one fits best.  The testing process allows them to provide you with the most appropriate car seat that meets your car and child’s needs.

To get car safety seat centers around you, log onto the national highway traffic safety centers. On inputting your zip code, a list of car safety seat centers around you will be visible. From the site, you can book an appointment with the technicians at the car seat safety center.

How Can I Determine Which Child Car Seat Will Suit My Car Best?

As stated earlier, we recommend that you book an appointment with a car seat expert to be sure of which car seat will fit your car best. These technicians are knowledgeable about the different car seats and their fittings within different car brands.

Before you purchase your infant car seat, here are a few tips to ensure you get one that fits your car.

• Read the fit finder list provided by your car seat manufacturer. Car seat manufacturers often provide a list of cars suited for that type of car seat. Be sure you install it and check the fit before you purchase one. Your car seat also comes with an installation manual, ensures it can be installed tightly in your car.
• Check if your car has a top tether. If your vehicle doesn’t have a top tether, then you should not buy a car seat that requires one. It won’t be the best match for your car and may even be dangerous for your child.
• Check if the car seat has a latch to attach it to your vehicle. If it doesn’t have a latch, it means you will have to install it using your car seat belt. If your car seat belt is not tight, then getting a child seat with no latch is a bad idea. The length of your seat belt will affect the fitting of your child’s car seat.
• We advise you to consider the shape of your vehicle’s seat as well as the degree to which it can recline before selecting a child car seat.
• Your intended car seat should match your car space. If your car has very little space, it makes no sense to buy a bulky car seat. The size of the car seat has no bearing on your child’s safety. What matters most is that it fits perfectly in your car. If you are not just buying one car seat, make sure they can all fit correctly in your car with the right amount of space between them.
• Consider the reclining angle of your car seat – the car seat manual states the correct angle you should recline your car seat. You must check if your vehicle’s seat can be reclined to this angle. Some vehicle seats do not provide the right angle for your child’s car seat. Before you purchase that child car seat, install it in your car and ensure that it can be reclined at the right angle specified by the manufacturer.
• Consider your car headrests – can cause fitting problems with child car seats. If your headrest touches the installed child car seat or stops the child car seat from resting comfortably against the back of the vehicle, don’t buy it.
• Check if you can pull the headrest of your car out of the way or remove it. If these options are unavailable, you will need to get another child car seat because the fitting can hamper the protection provided by the child car seat.

Where Can I Buy My Child Car Seat?

You can purchase your child car seat from a retailer around you. Some retailers offer fitting services. They usually have a car seat technician on site who can help you choose a fitting car seat and show you how to fix it up.

Now that you know which seat you want to buy ask the technician to help you with the car seat installation. Try strapping in your child into the seat, check that you can adjust all that needs to be adjusted.

As your child grows, you’ll need to adjust the harness, recline angle, height of the harness, and headrests. The store assistant can demonstrate how to do this; you should try doing it yourself before leaving the store.

Conclusion

Getting a child car seat that fits your car is essential. We recommend visiting a child safety seat center for advice on which car seat is best suited for your car. Most car seats come with a fitting list that states the types of vehicles that will best fit the car seats; you must read it. Before you purchase that car seat, install it and check if it properly matches your car.