One of the most crucial considerations for parents is keeping their children safe, especially when driving. Purchasing a kid seat is one approach to ensure your child’s safety while riding in your car. Here are a few things to keep an eye out for to ensure that your purchase is valuable and will protect your little one if something goes wrong while you’re driving.
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Look for inspected and endorsed car seats.
Every time you get into a car with a child, safety should be your top concern, so look for child seats that have been tried and true. Look for child restraint systems (CRS) that are suitable for your child’s height, weight, and age in addition to both. Verify that these CRSs adhere to DTI Department Administrative Order No. 20-03 and the requirements set forth by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). These child seats adhere to international requirements as well as those established by the United Nations in its Regulations 44 and 149. The child seat’s certification can be discovered on the label that is fastened to it. These will also show the maximum allowed weight, height, and age for the seat and assist you in determining which one best fits your child.
Consider purchasing kid seats with secure installation and easy-to-use features.
Check to see if your car has ISOFIX anchor points or tethers before you finish your research and proceed to the store or the mall to purchase a kid seat. This will enable you to decide the type of kid seat you can purchase and the installation procedure it will require. Your vehicle’s ISOFIX points will make it simpler for you to latch and unlatch your CRS and will help you determine when the installation process has been completed properly. In child seats that are ISOFIX ready, there are visible signs on the seat base that indicate whether the base has been placed properly. Additionally, to ensure a simple installation, search for seats that have a diagram.
However, there is a cost associated with ISOFIX tethered seats. Market consumers also have access to versions with 3-point seatbelt attachments. While still a safe alternative, proper installation can be challenging because it takes time to quickly loop the seatbelt through the proper chambers. Some of these compartments will become inoperable as your child gets older, turning the child seat into a booster seat. It will function in conjunction with the seatbelt and is still safe. These seats are much lighter and can fit a larger range of vehicles, even those without ISOFIX anchors, despite the fact that they are more difficult to install and verify to see if the installation was done correctly. However, buying a seat with that tethering capability might make more sense if all of your vehicles have ISOFIX anchorage points. since installation is simple and quick.
Select a car seat that will be effective over its whole use time.
You should buy a car seat that can develop or adapt to your child’s height and weight and survive the entirety of its useful life in order to avoid having to buy additional car seats as your child gets older. Make careful to investigate the product’s safety ratings as well as whether or not it will age with your child. Consider the seat’s comfort as well because your child will use it until they are 12 years old. Look for seats that have features like leg room for your child, height adjustment, reclining position adjustment, and adaptive side impact protection.
Select a seat that is simple to maintain.
You will need to get your child seat cleaned on a regular basis, which is an essential component of child seat maintenance. Therefore, search for seats with supple fabrics that are simple to clean. Corduroy and textured textiles should be avoided since they are harder to clean. Even while this one is more about hygiene than it is about safety, it is still a crucial issue to take into account, especially if the seat will be with you for a long time.
Invest in brand-new child seats.
It is still preferable to get brand-new child car seats, even when looking at used ones may seem like a smart option. You won’t be able to know the full history of the previous owner or whether the seat has been in an accident if you decide to buy a secondhand item. The seat itself may also be dangerous because it can be missing labeling, pieces, or even instructions. If the maker of the seat issued a recall and the seat has not been corrected, it can also be unsafe. It is nevertheless preferable to buy a new seat in order to give you comfort. Because you have first dibs on the seat itself, you are aware of its past, are certain that all of its pieces are present, and are aware that its instructions are still in tact.