Two years later and your little darling is now ready to move from the infant car seat to the toddler car seat. A wise mom knows well that preparedness always counts, which is why it’s important to choose the best toddler car seat for your child, one that will provide comfort and safety. We’ve gathered a few tips to help you do just that!
5 Things to Look for in a Toddler Car Seat
1. Car Seat Can Be Converted into a Forward-Facing Car Seat
At two years old, children switch from a rear-facing car seat to a forward-facing car seat. A car seat that can be easily converted from rear-facing to forward-facing at any given time is probably the best way to go, simply because it saves you a lot of hassle and a lot of money!
First, it saves you time from having to choose and buy another car seat for your toddler. We all know how hard that can be with so many designs and features to choose from. Second, it saves you plenty of money, since you don’t need to buy a new one with a car seat that can simply adjust from one type to the other. And last, convertible car seats provide the easiest and fastest way to upgrade while getting equal safety and comfort for your child. Easy, fast, and hassle free!
2. Toddler Car Seat Has an Appropriate Restraint System
The next most important thing you have to consider is your car’s harnessing system. The 5-point harness system provides the safest toddler car seat experience because it buckles the child from the shoulders to the thighs.
In forward-facing car seats, you must be able to see where the shoulder straps come out of the car seat, that way you can make sure the toddler is not too big for it. Also, make sure the harness is not too tight or too loose and that it suits your toddler’s age and size. Manufacturers often provide suggested height and weight requirements for the products they produce, so be sure to check that out.
Load your child with ease using these magnetic car seat clips.
3. Choose Appropriate Car Seat Attachment System
The attachment system must be secure enough to hold the toddler car seat safely in the car. No matter how safe the child is within the harness system, if the seat’s attachment to the car is not secure, it poses a potentially severe risk to the child.
Car seats may be installed using the latch system, with which the straps are attached to the anchors in the car in order to secure the toddler car seat in place. You can also use the seat belt of the car to hold the car seat in place. There are seat belt holders available in the market that make the buckling process easier for you. We suggest you only use one of these two methods to install a car seat, unless the manufacturer says it’s okay to use both.
With this seat belt holder, your child can even buckle himself.
4. The Toddler Must Be Comfortable in the Car Seat
As moms, we all want our toddlers to be comfortable when traveling, even in their secure car seats. Both the fitting of the harness and the padding of the car seat add to your child’s level of comfort. Ideally, the padding of the car seat will provide your child with plenty of warmth, along with general comfort. Also, make sure there is enough space in the head and back area, that way your child will not feel claustrophobic or too tight while in the seat. If you’re thinking of adding blankets and pillows into the car seat, make sure to ask the child if they feel comfortable with it.
5. The Color and Style of the Car Seat Fit Your Toddler
The toddler car seat may be the most important car seat stage you will must consider, simply because this may be the longest your child uses one type of car seat. Because of this, you might want to make sure that the color and style also fits your liking (and your child’s liking, if they have a preference). There are plenty of options to choose from, so you don’t have to compromise style over safety and security!
If you’re looking for seat belt holders, you can check this one out from LulaBloc:
Your toddler’s safety is your number one priority. Armed with this checklist, the most safe, secure, and comfortable car seats should be much easier to recognize!
Do you have other toddler car seat checklist recommendations? Share it with us in the comments section below!
Up Next: Toddler Car Seats | Consider Safety And Style With These 7 Models
Let Us Know What You Think!