How Can I Keep My Car Seat Clean
Damon said. When you consider the squashed biscuits, yoghurt and spilt juice that end up on your little ones car seat, its perhaps no surprise that it can end up looking and smelling quite grubby.
If your babys car seat has seen better days, check to see if you can remove the cover for washing. Dont tumble dry it as it could shrink the cover, making it difficult to put it back on.
Sponging it down regularly with soapy water will help to remove stains and kill germs, but do this on days when you dont need to go anywhere as it may take a while to dry out. Alternatively, try sprinkling with bicarbonate of soda and then vacuuming the seat, as that helps to remove strong smells and stains.
Things To Consider When Shopping For A Car Seat
If you take one thing away from this best car seats article, let it be this: Choose a car seat that fits your specific needs and budget. Cass Herring further recommends that you look for a seat that fits your child. “All car seats have height and weight limits, but beyond that, parents should consider the harness height and features on a seat such as how many crotch buckle positions the seat has or how the seat works to adjust the harness straps,” she says.
It should also fit the vehicles you plan to use it in. “Car seats have different designs and footprints and may not be compatible with every vehicle or fit with other car seats or occupants that currently ride in the vehicle,” says Herring. “When shopping for a car seat, all occupants that ride in the vehicle should be considered.”
“Spacing in a vehicle can also be an issue,” she continues. “If the space in the back seat is limited, parents may have difficulty achieving the recommended installation angle or the vehicle seat in front may interfere with the installation. If the seat is too short for the recommended amount of a car seat’s footprint to sit according to the manufacturer’s instructions, then you will need to look for a seat that is compatible with the vehicle.”
Another important thing to consider, according to Herring, is to make sure the caregiver can use it correctly every time.
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Once You’ve Bought Your Car Seat
Practice buckling the seat into your car well before your baby’s first ride. You don’t want to be rushed when it comes to ensuring a safe installation, and it can take a few tries to feel confident with a new car seat.
You can even schedule an appointment with a certified child passenger safety technician, who is trained to teach caregivers how to get their chosen car seat safely installed in their vehicle. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration maintains a directory of inspection stations.
When fitting your child into their car seat, make sure the harness straps fit snugly on their body. Use the lowest harness slots for a newborn infant. Keep the straps in the slots at or below your baby’s shoulders for the rear-facing position. Make sure the harness straps fit properly over the shoulders and between the legs.
Dress your baby in clothes that keep their legs free and avoid puffy, bulky clothing like winter jackets. Never place anything in or around the car seat that is not directly approved by the manufacturer, as this could interfere with how the car seat works and could place your baby at risk. That includes blankets, coats, and car seat strap padding.
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Do I Need To Clean My Car Seat
Yes wed recommend cleaning your car seat as it will become a magnetic for germs. Before you start, read the instruction manual to check how to remove the seat cover, and take photos as you go so you remember how each part of the seat is set up.
The care labels on the cover will explain how it can be washed , but the harness usually needs cleaning separately with a brush so you can scrub it.
During our testing, we check how easy car seat covers are to remove, and give them a cleaning star rating, so look out for seats that score well in our reviews.
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Guide To Infant Car Seat Shopping
You know that you want the safest possible car seat for your infant. That is a given for any parent but for many new, or first-time parents, the knowledge around what to look for can be limited.
If youve never had a child or have not had a new baby in the house for quite some time, you may know you want the safest seat possible but may not know how to find it or what to look for to ensure the highest standard for your baby.
Lets start by defining what we mean by infant car seat since the term can sometimes be misunderstood. An infant car seat is one that has a base that stays in the car. The actual seat is detachable and can be used as a baby carrier. They can only be used in a rear-facing position and therefore, they are typically grown out of rather quickly.
Below, weve highlighted a few tips to keep in mind when you are doing your shopping.
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Watch Our Car Seat Faq Video
Here, Jan James from Good Egg Car Safety answers some of the most frequently asked car seat questions:
- What is ISOFIX, and is it safer than a seat belt?
- How long can a newborn stay in car seat?
- When can babies legally go in forward-facing car seats?
- How tight should the straps be?
- Why buy a £300 car seat when you can get one for £30?
- Can an infant car seat be in the front seat of a vehicle?
- Can I use a secondhand car seat?
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How Good Housekeeping Tested Child Car Seats
How do you choose the best child car seat? For the experts at Good Housekeeping, it meant evaluating car seats based on ease of use, available safety features, the functionality of each, ease of installation and removal, and harness adjustment. The engineers tested these car seats in cars and SUVs of various sizes and configurations over a period of several weeks, diligently following their instruction manuals for installation and use.
Rothman made clear that Good Housekeeping‘s testing standards and practices are scientific and analytic, always with the customer at top of mind. “For us, after ensuring it meets industry safety standards and performing our own supplemental in-lab checks, we want to make sure that they not only perform their primary function but are easy to use,” she said.
Good Housekeeping‘s Little Lab and Engineering departments evaluated the safety, ease of use, and company customer service of car seats. Ease-of-use tests include the ease of securing the child in the car seat, ease of seat installation, ease of adjusting car seat angle, ease of removing seat from base , ease of adjusting harness height, ease of adjusting harness tension, ease of removing car-seat cover, care instructions, instruction manual, and customer service or warranty.
The Best Baby Car Seats 2022
- The best baby car seats on the market
- Choose from a range of types and price points
- What should you consider in a car seat for baby?
Buying a car seat is one of the most significant purchasing decisions youll make when you have a baby. Making sure you take your new baby home from the hospital in the safest car seat is vital that first journey is, lets be honest, pretty scary and overwhelming. So you need the right gear. Make sure you buy the best baby car seat for you and your new baby by checking out which models have made it into our list of top picks.
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List Of Recommended Carseats For Preemies & Multiples
Priced under $125:
Safety 1st onBoard 35 LT: 4-35 lbs. up to 32 tall 4 sets of harness slots, 3 crotch strap/buckle positions, option to shorten the crotch strap length for small newborns 2-position adjustable base energy-absorbing EPS foam. Available as part of Safety 1st Smooth Ride Travel System.
Summer Infant Affirm 335: 3-35 lbs. 15-32 tall 4 sets of harness slots 3 buckle positions 4-position adjustable base with belt-tensioning feature optional anti-rebound handle position energy-absorbing EPS foam lower body positioning insert for babies 3-11 lbs. Available as part of the Summer Myria Stroller Travel System.
Priced $125 $175:
Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35: 4-35 lbs. up to 32 tall 4 sets of harness slots, 2 buckle positions 4-position adjustable SnugLock base energy-absorbing EPS foam. Compatible with any single or double Graco stroller that accepts a car seat. Graco car seat adapters available for many other premium stroller brands. You have lots of choices!
Priced $175-$225 :
Britax B-Safe 35 : 4-35 lbs. up to 32 tall 4 sets of harness slots 2 buckle positions impact-absorbing base with SafeCell technology lockoffs for seatbelt installation premium push-on LATCH connectors EPS foam, newborn insert. Britax B Safe 35 Review Here. Compatible with any single or double Britax stroller that accepts a car seat. Britax car seat adapters available for many other premium stroller brands. You have lots of choices!
Priced $225-$300 :
Focus On The Important Features
The main purpose of a baby car seat is to keep your child safe in case of an accident. So, if you want to get the best value out of it, prioritize quality safety features first such as below.
- A five-point harness: It secures your child properly and prevents them from being thrown forward in an accident. This harness contains two shoulder straps, two waist straps, and one strap between the legs that is fastened in the middle.
- ISOFIX compatibility: ISOFIX makes it easier to install the baby car seat without using seatbelts and reduces human error. However, make sure your car has ISOFIX first.
- Side impact protection: This may include a reinforced shell, foam, or air pads at the side of the seat and babys head for extra protection.
- Anti-rebound bar: Usually reserved for higher-end baby car seats , an anti-rebound bar is usually fixed on rear-facing baby car seats. It reduces the rolling motion of the car seat after a crash and further minimizes injury to your baby.
- Other features: You can also consider other features that improve your childs comfort including thicker cushions, breathable fabric, and a larger canopy.
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What Customers Are Saying
Amazon Review Score: 4.7 out of 5 based on over 20 ratings
Amazon has only a few customer reviews for the Bugaboo Turtle Air, but they are mostly positive. Google also rates this seat highly, awarding it an average score of 4.5 out of 5 stars from more than 120 reviews.
Users are happy this seat is easy to install, includes useful safety features, and is made from quality materials. Among the most common praises users heap on the Turtle Air is that its exceptionally light.
The polyester fabric looks and feels amazing, and it seems like it can withstand some wear and tear. The cushions around the handle feel sturdy yet comfortable, and I love the option to customize with accessories. Julian via Amazon
One of the few common complaints we found pertains to the attached sun visor. Some people believe its bulky and difficult to tuck away when not in use. We didnt have any issues with the visor during our testing.
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Memory Foam Pillow For Baby Flat Head Baby Pillow Soft Baby Pillows For Sleeping Head Shaping Pillows For Babies Infant Car Seat Head Support
Promotes Proper Sleep Position for Babies Help your little one achieve better sleep with our newborn pillow. A soft baby head protector, our memory foam pillow allows better airflow on the neck while keeping your infants head aligned to the spine.
Helps Prevent Flat Head Syndrome With a hallowed design, this baby head shaping pillow supports normal head growth for infants aged 0-6 months. Make sure to seek your pediatricians advice before using our heart shaped pillow.
For a Comfy Baby Sleep This baby pillow for newborn is specially made of memory foam cushion and tucked in soft, breathable cotton. Its the perfect support pillow for your little ones relaxing sleep!
Infant Pillow for Parents on the Go Our flat head pillow is the ideal choice for busy parents. Use it as infant head support for car seat. Or insert your baby neck pillows in baby bassinet, infant swing, bouncer, or cradle.
Easy-to-clean Baby Sleep Pillow To wash your baby pillow, submerge it in a sink or tub with lukewarm water and a small amount of detergent. Squeeze gently. Drain the soapy water and repeat the process twice. Air dry under direct sunlight.
Britax Marathon Clicktight Convertible Car Seat
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Difficulty cleaning in cracks/crevices of seat
You can keep your kids comfy on long rides with a car seat like the Britax Marathon. This popular convertible car seat works as both a rear and forward-facing model, and it has a variety of features that ensure your kids are comfortable at every turn.
Testing Notes: “Our favorite design components are the 14 different harness settings and seven recline positions. If youll be using this car seat with multiple children, this can save a lot of time and frustration. Cheaper car seats dont come with a steel frame, side-impact protection, or many of the other design features that set this car seat apart.”
The Britax Marathon ClickTight excels in its adjustable featuresit has a 14-position easy-adjust harness, seven recline positions, and two buckle positions to ensure a comfortable fit as your child grows. Its lined with plush foam padding as well.
Rear-Facing Limit: 5-40 pounds, up to 49 inches | Forward-Facing Limit: 20-6 pounds | Dimensions: 23.5 x 18.5 x 23 inches | Cup Holder: No | Price at time of publication: $340
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Choosing A Baby Car Seat
It’s recommended to buy a baby car seat before your baby is born if possible. It’s important to buy a seat that fits your car and is suitable for a newborn.
If you have your baby in hospital or a birth centre, you will need the car seat to drive your newborn home safely. It’s a good idea to practise fitting the seat before your baby is born.
What Are The Common Causes Of Jaundice In Newborns
When red blood cells break down, a chemical called bilirubin is released, this makes the skin go yellow. Newborn babies are born with a lot of red blood cells but their liver isnt yet developed enough to process the bilirubin. This results in a bilirubin overload, leading to jaundice. By about 2 weeks, your babys liver is more developed and will be better at removing bilirubin.
Most newborns with jaundice will have breast milk jaundice. This type of jaundice usually sorts itself out without treatment, after several weeks. You do not need to stop breastfeeding.
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