Car seat safety ratings

[worm761]

Where do you go to find car seat safety ratings? I really wish they would just put it on their packaging but I just don't think that is going to happen. Thanks!

 

[Erica09M]

There is no such thing. And Consumer Reports are not a reliable source for car seat information.

If a car seat is on the market in the US, it has passed the safety testing requirements. There really is no one car seat that is absolutely safer than the other. The safest car seat for your child is one that is installed correctly, fits your child correctly, and is used correctly 100% of the time. That could be a $50 seat, or that could be a $300 seat.

I encourage you to visit car-seat.org for any of your car seat questions

 

[tanyaandallie]

Agreed. All seats must pass NHTSA standards. Some manufacturers do further testing. Manufacturers are not required to release any testing results so there is no way to determine what seat is "safer". Some seats have additional safety features like EPS foam or side impact wings that may make them safer but again we rarely see the actual crash test footage so it's tough to say.

car-seat.org is a great place to go to get help! Or tell us what type of seat you are looking for, how old your child is and what their stats are and we can help you.

 

[MarriedToAPrince]

Check out www.car-seat.org for all the information you could use, but honestly you can't find anything better then a Britax. They do more testing then any other company and make their seats pass tests with stricter standards then the government requires. My daughter rides in 2 Britax Marathons and I love them!

 

[Erica09M]

Check out www.car-seat.org for all the information you could use, but honestly you can't find anything better then a Britax. They do more testing then any other company and make their seats pass tests with stricter standards then the government requires. My daughter rides in 2 Britax Marathons and I love them!

I have to strongly disagree with you. Britax is no longer the leading car seat manufacturer. There are many, many, many car seats on the market today that have the same features as Britax or better. Britax is quickly falling behind, especially now that we're getting 40 pound rear facing car seats on the market and the fact that Britax has no interest in doing this.

OP, visit car-seat.org and you will find many seat suggestions (if that's what you're looking for).

 

[all4fun]

Agree w/the pp's. About Britax, I would say that they have an extremely good reputation for stricter testing and in the past, they have caught problems themselves and issued safety notices or recalls before any child got hurt. There are some car seat mfgrs out there that can't claim that. So they have a good reputation amongst people that "know" car seats, I think we can leave it at that. It's true that other mfgrs are catching up big time and there are now a lot of great seats on the market. Generally, the best seat is the one that fits your child, fits your vehicle, & can be used properly every time (some seats do have "quirks" that make them more prone to misuse). They all have to pass the same testing standards though so you will not find any test ratings on them. car-seat.org is a good site. I also like the shopping guides on www.cpsafety.com as well.

hth!

 

[worm761]

Thanks for the advice. I am 5 months pregnant so we are looking to buy one. I do not want the carrier car seat. I had it with my DS13 and just don't want to go that route again. I plan to use a sling to carry her in stores and such. So we have been looking at the car seats that go from 5 pounds and up. We have been looking at the Britax but found one that I really like that is not Britax but has most of the same features. I was just trying to figure out if one was safer than the other. There is around a $150 difference. I am willing to pay more for her safety but if the price difference is just because of brand name I am willing to forgo the brand.

 

[Erica09M]

Unfortunately, Britax convertible seats are not great for newborns. Their lowest harness slot height is 10 inches, and that eliminates most newborns from being able to use the seat straight home from the hospital. The harness slots must be at or below the shoulders for rear facing, and finding a newborn with a 10 inch (or longer) seated height is not common.

What seat is it that you found that you liked?

 

[all4fun]

Ditto Erica09M. Many convertibles have bottom slots that are too tall for most newborns. My ds was a preemie and weighed 5# when he came home from the hospital and his little infant seat was almost too big for him, so I think it's a little rediculous when some of these seats say that they are rated from 5#, but I digress...

I understand that convertible seats the generally fit newborns well are the Cosco Scenera 5pt (very basic, no extra padding or EPS/EPP foam, but a decent inexpensive seat that has 7" bottom harness slots), the Evenflo Triumph Advance version that comes w/the infant padding, The First Years True Fit and the Sunshine Kids Radian w/the SK Comfy Soft insert (the 65 lb version of this seat doesn't come with it, but it can be bought seperately and is approved by the mfgr. All the Radians have the same measurements just different features and weight limits).

hth