A Clarification

My friend, Cindy, made a good point and I wanted to follow up on it. You don't need the most expensive carseats on the market to have a safe child. What you do need is for the carseat to fit the child, fit the car, be installed correctly every time, be used correctly every time (meaning the child buckled in correctly every time), and for the carseat to not be expired or have ever been in an accident.

People sometimes wonder why carseats expire and think that it's just a way to get consumers to spend more money. But that's not true. Carseats do, unfortunately, expire. The plastic ages, just like anything else. Those of you who've ever left children's play toys out in the yard all summer (or all winter) are probably familiar with how the plastic is not quite the same after.

Different carseats expire after different amounts of time, though, which is also a reason for different price tags. Most carseats expire after 6 years. Some are as few as 5, though. There are a few that are 7 (the Learning Curve True Fit), the Radian has an 8 year life span, and the Britax Frontier and Graco Nautilus both have longer life spans (can't remember how long off-hand....8 or 9 years).

There are carseats I would NEVER recommend getting....not because they're dangerous or anything, but because some are just known to have issues. Some have issues with getting a good fit in most cars and some have issues with kids being comfortable in them, and some have issues with being outgrown way too early because of low weight-limit or low top-harness-slots.

For instance, on my carseat board, the Graco Comfortsport is often referred to as the Crappysport. They make the CUTEST covers on these, they're not super-expensive, and you can buy them off WalMart's shelf, which I know entices parents to buy them. The problem is that they only rear-face up to 30 lbs (not good at all) and only forward face to 40 bls. (also not good). BUT most kids can't even make it to 40 lbs in them because their top harness slots are so low, a lot of kids outgrow them by age 3, if not before.

If you love Graco, go with the new My Ride. It rear-faces to 40 lbs and forward faces to 65 lbs. It's a MUCH better convertible carseat than the Comfortsport (although I like others even better).

Carseats are so easily used incorrectly. I'll explain how to correctly use them.

1) Pay attention....the FIRST thing you need to do is read the owner's manual for your carseat AND for your car. When cars have LATCH anchors, there are sometimes rules about where carseats need to be installed with the LATCH anchors. For example, in our old Honda Accord, there are 2 sets of LATCH. One in each outboard position. If you want to put a carseat in the middle position, you have to use the seatbelt. Honda doesn't allow "borrowing" of LATCH anchors. Also, most vehicle manufacturers have a weigh limit on the LATCH anchors. So if you have a 65 lb-limit forward-facing carseat, you may not be able to install it using the LATCH anchors if your child is over 40 lbs. You'd need to use the seatbelt.

2) Now they need to be installed in your car the correct way. Make sure the LATCH belt or seatbelt (whichever you use) is through the correct belt path. (For convertible carseats, there are 2 different belt paths.)

3) Then you do acrobatics getting the carseats in as tight as possible. If you have locking seatbelts, you pull them all the way out and then let them back in, all while pulling to make sure it's super-tight. Once installed, grip the seat near the belt path and pull side-to-side and front-to-back and make sure there's no more than 1 inch of movement. (The idea is to make it part of the car.) To get mine tight enough, I have to kneel on the carseat while tightening the seatbelt. For other types of seatbelts, there are different rules that I'm unfamiliar with since I don't have any other kind of seatbelt in my cars. (If you have different seatbelts, check your car manual and carseat manual for instructions. If you need help, contact a local carseat technician (CPST) who will teach you how to correctly install your carseats for free.)
If you're using a forward-facing carseat, attach the tether anchor (over the back of the seat) and tighten as much as possible. (Note: Make sure you get a good install BEFORE you attach and tighten the tether anchor.) If you're using a convertible carseat for a rear-facing child that allows for the tether anchor to be used rear-facing, go ahead and attach that now. (Only 2 companies currently allow this-- Britax and Sunshine Kids.)

4) Once the carseat is installed rock-solid, you can get your child in it securely. For rear-facing children, the harness needs to be at or below the child's shoulders. For forward-facing children, the harness needs to be at or above the child's shoulders. Always keep the straps as close to the child's shoulders as possible (ie. don't have the shoulder straps coming out 4 inches above the child's shoulders when there are harness slots closer to the child's shoulders).
Now buckle the child and tighten the harness. It needs to be tighter than most people think. If you can grasp the harness strap by the child's shoulder and pinch it together, it's too loose. Go here to see a picture guide.
The chest clip needs to be at armpit level, not down by their bellies.
Tada! Now you've got a great installation!
One note for rear-facing children. For newborns, the angle of the carseat should be 45 degrees from vertical. Sometimes to get this angle correct, you need to use a tightly rolled-up towel underneath the carseat. (Sunshine Kids doesn't allow for this, but trust me, you won't need it with their carseats.) Once the baby has better neck control, you can install the seat a bit more upright. Up to 30 degrees from vertical, but no less than that.

Now for a bunch of common no-nos:

-Don't use any after-market products. No woolly blankets that go behind the baby, no harness strap covers (that didn't come with the carseat), no belt tighteners like this one. (I know it's from the same company that makes the Radian, but DO NOT USE IT!) And no using those plastic seat-protector mats that go under the carseat. You can use a thin towel if you really feel the need.
So basically, if it didn't come with the seat, don't use it.

-Don't leave the straps twisted. If you have a carseat with twisted straps, take the time to untwist them every time. Basically if you leave them twisted, it's going to feel like a rope is holding your child back in an accident.....no fun for the kid.

-Don't leave your kids in big, fluffy coats in their carseats. The harness can't get tight enough and the coat WILL compress in an accident leaving your child in a loose harness. Here's a demonstration of how to safely let kids wear coats in the car. Or you can just keep blankets in the car and put those over them instead.

-Don't use LATCH and the seatbelt at the same time.

-Don't use infant carriers (the kind you can take out of the base and carry around when the baby is little) forward-facing. (Yes, some people do it.)

-Don't use a carseat once it's outgrown.

-Don't use a carseat once it's expired.

-Don't use a carseat that's been in an accident. Even a minor accident can make small stress fractures in the plastic that can't be seen. And then it won't be as safe if there are any future accidents. Most car insurance companies replace carseats after accidents.

-Don't buy a used carseat unless it's from someone you know (and trust) who can verify that it's never been in an accident.

I want to reiterate that you don't have to buy the most expensive seats out there. There are more and more good carseats available. They used to be few and far between. There are generally reasons for some carseats being more expensive, though. Like I said before, some will last longer (either the kids don't outgrow them as quickly or they have a longer lifespan), some are super-easy to install, some have more creature comforts, and some are just known for being user-friendly all around. But really, you don't have to break the bank to get your kids in safe seats.