Buying a Baby Car Seat

Video Transcript

"All brand new car seats have gone through some type of crash test, that's regulated by the government, so when you buy a car seat from a trusted store, you know that your car seat was made with your baby in mind, around safety. I'm Joie with Baby Earth. We're going to talk about picking out a car seat. Now, because most car seats are safe, and you're buying them from a trusted store, you really have to think about the car seat, and yourself, so what kind of car do you drive? Take that into consideration. If you drive a compact car, you're going to want a smaller car seat, that fits easily into the car, and a car seat that you can work properly. That is when car seats become the most dangerous, when they're not installed properly, or you don't know how to work them, so make sure when you're in the store, before you purchase it, you know everything about it, and especially look for a car seat that has a five point harness. Now, most car seats do, but just double check that it has a five point harness, just like this seat does. Another thing that you need to pay attention to, is the height and weight for babies. That is another thing that makes it unsafe. If your baby weighs too much, and you have the car seat rear facing, when it needs to be forward facing, so pay attention to that, and here's a little tip to keep in mind. Up to twenty pounds, is normally the rear facing, and then you turn it around and have it forward facing. Another thing to keep in mind, is never buy a car seat used. Okay, I know that's a little dramatic, but in my book, that is the policy, because if you buy a car seat used, that means it was riding in somebody else's car. They could have gotten in even a minor fender bender. I mean, you want to know where your car seat has been, and that it is the safest ride for your baby. Now, there is a whole bunch of guidelines online, that you can look up, about buying a used car seat, but my personal opinion is, just buy a new one. They range in price anywhere around a hundred bucks and up, so do a little bit of research. Think about what's important for you, what kind you want, and then go to the store, before you fall in love with one that has this crazy pattern, and costs a little bit too much money, because they're all safe. I'm Joie with Baby Earth. That's the skinny on car seats."