A car seat is one of the most important things you'll buy for your child. There are four types of car seats, and the type you need depends on your child's weight and height.
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A car seat can save your child's life and prevent serious injury in a crash. Tragically, motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of accidental death among children in the United States. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that three children are killed and over 500 are injured in traffic accidents daily. That's more than a thousand fatalities each year.
All states now have car seat laws, but car seats for children weren't even developed until 1962. Before that there were car seats, but they weren't designed for safety. They were a way to prop up a child in the seat – so parents could see them and so they could see out the window.
Advertisement | page continues belowIn 1971, the first standards for car seats were adopted by the NHTSA. And eight years later, in 1979, the first child restraint law was passed. All states passed car seat laws by 1985.
Car seats are incredibly effective when used properly. When compared with seat belt use alone, car seats reduce the risk of injury for children in a crash by 71 to 82 percent. For children ages 4 to 8 years old, booster seat use reduces the risk of serious injury by 45 percent, compared with seat belt use alone. And for older children and adults, buckling up with a seat belt reduces the risk of death and serious injury by half.
NHTSA estimates that 325 children under age 5 are saved by car seats each year. Between 1975 and 2017, more than 11,000 children's lives were saved by child restraints in passenger vehicles.
So this is one piece of baby gear you'll want to buy long before your water breaks. In fact, you'll want to have your baby's car seat purchased and installed well before your due date, ideally by your eighth month of pregnancy.
The car seat your child needs depends on their age, size, and developmental needs.
Infants and toddlers need to ride in a rear-facing car seat. This can be a rear-facing only infant car seat, a convertible car seat, or an all-in-one car seat.
Note that some premature infants or infants with special medical needs may need to ride in a car bed rather than a car seat. Before leaving the hospital, your baby's doctor will help determine if this is necessary for your baby, and the hospital staff can help arrange its installation and provide you with directions for its use.
Advertisement | page continues belowPreschoolers can ride in a convertible car seat or an all-in-one car seat. Use it rear facing as long as possible, until your child reaches the seat's maximum rear-facing height and weight limits. For most children, this is around age 4.
It's okay if there isn't room for your child's legs to stretch out in front of them in the seat. Leg injuries are rare for children in rear-facing seats, which better protect their head, neck, and spine from injury.
School-age children can use a booster seat once their weight or height exceeds the forward-facing limit for their car seat (usually around 60 pounds or more). They'll need to use a belt-positioning booster seat until the seat belts fits properly without a booster, typically when they've reached 4 feet 9 inches in height and are at least 8 years old.
Children who've outgrown booster seats can use the car's lap and shoulder seat belts. The lap belt should sit across the upper thighs, not the stomach, and the shoulder belt should cross the center of the shoulder and chest, not the neck/face or off the shoulder. Kids should ride in the back seat until they're at least 13 years old.
Note: Don't be in a hurry to move your child from one type of car seat or position to the next. You may be excited to see them facing you in the car. Your older child may be pleading to leave the "baby car seat" behind. But each transition comes with some decrease in protection. That's why the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends delaying car seat transitions (rear to forward-facing and car seat to booster) for as long as possible.
Advertisement | page continues belowThese are the basic types of car seats to choose from:
Infant car seats have a portable seat that snaps into a base that stays in the car. (You may want to purchase a base for each car that your baby frequently travels in.) Some can also be installed without a base, using the vehicle's seat belt.
Infant car seats are smaller than other car seats and have a carrying handle. These seats are sometimes part of a travel system, and can be snapped onto a stroller. Many parents find this set-up most convenient for an infant, because it's easiest for transferring babies in and out of a car.
Infant car seats should always face the rear of the car, and they usually have a weight limit of 30 to 35 pounds (check your instruction manual). When your baby reaches the weight or height limits for their infant seat (for most infants this will be by about 12 months), move them to a rear-facing convertible or all-in-one car seat.
