Car seats keep your little one protected when you're on the road — but some researchers estimate 59 percent of them are used incorrectly.[1]
What to Expect creator Heidi Murkoff recently sat down with Joe Colella, director of child passenger safety for the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), to discuss common car seat pitfalls, how to avoid them and what you can do to keep your baby safe.
"I often joke that car seat safety isn't rocket science, because it's harder than rocket science," says Heidi.
Here's what they want moms to know:
How can you avoid buying a counterfeit car seat?
"We are seeing an increase in car seats being sold that do not necessarily meet United States standards," Colella confirms. These counterfeit car seats often come from third-party online sellers, so he recommends shopping in person at a reputable store when you can. "You can touch the demonstration car seat that's out on the shelf, and possibly, depending on the store, test it in your vehicle," he says.
If you prefer to shop on sites like Amazon or Walmart, it's safest to buy from the manufacturers' stores on those platforms, not a third-party reseller.
"If you see a pricing difference that looks ridiculous, like the original manufacturer is selling it for $400 and somebody else is selling it for $150, that's a red flag," Colella adds.
What should you look for in a car seat?
It's important to choose a car seat certified for use in the U.S. because it helps ensure adequate protection in the event of a crash.
"All car seats sold in the U.S. are required to meet stringent safety standards," Colella explains. "What that means is that all car seats have been crash tested in several ways, and that their designs will provide good protection for the children they're intended for if they're used correctly."
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Ultimately, focus on buying a car seat that meets your child's height, weight and developmental needs — and has the features that fit your car and lifestyle the best so that you'll use it correctly every time.
When should you replace a car seat?
Car seats don't last forever, and when you'll need to replace yours will depend on several factors.
"Car seats have expiration dates," Colella confirms. "They have a useful life, and that ranges depending on the model from four years to ten years."
Even if a car seat isn't expired, you'll want to consider its condition: "Do all the features work, and are all of the features there? Are the instructions included with it? Has it been in a crash before?" Colella says. "If a car seat has been in a crash, it needs to be replaced."
These factors come into play whether you're considering using a secondhand car seat or bringing out a car seat from storage for a younger child. (Here's what to do with an old car seat if you have one!)
How can you know if you've installed a car seat correctly?
Once you know you have a safe car seat, you'll need to install it correctly – and that's not always easy. "Many have likened it to the Olympics, or I would say maybe more of a Rubik's cube competition, or maybe a little of both," Heidi says. Here's how parents can know if they've aced the test:
The car seat stays in place
If you pull on it in any direction, "the car seat shouldn't move more than an inch," Colella says. That goes for side to side or front to back. If it moves more than that, it could be a compatibility problem, but more likely you'll need to "go back to the instructions and reinstall it because you might have missed something."
The seat belt is locked, if you're using the seat belt system
"If you're installing with a seat belt as opposed to the LATCH system, then the seat belt has to be locked," Colella says. Some car seats come with lock-offs to do that for you, but if yours doesn't, pull the seat belt gently all the way out to the end until you hear a click. "All of a sudden, it will start ratcheting," Colella says. "That means it's locked."
The recline indicator is at the correct angle
"A lot of car seats have recline indicators on them," Colella says. "It could be a line that should be parallel to the ground, or it could be gravity-based, so there's something moving inside the recline indicator, and it shows you the range of recline that's appropriate."
Watch the full conversation between Heidi and Colella for more helpful pointers like these, and get more infant car seat safety tips here.
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