Top 4 Tips For Buying Child Car Seats

One of the most important safety decisions you will make for your child is choosing a suitable child car seat. This handy guide provides practical information to help you select the best car seat for your needs.
   

Tip 1 - Consider the age of the child

Children require different types of car seats as they grow and each state in Australia requires children up to 7 years to be restrained in an appropriate restraint.


Age can be used as a guide:

• Children under the age of six months must use a rear facing restraint
• Children aged six months to four years can use either a rear facing seat or a forward facing restraint.
• Children aged four years to approximately seven years must travel in a forward facing restraint or booster seat.

Tip 2: Consider the height of the child

In addition to using age as a guide, current car seats feature a shoulder height marker which dictates use.  Your child should remain in a rear facing seat or position until their shoulder is in-line or above the forward facing height marker.  Your child should remain in a forward facing seat until their shoulder height is above the upper shoulder height marker.

Tip 3: Practice using the harness and straps

As well as providing safe and secure support, it is important that child car seats, harnesses and straps are correctly adjusted. You will probably be dealing with straps every day, so it is worthwhile testing them before you make your purchase. Some seats within the Britax Safe-n-Sound range feature hassle free harnesses which assists further in adjusting the harness length. When you adjust the head or back rest the harness straps will automatically reposition.

Tip 4 - Choose a car seat that has been safety tested

In a collision, babies, infants and children are extremely vulnerable if they are not properly secured in a car seat. Australia’s standard for child car seats is one of the toughest in the world to ensure better protection for our children.

In Australia it is illegal to purchase a car seat that does not comply with the Australian/New Zealand Standard 1754. The Britax Safe n Sound range of car seats comply with this standard, and have been rigorously tested at our laboratory to ensure all their components will provide the best protection for your child.
Browse our selection of car seats and accessories today via our website or speak to one of our helpful customer service operators for more information.