One of the most important jobs you have as a parent is keeping your child safe when riding in a vehicle. Each year thousands of young children are killed or injured in car crashes. Proper use of car safety seats helps keep children safe. But with so many different car safety seats on the market, it’s no wonder many parents find this overwhelming.
The type of seat your child needs depends on several things including your child’s size and the type of vehicle you have. To be sure your child is using the most appropriate seat, read on.
To see a list of car safety seats and safety seat manufacturers, click here.
Types of car safety seats at a glance
The chart below is a quick guide on where to start your search; however, it’s important to read more about the features and how to use your car safety seat.
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Infants
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Infant seats and rear-facing convertible seats
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Infants should ride rear-facing until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat’s manufacturer. At a minimum, children should ride rear-facing until they have reached at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds. When children reach the highest weight or length allowed by the manufacturer of their infant-only seat, they should continue to ride rear-facing in a convertible seat.
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Toddlers/preschoolers
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Convertible seats and forward-facing seats with harnesses
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It is best for children to ride rear-facing as long as possible to the highest weight and height allowed by the manufacturer of their convertible seat. When they have outgrown the seat rear-facing, they should use a forward-facing seat with a full harness as long as they fit.
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School-aged children
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Booster seats
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Booster seats are for older children who have outgrown their forward-facing car safety seats. Children should stay in a booster seat until adult belts fit correctly (usually when a child reaches about 4' 9" in height and is between 8 and 12 years of age).
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Older children
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Seat belts
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Children who have outgrown their booster seats should ride in a lap and shoulder seat belt in the back seat until 13 years of age.
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