February 22nd, 2010 by Miranda
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One of the biggest decisions you can make when choosing a cheap infant car seat is whether you are going with a convertible seat or the standard option. You may be asking yourself what the difference is, so let’s take a look at both in a little more detail.
Standard
If you are looking for a cheap car seat, you can cut down a bit on the price by purchasing a standard one rather than a convertible seat. The standard infant car seat will generally last as long as your baby is under 20 – 22 pounds. At that point, you may need to look at cheap car seats anyway because they are generally rated for higher weights.
Another nice thing about the infant only seat (another name for the standard seat) is that such units can often be mounted in a stroller and double as a travel carrier. If you’re trying to save money in the long run, this type of cheap car seat may be the best investment.
Convertible
A convertible car seat is one that you can face backward for the first year, and then turn around to be front facing during subsequent years of your baby’s development. Remember, a baby’s body is not developed to ride in car facing forward until they are 1 year old or older and at least 20 lbs. in weight. The convertible car seats generally don’t have the ability to be mounted in a stroller like traditional infant car seats, but they do have some other advantages that make them worth consideration, such as better car mounting options, higher shoulder bars for older babies, and a number of other features. Cheap car seats (convertible or otherwise) can be found for a pretty good price on the internet, so it’s worth your time to shop around and find the best possible deal out there.
So What Should You Ideally Choose?
I think that the ideal situation is to go with the standard infant car seat for the first bit of the baby’s life, and then move over to the convertible option when the baby is old and heavy enough. The feature sets that you can get with the convertible seats (which can’t be found on the standard ones) are definitely worth the money if you can swing it, and since you can find a car seat with high quality parts and affordable accessories such as seat covers, you can be financially responsible while maximizing your baby’s safety and comfort. Plenty of brands offer affordable options. For instance, you can even find a cheap Britax car seat!
February 22nd, 2010 by Miranda
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As a parent, especially a new one, it’s not uncommon for someone to feel the need to stretch their dollar as far as possible. Taking this into consideration, it’s completely understandable that one would want to save money where they can on the necessary accessories such as diapers, cribs, and car seats. It’s definitely possible to make a compromise between features and price, without sacrificing safety for your child.
So what should you be looking for in cheap car seats? Let’s take a look at some important factors to consider:
Adjustable Belts
Look for a car seat that will allow you to adjust the buckle from the front rather than from behind. It can be a real pain to dig behind the seat to make a last minute adjustment, especially when time is running short and your child is already strapped in and ready to go.
Simplicity of Use
The nice thing about some of the cheap car seats that are available on the market is that they are simpler to use as a result of having fewer extraneous features. Again, the safety rating of the car seat is what you don’t want to sacrifice – extraneous features that are there just to drive up the price of the car seat, however, can be dispensed with in favor of spending a little bit of money on reliable quality.
Ease of Cleaning
Let’s face it, any accessory or device that involves a young child is going to get dirty pretty often. You definitely want a cheap infant car seat that is easy enough to clean. It’s not like you need to search far and wide for something that will self-clean or anything crazy like that, but it does make good sense to find a car seat that allows you to clean it quickly. Look for removable cushions and an absolute minimum of nooks and crannies that are nearly impossible to clean.
So Now What?
Once you’ve taken these basic things into consideration, you’ll want to look for further safety features. I recommend always going with a safer option: Get the seat that comports with any regulations on child safety because these will generally be there for a reason. There are lots of very smart people who do nothing but test out products for a living, and these experiments are the driving force behind the sensible regulations that go into effect. Do your due diligence and be informed on the safety guidelines, even when looking for a cheap toddler car seat!
