Getting the right kind of car seat even before your baby is born is a wise decision because the law requires that you bring home your newborn child in a car seat. Can you imagine yourself running from the hospital to the store just after your baby is born because (oh shucks!) it slipped your mind to buy one? Now how are you going to bring home your little one?

To help you get started, you should know the basics of choosing a car seat for babies below one year of age. For babies who are less than a year old, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends only rear-facing car seats, which they will use starting with their first ride home from the hospital until they have reached the age of one and weighs at least 20 pounds. You should also check the maximum child weight and height specified by the manufacturer to know when your baby should transition to a forward-facing car seat.

There are 2 kinds of rear-facing car seats— infant carrier seats and convertible seats. Infant carrier seats are small and usually come with a base that can be left in the car. You need only click the seat into place on this base before you position your child. Infant carrier seats also have carrying handles and sometimes come as part of strollers, which make them dual purpose. A convertible seat, on the other hand, is a rear-facing seat which can be converted to a forward-facing seat when your child gets big enough. This prolonged usability is the advantage of this type of car seat although you have to check with the manufacturer if a newborn baby will fit comfortably on it (the fit should not be too loose).

Now correct installation of the rear-facing car seat is even more important because your child’s safety will depend, in part, on how securely you strap the seat into place. Make sure that you route the seat belts into their right positions and that locking clips are in place if your seat belts need them. For vehicles made after September 2002, the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system would have been in place already and you can use these to tether the car seat instead of the seatbelts. You should also see to it that the seat is fixed or reclined at the right angle so that your child’s head does not flop forward dangerously. If you are able to move the seat more than an inch to the sides, or forward and backward, you need to tighten it still. Never place a rear-facing car seat in the front passenger seat as the force of an exploding airbag can be fatal.

You also need to make sure that the harnesses which hold your child in place are secure. Car seats with a 5-point harness system are generally accepted as safest but other types including those with a T-shield system, an overhead-shield system and a 3-point harness system are also sold. If the car seat has more than one set of harness slots, make sure that the harnesses are set in place in slots at or below your baby’s shoulders. They should fit securely but also comfortably such that they don’t completely restrict your child’s movement.

Finding the right kind of car seat and knowing how to properly install it will help to protect your baby whenever you travel. In addition to this you can also bring along some of BabyGanics’ safe and natural household solutions like The Germinator Hand Sanitizer to help protect him from harmful germs without exposing him to harmful chemicals!

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