1. Identify your family’s needs
Your lifestyle can influence your final decision, e.g. does the child car seat need to fit more than one car and will you be constantly switching from one car to another? Will grandparents or other child-carers be driving your child in their cars? Ensure that they know how to correctly install the car seat.
2. Always seek specialist retailer advice
Take your time and seek the best advice from a retailer that you trust.
3. The most important factors when choosing a child car seat are your child’s weight, size and physical development, NOT their age
4. Always try before you buy
Not all child car seats fit all cars.
5. Check that your seat choice meets the latest impact technology
Look closely at the features on offer and compare seats carefully
6. Always read the instruction manual and retain it with your seat for future reference
Make sure that other users, such as grandparents, read and understand it.
7. Get to know your child car seat
You must be confident that you can install and use your child car seat correctly
8. Never buy a second hand child car seat
Second-hand means second-guessing about your child’s safety. A second hand seat may have been in a crash already and may not have the correct fitting instructions. It also may not meet the latest saftey standard. It also can have unseen damage which can adveresley effect the performance of the seat
You can find even more about car seats and car seat safety in our new
car seat section
John is Silver Cross's Car Saftey expert. Here he outlines his top saftey tips in regards to Car Seats
