It’s no secret that child car seats are designed to keep your little one safe and secure, be it during daily rides or in a potential crash!
However, this guide is for those who want to know more about how they work and what exactly goes into their optimal performance.
In other words, it’s an in depth, comprehensive look into each and every part of a good child car seat, how they work and what they do.
- The Shell
The shell is basically the shape and structure of the seat.
It is usually made out of hard plastic, most often dense polypropylene.
Furthermore, it is also where the caretakers can read some basic information about the product.
This label includes, most often than not, things like information on whether or not the seat is compatible with a carrier.
- The carrier handle
Don’t be confused if you don’t always see one as the hand exists only on infant car seats.
Its role, as you might have guessed, is to allow easier portability when you take your bundle of joy in and out of the car.
- The base
In some cases, the base is detachable while in others the car seat base is integrated.
The base is not only found in infant car seats but also in convertible ones.
The only difference is that the latter will have an integrated base instead of a detachable one.
The base can be installed using the car’s seat belt or LATCH.
The seat is then attached to the car seat base as tight as possible using a built in locking mechanism.
The base can stay in the car at all times for the sake of convenience while the portable carrier is the one that’s easily removable for obvious reasons.
- The harness
The rear-facing infant seats feature a harness with five points, designed to cover a larger area of the baby’s body, therefore increasing their safety.
All of them are made out of tight webbing in order to properly protect their body from any forwarding motions in the eventuality of a crash.
The harness needs to be “5-point” as to offer the infant support for their shoulders, chest and crotch areas, in addition to the chest clip in the middle of the harness that can need to be positioned at the level of the armpit for the utmost safety.
During the rear facing position, the harness levels need to be under the baby’s shoulders so keep that in mind.
Another thing you need to know is that not all harnesses can take harsh soaps so when it needs cleaning, check the manufacturer’s manual for a correct wash that will not end up damaging the materials.
- The buckle
The buckle is, as you can imagine, just as important of a component since it’s basically what secures everything in place.
The crotch buckle clips into the harness at the very center and depending on the design, adjusting the baby’s position for more comfort and safety is also possible.
- The chest clip
The chest clip is made to hold the harness straps all bucked in, ensuring that they remain in the right direction no matter the situation – even in the eventuality of a car crash.
- The harness pad covers
It has to be mentioned that while pad covers are not part of all child car seats, the most comfortable ones can be removed with ease.
- The adjuster strap
You can find the adjuster strap below the harness, on the very bottom of the car seat and gets activated by pressing a button.
Once the button is pressed either up or down, depending on each seat mechanism, the harness’ webbing gets loose.
At that point, you can simply pull the strap forward in order to further tighten it to your baby’s size so that they feel all cozy and remain protected.
Make sure the tightness of the harness is right by doing the pinch test afterwards.
If it’s properly tightened, you’ll only be able to fit one finger under the harness.
- Shoulder belt guide
High-back booster seats tend to feature shoulder belt guides.
When the high back booster gets installed, to ensure a secure fit, the shoulder belt is simply guided through the shoulder belt guide.
Depending on the model, the shoulder belt guide could be adjusted as by moving it to a higher or a lower position to achieve the perfect balance between comfort and safety.
The booster’s adjustable headrest is also usually designed to allow for simultaneous shoulder belt guide adjustment.
- The tether anchor
The top tether anchor offers the perfect safety and stability in forward-facing infant car seats.
Because of this, using it with rear-facing seats is quite rare.
The tether anchor ensures that the forward-facing car seats remain well stabilized in the back seat.
The main goal of this anchor is to keep the little one’s head from experiencing forceful forward movement in the eventuality of an accident.
As for materials, it is usually made out of webbing similar to the ones of a seat belt.
One part of the strap is meant to be anchored to the car seat while the other end is supposed to attach to the slots found behind the car’s backseat.
- The LATCH connectors (UAS)
LATC refers to a metal connector clip that attaches to the car’s lower anchor vehicles in order to keep the infant car seat in place no matter what.
It’s good to know that nearly all vehicles are built in such a way that they allow for installation via LATCH or via the car’s seat belt.
To learn more, make sure to check the manufacturer’s manual prior to installing the car seat using one of the methods.
- The infant insert and padding
It’s safe to say all child car seats come with padding to ensure the little one’s comfort and safety even during the longest car rides.
The padding is usually made out of plush materials meant to provide a layer of protection between the seat’s hard shell and the infant’s body.
This is because they are made to provide newborns, who need extra protection and comfort, with a snug fit.
With that being said, the insert can be easily removed once the bundle of joy outgrows its weight or height limit.
The head pad, which is part of the newborn insert is also usually detachable and can be used for a longer period of time in case you feel like the baby still needs some extra head support after outgrowing the insert.
- The recline indicator
Typically, child car seats also feature a rear-facing recline indicator found on the seat’s base.
It has to be mentioned that every seat’s design is different so they may come in the form of a dial, a line or a bubble.
The seat’s manual has important information about the proper recline angle for babies and newborns.
- The recline lever
Another part that can’t be found in all child car seats, the recline lever, is usually meant for rear-facing car seats and is located in the seat’s base. We also wrote a best rotating car seat guide, if you’d like to take a look.
However, check the manual to learn where it is exactly.
The recline can be adjusted using a lever as the little one grows.
- The armrests
As you can imagine, the armrests are there to make sure the passenger is comfortable.
Most high-back boosters feature armrests that start at the seat’s shell and end right above the pelvis.
They are also usually adjustable so that the parent or caretaker can adjust them to the child’s size so they are safe and comfortable.
With that being said, here are some of the things you should look for when purchasing a child case seat!
– Convertible models
– 5-point harness
– Front harness adjuster
– Ability to recline up to 45 degrees
– Carry handle
– Stroller compatibility
– Shock-absorbing foam
– Large weight limit
– Adjustable head support
– Booster seats
– Compatibility with the shoulder and lap belt of your car
The important thing to understand when purchasing a child car seat is that they are all different in design and features, although a handful of them should never be overlooked.
Naturally, most of the parts we’ve mentioned throughout this guide are essential features for your little one’s safety and comfort.
Hopefully, you have learned a lot and are more confident than ever that you can make an educated decision when it comes to your baby’s car seat.
Related editorial:
https://www.healthhighroad.com/womens-health/pregnancy/14-best-swivel-car-seats-to-keep-your-baby-safe/45601
https://www.healthhighroad.com/mens-health/healthy-living-mens-health/isofix-or-rotating-car-seats-which-one-is-better/42763
https://www.healthhighroad.com/mens-health/top-10-infant-car-seats-on-the-market/41184
https://www.healthhighroad.com/womens-health/13-best-rotating-car-seats-to-keep-your-baby-safe/38717
https://www.healthhighroad.com/womens-health/best-rotating-car-seat-battle-top-4/53582
