13 July 2011

Benefits of Using High Back Car Seat

Infant car seats are generally the very first car safety accessory that parents buy for their babies. However, when your babies grow bigger, they may not fit as comfortably inside these seats as they did before. So when they reach toddler stage, the next safety accessory in line for them are the high back car seats. A high back car seat is an accessory made especially for growing toddlers. They are seat boosters that allow you to actually strap the car seat belt securely and comfortably around their bodies.

There are several states in the country that actually require parents to use a high back car seat when their kids reach a certain weight. This is mainly because toddlers overgrow their infant car seats and this makes them less safe to use. Today, seat boosters can come as a simple padded seat or with a built-in back and head rest.

High back car seats usually have a minimum weight requirement of 30-33 lbs. Most of the state laws however, will only require kids to use these seats when they weigh or go beyond 40 lbs. But either way, you must also make sure that your kids are big enough to make that transition from infant car seats to booster seats.

Aside from the safety factor, high back car seats also give added comfort for your toddlers. The structure of the seat prevents the belt from restricting his or her movement and digging tightly into their neck. This way, you can easily put the seatbelt on without getting that much protest from your toddlers.

There are two kinds of high back car seats available in the market today. The backless high back car seat booster is a good design to use because it is very easy to move from one car to another. High back car seats also take in less space and are very easy to store inside the car or the house. And lastly, they are much cheaper compared to the other car seat models. But remember, backless booster seats should only be used when there are built-in head rests on your car seats.

The other type of model is the booster car seat with built-in backrests. The backrest gives toddlers additional neck and back support. This is a great model to use for long drives because the added cushion can prevent your kids from slouching over when they sleep on the road. However, the down side to this kind of seat is that they can be a bit bulky compared to the backless model. Aside from that, they are much more expensive as well.

One very important thing that you need to keep in mind though is that a high back car seat should never be used only with a lap belt. Lap belts will never hold your toddlers securely in place in the event of an accident - which will entirely defeat its purpose.

Remember, your kids' safety and comfort should always come first. So when you go out shopping for a high back car seat, always take time to look for the right design that can give you both comfort and safety.

Labels: