Buying baby strollers and car seats for our children is not as easy as it was for our parents. Back in the day, there were only a few manufacturers and all the models looked the same with only a few minor differences, like colors. These days there are so many different baby strollers and car seats on the market it can be confusing. The point of this article is to give you some helpful tips to make the decision making a little clearer for you.
One of the first things that you need to consider is safety. This holds true whether it is a car seat or a stroller. Above all else comes the safety of our children. When looking at strollers and car seats you need to make sure that the manufacturers have put them through the gambit and they have tested true. Every stroller should have an automatic lock that clicks into place when you unfold it so that when you put your child into it it doesn’t fold back up on them. The car seats should be governmental-backed, which means that it should be approved by the government to meet safety and law requirements.
Baby Strollers
For baby strollers there are a few things to consider. Check the stroller to find out how easy it is fold and unfold. Some of the models on the market allow single handed operation, which is a real plus when you have a child in the other hand and do not wish to put him/her down. The next item is the brakes, make sure that they operate easily. Many of the models on the market have brakes that engage on th back whell with a simple touch of your foot. The nest thing that you should consider is the handle Baby strollers these days come with little trays that can hold the things that you need, like a hook for your purse and shopping bags, cup holders, and a place for your cell phone. You last point of concern needs to be what exactly the stroller is built out of. Does the stroller seem like it is going to hold up through some abusive years, or does it seem like it is made from cheap lightweight materials. Getting a stroller with metal components can insure that you will get some wear out of it, while cheaper materials like plastic tend to not hold up so well under regular use.
Car Seats
Choosing the car seat for your child is more about what will work best for you and your child, other than the initial safety requirements. There are many different brands as well as categories in car seats as makers design them for every stage of your childs development. If your child is at the age of birth to the one year and around 20 pounds than the child needs a rear facing car seat. Forward-facing car seats are for ages one year to four and 20 to 40 pounds. Booster-type car seats are for ages 4 to 8, up to four foot nine inches in height. When your child outgrows that, they can sit in the car like older passengers and be buckled up in a regular seat belt. A car seat that is meant for all of the developmental stages (besides the booster seat) is the convertible car seat.
The baby stroller and car seat that you finally choose should provide your child with comfort and safety while at the same time provide you with simplicity of functionality. Making use of these items should not be a chore or a struggle to make get them to function properly.