How to Select the Perfect Car Seat for Your Baby

Choosing the right car seat can be a daunting task. Unlike adorable baby clothes, gorgeous nursery items and fun infant toys, buying a car seat is, frankly, unexciting. And yet it is one of the most important purchases you will make for your baby, its safety and comfort needing to stand up to everyday use.

All the mums working at Global Baby agree that choosing a car seat is overwhelming, which is why we have put together a guide to make it easier for other mums to select the perfect car seat for their babies.

Global Baby – Supplier of Premium Capsules and Car Seats

Here’s the good news: Global Baby only stocks quality car seats with premium safety ratings, so no matter what brand you choose at our store, you are safe. If, after reading our guide, you are still overwhelmed, pop into our Auckland shop and we’ll have a chat about what works best for you.

Car Seats 101

Capsules – car seats for brand new babies, often bubs will outgrow it by one year.

Car Seats – start either from birth or six months, can be rear-facing or rear and forward facing. Buckles click tight and plenty of padding for protection. Required by law until your child is at least 7, ideally 8.

Isofix – newer cars are often fitted with car seat mounting points called Isofix where the car seat or capsule can click into the backseat frames and don’t need the seat belt at all. Isofix can make life very easy and convenient!

Rear and Forward Facing – the car seat’s orientation in the seat. Rear facing offers better protection and in New Zealand it is recommended to keep youngsters in a rear facing car seat until 2 years old.

Boosters and Accessories – boosters are car seats for older children, typically 5 to 7 years old. Accessories like capsule rain covers and car seat protectors are worth their weight in gold!

3 Rules for Buying a Baby Car Seat

1 - Know Your Car

First things first, have a jolly good examination of your car. Hint: this is a great way to involve your partner – looking over the car might just be their time to shine.

You need to make sure the car seat fits your particular car and see if it has Isofix or if the seat belts are long enough to fit around the car seat. Consider how the car seat’s shape and contour suit your car’s rear passenger seats.

2 - Know Your Baby

Here it gets a little trickier: children out-grow car seats in two ways, height or weight, and these limits vary with different car seat brands. Knowing how your baby is tracking on these two measures can give you a clue into which style of car seat to buy for the best comfort and longest life. Tall children, for example, might benefit from seats with higher backs that they won’t quickly grow. Car seats with higher maximum weights are good for bigger babies.

3 - Know What You Want out of a Car Seat

Do you want the convenience of Isofix? Will a narrow driveway dictate which seat you use for your car seat? Do you want a capsule that will click into your pram? Do you want a convertible car seat that you can use for years, or do you want a more simple car seat?

You’ve thought about your car and your baby, now think about your lifestyle. This will help you not only choose the right car seat size but also other features like swivel seats, where to put it in the car and how to accessorise it.

Come into the Global Baby store or shop our online store to choose your baby’s car seat.

If you're looking for a car wrap, get in touch with Onform Signs.