Having your children properly secured in their car seats is one of the most important things that you can do for your child. Making sure that you have them in the right one for their age is equally important. Not having your child’s seat installed correctly can result in injury, even death.

As your child gets older, their car seats will change with their weight and age. The guidelines should be followed with a reminder that the size of your car and the weight of your baby may vary. Picking the right car seat should be determined by these factors.

For your newborn, you must have a rear facing infant car seat. They should stay in this infant seat until they are one year old and weigh at least twenty pounds. There are two types of these seats that you can get. The convertible infant seat is a car seat that will eventually convert into a forward facing seat. You will be able to use this seat longer. Because it is able to be converted, it does not have handles on it like infant-only seats. It is great for bigger babies. It does have a five point harness that comes over the shoulders and across the hips and attaches between the legs.

You can also get an infant only seat. These are usually part of a set from a stroller. They have handles to carry your baby and a base that you can snap it into. You can easily remove it from the stroller and snap it in place in the car and never have to wake the baby.

For those that are at least one year old and weigh more than twenty pounds, you can move them into a front facing car seat. Keep in mind that they should meet both requirements. They can stay in this front facing seat with a harness until they weigh forty pounds or turn four years old. After this, school aged children can begin riding in booster seats. Whatever age and weight your child is, always make sure that you are following these guidelines for their safety. A car seat that is the right fit, but is not strapped in correctly can still result in an accident. Take the time to adjust the seat and secure it properly. It could save your child’s life.