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Checklist For Choosing Suitable Kids Car Seats
 2/16/2010  by Kerri

In this article I am going to provide you with some details that you should have ready when it comes to choosing kids car seats for your children. There are a couple of things you should know before you start shopping around. You may already know that car child seats are tested and approved by the child's weight rather than their age group, although most manufacturers provide you with an approximate age suitability for the child car seats. You must always purchase car seats based on the suitable weight range for your child.

Here are some details on types of car seats and which weights they are suitable for:

1) Infant rear facing car seats (group 0 and group 0+) are suitable for children who weigh up to 10kg (approx 9 months old) or up to 13kg (approx 12 months).
2) Child forward facing car seats (group 1) are suitable for children who weigh 9-18kg (approx 9 months to 4 years).
3) Toddler booster seats and booster cushions (group 2 and group 3) are suitable for children who weigh 15-36kg (approx 3-12 years) or 22-36kg (approx 5-12 years).

Before you go shopping to find a suitable car seat, whether you are shopping for rear facing car seats, forward facing car seats, toddler booster seats or booster cushions, make sure you know how much your child weighs so you can get them a car seat that you know is suitable.

Here are some things to remember:

1) When you weigh your child, make sure you weigh them in kilograms. Weigh your child before choosing a child car seat so that you know it is definitely suitable.
2) After you purchase the child car seat, read through the manufacturers instructions to make sure the car seat is completely suitable for your child and so that you install the car seat correctly.
3) Make sure you weigh your child on a regular basis as they can outgrow their car seat faster than you think. If you don't measure them regularly you might not even know that the car seat is no longer suitable for them.
4) Don't put your child in a larger restraint until they have fully outgrown the limits of the car seat they are using.
5) Don't rely on the child age range of the car seat. Some children grow faster than you think so may need to move up to the next suitable restraint if they have outgrown the weight limits of the seat they are using.
 
Take a look at our kids car seats.

 
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