‘It can be overwhelming:' New tool helps parents pick best car seat for their child

There are dozens of car seats on store shelves, but which one is safest for your child?

There’s a new tool to help parents pick and choose.

“All car seats that are sold in the U.S., they have to meet a minimum safety standard, so we know that everything you find on that shelf meets that minimum level of safety, but for parents, it’s really hard to know how does one product differ against the other,” said Dr. Emily Thomas, the manager of auto safety for Consumer Reports Auto Test Center.

She and the Consumer Reports team are hoping to make selecting a seat easier with the release of their new car seat finder tool, which asks you about your car type, budget and lifestyle and then picks out the best choices for you paired with the nonprofit’s scientific safety ratings for free.

“It helps you as parents to narrow down the many choices and all the different types of advice that you may find on the internet. It can be overwhelming, and you don’t know who to trust,” said Thomas.

You can find this tool on Consumer Report’s new landing page for parents: consumrreports.org/babies.

There you can also find safety suggestions on how to install an infant, car, or booster seat.

Thomas urges you to open your seat’s user manual.

“People don’t like to open their manual but, in this case, getting it right matters,” she said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says almost half, 46%, of car seats on our roads are misused, leaving kids more vulnerable to injuries or death.

When you use one correctly, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says car seats reduce the risk of a fatality by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers in passenger cars.

Correct car seat installation can mean the difference between life and death for your child.

“The whole point of the car seat is to protect the child and it does that best when the child stays secure,” said Thomas.

She and her team purchase car seats off store shelves, crash test them, and evaluate safety, ease of use, and fit in a variety of vehicles.

She reminds parents to not only adjust the seat to keep up with their growing kiddos but also know when to get a new one.

“Every child is unique and it’s important to take into consideration their height, their weight, their age when you’re choosing the car seat for them,” said Thomas.  

And remember, car seats expire, so check the date in your user manual.

This week is Child Passenger Safety Week.

So, you may see events with local police departments or other organizations to check your car seat’s installation.

There are also testing centers too. Click here for details.

You can also call or check out this 2-1-1 resource.

Experts suggest parents don’t be afraid to ask for installation help. It’s for the sake of your kids.