Infant Seats - Read About Infant Seats And How To Use Them

Infant seats are designed to make your baby safer in your car, in your home, or even during outdoor activities such as cycling (of course, you're the one powering the bike - your baby is just coming along for the ride).

The different styles of infant care seats perform different roles. Some are provide extra height to allow your baby to share meals with you at a table (and to give you a better view of what he's up to, even when you're doing something else). Others are meant solely to hold him securely in place and prevent accidents. Infant safety is a priority when it comes to buying, setting up and using any type of infant care seat.

Car Seats

The purpose of infant car seats is provide your child with a safe, supported seat that either elevates him to the level at which he can use an adult seat belt safely, or (in the case of small babies) keeps him secure in the seat by means of a harness. Should you ever be involved in a car accident, the car seat is supposed to protect your baby as much as possible.

Car booster seats provide extra height for seat belt use - these are for toddlers and children up to age 8, approximately. Baby and infant car seats are for newborns and babies aged up to 2 ½ years.

Convertible infant car seats are a popular modern alternative to the conventional car seat which can be used for only traveling in a vehicle. Certain brands of convertible car seats can be attached to stroller frames, baby swings or bouncers - giving you a multipurpose baby seat.

When setting up your baby car seat, make sure that the harness clips sit on your child at armpit level (not on his neck or tummy). Ensure that the seatbelt used to secure the infant chair snaps easily into its clip.

Never buy an infant car seat unless you have been shown proof that it meets the latest safety requirements for this type of product. Likewise, never buy a second hand baby car seat if it is damaged in any way.

Infant Bike Seats

There are three types of infant bikes seats: ones that sit at the front of your bike, ones that sit at the back, and baby bike trailers. Back seats and trailers are the best for protecting your baby from the weather.

Only babies that can support their own necks easily should ever be placed in an infant bike seat. Your baby should always be wearing a helmet while he's riding with you. When you're buying him a helmet, why not invest in a trendy pair of infant sweats to match? You'll make a fashionable sporting duo on the road.

Make sure that the seat you purchase adheres to the latest infant health and safety standards, and has a five point harness (two shoulder straps, one strap between the legs and a waist strap).

While your child is in the bike seat, make sure that he can't interfere with or touch any of the seat's or the bike's mechanical workings. If you're using a bike trailer seat, consider attaching a tall flag to the trailer, so that vehicles following you will clearly see that you are towing a child trailer.

Infant Chairs For The Home

Baby seats for the home are mainly infant feeding chairs - high chairs, booster chairs, etc. But there are some infant chairs that are purely for entertainment - check out some of the baby bouncers and baby walkers available from manufacturers such as Graco and Fisher Price. These are all about motor skill development, learning and entertainment - and not so much about food.

When setting up any infant chair to use at home, safety is of course a big consideration.

- Make sure the legs of any foldable chair, especially baby high chairs, are safely locked while the chair is in use, to prevent it suddenly collapsing and hurting your child.

- Make sure your booster chair is firmly attached to the adult chair on which it sits, and that your baby is secured in the harness (the same goes for high chairs).

- Don't place a baby chair close enough to another object of furniture that your baby could kick against and thereby knock his own chair over.

Graco Infant Seats

Graco is a trusted and popular manufacturer of infant seats. If you're looking for some infant furniture, why not visit its website to view the range of infant high chairs, swings and soothers, and infant car seats on offer.