Shopping for a safety seat can be tough. There are so many kinds, designs and prices that it can make your head spin just looking at all the different choices. How can you be sure you get the best seat for you and your child?

Read these safety seat buying tips to learn what is important to look for when purchasing a safety seat.

1. Before you start looking at safety seats, it is best to     remember these simple guidelines.

• Look for the approval of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards on any safety seat you buy.
• Choose a seat that you find easy to use and that fits in your vehicle.
• Be aware of safety seat weight limits.
• Keep in mind that if you buy an infant-only seat, you will need an infant-toddler seat when your baby is about 1 year old.

2. Decide what type of safety seat you want to buy for your     child. See our descriptions of safety seats. Here are some     feature guidelines to remember.

• The 5-point harness safety seat has been recommended by safety experts as the safest restraint seat. Never exceed the weight limit of a safety seat.
  
• Some convertible seats are now offered with higher weight limit for bigger babies.
  
• A tether strap is a strap attached to the top of the car seat at one end and the other end is secured to an anchor (tether) attached to a bolt in your car. Using a tether strap can reduce forward head movement and can decrease the chance of injury to your child.
  
• Safety seats always should have energy-absorbing foam covering the seat shell to give the seat impact protection.
  
• If you plan to move the safety seat from car to car, built in locking clips, can be helpful. If you have built in locking clips you can eliminate the separate locking clips that can be a hassle to move from car to car.
  
• Safety seats with wide straps are recommended because they are less likely to twist, which can cause additional injury to your child. With wide straps, the force of impact is distributed over a larger surface area.
  
• Easy to adjust harness straps are a plus on a safety seat. The easier it is to adjust your child’s straps, the more likely you will use them correctly every time you buckle your child in the safety seat.
  

The above tips are suggestions for buying a safety seat. Please refer to additional resources, including the American Academy of Pediatric safety seat guide for families and your physician for the most up-to-date safety seat guidelines and laws.