What to Know About Shopping Online for Child Car Seats
Ordering a car seat on the web can be quick and easy, but you could be setting yourself up for a future headache.
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Children come with a lot of stuff. That list includes clothes, diapers, strollers, carriers, and of course, car seats. Many of those items can be purchased online, but you might be concerned about buying something as safety critical as a child seat on the web. Here are some things to consider if you're considering the purchase of a child seat online.
Finding the Best Fit for Your Child
A child seat, also known as an infant seat or child restraint, is a safety device rather than just an automotive accessory. It is designed to keep a child safe in a car during a collision and to keep kids in a posture best suited for growth and comfort.
Car seats need to be used properly in order to work effectively. One of the key aspects of a car seat is that it must fit correctly in the car and be the right size for your child. If you buy a car seat online, you can't physically check to see if the seat fits properly in your vehicle before your purchase.
While online retailers and child-seat manufacturer websites may offer guides to describe whether a seat fits in a specific make and model, it helps to try the seat installation process firsthand and see how it fits in your own vehicle. For example, a child seat might fit in the rear seats of a crossover, but you might have to move the front passenger seat so far forward that it would then be uncomfortable for anyone sitting there.
Logistics and Concerns of Virtual Shopping
Car seats also have some caveats regarding use. Car seats with an unknown history are discouraged by some experts. That's in part because the seat can be considered compromised if it's been in a collision.
It's not only used or second-hand car seats that can have an unknown history, either. Car seats ordered online could have been previously bought and returned. Since retailers can't verify how a car seat was used before it was returned, most will only accept returns if the item is unopened and still in the box.
Beyond worrying about the logistics of returns, you should note that car seats have expiration dates, which could be difficult to verify through an online retailer. Car seats feature material that can get less secure over time and use, so expiry dates are needed to ensure they're used within their safest period.
Advantages of Shopping Online
Shopping online isn't all bad, though. Physical stores may have limited stock or only carry specific brands, for example, which can make it difficult to compare the many models for sale.
Online resources and retailers sometimes offer comparison tools to see which units are lighter, what features they have, how long they can be used — in terms of weight and age limits — and more.
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Edited by humans.
Sami Haj-AssaadSami Haj-Assaad is an award-winning automotive journalist who has contributed to several automotive, electric vehicle, luxury lifestyle, and technology publications. His work isn't just limited to the written word, as he's also hosted YouTube videos and podcasts. Having grown up in the '90s, he has a strong sense of attachment to that era's style, though he also loves to geek out about the modern, futuristic tech and powertrains rolling out today.
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