Linda Shand takes you through the process of buying and fitting a car seat for your baby

Buying and fitting a car seat for your baby is a potentially life-saving decision. By law, it’s the responsibility of the driver (not necessarily the parent) to use a suitable car seat (or restraint) in the front or rear seat of the car, when carrying a child under the age of three. But it’s not just a matter of choosing the right seat for your baby, you also have to make sure that the seat will fit your model of car. So this is a purchase that can turn out to be a minefield of tricky decisions. It’s certainly a challenge best taken on before your baby is born. That way, you can practise getting the seat in and out of the car, and you can bring your baby home in it from the hospital.

There are two main choices of car seats for your newborn

• A rearward facing infant seat, suitable until your baby is around 13kg (about 12 months)
• A two-way seat that faces rearwards for about the first year (depending on the seat), then forwards, until your child reaches 18kg in weight. These are heavier than infant seats and will be left in the car. As young babies have to sit fairly upright in them, many new parents don’t like them.

Some seats don't fit all cars. The reasons for this vary, it may be because the car seat belt isn't long enough to wrap around the seat securely.

If you’re lucky enough to find more than one seat that fits your car, look for these additional features:

• Infant car seats should be lightweight with comfortable handles, so you can lift them in and out of the car, without banging your legs or pulling your arm out
• There should be lots of lovely side and back padding. This way your baby is less likely to resist being strapped down, because he feels snug and secure – especially important when the seat is also part of a travel system (can be fitted onto a chassis to make a pushchair)
• A newborn can’t support his head and neck, and will need a head hugger or cushion, so if a seat doesn’t come with one, budget for it as an extra
• Many infant car seats can be used as little rocking chairs in the house, so check the rocking motion looks like it would soothe your baby back to sleep, if he rouses as you lift him from the car
• Be prepared to pay anything from £50 to £150.

1. Always read the instructions and follow each one carefully. If you take the seat out of the car, make sure it goes back in correctly. It’s easy to remember to strap your baby into the seat, and just as easy to forget to secure the car seat to the car
2. Beware of a second-hand car seat, it may have been damaged in an accident, and you won’t be able to see the tiny cracks in the frame or the stretch in the harness and, without the instructions, you may not be able to fit it correctly. It may be old and therefore not up to current safety standards
3. You MUST NOT put a car seat where there’s a passenger airbag – if it inflates it could kill your baby
4. Make sure that the seat is securely fitted in the vehicle, and that it doesn’t wobble about forwards or backwards
5. When strapping your baby in, tighten the harness following the instructions - and keep the harness buckle low, with the lap section across your baby’s pelvis, not her stomach
6. Regularly check the seat for wear and tear and straighten out any twists in the harness.

Four of the best infant car seats

We asked a panel of mums and dads to give their views on four of the best car seats around:

• The comfiest – The Mamas & Papas Primo Viaggio is £110 and weighs 3.6kg. This comes with a special base unit that the seat fits on top of, to stop it moving in an accident. ‘I found the Surefix base reassuring and, once fitted, you can leave it in the car and just lift the seat in and out. The seat is fairly compact with lots of lovely padding,’ says Fiona, mum to Lucy, six months. Visit www.mamasandpapas.co.uk for details.
• Popular choice – The Britax Rock-a-Tot Deluxe costs £69.99 and weighs 3.1kg. ‘This seat has a snug head hugger and a detachable canopy to protect your baby from the sun, wind and rain, when lifting her in and out of the car. Only criticism is the carry handle, which is difficult to put down using one hand,’ Jenny, mum to Katie, nine months. Visit Mothercare for details.
• Health professionals favourite – The Matrix by Jané, because it can lie flat in the car like a carrycot and your baby isn’t squashed into a seat. Midwives and health visitors love it. It costs £199.99, weighs 3kg and is suitable up to nine months. ‘An innovative idea. The seat can be used either upright or lying down in the car, providing the instructions are followed properly. I bought a travel system and wasn’t happy leaving William in the car seat for long periods, as I knew it wasn’t good for his developing spine, so I am happier using this,’ says Lisa, mum to William, five weeks. Visit Mothercare for details.

A lot of parents don’t know how to fit their car seat properly. If you fall into this category, Mothercare, Babies R Us, John Lewis and some independent nursery stores have specially trained staff, who can show you how to install your car seat. And if you’re a member of the AA (0990 500600) or RAC (0990 313131) they both have technical advisors available to answer queries on fitting a car seat correctly or finding the right seat for your car.

Check out the discussions taking place right now on the Car Seats & Prams messageboard