As parents, you are set to bring your newborn home and maybe made a little research on which infant car seat to buy. However, you are not sure if all car seats come with click-in bases.
With a base, the infant car seat can easily slide in and lock properly for safety. As parents, the safety of your children should come first before any other thing.
Therefore, we shall be answering some important questions about infant car seats and bases. Do all baby car seats come with a base? Do you need more than one base for your cars? etc. In the end, you will see our top 6 infant car seats in the marketplace.
Let’s dive in immediately…
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Table of Contents
Do Infant Car Seats Come With A Base?
Most infant car seats available in the marketplace come with a base. However, don’t be surprised if you find one that doesn’t come with a base.
It all depends on the brand you are buying from. While some brands sell with the base, some may want you to buy the base separately.
There are even some infant car seats that you can use without the base. Nevertheless, you need to check the manufacturer’s instructions to know if it’s safe to use without the base.
If you find a car seat that you like, read the description to see if it comes with a base or not. If it doesn’t, you can buy a separate base for it. But most car seats always come with a base.
Can I Install An Infant Car Seat Without A Base
The essence of the base is to allow the car seat to sit firmly in the back seat of your car. Nonetheless, there are some car seats that can be used without a base.
How can you use a car seat without a base? The manufacturers of these products have made provisions for anchors on the car seat. All you need to do is go through the instructions to see how to use it without a base.
Notwithstanding, using a base still remains the best way to use a car seat because it secures your baby in a safe position. If your car seat doesn’t have a base, you can buy one that matches the seat.
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How Many Infant Car Seat Bases Do You Need?
Typically, it can take between 10 to 20 minutes to install the base of a car seat. Therefore, if you have more than one car, you can decide to have a base in each of your cars.
However, if you don’t want to install an extra base in your other car, you can move the base from one car to another. This may be a little stressful for some people. But if you don’t want to spend much on the base of a car seat, interchanging would be the best option.
If you have two cars, it is better to have two bases installed on both cars to make things easy for you. Normally, you should get a base when you buy a car seat. You only need to buy an extra to get the job done.
Are There Any Implications Of Using A Baby Car Seat Without A Base?
Before buying an infant car seat, you should read the description of the product to understand what to expect from the manufacturer. Also, after buying the car seat, you should read the instructions for your child’s safety.
If the instruction says you should use the car seat with a base, please do so. There is a reason for having a base, which boils down to the safety of your child.
Except if the manufacturer says it is safe to use its car seat without the base, never go against the safety rules. There are people who don’t see the need of using a base but that is not the right thing to do.
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Things To Know Before Buying An Infant Car Seat
When buying an infant car seat for your baby, the following factors should be put into consideration to get the best for your child.
Saftey
The first and foremost of all the factors to consider before buying a car seat is safety. After all, the essence of buying an infant car seat is to make sure your baby is safe and secure while driving.
Check with the relevant authorities in your country to know what is needed from a car seat in terms of safety. If you are in the U.S., the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are responsible for road safety rules and regulations.
Therefore, any car seat you are buying must meet or exceed the safety rules laid down by the relevant agencies.
Comfort
After safety, comes comfort. There is nothing as frustrating as hearing your baby crying in the back seat while you drive. If an infant car seat is not comfortable, your baby will show that by crying.
What makes a car seat comfortable? A comfortable car seat should be well-padded and should be made of breathable material. In terms of comfort, you want to give it to the MESA Infant Car Seat.
Installation
Most modern infant car seats come with a base that makes installation easy. Generally, you should go for a car seat that doesn’t require a lot of technical skills to install.
Apart from the installation, you should also be sure that the car seat is not too big for your car. Some cars are small and would struggle to accept some car seats. You may need to do some measurements if you have a pretty small car.
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Compatibility With A Stroller
If you own a stroller already, you want to make sure the car seat you are buying is compatible with the stroller. This would save you from buying too many baby products at home.
From time to time, you’d want to stroll with your baby. All you need to do is to get the infant car seat and attach it to the stroller. However, getting a car seat that will be compatible with a stroller can be tough sometimes.
Take your time to find a compatible car seat because, in the end, it would worth the effort.
The Size Of The Car Seat: Height & Weight Limit
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), infant mortality in car accidents would reduce to about 70% if children are well-secured in car seats. This is where the weight limit and height come to play.
You want to make sure the car seat specifications match what you want. A baby should be snugly fit in the seat. Check the weight limit and height requirements to be sure of what you are buying for your child.
Maintenance: How Easy It Is To Clean The Seat Cover
An infant car seat will get dirty at some point and it is your responsibility to clean it. To save yourself from stress, you go for a removable seat cover that is easy to wash.
Maintenance is something most parents overlook when making a choice and it always comes back to haunt them. Therefore, check to see if the cover is removable before making your decision.
Pricing
If you are working with a tight budget, you’d want to make sure you get something that is good and not too expensive. Typically, you should get a good-quality infant car seat for between $100 to $500.
From the list of our top 6 infant car seats below, the highest price goes for $320 while the lowest is $13o.
Features: Does It Come With Helpful Features?
Some of the features to look out for when buying an infant car seat include:
The Car Seat Base
If have talked about this previously. Some car seats come with bases while some don’t. When looking for the one to buy, it is better to get one with a base.
Portability
Although this shouldn’t deter you from going for what you want, you should get something that isn’t too heavy and bulky. You should also consider the design of the seat.
5-point Harness
You want to make sure your baby is well-strapped in the seat. Most baby car seats come with a 5-point harness for maximum safety.
Material
The fabric of the seat should be breathable.
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Top 6 Infant Car Seats To Buy
There are dozens of infant seats available in the marketplace, making it quite tough for parents to choose one. We have done the research and found the top 6 infant car seats to buy.
Our decision was based on reviews on Amazon. We took the time to read what parents are saying about different products and we were able to select the top 6 products. Check them out below.
Conclusion
There are some infant car seats that don’t come with bases. You will need to buy a separate base to install in your car.
However, you should always go for a car seat that comes with a base for safety and ease of use. Check our top 6 infant car seats and choose the one that meets your needs.
