Buying a child seat: what should you pay attention to?
If the child is to ride in the car, a suitable and safe child seat is essential. But which factors are particularly important when making a purchase? We tell you what you should consider when buying a child seat.
Planning for the child seat purchase
- First of all, you should determine the exact height and weight of your child.
- As a further step, you look for the recommendations or requirements of your vehicle manufacturer so that no bad buys come about.
- It is best to also find out about test results from the ADAC and Stiftung Warentest from the current year and filter out child seats that have been well assessed and meet your expectations and requirements.
- You should also find out about the ECE test mark (orange label), which provides information about the safety standard of a child seat.
- Before you buy a child seat, think about which car seat the child seat should be mounted on, as quick installation and removal is usually not possible. If you have several children, it makes sense to plan in advance, as the different child seat models also have different sizes.
- Last but not least, you should think about whether the new child seat should be attached using a three-point belt system or Isofix.
Advice to the seller when buying a child seat
A salesperson who cares about your child’s safety will first ask about your child’s age and weight. These are the main criteria for choosing the right seat. He should also ask you what kind of car you drive: does it have ISOFIX , does the car have airbags and what seat belt system does it have? As a salesman with experience, he proves himself when he also explains the assembly and handling from the operating instructions, informs you about the advantages and disadvantages and advises you to try out the seat together with your child. He will also inform you about the current ECE test mark.
Test a child seat in your own car before you buy it
Once you have decided on a child seat model, you should also test it in practice. Is the seat easy to assemble? Do you understand the operation and handling? Is the child seat stable after assembly? Is the belt route clear? Get a detailed overview and, if you have several children, consider whether all the seats fit on the back seat.
Buying a child seat: consider safety and comfort
In a final step, you should test whether your child is sitting comfortably in the child seat. Is child restraint easy and correct to do? Are the belts tight enough on the child’s body? Is your child’s head adequately supported? Despite all safety precautions, it is still important that your child feels comfortable in the child seat. Pay attention to that too.
You should be very careful when buying used seats, because you never know what happened to the seat and whether the seller’s information is correct. Note the test mark, pay attention to visible signs of an accident and ask where the seat came from. In addition, the seat should not be more than four years old, otherwise the probably inadequate safety standards will result in material fatigue that is not visible at first glance. Nevertheless, we recommend that you invest a little more money in a child seat and buy a safe new model.
