Car Seats
Car seat guides built from NHTSA recommendations, ease-of-use ratings and recall records and the AAP car seat product listing: choosing, fitting and installing seats by age and size.
Explainers
Winter coats and car seats: the pinch test and safe ways to stay warm (2026)
Short answer: no puffy coats or snowsuits under the harness. In a crash the padding flattens and leaves slack, and a child can slip out (AAP). Dress your child in thin layers, buckle the harness snugly (you shouldn’t be able to pinch any slack at the shoulder), then put a coat on backwards or a blanket over the buckled straps.
GuideWhen to switch to a booster seat, and when to stop (2026)
Short answer: switch to a booster only when your child outgrows the weight or height limit of their forward-facing seat’s harness, not at a set age. Keep them in a belt-positioning booster until the vehicle’s lap and shoulder belt fits on its own, typically around 4 feet 9 inches tall and between 8 and 12 years old (AAP; NHTSA). All children under 13 ride in the back.
GuideIs a used car seat safe? NHTSA’s checklist, crashes and expiration (2026)
Short answer: only if you know its history. NHTSA says a used seat may be okay if it has never been in a moderate or severe crash, still has its date-of-manufacture and model labels, has no recall (or the recall is fixed), has all its parts and has its instructions. If you can’t confirm all five, don’t use it.
GuideInfant vs convertible vs all-in-one car seat: which to buy first (2026)
Short answer: both are safe from birth when used rear-facing. An infant seat is more convenient (carry handle, click-in base) but outgrown sooner; the AAP lists limits of about 22 to 35 pounds and 26 to 35 inches. A convertible or all-in-one seat costs you that convenience but lasts years longer and usually allows rear-facing to 40–50 pounds. If budget is tight, a convertible from day one is the one-seat path.
GuideHow to choose an infant car seat (2026): fit, limits and recalls
Short answer: pick a rear-facing seat that fits your baby’s weight and height, fits your car, and that you can install tightly every time. NHTSA and AAP both say no single seat is safest and a higher price is not safer. Check NHTSA for recalls and get a free inspection.
GuideHow long should my child ride rear-facing? (2026)
Short answer: keep your child rear-facing as long as possible, until they reach the highest rear-facing weight or height their car seat allows. The AAP and NHTSA both say this; there is no age to switch at. Many convertible and all-in-one seats allow rear-facing up to 40 to 50 pounds, so most children can stay rear-facing past their second birthday.
GuideHow to check if your car seat is recalled, plus this year’s recalls (2026)
Short answer: find the label on your car seat with the model number and date of manufacture, look it up at NHTSA.gov/recalls or on the maker’s site, and register the seat so you get future notices. Since November 2025, NHTSA has received five child-seat recall campaigns, from Evenflo (3), Graco (1) and Britax (1).
GuideHot car heatstroke: how to prevent it (2026)
Short answer: never leave a child in a car, not even for a minute, with the windows cracked or the AC on. Build a habit: put your phone, bag or purse in the back seat, check the whole car before you lock it, and ask child care to call if your child is late. Lock your car when parked and keep keys away from kids; about 1 in 4 hot-car deaths happen when children get in on their own (AAP). If you see a child alone in a car, call 911.
GuideCar seats on airplanes: what the FAA and AAP say (2026)
Short answer: buy your baby a seat and use their car seat. The FAA allows lap children under 2 but strongly discourages it, because your arms can’t hold a child in turbulence. Look for the label “This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft”. Boosters, backless seats and baby carriers can’t be used for taxi, takeoff or landing. The FAA-approved CARES harness is for 22–44 pound children (AAP), not infants.
GuideCar seat installation: lower anchors vs seat belt, tethers and the 1-inch test (2026)
Short answer: lower anchors (LATCH) and a locked seat belt are equally safe (AAP). Use one or the other, never both (NHTSA). Whichever you use, the seat shouldn’t move more than an inch side to side or front to back at the belt path. Forward-facing, always add the top tether. Stop using lower anchors once child plus seat exceeds 65 pounds or the label limit.
GuideCan babies sleep in car seats? Outside the car, travel systems and long drives (2026)
Short answer: dozing in a correctly installed car seat in a moving car is generally fine (AAP). Outside the car, no: infant car seats aren’t made for sleep, and a sleeping baby’s head can slump forward and narrow the airway. When you arrive, move your baby to a firm, flat sleep space on their back.