[Papooses]

Originally Posted by typeamom

Is it really safer?

Yes, crash testing does show that side impact protection features (very deep side "wings" filled with energy absorbing EPS/EPP foam) does reduce risk of injury ... however, every correctly used 5-point harness carseat is very safe (especially rear-facing).

If it is so desirable, than why doesn't every carseat have it - it doesn't seem like it would be neccessarily more expensive to do it? Is it a relatively new feature - have some models not caught on yet? Or is it left as an optional feature because some parents/kids don't like the obstruction of the side impact protection?

The U.S. simply does not have any side impact safety standards for carseats yet (perhaps since the majority of crashes are frontal). Britax, Recaro, Compass & a few other companies who also conform to European standards do perform side impact testing on their own, but U.S.-based companies like Graco, Evenflo & Dorel Juvenile (parent company of Cosco, Safety 1st & Eddie Bauer) do not to my knowledge. European carseats are not necessarily better than American carseats, though: using foreign carseats that do not meet U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards is illegal & could also be dangerous due to compatability issues betwen vehicle/carseat designs.

IME, the only kids who have "issues" with the head wings are only sometimes those either diagnosed with sensory disorders or who have parents that talk down the wings (kids with parents who play up the comfort of the wings for resting, etc. generally like them a lot)

Isn't the side impact supposed to help absorb the brunt of the force from being hit on the side of the vehicle - isn't that function the same no matter what seat you are in?

The center is the farthest point from impact, so ideally we want the child there (assuming there's only 1 child: it becomes another safety discussion altogether when more children are involved). During side impact crashes the other vehicle may enter the seating area by about 1 foot or more -- however, the safest place to install the carseat is any backseat location that provides the most secure correct installation (less than 1" movement at the LATCH or seatbelt path as per both carseat + vehicle manuals). When the carseat must be installed outboard, then side impact protection does become more important, but not so much if the vehicle has rear side curtain airbags

	Britax - Click for more info Britax International has been producing reliable child safety products for over 30 years. Not only does Britax have decades of experience creating car seats and other children's safety equipment, Britax has a long standing reputation as an industry leader and innovator. Britax International is headquartered in the United Kingdom, but Britax car seats are designed and manufactured at facilities in Germany, Austria, and the United States. In the summer of 2002, Britax strengthened their commitment to creating the safest car seats with the opening of a brand new, state-of-the-art crash testing facility in North Carolina. Britax car seats have a reputation around the world for being some of the safest, most reliable, and best designed child safety seats ever made.

	Rear Facing Car Seats A rear-facing seat is one in which the infant faces the back of the car. Always install a rear-facing seat in the back seat of your car. This is the safest position for an infant. NEVER place a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a vehicle with passenger airbags.

	Graco - Click for more info Graco is one of the world's best known and most trusted juvenile products companies. They started the entire juvenile products industry with an invention called the Graco Swyngomatic. Since then they have invented products that have changed the way that parents travel with their children such as the travel system, which has made it so parents can lock an infant car seat into a stroller easily, without waking their sleeping baby. Their Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seat is pretty much synonymous with the term “infant car seat” because of its safety and design features coupled with its affordability. Today Graco continues designing and developing top-quality products that inspire parents and keeps children safe. Check out the new Infant Safe Seat Step 1 and Toddler Safe Seat Step 2 for proof of Graco’s continued commitment to child safety.

	RECARO - Click for more info With over 100 years of company history and long standing experience in vehicle seat construction RECARO knows how to make long journeys a pleasure for the whole family. Materials, design and technical highlights ensure a pleasant journey for adults and children alike. RECARO uses its strength as the premier mobile seat manufacturer to engineer an innovative line of products for your children. No other manufacturer can apply experience from production vehicles, commercial vehicles, and race cars to design toward the comfort and safety of children.

	the First Years formerly Compass - Click for more info Compass was founded by a group of fathers who had spent years in the corporate world developing child care products. Disillusioned with the slew of problems that come with working for a giant conglomerate, this group set out the make their own mark on the child care industry in 2003. Compass' first innovative booster seat, the B500, started shipping in January of 2004. This was the first foldable belt-positioning booster on the market, and its design was so praised by the industry that Compass received a Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association (JPMA) Innovation Award 5 months after its release. The great minds at Compass have now taken the next step with their success by releasing some fantastic infant car seats and compatible strollers, all of which are designed with the same innovative simplicity that make Compass Boosters such a sought after product. No longer just "The Booster People", Compass is making a serious run at the competition by offering the I-410 and I-420 Infant Car Seats , as well as the Magnesium S330 Stroller and Magnesium T730 Travel System.

	LATCH LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. It is a system mandated by the Federal government in an effort to standardize and simplify the installation of child restraints without using the vehicle's seat belt system. New vehicles and child safety seats manufactured on and after September 1, 2002 will be equipped with the LATCH system. Cars, minivans, and light trucks will be required to have anchor points between the vehicle's seat cushion and the seat back in at least two rear seating positions, and a top tether anchor (with the exception of convertibles). Child safety seats will have a lower set of attachments that fasten to the vehicle anchors. Most forward-facing child safety seats will also have a top strap (tether) that attaches to the top anchor in the vehicle.