Cosco Safety 1st Infant Car Seats

[moma2allboys]

Does anyone have any thoughts or opinions about this seat? I would not choose this seat to purchase but have a friend that is willing to give me hers that I know the history on. Thanks for any help

[RLSADC]

Which cosco seat are you talking about...there are several.

Either way, there are cetain things you should look for when purchasing/borrowing a car seat:

1. Date of manufacture. Most car seats expire after 6 years, but some last for more or less. There should be a sticker on the carseat, or the date may be molded on the plastic itself. Either way, you should definately know this information.

2. It fits in your car, and that you can use it properly everytime. Some carseats only work with some vehicles and vice cersa. TO ensure that your seat it in correctly, check with a local CPS technician...With a rear facing infant seat, the straps should be at or below the shoulders. Always follow the directions in the manual for installation of your carseat. Also, different seats have different "features" make sure that the one you choose has features that ensure the seat is being used correctly everytime. Some of these features include: front harness adjuster, a base that can be left in the car, built in lockoffs...etc.

3. Make sure that you are positive about the history of the seat. If the seat has been in an accident, or not handled properly, it may not perform correctly in the event of a crash.

These are the main issues that I can think of right now. If you have anymore questions, please feel free to post back. Hope that helps


Heres a link that tells you some more http://www.carseatdata.org/best_seat.php?tun=dd

	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.

	Infant Car Seats Infant-only rear-facing seats are for babies up to about 22 to 30 pounds, depending on the specific car seat. You will need a new seat when your child gets bigger. Infant-only seats have handles that allow you to move the seat from the car to the house or other locations. Some have a base that you can leave installed in the car, so you can just click the car seat into place each time you use it.

[Papooses]

Every seat passes the same standards & that fits the child, fits the vehicle & is always used correctly will protect your child. However, seats with energy absorbing foam can help reduce injury risk (although there is no specific data comparison on that). It is most important that you have read & followed the vehicle + carseat manuals. Seats have different ease of use features, so it's important that you feel comfortable with your seat's features.

I would have your friend complete the Used Seat Checklist, signing & dating it > http://800bucklup.org/parent/used_seat_check.html

Infant-only seats are outgrown so quickly, perhaps we can also begin helping you narrow down your selection of convertibles to buy after the infant-only seat....

What is the vehicle year/make/model?
Does/will your child ride in a different vehicle? How often?
What is your budget?
Are there other backseat passengers?
What are their ages/weights/heights?
Other safety seats in the vehicle(s)?

	Convertible Car Seats Convertible seats are for infants and toddlers. The seat can be used as a rear-facing seats for younger children, and switched to a forward-facing seat on the child's first birthday if the child weighs at least 20 pounds. However, experts recommend keeping the child in a rear-facing position until he or she outgrows the weight or height allowed by the safety seat.