I remember the confusion and exhaustion I felt when shopping for a car seat for our first born a few years ago. I was heavily pregnant and my husband and I drove around Calgary checking out a number of different brands in several stores (that doesn't happen any more with two kids in tow: I research online then head straight to a store, make the purchase, and am out again within 10 minutes!) When we eventually decided on a car seat and a colour we both liked, we found it wouldn't fit in our Subaru. Let's just say that I wasn't very happy as we headed right back into the store to return it. Needless to say, we tried out a couple of options in the car before we bought a replacement.But the internet has made life easier. The website carseatdata.org is a one stop shop for advice on car seats. It has useful pointers on choosing the best car seat, but the part I like best is the car seat compatibility search by car make/model. What a great time-saver! And you can even add your own data to the site if you wish.
There is an art to installing a car seat correctly (read: safely). There are two companies in Calgary offering car seat installation clinics, house calls and consultations: Seat Savvy Inc. and Keepin' Baby Safe. LaVonne Ries at Keepin' Baby Safe told me that 85% of car seats are not used correctly. Post a comment on this blog entry and I'll email you a free car seat inspection coupon (worth $20) for an upcoming clinic through Keepin Baby Safe.
