One question we see a lot as CSPTs is, “how do I protect my vehicle’s seats when a car seat is installed?” It’s a valid question, especially for expectant parents who wonder what the car seat will do to a vehicle’s interior which was previously untouched by car seats and ground goldfish crackers.
Kiddy USA generously offered us a Kiddy World Plus for review, and I was eager to try one. Unlike any other child restraint in the US, this seat has a protection shield instead of a 5-point harness. This type of restraint is new to the US, but is fairly common in Europe, where restraints similar to this one are seen more frequently.
Maxi-Cosi offers two booster models that received a Best Bet rating in the 2014 IIHS Booster Ratings: the mid-priced, RodiAP and the higher end RodiFix. Both boosters offer a fairly high top belt guide so they’re both long-lasting as the child grows. The RodiFix does not convert to a backless booster, includes ISO-FIX connectors to secure it to the vehicle seat when not in use, and has closed shoulder belt guides that keep the seat belt in place. In this review, we’ll take a close look at the RodiFix.
I’d been a Child Passenger Safety advocate since my oldest daughter was little. At her first birthday, she was 18 lbs — below even the lowest limits for rear-facing. That inspired me to explore the safest options for her. I stumbled onto the facts around extended rear-facing in time to keep her seat backward until around her 4th birthday.
So, you’re scrolling through your local buy-sell-and-trade page, or your local craigslist ads, searching for maybe a new stroller, or some baby clothes for that little one that doesn’’t seem to stop growing. Then, you stumble across an ad for a car seat. “EXCELLENT CONDITION” is what the caption says, along with “Not expired!” It may be a great deal, a bargain, half of what that seat retails for in a store.
Let’s be honest, all day at a dealership trying car seats in all the vehicles would be a dream come true. Ain’t nobody got time and well, the dealership wants to sell those cars without us in them. So, we are just going to make do with a 2007 Chrysler Town and Country and a 2012 Dodge Journey. My CSFTL colleague, Jess, and I both have three kids, in seats, in one row. This is our reality and we know it’s many other’s reality as well for many reasons.
The Safety 1st Advance SE 65 Air + convertible car seat is a recent addition to the Safety 1st roster of child restraints. We were excited to take it and its multiple recline positions, a no re-thread harness and generous weight and height allowances out for a spin!
As Child Passenger Safety Technicians, we often have the opportunity to work with parents and caregivers that are excited about car seat safety and interested in becoming CPSTs themselves. One of the most common questions they ask about the certification process is what does a CPST do, anyway?
Child Passenger Safety Technicians are often faced with some difficult scenarios. CPSTs can traverse the challenging territory of fitting three car seats across bench seat, selecting a seat for a tiny car with tall children, or the puzzle of a jam-packed minivan where only certain seats can be used in certain positions.
We bought my Mazda 5 when my youngest daughter was on the way. I loved how roomy it is, how it has 3 rows, and most of all, those sliding doors. It’s narrow enough that I can park in the skinniest parking spaces and still unload both of my kids without trouble.
Seven year old Val normally rides in a high-backed booster
Seven year old Val normally rides in a high-backed booster
Most of the time, my daughters ride in captain’s chairs in the second row. This works out fine because those seats are adjacent to my beloved sliding doors so it’s easy to get them in and out. But sometimes, we have company in the car and somebody needs to move to the third row for a while.
