I wrote this review while participating in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Chicco and I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

When I found out I was pregnant with my son six years ago, I spent so much time researching baby products. So many recommendations were tossed at me from friends, family and the internet and while they may have been the cutest or the most affordable, they weren’t necessarily the safest which is what my husband and I wanted. When it came to car seats, I knew that I wanted to get one of the safest available. We visited stores in person to learn more and everywhere we went, the Chicco brand was recommended to us. We ended up buying a Chicco infant car seat and when we found out we were having twins last year, we went out and purchased two more Chicco infant car seats.

Before I had started researching car seats, I had no idea the differences between rear-facing, forward- facing and all the different weight and age limits for car seats. I know information is always changing, so it’s important to find out what the latest is in car seat safety.

Car Seat Safety

No matter which car seat you own, it’s so important to make sure that it’s installed properly. Both my mother and mother-in-law bought car seats for their cars for when they were watching my son and I recommended that they find someone to install the seat correctly. More fire stations and children’s hospitals will have someone that can install it for you.

If you’re looking for a car seat that fits your child from birth, is easy to install and is safe, then look no further than the Chicco NextFit Convertible Car Seat.

The NextFit truly is a convertible car seat that grows with your child – it easily adjusts from 5 pounds all the way up to 65 pounds! My 5 year old is currently only 40 pounds so he could comfortably be in this seat, as could my 7 week old twin girls at 8 pounds. There’s no struggling with this car seat either as the harness straps do not require rethreading and adjust in height AND width in connection with the position of the headrest. The chest clip features two positions that is designed to fit the torso of smaller and larger children.

Simply. Accurately. Securely.

• Simply: No need for rolled towels or tubes to position your convertible car seat correctly in your car! The NextFit’s ReclineSure™ 9-position Leveling System adjusts with one hand for an accurate fit in a wider range of vehicles and vehicle seats
• Accurately: Just like the KeyFit, the Chicco NextFit takes the guesswork out of installing the seat thanks to the two RideRight™ bubble levels which clearly indicate the correct seat angle in both rear and forward-facing modes.
• Securely: Parents of any size or strength can easily install the NextFit correctly with the SuperCinch™ LATCH tightener, which uses force-multiplying technology to help achieve a tight and secure fit – no strong muscles required.

Car Seat Safety Tips

Check out these Five Helpful Hints from Julie Prom, Car Seat Safety Advocate for Chicco

Rear-facing is safest. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommend rear-facing as long as possible. Parents should keep child rear-facing until at least 2 years old, longer if the car safety seat weight and height limit allows. Young children are fragile and are best protected in a rear-facing car seat. To ensure a child can stay rear-facing as long as possible, purchase a convertible seat when your baby outgrows the infant seat.

Most children younger than 5-years old are not mature enough to sit without a full harness. Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until at least 5 or 6 years old.

Most common mistakes can be avoided by simply following manufacturers’ instructions. All car seats must meet stringent Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to be sold in the U.S. It is when they are not used correctly that makes them unsafe. Always read and follow the instructions for the safety seat. Also, read the vehicle owner’s manual section on child restraints.

Always buckle your baby into the safety seat first, and then cover the baby with blankets. Avoid bulky clothing and add-on products such as car seat buntings. This can interfere with proper harness fit and crash performance of the seat. A good trick for older children is to buckle them in without their jacket and then put it back on them backwards over the harness. Not only do these techniques ensure proper harness fit, but also avoids overheating by allowing the baby to be easily uncovered or the child to take his jacket off once the car gets warmer.

Always use the top tether when installing a forward-facing car seat. The tether reduces movement of a car seat in a crash and helps to achieve a tight installation.

Buy It

You can find the Chicco NextFit Convertible Car Seat at Babies R Us, Target, Buy Buy Baby and other retailers.

Disclosure: I wrote this post while participating in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Chicco and I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation