How to choose the right seat for your child

Selecting a seat: 7 steps

Note your child's age and weight.These factors affect which class you need. There are 5 classes of child seats
- Class 0 Age: up to 6 months. Weight: up to 10 kg. The child seat looks like a baby carrier with a harness. It is a side-facing infant carrier that attaches with the rear seat belt or the Isofix system.
- Class 0+ Age: up to 1 year. Weight: up to 13 kg. These are rear-facing seats that attach using the car's seat belts or Isofix systems. They are designed as deep, cupped straps with a harness and handle.
- Class I Age: 9 months – 4 years. Weight: 9-18kg. These seats are used as soon as the child can sit independently. They are equipped with harness or impact protection and also have a reclining backrest.
- Class II Age: 3-12 years. Weight: 15-25kg. These are booster seats without their own harness. Instead, they help the car's seat belts to secure the child in the correct position. The seats are equipped with special belt holders. Some manufacturers offer seats that recline slightly, but most are L-shaped.
- Class III Age: 6-12 years. Weight: 22-36kg. These are booster seats with armrests for children taller than 135 cm. They have no backrests and are fastened with the car's seat belts, which are passed through special brackets.

Universal products are suitable for children of different age groups. These seats are usually cheaper.

Note the height of the child.
- Classes 0 and 0+ – the child's head must not protrude beyond the seat.
- Grades 1-3– the child's head must not protrude more than one third of the headrest of the seat. The top of the seat belt should be on the child's shoulder line.
Find a child seat that has side protection for the head and shoulders. This noticeably increases the child's safety in the event of a side impact.
Choose a seat that is easy to maintain. Pay particular attention to the seat trim and check that it is clean easily removable for washing.
Buy front seat covers if your car doesn't already have one. Otherwise, the child will bang their feet against the front seat backrests and soil them .
If the seat has Isofix connections, check its compatibility with the make and model of your car in the product documentation.
Only opt for items from well-known brands. Such manufacturers spend a lot of money researching child safety in cars, so they produce seats that effectively protect little passengers.