Forward Facing Vs. Rear Facing Child Seats
When you have a young child or a newly born one, one thing that parents who have access to a car and can drive will need to have is a child seat - it can be as important than driving safely in rough weather. The quality of child seats vary from one manufacturer to the next and usually the best ones are going to cost the most. It's up to you which manufacturer to get your child seat from but on the issue of whether to get a forward facing or rear facing child seat there are a few bits of information which will help you make a decision.
Rear Facing Child Seats
The most important thing to know about rear facing child seats is that they are best suited for a very young or newly born baby. Rear facing child seats are specially designed for a young baby as they give support to a baby's key areas such as their neck and back whilst keeping them tucked in so they do not shake around in the seat while you drive. If you look around at parents that are using rear facing child seats they are primarily used for their very young children who are up to one year old.
This is because the seats are so small and can be carried around so easily. This allows parents to be able to pick the seat up and carry it with their baby inside to a nearby destination with relative ease. Forward facing child seats on the other hand are a little more difficult to carry around and cannot be picked up very easily with just one hand.
Forward Facing Child seats
Once a baby starts to get too big for their rear facing child seat you should think about upgrading to a forward facing child seat. It's fairly easy to be able to judge when you think your baby is getting too big for its seat, simply look to see if your child looks a bit cramped. If you think they are getting to big then start looking at forward facing child seats to purchase.
Forward facing child seats are designed for a much broader age range of children, ranging from a just under a year old to around 4 years old. These seats allow your child to seat upright and move around a little bit more which is great for a growing young child. Despite the upright position and increased room, you still get a lot of protection from forward facing child seats as you can strap in your child to ensure they cannot clamber out of the chair and move freely in the car. The main thing to consider when deciding what type of seat to get is how big is your child? If they are big enough for a forward facing child seat then go for that one, but if they are not quite there yet its best to keep them in a rear facing one until they have grown up a little more.
Whichever seat you choose to get, you will be able to put one in either the front or back seat of a car, but both are safer in the back seat. With a rear facing child seat you should never put it in the passenger seat with an airbag installed. An air bag can be potentially quite dangerous for a young baby in a rear facing child seat if it gets set off. When thinking about forward facing vs. rear facing child seats be sure that your curiosity on which one is better does not distract you from getting a good quality manufactured one of either seats.