toddler car seat ratings:Deciding on the right one.

There are a couple of minimum conditions for children to be a car seat designed for a toddler. First a child should be over the age of 1 and second the child should weigh at least 20 lbs. By the time a baby reaches these minimum size guide lines they will be in a forward facing style car seat.

Most parents understand that they need a car seat for their younger children but many children are still injured in car accidents. Many of these injuries are preventable because among the factors that contribute to this situation is that car seats used incorrectly or worse yet not used at all. Often times a child gets placed in the wrong type of car seat or a child is moved from a toddler style car seat into a booster seat or into regular seat belts at too early an age.

What are the best toddler car seats?

Read on to find out.

A convertible style and toddler car seat are designed for children over age one and at least 20 pounds. Both of these products hold children of varying sizes. It is important you read the label and instructions provided by the manufacturer. Some convert from a toddler type seat with a harness to a belt-positioning booster. While some are built into the vehicle seat.We do not recommend the built in units as automobile manufactures can not build a space that will hold a full size adult only to turn around and hold a child securely.

Caution: Most toddlers are not big enough or old enough to go straight from an infant or rear facing seat to a booster seat. Toddlers need a full harness for protection of the upper body. A full harness will hold them in their seats should an accident occur. However a full harness only needs to be used to about 40 lbs.

Installation tips for forward-facing toddler safety seats. As a parent it is very important that you make sure the car seat is installed tightly in the vehicle and that the harness fits the child snugly. If you can take your hand and slide it in between your child's chest and the restraint strap but not go past your palm then this should be just the right amount of breathing room for your child but no so much as to allow him or her out.

So what is the best toddler car seat? It is the one that properly fits the child and is secured in place properly.

An added measure of safety

The car seat industry introduction of the "tether" is for additional car seat safety. As of mid 2000 almost all new vehicles are coming equipped with anchor points. The term tether is applied to any strap that clips to the car seat with the other end attaching to an anchor point in the car, minivan or light truck (see your owner's manual for where the anchors are in your vehicle). This is one more step in protecting your toddler that we at bestcarseatsonline.com approves and applauds both the auto industry and the car seat designers in creating.