How To Buy a Car Seat by A Perfectionist
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So my youngest needs a new car seat – we’ve followed all the guidelines and kept her in the infant carrier for as long as possible but she’s almost reached the top weight limit now. Time to begin the arduous (and super expensive!) task of researching and buying a Category 1 Seat.
1. Research About Car Seats
Rather naively, I just typed my search into Google: “best car seat category 1”. Oh. My. Word. There are hundreds! Some that are forward facing, some that are rear facing, some that are rear facing until a certain weight and then convert to forward facing. There are base-mounted ones, seat belt secured ones, ISOFIX ones, base-mounted seats that click into the ISOFIX which are then secured by a seatbelt! AAARGH!!!! WHERE DO I BEGIN?!
2. Worry About Which Car Seat To Choose
I’m a perfectionist. I have this general, unspoken motto in life that if you do something well the first time, it’ll save you a whole load of stress and time in the future. Through the years, this mantra has served me pretty well… But sometimes it’s an absolute pain in the backside! I feel compelled to meticulously examine every situation, carefully weighing up the pros and cons of each decision. Don’t get it wrong, my mind repeats.
But the problem is, you just can’t achieve perfection every time! I spent hours (and hours and hours!) trawling websites looking at government guidance, buyer reviews, lists of “top 10…”.
But do you know what? Sometimes there is no ” right answer”. Sometimes you just have to plum for one of a number of possibilities.
3. Buy A Car Seat
Finally, at almost midnight, I stopped my dilly dallying and just clicked the “confirm purchase” icon.
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My hubby always researches everything to no end, sometimes there is no one perfect answer or item, but at least we learn a lot in the process lol #Thelist
Yup that is me all over! Lol. Thanks for commenting. L
Ahh car seats are so confusing! I recently wrote about the guidlines and there is so much conflicting information out there. I am glad you found one in the end, we actually need to get one for my little boy too, I think I need to just go for it like you and stop trying to find the perfect one xx #TheList
Yes I think I saw your post about the guidelines changing. I’m quite a new driver so I really wanted to get a super-safe seat, just in case I made a mistake! But I was just getting more and more worked up about it, so eventually settling on one was such a relief! Thank you for commenting. L
I haven’t found car seats too tricky, but I know lots of mums who have. I have a friend who is a bit of a car seat expert and she really recommends Joie seats.
Unfortunately, this not a situation unique to car seat buying – it is my entire life! Haha. It’s a wonder I get anything done, I’m so rubbish at making a decision! Thank you for your comment – I’m glad your friend rates Joie well. We’ve certainly been very pleased with the purchase.
Lol, it is one of the most worrying purchases you make. And made harder nowadays by all the new rules. I find if you’ve got more than one car, with different seat belts, you have a nightmare if you only want to buy one seat. Our post infant seat was hard because the in laws had Land Rovers, and they have seat belts where lots of car seats don’t work, so we were limited. Luckily I could go for the seat I really wanted #thelist
Oh yes trying to get one which will fit in everyone’s car is a nightmare!
Buying a car seat is a complete nightmare. Even since Little M was born the rules have completely changed and that’s before you look outside UK standards at the other sometimes higher safety standards in Europe. #thelist
The rules are changing all the time, aren’t they? It feels impossible to keep up sometimes!