Car Seat Guide
A child’s car seat is a crucial piece of protective equipment. You must have one to travel in an automobile. As a matter of fact, many hospitals require proof of your car seat (or two car seats for parents of twins) before you can take your new baby/babies home. And with strict government standards, you can start to understand how vital this piece of gear is.
So, where do you start? Well, you should first decide if you are going to use a
travel system
(a stroller compatible with two infant car seats). "Infant" car seats are always used with travel systems. They are smaller than convertible car seats, usually lock into a "base" which is already strapped into the car, and have a carrying handle for transporting babies to and fro. They will generally work for the first year or until your child is around 22 lbs. Many parents with twins will want to go this route out of sheer convenience, despite the fact that they will need to switch to a convertible car seat after the first year.
However, some parents of twins still prefer the convertible car seats and double stroller as separate pieces. This can be a benefit as you won’t have to find a stroller or seats that fit together...Lot’s of options! You will not likely need the additional car seats after the first year either.
I have finally found a great option for the dilemma of fitting three car seats across (for twins and another sibling) the back seat of an average sized car. I didn’t think it would be possible and figured we had to get a SUV or a van. I really like driving a smaller car, so after some research I found a manufacturer that produces very narrow car seats to help with this issue. Their seat is called
Sunshine Kids Radian 80 convertible car seat.
 and there are some examples below. You can actually fit three across the back seat of a Toyota Prius! But I found that two of them along with my daughter’s Eddie Bauer (it’s huge) fit perfectly across the back seat of my BMW 530xi (see photo below). The other feature, and probably the most fabulous one, is that these particular car seats fit children from 5 to 80 lbs!! They can be rear or forward facing, have five point harnesses, and come in some nice color options. Technically, it is the only car seat you would ever need.
*Below is a photo of two Sunshine Kids Radian 80's on either side of an Eddie Bauer car seat in the back of a BMW 530xi
Whichever type of car seat you decide on, I would definitely recommend a five point harness opposed to a three point, as it provides a more secure ride.
To help you in your decision visit the Car Seat Resource Center, get real customer reviews, and research detailed product information at EliteCarSeats.com
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