From infancy until about age five, your little one needs a car seat for comfort and protection. With so many straps and buckles and dos and don’ts, it can be tough to keep track of everything you need to know.

At Luxey Little Ones, we offer high-quality car seats and other gear for children, so we’re here to guide parents through that overwhelming, “The baby’s coming!” period. Below, we’ve gathered a few essential tips about infant car seats:

Keep Them Snug as a Bug

Use the “Pinch Test” to decide if your baby’s straps are adjusted just right. If you can grab some of the webbing, the straps are too loose. You should also use the “Inch Test” to see if the car seat is secured correctly. If you can wiggle it one inch from front to back or side to side, then it needs more tightening.

Leave That Puffy Baby Jacket in Your Closet

Puffy coats stop you from tightening car seat straps as much as you need to in order to keep your baby safe. Tucking a blanket under the straps is also a bad idea. Instead, put the blanket over your baby’s fastened straps and snugly tuck them in.

Don’t Turn Your Child Around Too Soon

You probably know that newborns need to stay in a rear-facing car seat, but did you know that experts now recommend that little ones face backward until they are at least two years old? In fact, some research suggests that children are most protected when kept in a rear-facing seat until age four.

Talk to Your Little One

Your child might not be able to see you while sitting in a rear-facing car seat, but they know the sound of your voice. If they start to get fussy, talk to them or sing along to the radio. This will remind them that you are nearby and help to soothe their distress.

Consider a Car Seat That Is Stroller-Compatible

Nobody wants to wake a sleeping baby or disturb an infant that is already comfy in their seat. A car seat that attaches to your stroller makes it quick and easy to go from the car to the sidewalk. You can also buy an additional car seat base for a second vehicle to smoothly move your baby from car to car.

The UPPABaby® Cruz and UPPAbaby® Vista are two strollers that can safely fit your little one’s car seat while offering lots of handy features. Find out more about these gorgeous strollers and our dependable yet stylish car seats when you check out the designer baby gear at Luxey Little Ones!