tumbles.of.fun

Summer is in full swing and for those of you who are planning family road trips this summer (whether just a couple hours down the road to Grandma's house or a cross country adventure), make sure you've got a reliable car seat for your child.

As you probably already know, infant car seats are an important purchase for new parents. But by the time your baby is one year old (or about 20 lbs or so), he or she will most likely have outgrown that car seat. Then it's time to purchase another one. But what kind do you get? And how do you avoid buying several because your child keeps outgrowing them? Well, one way is to purchase a convertible booster car seat that's built to accomodate older children.

I like Britax's Regent Car Seat. This sleek convertible booster car seat converts from a forward facing toddler seat to a booster seat and can fit children from 22 to 80 lbs. This seat should fit your child comfortably until he or she no longer needs a car seat at all.

Britax is known for making safe, reliable car seats and the Regent is no exception. It has four Shoulder slots for a closer fit and a tangle free 5 point harness with a belly pad to keep your child comfortable. A one-pull front harness adjustment makes it fast and easy to get the fit just right. Plus the fabric cover is removable and washable, which will undoubtedly come in handy while you're on the road this summer (stopping for ice cream comes to mind).

Their patented HUGS (that stands for Harness Ultra Guard) system reduces head movement and minimize injuries to the neck in the case of an impact. Britax has also included their patented Versa-Tether as an additional anchor, which provides the most security in installations. It uses factory installed automobile car seat upper anchor points, and anchors the top of the car seat, minimizing the possibility of a head injury.

So no matter where you go this summer, make sure you've got the right car seat for your child. Confused? Don't worry, there's plenty of information on our sister site, BabyCarSeats.com. Check out our helpful Car Seat Buying Guide for starters or our Booster Car Seat Safety Guide for more information on booster car seats.

Happy Trails!