Car Seats Compaired

Most people think that European car seats are far better than their American counterparts. There has been a debate on this from different quarters. Whether it be about the best infant car seats (found at https://movingbabies.com), or what provides greater protection to older children, this post will look at the differences and the facts.

Testing Speed

Car seats designed exclusively for European marketplace are usually subjected to different kinds of testing than the ones available in the US market. This can be extremely confusing for caregivers who are looking for the ‘safest’ car seat.

The testing speed is different in both continents- In US, it is done at 30 mph ( requiring a sled test at 48 km/h), while in Europe, it is at 50 mph, requiring not 50 miles per hour, but 50 kilometres per hour. So, whichever way you view it, the testing speeds in both continents are quite different.

Side Impact Testing

In US, there are proposed standards of side impact testing, while Europe has their own standards for their boosters and seats. What does this mean? It implies that in the United States, car seat manufacturers are at liberty to test their acceptable standards, but in Europe, they are confined to proposed standards, and this may change anytime. 

Whether you buy Asian, German, European, American or any kind of seat, every seat sold to the US Marketplace must be tested and comply strictly with the US Standards- if it doesn’t comply with the US acceptable standards, it will never be used in the market.

Other Differences

Most seats in US don’t have a lock off or serpentine routing- this is mostly done to save money, since some vehicles have belts that lock before lower anchors and crash. If you buy a new car, and you noticed that it doesn’t have a locking clip, then contact your manufacturer immediately so that they can replace it for you.

If you need further information with regards to the acceptable standards for travelling abroad with a car seat, check out this post.

Conclusion

Finally, whether you are in Europe or United States, whether you like European or American car seats, the essential thing is to use car seats regularly, and use the one that is perfectly suited for your child’s size, shape, and the one that suits your budget, and the one you can use all the time without issues.