• What's right for your best friend may not be best for your baby and your car. Take measurements of your car and seats and try before you buy. A badly fitting car seat is as dangerous as no seat at all.
• Buy the right seat for your child's weight. Car seats are put into groups (0-3), each one suitable for a range of weights. Some cover more than one group, so will last longer. Seats for older children should have height-adjustable headrests and expanding sides. For newborns, a rearward-facing infant carrier is best.
• If you need to transfer the seat between different cars, make sure it is easy to do so.

Safety alert: The International Standards Organisation's Fix (ISOFIX) is the safest system for fitting car seats. Instead of a seat belt, it uses Isofix points, which are part of the car's frame. Once the car seat is clicked into these points, the seat becomes part of the car's frame, too. All cars sold in this country are now required to have Isofix points as standard.
John Lewis Nursery Advisers

For a free consultation at your local John Lewis store, call 08456 049 049, or log onto www.johnlewis.com.

By John Lewis Nursery Advisors

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