What features are important? What safety certification should they have? Do you want it to fit your pram or is it only for use in the car? These are all important questions that you need to consider before you make your choice.
What you need to look for:
Ensure the Australian Standard sticker is on the restraint – remember overseas manufactured restraints are illegal in Australia.
Consider whether you want your baby capsule just for the car or if you’d like to use it on your pram to (creating a Travel System)? In that case you’ll need to find out which capsule is compatible with your pram by visiting the website of the pram manufacturer and checking their travel system matrix to see which brand and model of capsule is compatible with your pram. With most prams you will need an adaptor – the adaptors are specific to the capsule and the pram (ie. a Bugaboo Bee adaptor for a Maxi Cosi is a different adaptor to a Bugaboo Cameleon adaptor for a Maxi Cosi). The adaptors are manufactured by the pram companies and don’t come with the capsule as each pram has a different adaptor.
Check with CREP. CREP is the “Child Restraint Evaluation Program”. CREP is the independent body that assesses the crash protection performance of infant restraints using three simulated crash tests (frontal, side and oblique). Restraints are then give star rating (X stars out of 5 stars) for safety and ease of use. You may be surprised at the very low ratings some of the more expensive and popular brands get!
Weight – how heavy is the restraint out of the base? Add a 9 kg baby and will you be able to carry this in and out of the car? Do you have lots of stairs to navigate each day?
Will it fit in your car? Consider how many other restraints are in the car and what space is available for the new addition. Its worth trying a few restraints in your car before making a final decision.
Remember – the most expensive is not necessarily the safest. Choose on safety (first), ease of use and the product’s compatibility with your lifestyle and vehicle.
If you have any questions around baby capsule hire please don’t hesitate to call one of our expert staff on 9589 4942.