Are all car seats the same as far as safety goes?

Question

My 10 month old has outgrown the height limit on his car seat and I need a new one soon, but money is very tight right now. Are car seats that are $60 just as safe as a $300 one? I have family that I can ask to help if I need it, but I would prefer to get just a cheaper one on my own if there's really no safety difference.

Answer

No they're not all the same. But they all have to meet a certain standard. So they all at least reach a minimum accepted level of safety

Answer

They all have to meet a minimum safety standard. But there's huge differences in quality, what chemicals are used in the fabrics,how long they last, adjustments on the straps etcetera.
What you want to look for is one that rear face til 50lbs, and that get a good fit in your car. 
Safeintheseat on Instagram have a full list of recommended seats. 
I personally would rather buy a seat that only allows rare facing till 50lbs + and then buy a new high back booster seat that fits your kid when they are ready to forward face when 5-6 years or older.

Answer

A price tag doesn't determine how safe or unsafe a car seat is.
Look up independent testing of car seats to find one that fits your car and is safe.

Answer

The cheap ultra basic ones usually just meet the minimum safety requirements. Unfortunately the safest convertible car seats are going to be more than $60. Honestly the cheapest ones don't give you as many options and won't last as long and you'd most likely end up spending more money to buy a new one later on. They usually don't rear face as long as possible, which it's important to find a seat to rear face for multiple years, they don't usually have adjustable head rests, they don't convert at all. It's just a seat frame with some fabric and straps that you can manually rethread that has passed safety requirements. For a 10 month old I personally don't think that's the best option. I do understand money is tight but you do have some other options.
Is your 10 month old longer than 31 inches and over 30lbs? If not he should still fit in the infant carrier a bit longer and that could give you a little more time to wait for tax refund to purchase a better convertible seat.

This is a good option if you're low on money. It's more affordable than other brands at $120 . Way more than minimum safety standards. Rear faces to 40lbs, FF to 65 in harness and converts to a booster up to 100lbs. Something like this is the way to go and there are multiple different brands that make these kinds of convertible seats for less than $200. This honestly is a great deal right now.

Answer

Thank y'all for all of your help, I really appreciate it!

Answer

I would wait until you can afford a more expensive one. What’s his height?

Are all car seats the same as far as safety goes?

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