Car Seat Safety

Did you know that every 33 seconds a child under 13 is involved in a car crash in the United States? That probably isn’t the first thing you think about when you are hauling your kids to school, the grocery store, or anywhere else around town. And really, you shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not your child is safely snuggled into the right car seat every time you get in the car. Instead, make sure your child is in the right seat from the get-go.

Child Passenger Safety Week (September 17-23, 2017) is a great time to brush up on car seat safety tips and make sure your child is in the right seat, with the right fit and installation.  

During Child Passenger Safety Week, more than 1000 events are expected in 45 states across the country to raise awareness for proper car seat installation and usage. The week culminates in “Seat Check Saturday,” where Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will help parents and caregivers make sure their car seats are installed correctly. In most cases, this service is FREE.

Here’s a video that has been helpful for me:

The right car seat can make all the difference in a crash. Car seats, if used correctly, can dramatically reduce the risk of death or injury. But over half of car seats are either installed or used incorrectly, and 1 in 3 children killed in car crashes in 2015 was not in a car seat, booster seat, or seat belt at the time of the crash.

To make sure you have the right seat for your child, visit NHTSA.gov/TheRightSeat, or find a Child Passenger Safety Week event in your area. During Child Passenger Safety Week, many communities will have Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians on-hand to provide education on how to use car seats, booster seats, and seat belts for children. To find events near you, including free car seat checks, visit bit.ly/CPSTech.

*According to 2015 data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

mifold - The Grab-and-Go Booster - Review

mifold® Grab-and-Go® booster seat, the most ad- vanced, compact, and portable child car safety seat in the world, won first prize for the Consumer Products Category in NASA Tech Briefs Magazine’s 2016 Create the Future Design Contest. The prestigious competition, sponsored by popular companies such as Intel, HP and NVIDIA, featured over 1,100 competitors from more than 60 countries this year alone.

“We are incredibly thrilled,” said Jon Sumroy, creator of mifold. “It is an honor to be recognized by such a respected competition, and we are delighted to be chosen as the 2016 winner of the Consumer Products Category. There were many creative and ad- vanced designs, and we were proud to be considered among them.”

The annual contest has attracted over 12,000 product design ideas since its inception in 2002, and mifold joins a prominent and exclusive group of winners. To congratulate the winners of the contest, an awards dinner will be held on Friday, Nov. 11 at the Water Club in New York City.
mifold is more than 10 times smaller than a regular booster seat. The patented, compact design takes the seat belt off the stomach and neck, making it comfortable, safe, and easy to use. On one in five trips - whether in the car, on vacation, or in general transpor- tation – children do not have the appropriate safety restraint. Because of mifold’s com- pact and portable size, it’s easy to keep with kids for use anytime and can even be kept in cars or airplane cabins without causing clutter or losing extra space.

“I recognized the hassle that comes along with the size of regular booster seats when my children were in a carpool or getting picked up by their grandparents,” Sumroy said. “So I thought if I could design a booster that was mighty small and mighty strong, one that kids could take with them everywhere, then they could always be safe no matter whose car they’re in.”

The groundbreaking idea raised more than $2.5 million through a successful crowd- funding campaign, and has sold more than 60,000 mifold seats. People from more than 130 countries participated in the campaign, adding up to more than 30,000 backers. mi- fold recently launched in several major U.S. retailers and has signed exclusive distribu- tion agreements with more than 14 countries worldwide.

About mifold
mifold’s groundbreaking Grab-and-Go Booster Seat offers extreme portability with its compact size. Created by Jon Sumroy, a father of four, mifold offers a portable and lightweight booster seat solution. For more information on how mifold works, check out the YouTube Channel and the new mifold film: https://youtu.be/sAg2gfx93Ro 

Our Thoughts

I have two children that are left in booster seats. One will be there for a while yet, while in February one will be free and clear because he is meeting the hight, age and weight requirements. Until February or even if he needs a booster after he meets the requirements, the mifold will fit the bill! 

This small booster makes perfect for those kiddos that travel or are just about ready to make that transition from booster to no booster. The mifold folds down to about the size of a woman's wallet and fits nicely in a purse or backpack. It also saves so much room when you have multiple car seats in a smaller vehicle. 

What I like the best about this booster is that it is compact and portable. I love that even though it doesn't seem like it by just looking at it, that it is safe and does the job that it needs to do. And what I love even more is that the kids say the mifold is comfortable and it is simple enough for them to use by themselves. 

If you are looking for a compact booster, look no further! You can find the booster on their website in multiple colors and you can even purchase a carrying case for the booster! 

To keep in touch with mifold, visit their Facebook page, twitter, Instagram, or pinterest. 

Safe Travels with the Britix Frontier Clicktight

All parents-to-be plan a checklist for what to bring to the hospital. Once baby arrives, they refer to their second checklist. This one starts with a cherished newborn outfit and ends with an approved car seat. While the hospital makes sure everyone is healthy before discharging, hopefully the new parents have been trained to make sure the first ride home is a safe and secure one.

Savvy parents who purchase their car seat from a Brixy member store -- a trade association for independent juvenile retailers in U.S.– have access to a Britax premium car seat line featuring the ClickTight installation system and an exclusive fashion for Brixy stores. The Boulevard ClickTight convertible ($369.99) and the Frontier ClickTight harness-2-booster ($329.99) boast a black/gray color pattern called Dylan, only available at select Brixy stores while supplies last.

Car seats are about to be in the national spotlight as the week of September 13–19 is Child Passenger Safety Week. “All 50 states and the District of Columbia have child safety seat laws,” reports the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Highway Loss Data Institute. However, grownups need to discover precisely what their state law requires before placing babies, preschoolers or youngsters in the car.

Until they are needed, parents and grandparents may be unaware of car seat rulings. Luckily, Brixy stores are located coast-to-coast and each store’s knowledgeable staff can advise parents on current laws and more importantly, best practice. 

My Thoughts

The world of baby gear has changed drastically over the last few years.  Parents want convenience, functionality, and economically priced products that will last. That's where Britix comes in.

Britix had been around for decades and they manage to evolve and stay with the times seamlessly.  When my oldest was born almost everything we had was Britix, and even today, when my last baby turned four, I still turn to them.  From convertible car seats that allow extended rear facing and forward facing, Britix is giving parents  more options to fit their needs. The Britix Frontier Clicktight is a perfect examples because it's a two in one product that will last from the time your child is forward facing to well through their toddler and pre-school years.

The Clicktight is an awesome forward facing car-seat. Then it easily converts from  a forward facing seat  to a booster.  It only requires one step for set up, simply snap the back into place,  and it's ready for installation. Using the seat belt or latch system you can easily and quickly have this in and ready in just about ten minutes. You can adjust the built in harness more efficiently thanks to the Clicktight system on the bottom of the seat, which is two little latches under the cover.  A push of the buttons and all that's left is to pull up on the back to raise the shoulder straps.

The harness is easily adjustable and holds children safely all the way up to one-hundred and twenty pounds.  My youngest is four years old and just over forty pounds. He fits comfortable in the booster mode and still has plenty of room to grow. As far as style, this seat has it all. The neutral colors suit both boys and girls, it's easy to clean, and it even has two cup holders. The removal of the built in harness is easy.  The instructions are clear and simple to follow. Please remember when using any car seat to have it installed properly and to follow all requirements.

The only downside to the seat is that it's heavier than I anticipated. This isn't a deal breaker,  just cumbersome, but overall I am very happy. After four kids and fifteen years of parenting, I still think Britix products are the best on the market.  Britix has many more great products including strollers, carriers, and more! Be sure to consider them for all your baby gear needs!

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