--- title: Top tips for purchasing a car seat description: Buying a car seat can be an overwhelming task. From expiry dates to laws, there is a lot to think about when it comes to keeping your child safe on the road. CAA Niagara's top tips for purchasing a car seat will help to keep your child safe on the road. image: https://blog.caaniagara.ca/hubfs/CAA-Niagara_Buying-Car-Seat-featured.jpg --- [ ![CAA_Niagara_Master_Logo_Horizontal_RGB](https://blog.caaniagara.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/CAA_Niagara_Master_Logo_Horizontal_RGB.png?width=160&height=41&name=CAA_Niagara_Master_Logo_Horizontal_RGB.png)](https://caaniagara.ca/) [![CAA_Niagara_Master_Logo_Horizontal_RGB](https://blog.caaniagara.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/CAA_Niagara_Master_Logo_Horizontal_RGB.png?width=165&height=41&name=CAA_Niagara_Master_Logo_Horizontal_RGB.png)](https://caaniagara.ca/) - [My Account](http://caaniagara.ca/redirect/redirect_myaccount.jsp) - [Find a Branch](https://caaniagara.ca/contact-us) - [Careers](https://caaniagara.ca/careers) - [CAA Niagara Blog](https://blog.caaniagara.ca/) ## Search Search Search - [Membership](https://caaniagara.ca/membership) - Manage Membership - [Join CAA](https://caaniagara.ca/membership/compare) - [Renew Membership](https://caaniagara.ca/membership/renew) - 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With proper knowledge and education, these tragedies could be prevented. We need your help to emphasize how to properly use car seats and booster seats to lessen the occurrence of these deaths and injuries. ![CAA-Niagara_Buying-Car-Seat](https://blog.caaniagara.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/CAA-Niagara_Buying-Car-Seat.jpg?width=1200&height=450&name=CAA-Niagara_Buying-Car-Seat.jpg) ### 1. Know your child's height and weight   Refer to your owner’s manual and abide by the provided instructions. Always ensure the seat you purchase is proper in terms of your child’s height and weight. The car seat needs to fit your vehicle and should be easy to install. ###  2. Check expiry dates Many car seats have expiry dates and should be replaced when the expiry date is reached.  ###  3. Look into the history Never purchase a previously used car seat that has been involved in a collision, regardless of the severity of the crash. Check with your insurance company on their policy for car seat replacement criteria. ###  ![National Safety Mark](https://blog.caaniagara.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/National%20Safety%20Mark.jpg?width=145&height=145&name=National%20Safety%20Mark.jpg)4. Avoid cross-border shopping The National Safety Mark (as shown to the right) indicates that a child car seat is certified to Canadian safety standards, which are different from other standards. It is illegal to import, sell, or use a child car seat and booster seat that do not have this mark.  ## Still not sure if your car seat makes the grade? Have your car seat checked by a professional. Book a FREE 30-minute session with trained St. John Ambulance volunteers at CAA Niagara’s [Member Exclusive Car Seat Clinic](https://caaniagara.ca/events/car-seat-clinic).  [![Register Now](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3284067/5a631c0d-7790-4c9b-a966-fc11596834bc.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3284067/5a631c0d-7790-4c9b-a966-fc11596834bc)   Tags: [car seat clinic](https://blog.caaniagara.ca/topic/car-seat-clinic) ### Recent Posts - [Contact Us](https://caaniagara.ca/contact-us) - [About CAA Niagara](https://caaniagara.ca/about-caa) - [Annual Report](https://caaniagara.ca/AnnualReport2024) - [Board of Directors](https://caaniagara.ca/theboard) - [News & Media](https://caaniagara.ca/news) - [Careers](https://caaniagara.ca/careers) - [Terms & Conditions](https://caaniagara.ca/terms-and-conditions) - [Privacy Policy](https://caaniagara.ca/privacy-policy) - [Consumer Email Policy](https://caaniagara.ca/consumer-email-policy) - [AODA Customer Service Policy](https://caaniagara.ca/accessibility-standard) ![tico.ca](https://blog.caaniagara.ca/hubfs/Caaniagara_September2017/pdf/TICO-Logo.png) Ontario  Registration  #01381980 **Member Service** 1-800-263-7272 **Roadside Assistance** Niagara Region: 1-800-263-3616 Canada & US: 1-800-222-4357 or \*222 CAA Niagara serves Members in the Regional Municipality of Niagara. If you live outside the Niagara Region, [visit the CAA National website](https://www.caa.ca/) to find the CAA club that serves you. Accessible formats and communication supports are available upon request. ® CAA, CAA logo and CAA Dollars trademarks owned by, and use is authorized by, the Canadian Automobile Association. © Copyright 2025 CAA Niagara, Canadian Automobile Association. ® All rights reserved. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Lauren Arva", "url" : "https://blog.caaniagara.ca/author/lauren-arva" }, "datePublished" : "2018-05-07T15:19:57.000Z", "headline" : "Top tips for purchasing a car seat", "image" : [ "https://blog.caaniagara.ca/hubfs/CAA-Niagara_Buying-Car-Seat-featured.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.caaniagara.ca/top-tips-for-buying-a-car-seat", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.caaniagara.ca/hubfs/CAA_Niagara_Master_Logo_Horizontal_RGB-1000x250.png" }, "name" : "CAA Niagara" } } ```