A car seat is one piece of equipment you really need before your baby is born. If you are having your baby in hospital and are going home by car, you will need to put her in a seat. Even if this is the only car trip your baby makes.
Choosing the right car seat for your baby’s age and weight is very important. You must also make sure that it is properly installed. If a car seat doesn’t seem to fit your car perfectly, or if it seems difficult to fasten in place, do not buy it. Some seats work better in some models of cars than others. Try before you buy. The seat should be held tightly by the seatbelt with very little sideways movement.

Practice putting the empty seat in and tightening up the seatbelt. If the seat moves around, it’s not safe. Beyond that, part of it is a matter of what features and conveniences you want and what your budget is for the purchase. What vehicle(s) are you going to be installing the seat in? What’s your budget?

Car seat sizes can be confusing, because they are categorized in different ways. Some people talk about Group 0 and Group 0+ car seats; others refer to stage one or two. Shops generally refer to seats by groups, to try to avoid confusion.