Should I Buy an Overhead Shield Car Seat?

This week a reader asked about overhead shield car seats and why local car seat installation technicians recommended against them. This is a tricky question, because overhead shield car seats do meet the current federal standards for car seat safety and do protect a young child better than no restraint at all. Many parents assume that overhead shield car seats are safer than 5-point harness seats because there's something in front of the child to stop them in case of a crash. So why do car seat safety experts often steer parents away from this once-popular car seat style?

There are several reasons that overhead shield car seats don't protect babies as well as 5-point harness car seats. The first lies in the front shield bar itself. In a crash, baby's head or face will strike the shield, potentially causing injuries that wouldn't happen in a 5-point harnessed seat with no front bar. Second, the overhead shield harness system doesn't fit the child as close to the body as other harness types, meaning the baby will move around more in a crash. More movement means more potential for injury.

It's important to note that, as a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, my best car seat buying advice is to purchase the car seat that fits your baby and your car, and that you can use correctly each time. If an overhead shield car seat is the one that best fits that criteria, your baby would certainly be safer than with no car seat at all. Overhead shield car seats are one baby product that I think warrants some warning, though. If you're buying a car seat, know about the potential dangers of overhead shield car seats before you go shopping.