Babies are nothing less than a miracle, and on the first car ride back home from the hospital, the maternal anxiety of keeping them safe kicks in. For any parent, this anxiety will never go away, not even when your baby is an adult. How do you ensure your baby is safe when driving on a routine commute?
Most states require babies to be seated in a rear-facing seat, making it almost impossible to monitor your precious baby while driving as the rearview mirror isn’t practical. Baby mirrors are essential tools, but they lack federal regulation, which means unsafe products are in the market.
Depending on what car you drive and other preferences, a baby mirror might be your best friend in case of an accident. We may attach the baby mirror to the car seat at various locations.
How to Install a Baby Car Mirror
Even the most popular baby car mirror may not be your best choice. This discrepancy is primarily because of the variations in safety and functional features emphasized by the different manufacturers. Installing a baby car mirror varies depending on the make and model of the baby car mirror. However, a few simple steps will have your baby’s car mirror up and running in seconds.
Fit the Straps Around the Rear Headrest
The first and arguably most vital step in installing the baby car mirror is to fit in the straps. The Leo & Ella baby mirror has a horizontal and vertical strap.
Adjusting the Angle
After fitting in the straps, the next step is to adjust the angle of the baby car mirror. A mirror that does not show your baby clearly won’t ease your anxiety while driving. The perfect angle varies for different mirrors, primarily because of the size difference.
Adjust Mirror Direction
The last step in the mirror’s installation is ensuring that the baby mirror is facing the right direction. When your baby is in the middle car seat that lacks a headrest, you can use either of the window seats and divert the mirror’s orientation towards the middle.
Why You Need to Set Up the Baby Mirror Properly
Properly installing the baby mirror has many benefits both to the parent and the baby. The car mirror allows you to monitor the baby while driving, allowing attention to the maneuvers that cause discomfort to the baby. In addition, choosing a wide-angle mirror will enable you to witness significant milestones in your baby’s development in the car seat.
Baby car mirrors also help your baby develop visual, imaginative, and motor skills. Simply playing with the mirror or trying to reach it activates different regions of their brain that make them more active and perceptive to their environment. Baby car mirrors are vital, and putting one in the nursery décor provides similar benefits.
Where Should You Put a Baby Mirror?
Baby car mirrors serve as baby surveillance and thus position them where the driver has a full view of the baby from their rearview mirror. Wrapping the strap around the headrest of either window seat is the best location for the mirror. Some mirrors are crash tested, and in case of a wreck, manufacturers guarantee your baby’s safety from the mirror.
To add to the functionality of the mirror, you may put car seat accessories such as a baby name sticker around the mirror or use a night light to help you see while driving at night to aid in mirror playtime.
Adjusting the Headrest for the Baby Mirror
Most brands design modern baby seat mirrors to fit any headrests of a rear-facing car seat available. Still, a traditional backseat baby mirror may not work in a bench-like sitting scenario for older models of cars. Here, you may use a suction-based car seat mirror that sticks onto flat surfaces. An obvious downside is that it is less safe.
Connecting the Baby Mirror Straps
Various car seat mirrors offer multiple strap installation mechanisms. Some feature a wide-angle convex mirror that allows the driver to monitor the baby and more of the child’s safety seat.
The booster seat straps or headrests of the child seat as long as they offer a view of the baby. Despite market variations and similarities, the best car seat mirror for a rear-facing seat is the Leo & Ella baby car mirror.
Adjust the Mirror Angle
To know when your baby’s car mirror is installed at the right angle, try to view it from the rearview mirror while assuming the same position you would take while driving. Different maneuvers put your baby at risk in a moving vehicle. They include:
-
Sharp turns
-
Sudden braking
-
Sudden acceleration
-
High-speed driving
You should always check your right mirror and other car mirrors to ensure it is safe for you to signal. If you need to adjust the mirror angle while driving, pull over first, then fine-tune.
Adjust the Mirror Direction
The appropriate direction for the car seat mirror to be facing is towards the full view of the baby in a manner that accurately displays it in the rearview mirror. You must assess for blind spots and ensure they are all fully displayed.
Leo & Ella Baby Car Mirror
Several seat mirrors are available in the market, and knowing the right one to purchase might seem daunting. The most sizable baby car mirror is the Cozy Green baby mirror, but bigger does not always mean better. From baby car mirror states carried out at various speeds and using varying amounts of G-force, the best car mirror is the Leo & Ella car mirror.
It features a highly functional, fully rotational mirror made from clear acrylic that is distortion-free and shatter-proof. Its thick deluxe matte border is heat resistant and made of high-quality material to ensure your infant’s safety.
Conclusion
Knowing what car mirror to purchase is complex, but the Leo & Ella car mirror is an excellent choice. Ensure you install the mirror correctly to help keep your little one safe.