12 Essential Car Features For Parents

May 31, 2022

It is hard to find a good car, but it's even harder to find a good family car. While the soccer mom might want a mini-van with a huge trunk or storage at the back to carry all the gear, there are even more useful car features that can be a lifesaver. Here is a list of twelve car features that can make life a lot easier when living (and driving) with kids.

A Hands-Free Trunk Or Liftgate

When going anywhere with children, there is, invariably, a lot of stuff to haul. Parents of sports enthusiasts like football, hockey, or soccer are constantly putting things in and taking things out of the back.That is why a feature like a hands-free liftgate or trunk can be a real lifesaver. Not only does it make it possible to open the back quickly and easily without having to put lots of things down, it can be a big convenience when going grocery shopping too.

Leather (Or Leatherette) Seating

Kids! Love the little monsters, but they can wreak havoc on the car. They might put their muddy boots on the seat. Or worse yet, they might puke on it. With leather or leatherette seating, it is far easier to clean up their messes than it is with cloth seats. Some recommend dark upholstery in order to hide some of the scuff marks and dirt that kids will track into the car. However, dark seats also become hotter than light colored seats when it is sunny and hot. Choose the color that makes the most sense for your family.

Hardbacks For The Front Seat

Having a hardback on the front seat makes the life of a parent so much easier. Not only is it possible to simply wipe off the mud that the kids splashed on the back of your seat, it also is more puncture resistant than cloth. So when the kids decide to draw on the back of the seat because they are bored on the long drive, it is not such a big deal to clean up. Unfortunately, when the kids kick the seat, it does have a bit more resonance than the cloth seat. But that is easily countered by playing the steering wheel like a drum set.

Remote Starting The Car

Parents often have many things to do before heading out the door. The child(ren) need to be dressed, lunches made, pets to feed, among other things. With a handful of kids, hands-free car starting is a necessary feature, especially in winter and summer seasons. No one wants to go out to a car that is freezing cold or sweltering hot. With a remote car starter, it is possible to stay in the house, start the car and let the temperature adjust before stepping out the door.

Easy Access to Third-Row Seating

Minivans are a great invention, especially for families with lots of kids, kids who have lots of friends, kids who play lots of sports, or any combination of the above. But it's a nightmare to get kids in and out of an SUV or minivan that has poor access to the third row of seating. This is especially true if there is a car seat involved anywhere in the second row. Choose a vehicle that makes it easy and it will be breezy to get the kids (and all their stuff) in and out of the car without swearing a blue streak.

Conversation Mirror

Let us be honest and call it what it really is - a way for the driver to spy on the kids in the backseat and see who did what to who without having to turn their attention from the front of the car. This can not only prevent neck strain but also an accident when the kids are bickering about one of the others taking their toy (snack, drink, whatever) or hitting or kicking each other. With a simple glance, it is possible to see what exactly is going on and pull over, if necessary, to deal with the conflict.

Functional Rear Air Vents

While it is great to be able to blast the heat on the driver in winter, and the AC on the driver in summer, having functional air vents in the rear part of the car is an important thing for the comfort of everyone involved. Having air vents that actually work year round makes it healthier for everyone. And, with the car at the most comfortable temperature, it is less likely that one of the kids will spew chunks all over the back, resulting in a more pleasant drive for everyone.

Tinted (or Privacy) Windows

There are many benefits to having tinted windows. Firstly, having these types of windows prevents fading of the upholstery of the car. These types of windows also prevent light from reaching into the car onto children's faces. UV radiation has a harder time penetrating these types of windows, so there is a reduced risk of sunburns or excessive solar radiation. If the car you choose does not already have this feature, it is possible to get it done at a custom tinting shop.

Rear-Door Sun Shades

These nifty little, built in sun shades are a great feature, especially for families who have small children sitting in the back seat. These shades are built in and roll up or down and provide additional protection from UV solar radiation. Because they are custom- built into the door window, they fit perfectly, unlike the sun shades that can be purchased at the dollar store. Even better, they don't fall apart or leave suction cup marks all over the window, or cause uneven fading of the upholstery.

Removable Back Seat Head Restraints

The early years of childhood bring a whole bunch of joys and stress to the life of a parent. One such stress is having to install a rear facing or front facing car seat. The act of doing this is often enough to turn a loving parent into a grumbling monster that turns the air blue with their anger and frustration. The reason that this happens is that some vehicles do not have removable back seat head restraints. It makes it really tough to install car seats properly, which can impact on the safety of the installation of the seat.

Easy To Access LATCH Points

When using car seats for a child, most of the models need to be latched in in order to prevent the seat from tipping or flying forward in the case of an accident. However, although these latch points are a mandatory feature in all vehicles now, they are not necessarily easy to find or to get to. When taking a test drive, make sure to check out where the latch points are and see whether they are easy to access or not. Alternately, check out the online Latch evaluation rating and save yourself a headache later.

A Second-Row Seat That Slides

This is an important feature, particularly when there are up to three rows in the vehicle. This feature makes it possible for the driver to pass things to kids in the back row without turning around. By pulling the second-row seat forward it is possible to avoid the oh-so-annoying seat-kicking of older siblings while pushing it further back prevents seat kicking from the younger. Another benefit of this option is that by pulling the seat forward, the driver is able to enlarge the amount of storage space in the back. Which is a great feature when preparing for a family camping trip or picnic.

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