Is a 3 point infant seat OK to use?

[curlytop]

We have a Century Smartfit Plus 22 with a 3 point harness that was our dd's. It is in good condition, no accidents, etc. It was manufactured in July 2000.
Is it OK to use this seat for our ds, edd 11/22/04?
Would a 5 Point harness be safer?
At the time we purchased the seat the ratings were showing the 3 and 5 points equal in safety...have things changed?

TIA - Jen

[murphydog77]

Hi Jen. A 5-point harness provides more protection in side impacts because it holds the hips tight whereas the 3-point doesn't have any hip contact. In a frontal crash, which is the most common type of crash, both types of harnesses should perform the same.

As far as age, it's still within the 6 years that Century recommends for their car seats, so it should be OK. I don't believe there were any recalls on that seat (I used to have one), but double-check the recalls link at http://www.carseat.org .

Heather, CPS Tech
http://www.carseatsite.com