How To Install Forward Facing Car Seat? Tips for Installation And Use

Many parents are unfamiliar with the process of putting their child in a forward-facing car seat. Reading this article is the only way to get through it.

When it comes to your baby’s rear-facing car seat, you’ve given it a lot of thought. It was an essential part of your baby registry and the means by which you were able to return home with your new bundle of joy.

You’re wondering if it’s time to switch to a forward-facing car seat now that your infant is no longer a newborn. You may be wondering what to do now that your child has outgrown their rear-facing seat due to his or her weight and height.

Or perhaps they aren’t quite at the maximum size yet, but you believe that enough time has passed that you’d like to know if you can turn them around to face forward.

If you’re not sure whether or not a forward-facing car seat is right for your child, we have some suggestions on how to properly install one.

When Is It Time for a Forward-Facing Car Seat?

When should you face your baby’s car seat forward?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated their car seat safety standards in 2018. As a result of these changes, they no longer suggest that children under the age of 2 ride rear-facing in car seats.

The AAP now recommends that children continue rear-facing until they reach the weight and height limits of their rear-facing car seat, which, for the majority of children, will leave them rear-facing past the prior age recommendation. Rear-facing has been shown in studies to provide better support for the head, neck, and back than forward-facing.

Do you have any thoughts on this? It’s best to keep your child in a rear-facing car seat until they meet the weight/height limits of the seat and any applicable state laws. Your child is ready to switch from rear-facing to forward-facing when they meet the weight or height restriction for their seat.

Are there laws about rear facing?

The regulations governing child safety seats differ from country to country, state to state, province to province, and territory to territory. Find out if you are breaking the law in your area.

What about their legs?

Many parents are worried that their child will be cramped in a rear-facing seat since their legs must be folded down before they reach the maximum height or weight for the seat.

Rear-facing seats are safe for children to sit in with their legs crossed, extended, or hanging over the edges. Back-facing children are less likely to sustain leg injuries, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

How long should my child remain in a forward-facing car seat?

It is suggested that you keep your child in a forward-facing car seat until they reach the height and weight restriction of their seat. Depending on the model, this could take a long time because forward-facing car seats can handle 60 to 100 pounds of weight each.

Even if your child has outgrown their forward-facing car seat, they should continue use a booster seat to ensure that your vehicle’s seat belt system fits them correctly.

Until they reach a height of 4’9″ (around 12 years old), children aren’t ready to drive without the assistance of a seatbelt.

What’s the best forward-facing car seat?

All licensed car seats meet safety standards regardless of their price, regardless of whether or not they are expensive. When choosing a car seat, be sure it fits your child, your vehicle, and that it is correctly placed.

When it comes to choosing the finest car seat for your child, there are a few options to consider.

Types of seats

Rear facing only

Most new parents choose to utilize bucket-style baby seats like these. It is common for these seats to come with a base that is fitted in the automobile and a removable seat piece. Strollers and car seats are frequently sold together as a travel system. The weight and height restrictions for these seats are often lower because they are meant to be carried outside of the car as necessary.

In most cases, 35 pounds or 35 inches is the weight and height limit for a rear-facing only seat that can be converted to a combination convertible or 3-in-1 seat.

Convertible

As long as the child is under 40 to 50 pounds, most convertible car seats can be used rear-facing. It can be used as a forward-facing car seat at this point.

These seats are designed to stay in the car and are greater in size. Five-point harnesses, which are straps with five points of contact, are included in the design.

All-in-1 or 3-in-1

The 3-in-1 car seat is a convertible car seat that may also be used as a forward-facing car seat and as a booster seat for children. A 3-in-1 car seat may seem like the best of both worlds at first (no more car seat decisions!) but it’s crucial to keep in mind that the manufacturer’s height and weight criteria for each stage must be followed at all times.

At some point, you’ll need the car seat to be converted into a back, forward, or booster position. Even if you’re using a stroller with a forward-facing seat and your child is rear-facing, you need to make sure the straps are at or below their shoulders.

No one ever claimed that being a parent was easy!

Combination seat

As a forward-facing seat with a 5-point harness, the combination seat can also be used as a booster seat with the shoulder and lap belt. As a safety precaution, parents are urged to utilize their child’s seat’s harness up to the seat’s weight or height limit.

Booster seat

At least four years old and at least 35 inches tall, your youngster isn’t ready for a booster seat. Because they’ve grown out of their 5-point harness forward-facing car seat, They must also be able to sit properly in the booster seat, with the seatbelt strap over their hips and chest and off their neck.

Before making the switch from a forward-facing car seat to a booster seat, double-check that all of the requirements of the booster seat have been met. From high back to low back, and even removable, booster seats are available.

If your vehicle lacks or has a low backrest, your youngster should be in a high back booster seat. Allowing your child to assist in the selection of their booster seat increases the likelihood that they will agree to use it because it will be a better fit.

Until your child reaches the height of 57 inches, they will require a booster seat in your automobile. They should ride in the rear seat of your car until they are at least 13 years old, even after they have outgrown their booster seat.

Steps to safely install forward facing car seat:

In the first step, make sure you’ve gone through the directions in the manual. To ensure that you have all the information you need for the installation and use of your child safety seat system, be sure to go through this entire document.

Securely fasten the baby seat to the base with the seatbelt. Keep the belt snug around the baby’s legs so that it can’t move more than an inch from side to side or front to back.

Step 3: If your car has lower anchor points with latch connectors, use these (these straps are usually found behind seats; check with specific models).

Step 4: Follow the manufacturer’s directions for attaching the top tether strap to an upper anchorage point (usually located right behind headrests).

Adjust the seat’s recline angle in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines. You should not be able to slide more than one finger under the rear of the waist strap as it goes over your baby’s shoulder, so make sure the harness is snug over their shoulders and thighs.

How to Install Infant and Toddler Car Seats

Child safety advocates recommend that all children ride in a rear-facing seat until they are at least two years old.

Advice on How to Do It Yourself

• The lower anchors or the seat belt should be used just once. It’s not uncommon for parents to use both strategies in an attempt to ensure their child’s safety. As Dr. Hoffman points out, “the vast majority of instructions will warn you against doing this because it has not been tested.”
• To begin, locate yourself at the rear-center of the room. We usually tell parents to put their children in the middle of the backseat, but many cars only have LATCH connections for the side seats, explains Jessica Jermakian, senior research scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in Arlington, Virginia. Rear-facing children are typically required to use the middle seat belt instead, which is still safe but may not be as convenient for parents. However, certain vehicles won’t allow you to do this, so you’ll have to use a LATCH anchor from each side to secure the seat in the middle. In the event that you have more than one child, you will not be able to use this workaround.
• Place the seat in a position where it’s as snug as it can be. “Again, if the vehicle manufacturer permits it, begin with the car seat in the middle. Julie Prom, a certified CPS instructor and child-safety advocate in Chicago, suggests that if you can’t obtain a tight fit, you can slide it to either side. An excellent fit on the side is better than a terrible one in the middle. ” In other words, the seat should not move more than one inch in either direction.
• Put the seat belt on and secure it. As an alternative to lower anchors, use a seat belt to secure the seat. Make sure to fully retract and lock the seat belt before installing it. This can be done with the guidance of your car’s owner’s manual.
• Place your child in a comfortable position. According to Dr. Hoffman, straps should be taut and the chest-clip should be at the child’s armpit level to prevent the straps from slipping. If not placed correctly, rear-facing children can be expelled, so the clip is very critical for them. Similarly, the harness straps must be threaded through the correct holes – for rear-facers, this means the slots that are located at or below the shoulder level.

How to Install Car Seats for Preschoolers

The guideline is that your child should only be moved to a forward-facing seat with a harness when she has reached the upper weight or height limit of her rear-facing seat.

Advice on How to Do It Yourself

• The top tether should always be used. According to an IIHS survey conducted in 2013, just 56 percent of qualified CPS technicians observed parents using the top tether anchor, and those seats placed with a seat belt were particularly likely to be untethered. When using lower anchors or a seat belt with a forward-facing seat, Prom argues the top tether is a need. Because of this, the chance of a head injury is reduced by 6 to 8 inches, according to Prom.
• Verify that the tether is connected correctly. The position of the tether is also an important consideration while using it. The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute discovered that parents are more likely to use the top tether if the tether anchor is easily accessible. In most sedans, tether anchors are located on the backseat shelf behind the backseat. In minivans and SUVs, the top tether anchor can be on the floor, on the middle or lower seat back, in the cargo area, or on the ceiling, as we explain in “Making Sense of LATCH” on the following page. Jermakian says it’s not uncommon for parents to use the inappropriate hardware, like a cargo hook, to attach the tether.
• Place your child in a comfortable position. Belts must be slid through openings at or above the shoulders in forward-facing seats.

How to Install Booster Seats

As soon as your child reaches the upper weight or height limit of the forward-facing harness seat, you should switch to a belt-positioning booster seat.

Advice on How to Do It Yourself

• Make sure you get the correct booster for your kid. High-back boosters provide more side-impact protection for smaller kids and help position kids better, especially if they fall asleep in the car. When there are no headrests, like in a pickup truck with bench seats, these are a preferable option, according to Ryan. Backless boosters, which are less noticeable, are preferred by older children, and that’s good. If you can, sit with your back up high.

How to install baby car seat rear facing

For the first 12 months of your child’s life, rear-facing child seats should be utilized.

As long as your child is physically fit, you should keep them rear-facing in their car seat for as long as the law allows. It is safest for your infant to be in a back-facing position.

These seats are suited for newborns and are an alternative to baby capsules. Whichever you decide to purchase is entirely up to you. For the next two years, you’ll flip them around so that they’re facing the front of the room until they’re four. Are you all set to put it in?

In most cases, the child seat’s top-tether anchor point attachment can be discarded. It resembles a massive bolt. When it comes to anchor points, unless your car is more than 15 years old, you don’t need to worry.

Decide where you’ll put the seat in your car. If you have more than one child or are putting in an additional car seat, this information is of no use to you.

3. Adjust the angle of the base at the back of the kid seat to suit your child’s needs. For guidance, you’ll see stickers on the side of the road. Set the child seat in the car, with the stabiliser bar firmly positioned against the backrest of your car seat, by removing the bar from the front of the child seat (where your child’s legs will be).

In order to remove the child seat’s ISOFIX buckles, locate them in the fabric of the child seat and pull them out. This is where the ISOFIX attachment points are located on both sides of your car’s seats, just where your seatback meets the base. Using the less secure seatbelt and top tether fitment if you don’t see ISOFIX points is an option.

When can my child sit in the front seat?

The back seat is the safest place for children under the age of thirteen.

How do I install a car seat with a 5-point harness?

• Put the child’s car seat in the backseat.
• Car seats can be secured using the Universal Anchorage System (UAS) or the vehicle’s seatbelt, following the vehicle’s and the car seat’s instructions.
• Aim for a maximum movement of 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) in either direction where the car seat is fastened to the vehicle.

Seats that face backwards are best for:

• Install the car seat in a reclined position as specified by the user’s manual for the car seat. To ensure that the seat is at the proper angle, refer to the instructions included with the seat.
• You should always put the handle on a seat in the exact position that the manufacturer specifies.

If you’re seated facing forward:

• When installing a forward-facing car seat, be sure to utilize the top tether. Using a tether strap, a child’s car seat is attached to a specific tether anchor in the vehicle.

To secure your child in a 5-point harness

• The harness straps for your child should be level with or just below your child’s shoulders if he or she is riding in a rear-facing car seat.
• For children facing forward, be certain that the harness straps are in the slot at or slightly above your child’s shoulders when using the harness.
• The harness straps should be cinched up a bit. Pinching the harness at the shoulders should not be possible. There should be no twists in the harness.
• The chest clip should be placed at the level of the armpits..
• Car seats are not designed to accommodate bulky items of clothing, such as winter coats or snowsuits. They have the potential to obstruct the appropriate installation and tightening of the harness.

How do I use a booster seat?

• The strong bones of the hips and pelvis, not the abdomen, are protected from harm when your child rides in a booster seat.
• The lap belt should be snug and low across your child’s hips, not up on their tummy, while they are seated in the booster seat.
• The shoulder straps of your child’s seat belt should be placed over his or her chest and collarbone, not touching his or her neck.
• To properly install the seat belt, go to the booster seat’s instructions to see where it should go under the armrests or through the belt guides.

Is my car seat or booster seat safe to use?

• Your seat must be approved for usage in Canada before you may use it. Car seats and booster seats should bear the National Safety Mark.
• Make sure your child is within the seat’s age, weight, and height restrictions by checking the labeling and instructions.
• If your car seat has been in any kind of collision, it’s likely time to upgrade. The best way to find out is to call the manufacturer.
• Seats may no longer be safe to use if the owner does not know the seat’s history. Include the instruction manual as well as any other items that may be needed.
• All automobile seats wear out. Parts made of plastic and metal degrade with time. If you don’t know when your seat’s warranty expires, contact the manufacturer.
• Find out if your car seat has been recalled by visiting Transport Canada’s website.
• Contact the manufacturer to have your child’s car seat registered. If there’s a recall, they’ll let you know about it.

How do you use the Britax Marathon?

This car seat has a machine-washable cover, making it ideal for road trips. Your child’s head and neck are supported throughout the night by the full-body support. Side-impact crashes are further protected by an energy-absorbing foam lining.

While the Britax Marathon is primarily designed to keep children secure, parents will appreciate its straightforward installation procedures and simple harness system.

Due to its lightweight design (just 26 pounds), this model is convenient for moving around the house or even between vehicles.

The designated adjustment levers on either side of the base pan area make it easy to remember where you left off while installing this car seat.

Designed for toddlers weighing between 20 and 65 pounds and who are at least 29 inches tall, the Britax Marathon is an excellent choice. Rear-facing toddlers weighing up to 40 pounds can utilize this seat, as can forward-facing toddlers weighing up to 65 pounds.

Keep your child’s car seat in the backseat until they are 13! The high harness slots on this convertible type allow it to be quickly and simply converted into a belt-positioning booster with just a single click.

You’ll also like how simple it is to remove the harness straps after entering the car by pressing down on two buttons near each shoulder area. This eliminates the need to remove any struggling children.

How do you put a Britax allegiance back on?

To remove your car’s seat, follow these simple steps. Pull down on the handle of the backrest to release any recline positions that are locked.

Next, lift the booster’s headrest slightly while pressing both of the buttons on either side of it. Dislodge the hook-and-loop fasteners keeping the belt path cover in place at the waist level by pulling it backward (depending upon model).

Quick click connector must be fully released while removing the buckle tongues from the upper harness. Replace front flap over lower anchor connectors and disengage chest clip if utilized before transferring carrier assembly into designated storage space within vehicle cabin for later usage after installation is complete.

How to Buckle Your Child in a Forward-Facing Car Seat

Types of Car Seats

It’s also possible to convert a car seat into a booster seat by using the vehicle seat belt as a child’s restraint. This sort of seat is known as a harness-to-booster seat.

Booster seats that can be used as car seats, booster seats, and high-back boosters are also available. Depending on the age of the child, several rear-facing seats can be converted to backless boosters.

Convertible, harness-to-booster, or any other form of car seat does not matter as long as you are utilizing it as a forward-facing car seat with a five-point harness for your child at this time.

Each car seat will have a different set of characteristics. Before putting your child’s car seat to use, make sure you’ve read the owner’s manual to learn everything there is to know about it.

When to Use Forward-Facing Car Seats

Premature forward-facing of most children is a common occurrence. 2 Check to discover if your child can still ride safely in a rear-facing car seat before you put them in a forward-facing one.

For as long as possible, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that youngsters ride rear-facing (until they reach the rear-facing height or weight limit for their convertible seat). Between the ages of 3 and 5, most children will experience this.

It’s not uncommon for parents to force children out of their forward-facing car seats and into booster seats, where they are restrained by the vehicle’s seat belt.

When your child meets all three of the following criteria, it’s time to upgrade from a car seat to a booster seat.

• It must be at least 5-years-old
• Is old enough to sit in a booster seat without slouching, leaning over, or tampering with the vehicle seat belt.
• Doesn’t go under the weight of 40 pounds.

Make Sure the Car Seat Fits Your Child

Assuming that any car seat with a harness will work for your child is a common misconception. However, not every child’s harnessed car seat will be a great fit. The essential labels on the product’s side will provide the information you need to know about the seat’s maximum height and weight restrictions.

Make sure your child fits the weight, height, and age requirements of the car seat you’ve chosen before switching to forward-facing mode.

Some forward-facing car seats need a youngster to be at least 25 pounds before they may be used. A youngster must be two years old before they may use a forward-facing car seat. You may find additional instructions and labels from the manufacturer in the instructions or on the side of the device.

Most states now mandate that children ride in a rear-facing seat until they are at least two years old. 3

When used forward-facing, the five-point harness has maximum height and weight restrictions. Depending on the car seat model and manufacturer, these can vary greatly. Children frequently outgrow their forward-facing car seats by height before they outgrow them by weight, according to research.

In that forward-facing car seat, if the child’s shoulders are at the strap slot, the child is too tall for the five-point harness to fit..

Your child’s safety depends on whether or not the car seat meets the manufacturer’s recommended weight and height limits.

Adjust the Height of the Shoulder Straps

In forward-facing car seats, the harness can be adjusted in more than one place. Shoulder straps should be at or slightly above your child’s shoulders. (not coming up and over the shoulders like a backpack, which is the rule for rear-facing kids).

Harnesses can be divided into two categories based on how the shoulder straps are adjusted: those that require rethreading and those that utilize a device (often a headrest) to move the straps. Your car seat most likely has a no-rethread harness if there appears to be only one place for the shoulder straps.

Rethread Harnesses

A metal splitter plate connects the shoulder straps to the tail of the strap used to tighten the kid in car seats with a rethread harness. Avoid introducing a twist when rethreading the straps.

One approach to ensure that the straps are re-threaded correctly is to photograph the car seat from both the front and back before dismantling it.

If you’re unsure of how it should look after adjusting, you can always look at the photos. Instead of removing the entire harness, you might simply take one strap at a time from the plate. You can then undo the second strap and re-route it once the first one has been restored correctly.

No-Rethread Harnesses

You can raise or lower the headrest in a no-rethread harness car seat by pressing a lever or button, which will raise or lower the shoulder straps with it as well. To make sure the straps fit properly, refer to your owner’s manual.

Position the Crotch Buckle

One closer to the child’s body and one further away are common crotch buckle positions in most car seats. There may be some crotch buckle positions on seats that can also be used rear-facing that are only permitted for forward-facing use.

To find out if the crotch buckle on your child’s car seat is adjustable and how to adjust it, read the instruction booklet.

The crotch buckle on the majority of forward-facing car seats must be placed in front of the child’s body (the child should not be sitting on any part of the strap that the buckle is attached to).

Parents often make the mistake of adjusting the crotch buckle forward in the fabric cover, but failing to move it forward in the plastic shell underneath.

The child’s crotch buckle becomes even shorter and tighter as a result of this miscalculation. If your youngster complains that the crotch buckle is too low or tight, make sure you’ve set it correctly.

Loosen the Harness Straps

Loosening the harness straps is the first step in putting your child in a child safety seat. The straps on a brand-new car seat are almost certainly too tight to begin with. Each time you place your child in the car seat, relax both straps so that the harness fits around your child without causing them to bend their arms in unusual angles.

Find the tail that you pull to tighten the straps and loosen it there. To ensure that your child doesn’t loosen their own straps while you’re driving, you’ll find a tab or button just above the tail.

The mechanism for releasing the safety harness is seen here. To remove the shoulder straps from the car seat, either lift or push this device up or down, depending on your seat.

Consult the directions for your child’s car seat if you are unsure of how to loosen its harness.

Sit Your Child in the Car Seat

The harness straps should be moved to the side so that you don’t have to search for them afterwards. To keep the harness straps out of the way as you put your child in their seat, many cars offer harness buckle pockets, Velcro spots, plastic tabs, or magnets.

Before placing your child in the car seat, make sure to move the belt buckle forward. It’s not uncommon for even a small child to feel hefty when they’re strapped into a buckle.

Check to see if the car seat shell’s back is touching your child’s back. If they slouch or scoot forward at all, they’re not sitting properly.

To avoid injuries in a car crash, you don’t want any additional space between your child and the car seat, which can make it difficult to correctly tighten the harness.

Buckle Up

Pull the harness straps across your child’s shoulders as if you were putting on a vest, and secure them in place with a buckle. Armed with the straps that go around their waist and around their shoulders, they’re ready to go.

Make sure the webbing of the harness is flat and free of twists. Every time your child gets in the car, be sure to smooth out the straps because twisted rope-like straps are less effective at protecting them in the event of a collision.

Buckle tongues are the metal components that fit inside the buckle. Put those in the buckle and push them in until they click into place. Car seats with puzzle buckles require the buckle tongues to be aligned in a specific way before they can be snapped into place.

The instruction manual is always the best location to go for information on the specifics of your child’s car seat buckle. ”

Pull the Harness Snug

If you’re in a collision, simply fastening the child’s safety belt isn’t going to cut it. It must also be comfortable in order to work well. In most car seat harnesses, a webbing tail is used to tighten the seatbelt.

To get it to fit snugly, you’ll need to tug on it repeatedly. Webbing tails are the most popular device for fastening vehicle seats. Make sure you understand the procedure for tightening.

Pull the chest straps upwards while keeping the chest clip in place around the belly. Observe the tightening of the straps around the child’s legs, as well as the accumulation of slack at the shoulders, whether the procedure is done correctly. Take your hands off of the chest straps and yank firmly on the webbing tail.

Next, slide the chest clip down, draw the chest straps up, and pull the tail of the webbing. Pull up on the shoulder straps until there is no more slack and you can no longer pinch any of the webbing at the collarbone.

At the collarbone, there should be no room for more than two fingers to protrude from the torso.

The chest clip is the final step in securing the child’s harness. As soon as the straps are snug, raise the chest clip to the top of the armpits.

Adjust the Chest Clip

To hold the shoulder straps in place, the chest clip (also known as a harness retainer clip) is used (not falling off to the sides of the arms). Slide the harness retention clip all the way down to your child’s belly button once you’ve fastened it. Slide it up after securing the harness.

Every time you put your child in or out of the car seat, make sure to adjust the child’s harness and chest clip. Your youngster will protest if you attempt to secure them with straps that are too loose.

Loose straps are significantly more comfortable for both you and your child to be fastened into (and then tightened after buckling). When exiting the vehicle, relax the seatbelts to make it easier to remove the arms from the seat.

Once your youngster is safely buckled into his or her car seat, you’re ready to go. Winter coats and car seats might be dangerous if you don’t know how to properly secure them.

Tips for installation and use

It’s critical to get the installation of a child safety seat just right the first time.

• Always check to see whether your car seat has been recalled or expired before installing it.
• Secure the vehicle seat using an appropriate method. Only the LATCH (lower anchors and tethers for children) system or the seatbelt option should be used to fasten the car seat. Avoid using both at the same time unless your individual car seat permits it.
• When securing a forward-facing car seat using the LATCH system or the seatbelt option, always install the top tether. When used with a forward-facing car seat, this provides a significant amount of support and stability.
• Ensure that the seatbelt is properly locked when utilizing the seatbelt option to ensure a snug fit. To accomplish this in a newer vehicle, simply extend the seat belt all the way and allow it to retract.
• If you’re going to use a booster, make sure you’re wearing both a lap and shoulder belt.
• Keep the seat at the correct angle regardless of how you secure the seat! (Many car seats come with markers to assist you determine this.)
• Take a CPST (certified child passenger safety technician) seat check or at the very least view an instructional video to double-check your work.
• Sign up for recall and safety alerts for your car seat by registering it online.
• Make sure the harness on your child’s car seat is secure each time you drive with him or her in it. Putting a big winter coat on your child in their car seat can leave too much room between the harness and their body for it to work properly. Once your child is secured in and the car is cold, you might want to consider hanging the coat over their shoulders.
• It’s important to keep in mind that the angles at which car seats should be employed are specified in the specifications. They are not designed to be used as a place to sleep outside of the vehicle. In order to ensure the safety of your child, always put them to sleep on their backs on a flat surface.

FAQs

Do you have to anchor a forward facing car seat?

Rear facing tethers aren’t needed in the United States, and some car seats contain an anti-rebound bar as an alternative to a tether in the event of an accident.

Where do car seat straps go when forward facing?

Rear-facing car seats should have shoulder straps that fit over or just below your child’s shoulders when it is installed in the back of the vehicle. Shoulder straps on forward-facing chairs should be at or slightly ABOVE the shoulders to ensure a comfortable ride.

How much should a baby weigh before forward-facing?

Convertible. When a child weighs between 40 and 50 pounds, the majority of convertible car seats can be used rear-facing only until the weight restriction is reached. It can be used as a forward-facing car seat at this point.

Can you install car seat without anchors?

The Graco Extend2Fit allows this 4-year-old to safely rear-face in a vehicle without tether anchors. Installing forward-facing car seats in older vehicles may be a challenge for some families. Older vehicles get increasingly difficult to fasten the top tether as time goes on.

Can a 2 year old sit forward facing?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now recommends that children remain rear-facing until they are at least two years old. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) now says that children should ride in a rear-facing car seat until they reach the maximum height or weight allowed by their car seat’s manufacturer.

Takeaway

Since long before your child was born, you’ve probably been thinking about getting a car seat for them. Check the weight and height limits on the infant car seat you’ve spent so much time researching before you get rid of it.

In most cases, it’s a good idea to keep your youngster facing the back of the car even if they’re older than 2. Make sure that the forward-facing car seat is properly placed and that it fits your vehicle before using it for the first time.