See What Car Seats By Age Tricks The Celebs Are Using

Car Seats by Age

Each car seat is designed for a specific age group. It is recommended that children sit in their seat until they've reached the manufacturer's weight or height limits, and then use a booster seat until their vehicle belts fit properly, typically when they attain 4 feet 9 inches in height or age 10 to 12.

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Rear-facing

Rear-facing car seats cradle infants and toddlers, securing their spines and necks from injuries in a crash. They're also safer because they spread the force of impact across an area larger than the surface, which limits spinal cord injuries.

Parents are often enticed to change their children to forward-facing car seats before they're ready, but the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that they remain rear-facing for as long as possible. This means they should be moved to a forward-facing seat only after they've reached the height or weight limit of their current seat as specified by the manufacturer.

Heads of children are large in relation to their bodies and still growing, which makes them particularly vulnerable in a crash. In reality, a child's head can exert up to 25 times the force of their weight in the event of a collision. This is enough to cause a fatal injury. This is why children who ride in a car seat with their backs towards the front are at the highest chance of suffering fatal head injuries.

Many parents believe that their children have bigger necks than their older children, meaning they can handle the transition to a forward-facing car seat sooner. However, it's important to keep in mind that a baby car seat who is 95th percentile isn't any more powerful than the 5th percentile child, and no amount of teen push-ups can alter this. In the event of a crash, a larger child's head is likely to be hit with greater force. This can result in injuries to the spinal cord and brain.

If your child is no longer in their infant car seat, you can convert them into a convertible car seat that lets them remain rear-facing until they reach the maximum weight or height limit. Children typically reach their maximum height first. Therefore, it is crucial to follow the directions of the manufacturer of the car seat on when you can switch them to forward-facing mode.

When your child reaches the weight or height limit of their convertible car seat, it's time to put them in a booster seat. Most booster seats have an integrated angle indicator that tells you when the seat is properly installed and ready to flip to face forward. It is best to use a booster seat in the back seat of your vehicle and always with a lap belt (never a shoulder belt) to ensure the most secure protection for your child in the event of a crash.

Forward-facing

Parents are often tempted to turn their child's car seat around as they get older, because it is more practical. However, they should remember that rear-facing is safer for children.

The fact that a child is facing forward in a car seat puts their necks in danger in a crash, because the head could be thrown back by force against the seat's front and cause permanent injury to the spine. Even if a child's neck muscles are strong enough, it is still possible to experience whiplash. This is particularly the case for children with smaller necks such as infants who are less than one year old.

A child who is facing forward is more likely to land their head against the dashboard or window during an accident. Depending on the nature of the crash and speed at which the car is traveling, the head can be pushed back against the seat and may break the skull or spinal cord.

The current safety standards require that children remain rear-facing until they attain 20 pounds and one year of age. This is because younger kids do not have the neck strength to withstand the forces in a head-on collision, which tends to be the most serious kind of accident where cars are involved.

The use of a harness or tether while rear facing infant car seat-facing helps to keep the kid's head stable and reduces the strain on their necks. In addition that a child who is rear-facing is less prone to head injuries due to the fact that the impact is cushioned with the body of the seat.

If you have a baby under a year in a convertible car seat or an all-in-one seat that can switch from rear to forward-facing be sure to follow the manufacturer's guidelines about when it is safe for your child to face the front. The manufacturer's guidelines will tell whether or the need for a tether exists and what the maximum weight and height is for the particular seat.

Once your child has reached the maximum height or weight permitted by the car seat manufacturer, they are able to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a tether. When they've outgrown this, it is time to get the booster seat.

Seat booster

There is no age or height limit that children are able to safely stop using booster seats. Kids should use one until their vehicle belt fits them properly and that could take anywhere from age 8 to 13.

A booster can increase the height of a child, so that they are able to sit upright in a car. It also aligns the shoulder portion of the belt in a way that it lies close to but not directly over the chest. The lap part of the belt should rest across the thighs, not the stomach. Booster seats have a belt guide to ensure the belt is placed correctly.

Booster seats can be purchased with or without a rearrest. The most commonly used booster seat is the high-back type that provides neck and head support for children. It is a great option for vehicles with low seat backs and no head rests. Backless boosters are cheaper but they don't offer neck or head support. Some all-in-one boosters permit users to switch between harness and booster modes, making them suitable for kids in harness mode until about 65 pounds, and later as a booster seat for about 100 pounds.

Some boosters are equipped with a lower anchors (LATCH) system that connects onto the vehicle's lower anchors and a tether, if one is available. Certain boosters require a seat belt to keep them in place. Go through the manual of your car to determine if you are able to use the lower anchors in your car, and also read the booster seat instructions to learn how to utilize them.

Some parents may be enticed to transfer their 30-pound 3-year-old child to an adult car seats newborn seat since the child is getting too tall for a harness seat. It's risky to "graduate" the child from the harness. If the belt is too loose children could be severely injured or even killed in a collision.

Back seat

All children should use the child safety seat or booster seat correctly installed for as long as they're able. Children who are too tall for a rear-facing car seat, or have exceeded the weight and height limits should move to a forward-facing child safety seat with a harness until they're too tall for this type of seat.

After your baby car seat has outgrown the infant car seat, you can transfer them to convertible car seats or an all-in-one car seats with a rear facing infant car seat-facing option. These seats are generally good for two years or until the child reaches the maximum weight and height of the seat. Install the car safety seat on the middle seat of your vehicle. It can be secured with the lower anchor system and seat belt.

If your child has outgrown their rear-facing car seat, they can be placed in a front-facing child restraint equipped with a harness and tether. These seats are generally used until the child reaches 57 inches in height or attains the maximum weight and height requirements for the seat. You can find out the height and weight of the car seat is by studying the instructions of the manufacturer, or by looking at the tag on it.

If possible the older children should sit in a booster or lap belt. If they aren't able to utilize the middle back seat restraint. Additionally, they should not sit in the front seat if there's an air bag that is in use. Sitting children in the front seat can increase the risk of being injured during a crash, because the impact forces are stronger on their smaller bodies.

You can bring your child to an inspection station or car seat clinic to get help selecting and installing the correct child safety seat. You can also determine if your car seat has been recalled for defects or safety issues. You can then purchase one that fits both your vehicle and the child's height. If you're unable to try the seat, whether it has a policy for refunds.