CAR SEATS: ADJUST FOR SIZE AND SAFETY
Did you know that child car seats adjust in size? Many parents do not, and others may be unsure of when it is the right time to make adjustments.
While working with both parents and car seats daily, this is a question that arises more than anything else. Car seat adjustment is often covered in the car seat manual, which is specific to the car seat you have. We would like to cover some of the broader aspects of when it’s time to make adjustments, as well as some things to look out for.
CAR SEAT ADJUSTMENT FOR GROWING CHILDREN
Car seats are designed to keep your child safe in a crash. Different types of seats accommodate your child at their different developmental stages as they grow. An infant seat is effective in cradling the softer spine, skull, and pelvis of a baby. A toddler seat is better at protecting a bigger child who can sit up and move around.
We often encounter parents who wish to move their children to the next stage of their car seat far too soon. This is often due to misunderstanding or misinformation regarding the function of a car seat. The time to move your child to the next car seat is represented as a range depending on their weight and age. However, many parents view the lowest point of the range as the time to transition.
Car seats are also less safe as they go up in the car seat group. Your child’s strengthening body counteracts this if transitioned at the appropriate time. The safest car seat group is the infant seat, as its purpose is to protect your child when their body is the most fragile.
We always recommend keeping your child in their current as long as possible – until they truly outgrow it. This would allow their car seat to protect them as long as possible for their current developmental stage.
Knowing how car seats adjust in size to accommodate your child’s growth would facilitate this, without feeling that they have prematurely outgrown their seat. We never want to move a child to the next stage of car seat if it is not appropriate to the developmental needs of their body, or if their current seat is still the safer option.
It is also worth noting that a child’s leg length is not a reliable measure for when they have outgrown their car seat. Often, we meet parents who want to move their infant to a toddler seat once their legs are past the edge of their seat. The safest way to determine if they have outgrown a seat is either if they have surpassed the maximum weight for the car seat or if their head height exceeds the height of the car seat shell.
WHEN TO ADJUST YOUR CAR SEAT
Before adjusting your car seat, it is imperative to read the manual first. Not all car seats are the same, and your manual will provide instructions specific to your car seat.
There are two main types of adjustments for a car seat. Rethreading the harness straps or adjusting the height of the car seat headrest.
A re-thread-adjusted car seat will have several harness strap slots. You would make adjustments by moving the harness straps from one set of slots up to the next to cater to your child’s growing height.
A no-rethread car seat will only have one set of harness strap slots. The height of the straps is adjusted by raising the headrest.
The best indicator of when you should adjust your car seat is the angle of the harness straps in relation to your child’s shoulder height. For forward-facing car seats, the harness strap should sit at or just above shoulder level. For rear-facing car seats, the harness must be at shoulder level or just below.
THINGS TO CHECK WHEN ADJUSTING YOUR CAR SEAT
If you have removed your car seat from your vehicle to readjust the straps, ensure that once reinstalled, the seat is secure and anchored into place.
Your child must not be wearing anything bulky when adjusting the harness, as the straps should be tight. Bulky clothing, such as a coat, will give a false sense of how tight the harness is. A loose harness is less effective in keeping your child safe in the event of a collision. This is the most common mistake when it comes to using a car seat.
Make sure that your harness straps are tight enough, and perform the pinch test. Try to pinch the strap webbing between two fingers. If your fingers slip and you cannot pinch the webbing, the harness is tight enough. If you can pinch the webbing, the strap is too loose and must be tightened. Make sure it’s not too tight by testing whether you can fit two fingers between the harness and your child’s body.
Check to see that none of the straps of the harness or seat belt are twisted.
Rear- and Forward-Facing Seats:
- After readjusting your car seat, check to make sure that the straps are at the correct height. The upper straps should lie across the shoulders. The lower straps should lie across the hips.
- When adjusting or measuring the height of the harness straps, your car seat must be in the “Recline” position.
Booster Seats:
- The seat belt guide must be 2cm above the shoulder.
- The shoulder belt must sit midway between the shoulder and neck. It should never be close to the neck, as this can be incredibly dangerous in a crash.
- The lap belt should cross the hips and not the stomach.
Multi-Stage Car Seats:
- Multi-stage car seats are great as they “grow with your child”. But they are also the car seats that parents struggle with the most when it comes to adjusting.
- Many multi-stage car seats will have indicators when it is time to adjust them. It is also vital to consult the manual to understand when and how the seat should be adjusted.
- If you are unsure of how to adjust your multi-stage car seat, give us a call, and we will help you do it correctly and safely.
Knowing when and how to adjust your child’s car seat allows them to keep using their seat for longer, which is far safer than transitioning them to the next seat too early. As with all aspects of using a car seat, in order for a car seat to provide the maximum amount of safety to your child, the correct adjustment of the car seat is so important. If done incorrectly, it can often be more harmful to your child in a collision. Follow your car seat manual’s guidelines carefully; however, should you find yourself unsure, please get in contact with us. We will be more than happy to assist either in-person, over the phone or via video call.