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Type of Car Seat

Infants must use a rear-facing car seat until they are at least 1 year old and weigh at least 10 kg, as this protects their neck, head, and spine during a crash or abrupt stop. Rear-facing seats are the safest bet for your child until they are 3 or 4 years old, as long as they meet the height and weight limits set by the manufacturer. If your child is at least 10 kg and older than 1 year of age, you can switch to a forward-facing seat. Convertible car seats make this easy as they go from rear-facing to forward-facing as needed.

Upon reaching at least 18 kg and 4 years of age, your child will be ready to move up to a booster seat.

Installing the Car Seat

Place your new car seat in the back seat of your vehicle and secure it using the Universal Anchorage System (UAS) or the vehicle’s seat belt. Your car seat will come with instructions showing the path of the belt. The seat must be secured tightly so that it cannot move more than 2.5 cm in any direction.

If the seat is rear facing, check the instructions for the angle at which it should be set. If it has a handle, the instructions will also indicate its proper placement.

Securing a 5-Point Harness

The placement of the straps varies depending on whether the seat is being used in forward-facing or rear-facing mode. When facing the rear, they should be in the slot that is level with or just below your child’s shoulders. When facing forward, choose the slot that is level with or just above the shoulders.

Ensure that the harness has no twists and is tight enough that it cannot be pinched at the shoulders. Adjust the clip so that it sits at armpit level.

Avoid bulky clothing and snowsuits in the car seat as they can interfere with the proper tightening and placement of the harness.

Other Tips

Check online for video tutorials; many seat manufacturers have them. You may also check for local car seat clinics that teach proper installation. You may still be able to find a fire department or police station that will teach you, but this is much less common than it used to be.

Avoid add-on accessories that are not manufacturer approved.

Most of all, never leave your child unattended in the vehicle.

About Active Baby

Active Baby has a variety of baby items in the baby store online Canada! Brands and baby products include: When it comes to babies, you will quickly learn that babies need a lot of gear to keep them safe and comfortable. View the variety of baby gear below like car seats, convertible car seats, cloth diapers, bouncers, or go directly to Uppababy strollers, Uppababy vista, Uppababy accessories, and Uppababy car seats, a large variety of Uppababy vista stroller options, compact strollers like yoyo strollers, Clek car seats, Clek Foonf car seats, Bugaboo Cameleon, Diono car seat, Bugaboo accessories, Uppababy accessories, Thule Accessories, the Diono RXT strollers, Britax car seats, Stokke high chairs, Thule strollers like Thule spring stroller.

Baby Brands and essentials like: Bugaboo Bee Plus, Bugaboo strollers and Bugaboo accessories, Muddy Buddy, Sleeping sacs, co sleeping cribs, travel cribs, pack and play crib, Stokke chairs, Diono Radian RXT, as so much more baby gear from Canada’s Favourite Canadian baby stores!

Convenient shopping at our 3 locations and visit us at our new Vancouver baby store or for added convenience on the online baby store.