how install convertible car seat rear-facing easily, it’s important for baby safety
Hi, we already know how to install rear-facing only car seats. Now we will learn how to install a convertible car seat in rear-facing mode. A convertible car seat means you convert in 2 moods as rear-facing and front-facing. It is suitable for back-facing mood for babies aged 6 months to 4 years old is very important. But when they cross their height and weight limit (40 to 50 lbs.) you can convert it to a front-facing mood.
How to install convertible or 3-in-1 car seat rear-facing easily
An all-in-one car seat is called the safety first grow and go. Basically, it is a 3-in-1 or you can also say an all-in-one car seat. Because it can go rear-facing for infants and toddlers as well as forward-facing, the child can use it as a booster seat. It can really last a long time and serves many purposes. But today we discuss only how to install convertible car seat rear facing easily by a seat belt for your baby’s safety.
First Step: How to Recline the seat?
All right, now this car seat is going to be rear facing so we need to recline it. Right now, we’re going to recline it. To do this most car seats have an indicator or marker which should be parallel to the ground. Some car seats have a position adjuster system to find a perfect seat level for your toddler. If it’s not enough or your car seat doesn’t have this pointer then you should use a rolled towel or pool noodle to set it in your vehicle. You must actually put it under your portable car seat. That’s on the bitten part of the seat, where the horizontal part meets the vertical part.
Second Step: Attach the seat with the seat belt
Now, we are ready to use the seat belt. Most all-in-one car seat has two belt pathways in the car seat. One hole is in the hip position, which is known as forward facing belt path. We omit it now. And another hole is in near the leg sitting position. This is called the rear-facing belt path. So, now we carefully thread the seat belt through the back-facing belt path. We must always make sure that the seat belts are not twisted as it goes through holes. Sometimes this is hard to do because the hole is not very wide to put your hands through. Then we will buckle it by the seat belt locked in and make sure it’s not twisted.
Wow! Now we’ve got two more steps to complete this installation!
Third Step: Lock the seat belt properly
I already instructed the details of this system in the paragraph “How to keep your seatbelt locked?”
Here I am informing you in brief now.
After locking the belt if it can go in and out from the shoulder path, it’s probably not locked. So, to lock this properly, we will pull all the belts out slowly from shoulder storage. Remember, don’t yank or pull hard or pull fast, just pull it slowly all the way to the end. Then let it go back in slowly. That time you may hear a clicking sound or ratcheting sound, which means it has worked, and even if we give it just a little pull without force, it’ll be locked, that’s what we want.
Last step: Tighten the seat by the seat belt
Many people make mistakes when they test the tightness of the seat by shaking it at the head of the upper part. But that is not our belt path. Our belt path is down. And the rule is to hold both sides of the belt path and check by swiping back and forth or right and left.
Now we have to tighten it. If this rear-facing car seat can move side to side more than an inch then we still have to tighten the belt path. For this task, we will push the car seat down with one hand and pull the belt with the other hand. In this way, we will push the seat downward and pull the belt several times. Hold all that slack and send it back up into the car. Then again, we will recheck the tightness like I said, this should not move more than an inch side to side at the belt path. This way, our seat belt should be locked, which is the correct installation for rear facing.
Note: I found that the installation system of the convertible car seats and three-in-one car seats are the same. So, if you have an all-in-one car seat instead of a convertible car seat then do the setup by following the convertible car seat installation.
So, friends, especially parents of our Heaven children, as parents of a newborn babies, this article is invaluable to knowing and learning how to install only rear facing car seats. Now that we know all types of rear facing car seat installation systems.
We are only one step away from knowing the way- “how to fit a child in a car seat correctly.” So, let’s see and learn that too.
How to place your baby in the car seat Correctly?
After setting up the rear-facing car seat it is an essential thing to place your baby in it perfectly. So, while you place your baby and use the harness, please follow the system below-
- In the car seat keep your child properly so that it’s back flat in the car seat.
- There are several slots on the back of your rear facing car seat.
- When installing your rear facing choose the slot which comes below or at your child’s shoulder level.
- Then bring the harness straps over both shoulders and lock them through the slot between the baby’s two legs.
- make sure the straps are not twisted always keep them straight.
- Then adjust the chest clip at your baby’s upper medial position (armpit level).
- Buckle the strips tightly until snug enough the harness strips on the baby’s chest and shoulder properly, so that you can’t pinch the strip a little.
- As well as make sure your child’s head is less than one inch from the top of the seat.
- Also, be sure that the back of the car seat is at a thirty to forty-five-degree angle because having a correct angle is very important.
Why it is very important!?
It is very important because if the car seat is leaning too far back during a crash, too much force will be absorbed by the child’s shoulders. Again, if the seat is leaning too far forward, the baby’s head can fall forward, making it difficult for them to breathe. So, to obtain the correct angle use the adjustable foot on the detachable base.
I like to say, we don’t like to compromise our baby’s safety and snug. That’s why after placing the baby in the car fill the empty space of both shoulder sides and head with rolled towels or washcloths.
At last, after doing all those things wrap him/her by placing the blankets over the harness. and to collect a perfect car seat for your baby and your car, please visit amazon.com
Frequently Ask Questions:
What is the right position to put the seat?
First time when I bring my car seat to install in my car. This question frequently hit my mind- where should I put the seat? That’s why now I am telling you, obviously, you’re going to put it in the back, but are you going to pick the side or the center? one large study found that the center was 43% safer for kids than the side. Sometimes you might find that the center is more difficult to get a secure installation. So, if you’re having trouble getting the car seat tight in the center then try it on the side.
Do you use LATCH and a Seatbelt on rear facing car seat?
back of the top has a storage system of two top tighter. This car seat has tightened strip on the top back of it. That is also used when you are flying. So, no need to use that now. It has another tighter called lower anchors on the lower portion of the seat. It’s different from the top tighter and also helps you to set up this car seat for both ways the front-facing and the back-facing. So, you can install this car seat by using these lower anchors/latches, as well as the seat belts in the lower path of the seat. Today we are not using this anchoring system. We only install this car seat by the shoulder belt.
Finally, Now your baby is ready to enjoy the journey. Have an enjoyable and safe trip for all of you!