Why You Should Consider a Forward Facing Infant Car Seat

Children younger than one year old are not allowed to ride forward-facing. In the event of a crash, their neck muscles may be stretched and cause serious injury.

Switch to FF instead when your child reaches the weight limit of their current car seat or height (or the minimum requirement for the new car seat). Follow the directions for your car seat carefully.

Safety

In the event of a crash, infant car seat best car seats are designed to protect your child's head and neck. The forward facing position can also help prevent your baby from crashing their head against the back of the car seat which could cause serious injuries.

All infant car seats that face forward have five point harnesses that ensure the child's safety with just one pull tightening, and the shell of the car seat is lined with EPS energy-absorbing foam for enhanced protection from impact. Some have a canopy that provides shade from the sun.

The best infant car seats will come with an adjustable angle adjustment and an angle indicator. This allows you to determine the right angle for your child's neck in order to avoid it falling over in collisions. The seat also comes with a top tether strap that is attached to the top of the car seat and hooks to the tether anchor within your vehicle. It is important to remember that you may not need to move your child from a forward facing car seat until is at the maximum weight and height listed in the instruction manual for the seat.

It's time to change when your child is 20 pounds and one year old. Infants and toddlers younger than one year old have loose, soft muscles in their necks that can cause whiplash if involved in an accident. They are more likely to sustain serious neck injuries if they travel in a frontal collision (the most common and severe type). Rear-facing car seats safeguard the neck of children under one year old by cushioning their head.

If children are moving to a forward facing car seat, they still require a convertible or an all-in-one that has a large rearward weight and a height limit. The child shouldn't be moved into a booster until they reach the height and age requirements for a high-back or backless booster, which is typically between 4 and 5 years old. These crash videos will show you the differences between the carseats. But remember, the video has been slowed. A child can be injured when they move too fast.

Comfort

A forward-facing infant car seat will keep your child safe and secure during an accident. The seat features a soft headrest and a body support cushion as well as an EPS energy-absorbing shell to shield your child from the impact. The seat has a five-point safety harness that can be adjusted with only one pull, and a center-front adjuster. This will ensure your child is positioned correctly. A retractable canopy helps protect your child from direct sunlight. The seat can be secured to the belts of the vehicle for safety. It also has a clip to lock the buckle secure even when the seat isn't being used.

If your infant complains of discomfort during a trip or seems to slump forward when they sleep or sleeping, the angle of the seat might be too low for the child. You can fix this by placing tightly rolled towels under the front of the car seat to raise it up more. If this doesn't help then you can bring your baby to Rockridge Kids to have us examine the angle of their car seat.

It is important to remember that children aren't yet ready to take on the world until they weigh at least 20 pounds AND one year old (their necks aren't strong enough to withstand the force that is applied to them in a crash in the event of falling forward on their own). Some experts suggest staying a bit longer, since the muscles and bones of children are more flexible.

Many parents decide to buy a convertible car seat that allows their children to travel in a rear-facing position until they reach the maximum height or weight limit of the seat. This lets parents benefit from the advantages of a rear-facing seat for a longer period of time. It is also easier for them as they can easily switch their child's position from forward-facing to rear-facing as the child grows out of it.

The 4Ever Convertible Car Seat from Graco is a convertible 4-in-1 car seat that allows your child to use the seat for 10 years. It converts from rear-facing infant car seat travel (up to 40lbs) to forward-facing harness and high-back seats (30-100 lb) and then to a backless belt-positioning seat (40-120 lb). The Smart Fit system makes it easy to install. You can move the harness and headrest together without having to re-thread.

Convenience

When traveling with a young baby, a forward-facing infant car seat is the best infant carrier car seat option. It allows you to see your child while driving and allows all of your family members to get into the vehicle without disturbing your baby or toddler. The car seat can be used in conjunction with strollers which makes it much easier to get your child in and out of the car when going to the store or running other chores.

But, even when your child is old enough to switch to a forward-facing car seat it's better to keep them rear-facing for the longest time possible. If you view it from the standpoint of crash tests, children's head is safer in a frontal crash if they are facing backwards. This is because when they are facing backwards, the entire body, including the neck, head and torso, is cradled in the car seat's rear.

It is important to read the manufacturer's instructions for how to change your child's car seat around. You'll find that they have the maximum height and weight limit, and also specific rules about things like the crotch strap's position. These limits are intended to ensure your child's safety as they grow.

You should also consider whether your vehicle is equipped with Tether anchors. If you do, ensure that the strap is properly fitted and tied to the anchor points of your vehicle as per the instructions in the seat's manual. Also, you should ensure that the shoulder straps of your harness are at or just above the shoulders of your child and not too high or low, as this will impact how well they're restrained in a crash.

A good choice for parents who have multiple children or are planning to have more is a convertible car seat. This is an all-in-one car seat that can start with an infant car seat that faces rearwards before moving your child to a forward-facing seat when they are old enough and have reached the weight or height limit for the rear-facing car seat.

Style

You've spent a lot of time and effort in choosing the right car seat for your child. However, as they age and begin to outgrow their car seat for infants, you might be wondering if it's time to switch them around.

While the idea of having your child face forward can be exciting, there are some important safety considerations you should keep in mind. Kids should remain rear facing until they reach the maximum height and weight limits for their particular car seat.

Remember that children vary in both size and age. You shouldn't base your decision solely on a particular date on the calendar, or if you think that they have reached their maximum amount of legroom. A child might appear larger in a rear-facing car seat, however, that doesn't mean that it's safe for turning them around, as their bones and spine haven't fully developed.

It's recommended that you keep your child rear facing until they reach one year old, and certain infant car seats come with an inbuilt reminder to keep them there. This is because children younger than one do not have strong enough neck muscles that can withstand a frontal impact that could cause serious spinal injuries.

Many infant car seats aren't just safe, but also easy to use. Some of them have bases that snap in and out of the car which allows you to take your baby from the car to a stroller, and back. They are typically part of a travel system.

If you're about to transition your baby to a forward-facing convertible car seat make sure you do so correctly by following the manufacturer's guidelines and then examining the car seat for tightness. When properly installed the car seat should not move more than one inch side to side or front to back, and the harness straps should be at or above the shoulders of your child. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the installation of your car seat, you can contact an accredited safety technician in your community or the manufacturer of the car seat.