This is a sponsored post thanks to Chicco for National Baby Car Seat Safety Week.
Over the years so much has changed in regards to safety in vehicles. One thing that is constantly changing is car seat safety for children. There are now many laws and recommendations on how to keep your child safe while traveling in the car.
The new American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendation for keeping children rear facing until they max out on height and weight for their current car seat. I do believe in this philosophy and made sure that my son was rear facing past two years old (while it wasn’t as long as I really wanted I was pleased to have him rear facing until 2.5 years old). No matter what car seat or booster your child is in it is important to make sure that the car seat is installed properly and that your child is buckled in properly as well.
Secure Car Seat Installation
Using LATCH vs Seat Belt
When you installing a car seat in your car you have to choose between two options for the installation; you can use LATCH (LATCH stands for “lower anchors and tethers for children.”) or the seat belt for the installation. Both are great options, but there are a couple things to note. Most car seats only allow LATCH installation for children 40lbs or less which means that you must use the seat belt installation if you child exceeds this limit. Another thing to note is that it is not safe to install the car seat using both the LATCH and seat belts at the same time.
Both of these options are equally safe, but you will want to choose whichever option works the best for your vehicle. This means that you should have a tight install and your seat should be level. If your seat is forward facing you will also need to secure the top tether which means placing it in a seat that has a top tether anchor available. (This is not something that is always set up for every seat in your vehicle. You will want to check your car manual to see where your available top tethers are located.)
The Inch Test
You may have heard people reference the inch test. This test is very important in making sure that your car seat install is done properly. In order to perform the test you will need to install the seat and with your non-dominant hand you will grab the belt path on the seat. You will then give the seat a gentle tug (like that of a firm handshake) and if the seat moves less than an inch then you have a good install. If the seat moves an inch or more then you will want to continue to tighten the seat into place.
Having a seat installed tight enough is very important if you were to get into an accident. This will ensure that your child is the safest and will help to reduce the motion of the seat during an accident.
Getting Help
If you have questions or want hands-on assistance, SafeKids.org can help you find a car seat checkup event in your area or contact a local child passenger safety technician (CPST). You can also get in touch with a nearby CPST via www.nhtsa.gov.
Car Seat Expiration
Car seats often have their expiration dates in similar locations on the seats. I have snapped pictures of the expiration dates on a variety of car seats that we own to show you just where the expiration date is located so that it may make it a bit easier for you to find on your car seat.
If you are still struggling to find the expiration date on your seat you should check your car seat manual because they will show you where the date is on your seat.
The Chicco MyFit Harness + Booster Car Seat
We have used a variety of different car seats and car seat brands with our son over the years and Chicco is included in that bunch of car seats. My sons newest seat is the Chicco MyFit Harness + Booster Car Seat. This was an upgrade from an old seat that got damaged during our move a couple months ago.
I was unsure about switching to a Harnessed Booster, but he was just turned forward-facing and exceeded the minimum requirements for this seat. I love that this seat is an easy install in my 2016 Ford Escape so that if it needs to be loved it can be without much difficulty. My son also loves the attached cup holders and the arm rests.
Previously in my car we had a Diono Radian with one hanging cup holder that always got detached by my lovely son. It also had no side which was nice for me, but he disliked that he had no arm rest to use. He now has arm rests and two cup holders.
One thing that many people like about the Diono is the fact that without the cup holders the car seat is slimmer than others and can fit 3 in a row much easier. This Chicco Seat has cup holders that fold in so that you can save space and fit more seats in one row than you can with other seats. This definitely is a perk for large families. The fact that this seat is also lighter than some seats like the Diono is a huge perk to me because I could barely lift the Diono seat to love it if needed.
Overall I would say that this seat really makes me feel like my son is safe and is accessible for him as well as for me! A huge perk for someone who struggles with car seats on a regular basis.