How Old Must a Baby Be to Go From Carrier to Car Seat
Last updated May 2020
I of the almost common questions we are receiving is: "when is the right time for my child to change to the side by side car seat?" – and this is a cracking and very important question! Different regulations focussing on weight, top and age and can arrive quite disruptive. We accept therefore nerveless an overview of when to modify car seats for your child.
At BeSafe, we categorize the different kid car seat stages in a child's life into three groups:
i) Machine seats from nascence
ii) Auto seats for toddlers
3) Car seats for older children
When choosing a seat for your newborn, there are two paths you can cull from: either to apply an infant carrier from approx. 0-i year, followed by a toddler seat until approx. four years; or to use a 2-in-i seat from 0 to approx. 4 years.
When using such a 2-in-1 seat, it is merely relevant in this commodity for you to know when to change to a seat for older children. When to remove the baby insert of your 2-in-1 seat is defined past the user manual of your seat.
Babe CARRIERS
If you choose the path of having a "classic" babe carrier for your newborn, these are typically used to approximately 12 months and characteristic a carrying handle that makes it piece of cake to bring with you outside of the automobile. Baby carriers are always installed rear facing in the car. They tin can be installed either with the vehicle belt or for some seats with an additional ISOfix base, both being equally safe when fitted correctly.
When to alter the earliest from an infant carrier to a toddler seat?
We at BeSafe recommend yous to utilise an infant carrier for as long as possible, as it gives yous as a parent flexibility and offers your baby swell side protection. Nonetheless, y'all might consider changing to a toddler automobile seat earlier. In these cases, nosotros recommend y'all to simply change to a toddler car seat when your baby can sit down by themselves, as toddler automobile seats typically are more upright and requite a fleck less stability than infant carriers.
Depending on which toddler seat you are choosing, make certain that your kid has reached the minimum requirement of that seat. Based on its regulation, this tin either be a minimum weight or a minimum height.
When to alter the latest from an infant carrier to the toddler seat?
Step 1: Check the weight/height limitation of your seat
If your babe carrier is approved to ECE R44-04, then your seat has a maximum weight based on its approval. This maximum weight must non exist exceeded. But this does non mean that you tin e'er use your infant carrier until you have reached this maximum weight, frequently babies outgrow their seat in height before they achieve the weight. For this, check step 2!
If your infant carrier is approved to UN R129, so it has a maximum tiptop given by its approving. This maximum pinnacle must not be exceeded. In most cases, the maximum height marks the end of when yous tin can utilise the seat, but in improver likewise check step 2!
Step 2: Check the shoulder belts and altitude to the top of the seat
When the uppermost bespeak of the baby's caput is approx. ii fingers abroad from the highest point of the seat beat, you should change to a toddler seat. Ideally, you should wait for toddler seats already some time earlier your baby has reached this point. This ii-finger-distance is recommended since information technology includes a "buffer" for up movement in case of an accident. Such a motility can happen if the belts are not perfectly tightened. Even though we know that parents practice their best to always tighten the belts correctly, it can happen – when in a blitz or if the babe moves a lot – that the belts are not every bit tight as they should be.
Additionally, check how the shoulder belts are sitting on your baby'due south shoulders and what your seat's user manual advises about this. Nearly manufacturers say that the shoulder belts should not come from beneath your babe'south shoulders. And then if the shoulder belts are not coming straight onto the shoulders anymore when having the headrest/belts in the highest setting, so it's time to change equally well.
TODDLER CAR SEATS
If y'all chose the "classic path" and had an infant carrier before, the toddler machine seat is the 2d machine seat for your child. It can be used from approximately 6 months of age up to approx. four years, depending on the top and weight of your child. According to the regulation UN R129 (i-Size), children must remain rear facing for at least 15 months, but we at BeSafe recommend to keep your child rear facing until at to the lowest degree 4 years of age, preferably longer. Some seats in this grouping can be used both rear or forward facing.
When to change the earliest from a toddler auto seat to a booster seat?
Nosotros at BeSafe suggest y'all to go on your child rear facing for every bit long every bit possible or at least until the historic period of four. Therefore, we recommend yous to move your child to a booster seat only when all iii of the following conditions are met:
- Your child should be at least four years old
- Your child has reached the minimum requirement of the seat (15kg when approved to ECE R44 or 100cm when approved to UN R129) – this is legally binding by the regulations
- Your kid has the mental maturity to sit nonetheless in the high back booster seat. When leaning forwards a lot, your kid is outside of the seat'southward protection zone, so the seat would non protect your child as intended.
When to terminate using your toddler seat the latest?
Step 1: Check the weight/height limitation of your seat
If your toddler seat is approved to UN R129, yous take to stop using your seat in one case the maximum height of your seat according to its approving is reached. In addition, ISOfix-installed United nations R129 seats also have a weight limitation which you can discover on your seat's approval sticker and/or user manual. It is time to change to another seat once your child has reached one of the two limitations, whichever comes first.
If your toddler seat is approved to ECE R44-04, the seat has a maximum weight which y'all tin can discover on your seat's approval sticker and user transmission. One time your child has reached this maximum, you have to change. However, practically you might not ever be able to utilize the seat until the maximum weight as your child tin can outgrow the seat in height before. Check pace two for this!
Step two: Cheque the shoulder belts and ear-to-headrest level
When the peak of child's ears reaches the highest point of the headrest, information technology is high time to change.
Additionally, check how the shoulder belts are sitting on your child's shoulders and what your seat'due south user transmission advises about this. Many manufacturers say that the shoulder belts should not come from below your child's shoulders. So if the shoulder belts are not coming directly onto the shoulders anymore when having the headrest/belts in the highest setting, then information technology's time to modify also.
CHILD CAR SEATS/BOOSTER SEATS
This is the machine seat that your kid will use for the longest time – from approx. 4 years until 12 years. Using a high back booster seat instead of merely a booster cushion ensures that your child is provided with a side impact protection during the whole period of use. We recommend y'all to use a loftier dorsum booster seat for as long equally possible, even if not required by national law anymore to give your child the best kind of protection.
When to terminate using a booster seat?
Step 1: Cheque the weight/height limitation of your seat
If your booster seat is canonical to ECE R44-04, you lot have to cease using your seat in one case the maximum weight has been reached, which is 36 kg based on the regulation.
If your booster seat is approved to United nations R129, you take to stop using the seat once the maximum height has been reached, which is 150 cm based on the regulation.
Step 2: Check your national laws
Each land has different regulations in their national laws for how long a kid must apply a child motorcar seat. In most countries, the minimum is 135 cm or the age of 12.
Step 3: Check how your child sits in the car without a child car seat
In improver to stride one and 2, you tin can practise the "5-betoken cheque" to see if your child's trunk would be fix to sit down in your car without a kid machine seat. If one of these 5 points is non reached nonetheless, your child should still sit in a booster seat:
- Can they sit with their back affluent against the backrest of the vehicle seat?
- While doing that, exercise their knees curve over the edge of the vehicle seat
- Does the lapbelt sit low over the pelvis basic and not in their tummy expanse?
- Does the shoulderbelt lay well on their shoulder and is not also close to their cervix or sliding off over the shoulder?
- Does your kid empathise and manage to sit properly on the vehicle seat without slouching or leaning over?
Source: https://www.besafe.com/when-to-change-car-seats/
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