Why You Should Consider a Forward Facing Infant Car Seat

Children under the age of one year should not ride facing towards the forward. In a crash their neck muscles may weaken and be stretched and cause serious injuries.

Switch to FF instead of FF once your child reaches the weight limit of their current car seat or height (or the minimum for the new car seat). Please read your instructions for your car seat.

Safety

In the case of a collision, infant car seats are designed to protect your child's neck and head. The forward-facing position can also prevent your child from hitting their head on the hard back of the car seat, which could cause serious injuries.

All forward-facing infant seats feature five-point harnesses. They secure the child by simply pulling the straps. The shell of the car seat is lined with energy-absorbing foam EPS to offer better protection from impact. Some have a canopy to provide shade from the sun.

The most suitable infant car seats come with an adjustable angle adjustment and an angle indicator. This lets you determine the right angle for your child's neck in order to stop it from slipping over in the event of collisions. The seat also has a top tether strap that comes from the top of the car seat and connects onto the tether anchor inside your vehicle. You should keep in mind that you may not need to move your child from a forward-facing car seat until he / is at the maximum weight and height listed in the manual of the seat.

It's time to change when your child reaches 20 pounds and a year. Infants and toddlers younger that one year have soft, loose muscles in their necks that could cause whiplash if they are involved in an accident. They are more likely to sustain serious neck injuries when they are in a frontal crash (the most frequent and serious type). Rear-facing car seats protect the necks of children less than one year old by cushioning their heads.

When kids move to a forward-facing car seat, they should use a convertible seat or an all-in-one that has a high rear-facing weight and height limit. They shouldn't be moved to an adult car seat until they have met the high back or backless booster age and height requirements for the seat which is usually around age 4 or 5. These crash videos will demonstrate the differences between the two carseats. But keep in mind that the video has been slowed. If a child is moving too fast, they could be injured.

Comfort

A forward-facing infant car seat keeps your child safe and secure during an accident. The seat features a soft headrest, body support cushion, and an EPS energy-absorbing foam shell that will ensure your child's safety from impact. The seat has five points of safety harness that can be tightened with a single pull and a center front adjuster. This will ensure that your child is properly positioned. A retractable sun canopy will shield your child from the sun. The seat can be locked to the vehicle seat belt for safety. It also has a locking clip which keeps the buckle in place even when the seat isn't being used.

If your infant complains of discomfort while traveling or seems to lean forward when sleeping or sleeping, the angle of the seat may be too low for your child. You can remedy this by placing tightly rolled towels on the front of the car seat to lift it up more. If this doesn't work, you can bring your child to Rockridge Kids and we will test the angle of the car seat.

It is important to remember that children are not ready to take on the world until they weigh at minimum 20 pounds AND one year old (their necks aren't sturdy enough yet to withstand a force that is applied to them in a crash if they were to fall forward on their own). Some experts recommend waiting longer since the muscles and bones of young children are more malleable.

Many parents choose to buy a convertible car seat that allows their children to be rear-facing until they reach their maximum weight or height limits. This lets them benefit from the advantages of a rear-facing car seat for longer, and also makes it more convenient for parents because they can easily move their child from the rear-facing position to the forward-facing one when their child has outgrown it.

The Graco 4Ever 4-in-1 Convertible Car Seat provides your child 10 years of car seat use with just one seat, from rear-facing infant (4-40 lbs) to forward-facing 5-point harness and high back booster (30-100 lb) to backless belt-positioning booster (40-120 lb). It's easy and simple to install using the Smart Fit system that allows you to move the harness and headrest together, without re-threading.

Convenience

If you are traveling with a small baby, a forward-facing infant car seat is a great choice. It allows you to see your child's view while driving, and allows the rest of the family to enter the car without disturbing your baby or toddler. The car seat inserts for newborns seat can be used with strollers making it easier for you to get your child in and out of the vehicle while you are at the grocery shop or running errands.

Even if your child has reached the age at which they can change their car seat to one that faces forward, it is safer to keep them in a rear-facing seat for as long as you are able to. When you consider it from the perspective 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 head, neck and torso is held in the car seat's rear.

You'll want to check the manufacturer's instructions for when you can change your child's car seat around. You will find that they have an upper and lower limit, as well as specific rules regarding things such as the crotch strap's location. These limits are designed to protect your child's health as they grow.

Another thing to take into consideration is if you have a vehicle that has tether anchors for your car seat. If you do, ensure that the tether strap is properly installed and secured to the anchor points of your vehicle as instructed in the manual of the seat. Also, make sure that the shoulder straps of your child's harness are on or below their shoulders, and are not too high or low. This will affect how they are restrained during a crash.

A good choice for parents with multiple children or are planning to have more children is a convertible car seat. It's a convertible car seat that can be used as a rear-facing infant car seat and then converted to a forward facing seat when your child reaches the weight limit or height of the rear-facing position.

Style

You've spent a lot of time and effort deciding on the best car seats for newborns baby car seat for your child. However, as they age and begin to outgrow their car seat for infants, you may be wondering when it's time to switch them around.

While the idea of facing your child forward is exciting, there are some important safety factors to consider. Children should be rear-facing until they reach the weight limit of their car seat and height limits.

Be aware that children are very different in terms of size and age therefore, you shouldn't decide the decision to change to a forward-facing car seat on a specific date on the calendar or when they've reached their maximum legroom. It may appear that a child is bigger in a rear-facing car seat, however this does not mean that it's safe to turn the child around. Their spine and bones haven't yet fully developed.

Some infant car seat for travel car seats come with an alarm built-in to remind that your child to remain facing rear until they're at least one year old. This is because children under one don't have strong enough neck muscles to withstand the force of a frontal collision, which can cause serious spinal injuries.

Many infant car seats are not just secure, but also simple to use. These include bases that remain attached to the car and snap out and in to let you carry your baby from stroller to car and back again and often with a frame stroller as part of a travel system.

If you're about to transition your baby into a forward-facing convertible car seat make sure you follow the manufacturer's guidelines and checking the car seat for tightness. When properly installed, the car seat shouldn't move more than 1 inch side to side or from front to back, and the harness straps should be placed at or above the shoulders of your child. If you have any questions or concerns you should talk to an accredited car seat safety technician in your area or call the manufacturer of the car seat.