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5 Tips To Installing Your Car Seat

disclosureDid you know the week of September 18th is National Car Seat Safety Week? I was able to work with Cars.com last week to learn:

  • The proper weight and height requirements for rear- and forward-facing seats
  • Whether or not age is a factor when transitioning
  • Is your child properly harnessed?
  • How to properly install car seats rear- and forward-facing
  • How Cars.com approaches its car seat checks

I also walked away with a ton of information to share with all my readers. My kids are out of car seats, but I know a lot of you still have kids in carseats. There is so much conflicting information out there on what parents should or shouldn't do regarding car seats. Our children are the most important thing in our lives, so we want to make sure there are safe. The statistic that floored me was that up to 75% of carseats are installed incorrectly! Here are a few tips to make sure you are doing it correctly:

  1. Read the manual that comes with your car seat. Everything you need to know is in the manual. What are the weight requirements? What are the height requirements? How long before it expires? All of this can be found in there!
  2. Read you car manual. It will direct youwhere you can install a car seat and where the LATCH system is in your car.
  3. Use the LATCH system or seat belts – not both. This is a common mistake!
  4. Make sure the car seat is level.
  5. Make sure there is no movement. Once in, that car seat shouldn't be moving! Climb in the car and push on the seat and pull tight if you must.

These are just a few tips that will help you install your car seat correctly.

Wondering how your car measures up? Check it out on Cars.com Car Seat Safety Check. Certified child passenger safety technicians conducted hands-on tests of a car’s Latch system and check the vehicle’s ability to accommodate different types of car seats and pass along the results to you! As we learned, not all cars are created equal. Some make it easy to install car seats, some do not.

What I learned most is that if you don't know, ask! There are plenty of experts out there who want to help you. Car seats aren't rocket science, but they aren't the easiest things either. Our children are our worlds and to have something happen would be devastating.

Do you have any car seat tips?

Lisa Martin

In April 2006, Lisa began blogging to stay connected with distant relatives and friends. As she delved into blogging, she discovered the potential to assist others by sharing her experiences. Lisa has actively engaged in numerous exclusive media ventures. Notable among these are her participation in events such as the Sony Mommy Bloggers Event, the Pampers Mommy Bloggers Event, the Epson Event in Chicago, the Stouffers Event, a memorable yacht excursion with Lands End, collaborations with 1-800-Baskets, an exclusive tour for bloggers by Mrs. Prindable’s, partnerships with Hallmark, PopCap games, Chicago Cubs Mastercard Priceless Events, and Rug Doctor. In addition, she has collaborated with Nutrisystem on a weight loss initiative, teamed up with Buick and Chevy, and served as a brand ambassador for Sprint. Lisa's collaboration portfolio also extends to Disney, where she has participated in press trips for significant movies such as Frozen, Guardians of the Galaxy, McFarland USA, The Good Dinosaur, The BFG, and Cars 3. Notably, for projects like Frozen, The BFG, and Cars 3, she was granted the privilege of walking the red carpet and conducting interviews with celebrities. The impact of Lisa's blog has gained recognition, with The New York Times referencing her content. Moreover, she has been featured in interviews by respected publications such as the Southtown Star, The Chicago Sun Times, and inside.

This Post Has 19 Comments

  1. robin rue

    Where I live, the police station does them. They are all trained, so everyone goes there to have them installed safely and properly.

  2. Amber Myers

    Oh man, I remember my husband and I struggling with this. We weren’t sure if we did it right. I think we took it into a station to be sure it was installed correctly.

  3. Sarah Bailey

    Hands up I wouldn’t know where to start with installing a car seat so these sound like some great tip to me.

  4. candy

    We are long past the car seat installing stage of our lives. Know many people who don’t know how to install a car seat properly. They even give classes now. Keep those kids safe and install properly.

  5. Julee

    OMGosh! such an important post. Little lives are counting on this. if you can’t figure it out, the Fire Dept. is a great resource to help too!

  6. Terri Beavers

    I’m a strong believer in car seats being installed properly. I’m going to send this post to a friend of mine who is expecting her first grand child. She was just talking about car seats and which one she should buy. She needs to know how to install it properly too.

  7. Tomi

    Our local police department hosts a monthly car seat check up and properly installs car seats. I wish more parents would take advantage of this free service and wish it were offered in more communities.

  8. I’ve heard for years that many people install them correctly. I don’t have young children any more but if I did there are places locally like the firehouse that help do it.

  9. Anosa

    At the moment I am not looking to install a car seat but this is really useful information.

  10. Lynsey

    Great tips! I’m always scared when it comes to installing car seats, with my first I got the fire station guys to do it (eye candy and safety right?). Thanks for the good advice!

  11. Lynn Woods

    I don’t have any kids. I do have a few pregnant friends and will shade this post with them.

  12. Amanda

    These are such great tips. There are so many people who have car seats incorrectly installed and it is so incredibly dangerous. So thankful to the police officers who checked the installation of my seat!

  13. Rachel

    These are great tips. My tip is always stop by the local police station. They do free checks and are always willing to make sure they are correctly installed.

  14. Dogvills

    Did not know there was such a day for Car seats! It is a great reminder though to make sure we know how to properly install and secure them in the car.

  15. Emily

    These are great and very important tips! My kids are all on boosters now, but making sure they are safe is still key. When we had car seats and baby seats we always sat on top of the seat and tightened it even more, this always made sure there was no wiggle room with the seat.

  16. Jaime Nicole

    It can be difficult to install a car seat correctly, and it’s so important. I love it when the fire fighters or police do community checks.

  17. Sandy N Vyjay

    Car seats are so important and the positioning of the seats is so important. The proper ergonomy is so important in installing the seats to ensure a comfortable ride.

  18. Michelle Cantu

    Great info and thank you for sharing that you shouldn’t use both the LATCH system and seat belts together. I had a huge discussion about this with my in laws. They didn’t understand why I was buckling the seat into their car without doing both.

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