Why You Should Consider a Forward Facing Infant Car Seat

Children younger than one year old are not allowed to ride in a forward-facing. In a crash, their weak neck muscles can stretch and cause serious injury.

Instead, switch to FF when your child is at the weight or height limits of their current seat (or the minimums required for the new seat). Follow the directions for your car seat carefully.

Safety

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

All forward-facing infant car seats have five-point harnesses to ensure the child's safety with just one pull, tightening the strap. the carrier shell is lined with EPS energy-absorbing foam to provide better protection from impact. Some have a canopy to provide shade from the sun.

The best infant car seats will include an adjustable angle adjuster and an angle indicator. This allows you to determine the right angle for your child's neck in order to prevent it from flopping over during a collision. The car seat also comes with the top tether strap, which connects to the top rated baby car seats of the car seat and connects onto the tether anchor inside your vehicle. It's important to keep it in the mind that your child may not require a switch to a forward-facing car seat until they reach the maximum weight and height allowed listed in the instruction manual of the seat you're using.

When your child is 20 lbs and a year old is over, it's time to switch. Infants and toddlers younger that one year have soft, loose muscles in their necks, which can cause whiplash when they are involved in an accident. In frontal collisions (the most severe and frequent type) they are more likely to sustain serious neck injuries. When children younger than 1 year are riding rear-facing, their head is protected by the car seat, and protected from sudden movements that could cause neck strain.

When children transition to a forward-facing car seat they should remain in a convertible or an all-in-one car seat that has a strong rear-facing weight and height limit. The child shouldn't be moved into an adult booster until they meet the height and age requirements for a high-back or a backless booster, which is typically around age 4 or 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 if they move too quickly.

Comfort

A forward facing infant car seat allows your baby to ride comfortably and be secure in an accident. The seat has a soft headrest, a body support cushion and an EPS energy-absorbing foam shell that will protect your child from impact. The seat has a five-point safety harness which can be adjusted with a single pull and a center front adjuster. This will ensure your child is properly positioned. A retractable canopy helps protect your child from sun. For your safety, the seat is designed to lock with the vehicle's seat belt and has an adjustable clip that holds the latch buckle secure when not in use.

If your baby complains about discomfort or appears to be slouching forward while sleeping it could be because the angle of the car seat is too low. This can be corrected by placing a tightly rolled towel under the front of your car seats by age seat. If this does not work, take your baby to Rockridge Kids and we will check the angle of the car seat.

Keep in mind that children shouldn't face forward until they weigh at 20 pounds and are one year old. Their necks are not strong enough to stand up to the force of a collision, if they were to fall forward on their own. Some experts recommend waiting longer, since the muscles and bones of children are more flexible than those of adults.

Many parents opt to purchase a convertible car seat that allows their children to travel rearward-facing until they reach their maximum weight or height limits. This allows parents to enjoy the benefits of a rear-facing seat for a longer period of time. It can also make it easier for them as they can easily change their child's seat from rear-facing to forward-facing when the child grows out of it.

The Graco 4Ever Convertible car seat is a four-in-one convertible car seat that lets your child use the seat for 10 years. It can be converted from a rear-facing infant (up to 40lbs) to forward-facing harness and high-back seat (30-100 lb) as well as an unbelt-positioning seat that is backless (40-120 lb). It's easy and simple to install with the Smart Fit system that allows you to move the headrest and harness in tandem, without having to re-thread.

Convenience

A forward facing infant car seat is a great option for traveling with a toddler. This allows you to see your child while driving and the rest of your family can get into the car without disturbing your baby or toddler. This type of car seat can also be used with strollers making it much easier to take your toddler in and out of the car to go to the supermarket or other chores.

But remember that even if your child is old enough to transition to a forward-facing car seat it's better to keep them rear-facing for as long as is possible. From the perspective of crash tests, a child's head is more secure in the event of a crash if they face backwards. This is because when facing backwards, the entire body, including the neck, head and torso is held in the car seat's rear.

It is important to read the instructions provided by the manufacturer on how to turn your child's car seat around. You will find that they have a maximum height and weight limit, as well as specific guidelines regarding things like the crotch strap position. These limits are intended to ensure your child's safety as they develop.

You should also consider whether your vehicle is equipped with anchors for tethers. If so, make sure that the tether is connected to the anchor points on your vehicle according to the directions in the manual. Also, ensure that the shoulder straps of the harness of your child are at or below their shoulders, and not too low or high. This will affect how they are restrained during the event of a crash.

An excellent option for parents who have more than one child or plan to have more, is a convertible car seat. This is a complete car seat that starts with a rear-facing infant car seat before moving your child to a forward-facing position once they are old enough and have reached the height or weight limit of the rear-facing car seat.

Style

The infant car seat was a must-have item for your little one, and you spent many hours deciding the right one. But as they get older and begin to outgrow their infant car seat, you may be wondering when it's time to flip them around.

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

Be aware that children differ in terms of size and age, therefore, you shouldn't decide on when you should switch to forward-facing on some specific date on the calendar or if they've reached their legroom limit. A child may appear bigger in the rear-facing car seat but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's safe for turning around, as their spine and bones aren't fully developed yet.

It's recommended that you keep your child facing rearwards until they are at least one year old. some infant car seats have a built-in reminder to ensure they remain there. This is due to the fact that children younger than one don't have strong enough neck muscles to withstand the force of a frontal collision which could cause serious spinal injuries.

In addition to being secure and secure, many infant car seats have convenient features that make them simple to use. Some include bases that snap in and out of the car, allowing you to carry your baby from the car to a stroller and then back. They are often part a travel system.

If you're about to transition your baby to a forward-facing convertible car seat make sure you do it correctly by following 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 front to back and the harness straps should be positioned at or over the shoulders of your child. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the installation of your car seat, contact an approved safety technician in your locality or the car seat manufacturer.