how to guides
How to fit a car seat correctly
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When it comes to keeping your child safe in the car, buying the right car seat is only half the battle; it’s also essential to make sure it’s fitted correctly.
According to the latest research, 51 per cent of car seats checked in the past year were fitted incorrectly, so follow our tips, below, for making sure that your child's is securely installed.
1. Britax DualFix
*Extended rear-facing
*Swivels 360 for ease of use
*Multiple reclines for nap time
The DualFix was one of the first of the new breed of car seats that could swivel a full 360 degrees, meaning that not only is it much easier to get your child in and out of the car, by twisting the seat to face the door, it also has the capability to carry your child rear-facing for up to four years
2. Ickle Bubba Solar ISOFIX, £169
*Covers the 1/2/3 group stages from around a year old
*Can be fixed with a seatbelt or Isofix
*Three recline positions and a sun visor
A solid and sturdy multistage car seat that can fit your child all the way from toddlerhood to around age 12.
The Solar can be fixed into your car with either Isofix connectors or using the car’s seatbelt and has enhanced side impact protection in the head and neck area for added safety. There’s also a top tether as another added precaution. We like the thick fabric that has a luxurious feel, which is designed to stay cool - perfect for long sticky car journeys.
There’s also three recline positions, ideal for napping toddlers. Other features include a reversible headrest cushion, a seat cushion and buckle pad, plus two sun visors.
3. Joie Every Stage
*Suitable from birth to around 12 years old
* Side impact protection and can be forward or rear facing
* Five-point harness for added security
The Every Stage car seat by Joie caters for children from birth all the way to around 12 years old, so is great value for money. It's rear facing for the first year, then forward facing for older children. It has several recline positions and is installed using a car's seatbelt.
1. Check the car seat is compatible with your car
Not all car seats can be fitted safely in all cars, so it’s vital to check this out.
If you’re buying a new seat, visit a store that has trained car seat fitters to check the fit.
If you’re using your existing car seat in a different car from usual – perhaps a friend’s car, taxi or hire car – bear in mind that it may not fit, and check before you travel by looking online at the manufacturer’s website.
2. Get the seatbelt sorted
Many car seat problems are caused by the seatbelt.
It’s essential that it runs through the route guides on the car seat (these are usually blue or red).
It’s also important to check that the seatbelt isn’t twisted, and that it’s tight enough.
If you need to pull the seatbelt out all the way to fit the seat, make sure you pull it tight again afterwards so there’s minimal movement when you wobble the seat.
3. Front or back?
Rear-facing car seats must never be fitted on a front passenger seat with an airbag.
If you’re in an accident and the airbag inflates, the force will slam the car seat backwards and could cause fatal injuries.
The safest place for any child seat – forward- or rear-facing – is in the back of the car. If you have to fit a child seat in the front, make sure the airbag is deactivated.
4. Follow the instructions
It sounds obvious, but the key to fitting a car seat correctly is to follow the manufacturer’s instructions to the letter.
These are usually printed on the side of the car seat.
Instructions can be hard to follow at first, so have a look at YouTube or the manufacturer’s website to see if there are any video guides on fitting the seat.
If anyone else is going to be fitting your child’s seat, such as your partner or the grandparents, make sure they follow the instructions exactly, too.
5. Watch out for buckle crunch
Buckle crunch is where the buckle of the adult seatbelt is positioned against the plastic casing of the child car seat.
This is something that is often overlooked, but if you’re involved in a crash, buckle crunch could mean that the seatbelt buckle fails and springs open, so the car seat is no longer secure.
This could lead to devastating injuries.
Always make sure that only the webbed part of the adult seatbelt is in contact with plastic parts of the car seat.
6. ISOFIX if possible
All cars sold new in the UK since 2002 are fitted with ISOFIX points.
These are anchor points that allow car seats to be secured directly onto the seat, without using the seatbelt.
They are much easier to fit correctly, so if possible, buy an ISOFIX seat and use that method of fitting whenever possible rather than using a seatbelt.
ISOFIX seats also have visual indicators to show that the seat is fitted properly, so check these before you set off.
7. Get the harness sorted
Even if the car seat itself is fitted properly, your child could still be at risk if the harness isn’t correctly adjusted.
The shoulder straps should run flat across your child’s shoulders, rather than coming up and over from behind his back, or downwards from head level.
You should just be able to slide a flat hand between the harness and your child’s body.
Bulky clothes like winter coats can make harnesses less effective, so take them off before you put your child in their seat.
8. Give it a wobble
The final test before you hit the road is to physically check that the seat feels secure.
Try rocking or wobbling the seat to make sure it doesn’t shift around.
The car seat should fit solidly on the seat with the base fully in contact with the seat, and there should be minimal movement in any direction.
Safe travels!
Read on:
• How to buy a newborn car seat
• The best new car seats for 2019
• The best and safest car seats for your journey
This article contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small amount of money if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase from Amazon. All our articles and reviews are written independently by the Netmums editorial team.
