At what weight or age are you suppost to change car seats?

Question

At what weight or age are you suppost to change car seats?

Answer 1

You don't have to at a certain age or weight,  I would think when the seat fails your size, i'd be more concerned about losing weight or get a bigger vehicle

Answer 2

Infant seats are outgrown when a child reaches the weight limit, or more commonly when the child has less than one inch of plastic shell above his head.

Infants then move to a rearfacing (RF) convertible seats and MUST remain RF until at least 1 year AND 20lbs, but should remain RF until the limits of the seat (30-35lbs in the US).

Children then move forward facing (FF) in a harnessed seat.  Forward facing harnessed seats are outgrown when a child reaches the weight limit, or more commonly when the child's shoulders are above the top harness slots.

If the child is 4 years AND 40lbs, then he may move to a booster with vehicle lap&shoulder belt seatbelt.  If not, then the child needs a larger FF harnessed seat.  There are many seats that harness to 55-80lbs.  The Alpha Omega 3-in-1 seats only harness to 40lbs and most 40lb weight limit seats are outgrown before a child is mature enough for a booster seat.

A child should ride in a booster with vehicle lap/shoulder belt until he or she reaches approximately 4'9" (around age 12) and then can move to just the adult seatbelt if he passes the 5 step test and the seatbelt fits him correctly.

Answer 3

It will tell you on the box of the car seat you're looking to buy.

Answer 4

Depends upon which stage of car seats you're talking about.

STAGE 1: rear facing. If your baby is in an infant carrier seat (has a handle and base) she can stay in it until either of these happen: 1)she reaches the weight limit 20-22lbs

                            OR

               2)there is less than 1" of seat above her head

Then she needs to be moved to a rear facing convertible car seat. If she is already in a rear facing convertible car seat, keep her rear facing AS LONG AS POSSIBLE! Babies should stay rear facing AS LONG AS POSSIBLE! Turning kids forward at 20lbs/1year is an outdated practice that could cost you your child's life! American Academy of Pediatrics says to keep kids rear facing to the limit of their convertible car seat. All current models go to at least 30lbs, many higher.

A forward-facing child under 2 years old is 5 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash than a rear-facing child of the same age. A child's vertabrae do not fully fuse until 3-6 years old, before then, she is at great risk for internal decapitation. The spinal column can stretch up to 2 inches in a crash BUT the spinal cord can only stretch up to 1/4 inch before it snaps and baby is gone.

In the age of the internet its amazing so much misinformation exists! Please please do not listen to people telling you to turn your child forward facing 'at your judgement' or when her legs touch the seat. In truth, most children LIKE resting their feet on the back of the seat in front of them. Check out this photo album exclusively of rear facing kids, many of them much older than 12 months: http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum... It is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (see sources) that ALL babies stay rear facing as long as possible, up to the weight/height limits of their seat. Most seats go to 30lbs rear facing, some go higher, check your manual. They are too tall for an infant carrier when the head is within an inch of the top of the shell. Too tall for most convertible seats when their ears reach the top of the seat. Has nothing to do with how long their legs are! There isn't a single documented case of a child breaking their legs b/c they were rear facing in an accident. There are, however, lots of cases where children have been killed and seriously injured where a rear facing seat would have protected them better. They are safest rear facing b/c their bones have not yet completed the ossification process that bonds/hardens them like adults. They need the bracing support that a rear facing seat offers to withstand a crash. 20lbs AND 1 year is the bare minimum as far as the law is concerned, but the law is the bare minimum of safety, and who wants to do the bare minimum for their child?

In the foreground is a forward facing seat, in the background a rear facing seat. You can see how much trauma the forward facing dummy has to endure. The rear facing child simply rides it out.

http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seite...

Here's another video. You can see how there is NO trauma to the baby, it simply sits there waiting for it to end.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v163/j...

Once baby has reached the max weight limit for rear facing in his convertible seat, or there is less than 1" of seat above his head, THEN and ONLY THEN, move him forward facing.

STAGE 2: FORWARD FACING If you're child is forward facing and you want to know when he can just use a booster, the bare minimum fo safe booster use is 4 years AND 40lbs. However, experts recommend keeping kids in a 5 point harness as long as possible, preferably never using a booster until age 5 years. WHY KEEP THEM HARNESSED:

Compare the following crash tests for your self and see the major difference a harness makes.

Forward facing harness vs. booster: http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seite...

A lateral test (the third view in) of a harnessed seat: http://www.oeamtc.at/videobox/index.php?...

A deep winged high back booster like a Parkway: http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seite...

A shallow winged high back booster like the Turbobooster: http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seite...

And a no back booster: http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seite...

Crash test video showing a 5-point harnessed seat next to a belt positioning booster

http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=NxfIuhL3cX...

VIEDOES OF KIDS WHOSE PARENTS DESPERATELY WISH THEY'D KEPT THEM HARNESSED:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcq...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2kO8AxKb...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPBSEQ4xb...

We also now know the spine is not solid until age 6.

SOOOO....there is no specific age and weight that you ever change seats, the rule of thumb from safety experts including car seat techs (CPSTs) and the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) is to keep your child in each stage until they have literally outgrown it.

1)rear face until the rear limit is reached or less than 1" above head

2)forward face in a 5 point harness until weight limit is reached or shoulders are above harness, if this happens when child is 4 or younger, buy a seat that will harness longer

3)keep in a booster until at least 4'9" tall AND 80lbs.

Answer 5

1. BEFORE YOUR FIRST BIRTHDAY LESS THAN 20 POUNDS REAR-FACING INFANT-ONLY CAR SEAT OR CONVERTIBLE SEAT USED IN REAR-FACING POSITION, SECURED IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR.

2. 20–35 POUNDS CONVERTIBLE SEAT USED IN REAR-FACING POSITION, SECURED IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR. LOOK FOR A CHILD SAFETY SEAT THAT IS RECOMMENDED FOR HEAVIER INFANTS.

3. WHEN YOU ARE 1, 2, 3, AND 4 20–40 POUNDS FACE FORWARD IN A CONVERTIBLE SEAT OR A FORWARD-FACING-ONLY SEAT OR HIGH-BACK BOOSTER/HARNESS IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR.

4. WHEN YOU ARE 4, 5, 6, 7, OR 8 LESS THAN 4’9” (57 INCHES) TALL BELT-POSITIONING BOOSTER SEAT (NO BACK) OR HIGH-BACK BELT-POSITIONING BOOSTER SEAT IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR.

5. WHEN YOU ARE 8, 9, 10, 11, OR 12 MORE THAN 4’9” (57 INCHES) TALL MAY USE AN ADULT SEATBELT, BUT MUST KEEP YOUR BACK AGAINST THE SEAT BACK, YOUR KNEES BENT OVER THE EDGE OF THE SEAT, AND YOUR FEET FLAT ON THE FLOOR IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR.

6. WHEN YOU ARE MORE THAN 12 YEARS OLD MORE THAN 4’9” (57 INCHES) TALL MAY SIT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OF THE CAR WITH AN ADULT SEATBELT.