Car seat supposed to?

Question

I am due July 30th and I just had my husband put in the carseat, the base with the carseat moves left to right about 1 inch to 1.5 inches, and not front to back but the whole thing goes up and down like half way to the back of the seat / back support area..is that supposed to do that if so why does it do that? I'm talking like if you got into an accident it'd move pretty far as far as that way up and down not front to back and not left to right but up

Answer 1

Carseats should not move more than one inch at the belt path (where the seatbelt or latch strap goes through the base or carseat).  The other movement (towards the back of the backseat) is called rebounding and completely normal.

If you can't get it tighter than less than one inch of movement at the belt path, then you need to find a carseat tech (CPST) to teach you how to install it properly.

Answer 2

I have a toddler, and have been through a car seat and now a booster seat, and i dont think it is supposed to do that. I know it does move from left to right, and maybe front to back a TINY bit, but up and down, no. I dont think that is very safe either. It could just be not buckled in properly, but i would definitely get it checked out.

Answer 3

First - congratulations!!

Install the seat, grab at the belt path (where the seatbelt or LATCH strap goes through the base) with one hand and move left/right, front/back. If it moves an inch or more, its not a good install and you'll have to start over again.

When you install a car seat base, how you do it actually depends somewhat on what type of car you have. Is it a '97 or newer? If so, then your lap/shoulder belts lock. If its an earlier model, odds are they don't and you will need a locking clip. Are you installing in the middle on a lap only belt? Installation varies depending upon these things.

If you have a newer than '97 car and are installating in a position with lap/shoulder belts...

1)put the base where it goes

2)route the belt through the base

3)buckle the belt

4)pull the shoulder part all the way out from the car wall slowly until it stops

5)pull up on the shoulder belt to tighten the belt as much as possible, and feed the shoulder belt slowly back into the retractor in the car wall. This locks it and it won't be able to be pulled out again

6)Now try and grab at the belt path again - pull left/right, front/back, if its less than an inch, its good, if not - unbuckle, feed the shoulder part back into the retractor another click or two, and rebuckle. Grab at belt path and try again. Keep up until it moves less than an inch BUT

all infant carriers will move up and down - it rebounds in an accident. Its called cocooning. If that bothers you, than you will need to get a convertible seat that can be tethered rear facing and fits a newborn (only Britax and Sunshine Kids allow this) to help minimize it.

If your seatbelts don't lock, you follow steps 1-3, and then:

4)pull up on the shoulder belt to tighten the belt as much as possible

5)keeping the shoulder belt as tight as possible, unbuckle the belt, and hold your hand just behind the buckle so it doesn't listen.

6)thread the locking clip on the belt and rebuckle. the locking clip keeps it from loosening.

**If your seatbelts don't lock, I HIGHLY recommend only getting seats that have built-in lockoffs. Those little metal locking clips are a major pain inthe butt! Chicco Keyfit, Graco SafeSeat, and Britax infant seats all have lockoffs. Britax convertible seats have lockoffs as well as The First Years/Compass TrueFit.

If you're installing in a position with lap belt only - you don't need a locking clip. Install the seat and pull up on the tail of the seatbelt as tightly as possible.

Gettign your seat checked by a certified CPST (car seat tech) is a great idea. But don't just randomly stop by a fire or police station. Not EVERY police/fire man is a CPST, though many will try and help you install your seat anyways with disastrous results. Go here to find a tech in your area:

http://www.seatcheck.net/

Answer 4

If you are concerned, you can take to to the fire department, police department or even the hospital and they can help you make any necessary adjustments.

Answer 5

Try these sites..................

http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.h...

http://www.carseatdata.org/