Baby's Weight & Car Seats: When Is It Safe to Face Forward?
Key Takeaways
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Follow the height and weight guidelines from your car seat’s manufacturer to know when to transition to a new seat or position.
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Expert guidance now suggests children ride rear-facing for as long as possible, which means maxing out the height and weight limits.
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The guidelines are “or” and not “and”—meaning when your child exceeds either the height OR weight requirement, it’s time to move up. You don’t wait until both are met.
Car seat safety, especially for newborns, is an absolute priority for parents, but that doesn’t make it simple. Keeping up with the latest requirements, recommendations, and guidelines can be daunting.
One of the biggest infant car seat safety questions is when to transition your child to a new seat or position.
It’s widely understood that infants need to ride rear-facing, but how do you know when it’s time for them to face forward? And do you need a new seat for that? Do you turn your child at a certain age or weight? How do you avoid car seat mistakes?
Before we break it all down for you, let’s start with some basics.
Understanding Car Seat Orientation: Rear-Facing vs. Forward-Facing
Car seats can be installed in one of two ways. They can be installed rear-facing, where they face the back of the car and opposite a normal passenger.
Or, they can be installed forward-facing, toward the front of the car and the same direction a normal passenger would face.
Infant car seats are always installed rear-facing. These portable seats can be attached or detached from a base that stays in the car and are often used in conjunction with a stroller as part of a travel system. They’re ideal for small babies under 1.
Convertible car seats can be installed rear-facing or forward-facing.
The height and weight guidelines can often differ depending on how the seat is positioned, so it’s important to read your safety manual from the manufacturer carefully to ensure you’re using the seat correctly.
When to Transition Your Baby From Rear to Forward-Facing? (Weight, Height and Age Considerations)
When it comes to determining when to transition your child from rear-facing to forward-facing, you may find yourself looking at their weight, height, and age. But which factor tends to come into play the most might surprise you.
Baby Weight
Your car seat will have a weight limit for rear-facing; this is often somewhere in the 30-50 lbs range. While it’s possible that this limit could be reached first, it’s far more likely that your child will outgrow their seat or its position by height first.
Baby Height
Height, rather than weight, is often the first limit to be reached when it comes to outgrowing a car seat or its position. However, in convertible car seats keep in mind that it’s your child’s torso length that matters.
Children are flexible and can sit quite comfortably for long periods with their legs in a frog leg or criss-cross position; cramped leg space does not necessarily mean a seat has been outgrown.
Baby Age
Your baby’s age is the least important factor in deciding when to transition to forward-facing. Safety experts agree that children should remain rear-facing for as long as possible—meaning, as long as the car seat allows.
You’ll want to max out your seat’s height or weight requirement, regardless of your child’s age.
Best Ways to Transition Your Infant from Rear-Facing to Forward-Facing Car Seat
Before you transition to a new car seat, let’s take a quick second to recap the different seat options and when they’re most appropriate.
Infant Car Seats
Infant car seats are designed to be rear facing only. Most snap in and out of a base that remains installed in your car, and they can also be used in conjunction with a stroller as part of a travel system.
Infant car seats are used from birth (most have a minimum weight of 4 or 5 lbs) until they’re outgrown.
Height and weight limits vary, but they typically accommodate babies under 30 lbs and 32 inches, give or take. They’re almost always outgrown in height before weight.
Convertible Car Seats
Like the name suggests, convertible car seats can be used in a rear or forward-facing position. While these seats can often be used from the newborn phase with an insert, most parents opt for an infant car seat instead because of their portability.
Convertible car seats will have separate height and weight limits depending on the position you use them in, so you’ll need to consult your owner’s manual carefully to ensure proper installation.
Experts agree that your child should ride rear-facing in a convertible car seat until the height or weight limit is reached, since it’s a safer position.
All-in-One Car Seats
These car seats can be adapted for use from the newborn phase all the way through using a booster until your child is ready to sit independently with a seat belt only.
Typically they can be a bit heavier and more cumbersome, but these car seats are ideal for grandparents or other supplementary caregivers who might want to only buy one seat and have it serve multiple ages.
Harness or Seat Belt Boosters
Harness booster seats utilize a five point chest harness system, while seat belt boosters use the vehicle’s seat belt to secure your child.
They’re designed to be a transitional seat for after your child has outgrown their convertible car seat but before they’re tall enough to use a seat belt only comfortably.
Something to always bear in mind too, is that car seats do have an expiry of around 6 to 8 years from their date of manufacture.
Choose with Confidence: Orbit Baby Car Seats
Car seat safety can be a huge priority for parents, and Orbit Baby understands that. Our infant car seat is easy to install safely and securely with premium features to keep your smallest cargo safe and sound.
Our convertible toddler car seat is an excellent transition for after the infant seat is outgrown; it actually operates on the same base, which means you don’t have to learn a new means of installation.
Whether rear or forward facing, keep your baby safe in the car with an Orbit Baby car seat.
