When to Switch Car Seats: Key Factors to Consider

Key Takeaways

• A car seat is only as safe as its installation and usage. Always make sure your car seat is appropriate for your child and installed correctly.

• Many parents will use three different car seat types as their child grows: an infant seat, a convertible seat, and a booster seat.

• Car seats are outgrown by height and weight, not age. Familiarize yourself with your car seats height and weight limits, and keep in mind that height limits tend to be outgrown first.

• Experts recommend that children ride rear-facing for as long as possible. It is required by law that children ride rear-facing at least until age 1, and some states require it until at least age 2.. 

 

There’s never been a safer time for children to ride in a car. Car seats are built with top of the line materials and safety features and there are different options that can be used as your child grows. Cars themselves have become safer, too, including options specifically tailored to transporting children, like LATCH anchors.

That said, all the safety features in the world won’t protect your child if they’re in an ill-fitting seat that’s installed incorrectly. Knowing which car seat to use—and when it’s time to graduate to the next option—is critical. 

Different types of car seats install with different methods (rear-facing, forward-facing, LATCH installation, seat belt installation), so it’s just as important to understand how to install the seat you have.

Understanding When to Switch Car Seats

Parents will often ask for car seat advice based on the age of their child. For example, “what’s the best car seat for a 6 month old?” or “what car seat should my 2 year old be riding in?” The reality is, though, that age is not a reliable indicator of what kind of car seat to use or when to graduate to the next seat. 

The reason for that is simple: not every 6 month old or 2 year old is the same size. For this reason, car seats use height and weight limits to indicate what size child can safely ride—and when it’s time to move to a bigger seat.

Switching Car Seats: Key Factors to Consider

Knowing when to switch your child’s car seat depends on several factors: your child’s height and weight, the positioning of the car seat itself, and your own lifestyle needs will all dictate which option is best for you as well as when it’s time to consider something new.

The Child’s Height

Your child’s height determines how the harness straps fit, as well as how their positioned in the seat itself. Monitor your child’s growth relative to the height limitations of your car seat. An infant car seat has been outgrown when a child is within one inch of the top of the seat. 

The Child’s Weight

Even though car seats are frequently outgrown in height before weight, it’s still important to pay attention to weight limits as it relates to how a car seat is secured. LATCH anchors have a combined weight limit of 65 lbs—this means the weight of your child AND the car seat altogether.

You may need to switch to a seat belt installation before your car seat’s weight limit is outgrown.

The Positioning of the Car Seat

Children should ride rear-facing for as long as possible. Since booster seats can only be used in a forward facing position, it’s important not to transition to them too early.

Lifestyle Needs

Many convertible car seats can be used from birth with a newborn insert, which cuts down on the number of car seats you’ll need to transition to as your child grows. However, their lack of portability is an issue for a lot of families.

What you need and how you plan to use the seat will affect the type of car seat you choose and when you need to switch between them.

Types of Car Seats and When to Consider Them

Generally speaking, there are three types of car seats: infant car seats, convertible/toddler car seats, and booster seats.

Each seat comes with different features and is designed for a specific timeframe in your child’s development.

Infant Car Seat

An infant car seat is a rear-facing, bucket-style car seat that is designed to be snapped in and out of a base that remains installed in the vehicle.

It comes with a handle that can be used to carry the seat and many can also snap into a stroller to provide a three-piece travel system. Infant car seats are designed to be used from birth and for at least the first year of your child’s life. 

Most have a height limit of around 32 inches and a weight limit of 30-35 lbs. These seats are almost always outgrown by height before they’re outgrown by weight. That said, some parents opt to move to a convertible seat once the combined weight of the infant car seat and their child  becomes too heavy to maneuver comfortably. 

Convertible/Toddler Car Seat

A convertible car seat’s key feature is in the name—it can be converted to be rear or forward-facing. While many can accommodate babies from the newborn phase with an insert, their lack of portability means they’re typically used as a second-phase, or toddler car seat, instead. 

These seats can be installed with a recline to be rear-facing, then flipped to be forward-facing when your child is old enough. 

The prevailing wisdom is to keep your child rear-facing for “as long as possible.” Legally, you’re required to keep your child rear-facing for at least the first year and possibly up to 2 years depending on your state’s laws. 

Because convertible car seats are heavier than infant car seats, it’s important to keep in mind that LATCH anchors should only be used up to 65 pounds of combined weight (the seat + your child). 

Once the seat and your child weigh more than 65 pounds collectively, you’ll need to switch to a seat belt installation. While one method is not inherently safer than the other, many parents find a seat belt installation a bit trickier to secure properly.

Booster Seat

A booster seat is designed to be used by children who’ve outgrown their convertible car seat but still need a “boost” so that the seat belt is positioned properly across their chest and lap. 

It’s recommended that boosters not be used by children younger than 4 and should only be used by children who can sit correctly and stay safely in their seats when a car is moving. 

Keep your child in a booster seat until a seat belt hits in the appropriate places (across the collarbone and pelvic bones) without it.

Knowing the Right Time to Switch Car Seats 

How often you’ll need to switch car seats depends on the type of car seat you choose. Whether you opt for the infant car seat → convertible car seat → booster seat pipeline or pick an all-in-one seat, keep in mind that you’ll need to position the seat differently as your child grows. 

Babies and toddlers should ride rear-facing and for as long as possible. This provides better support to their head and neck in case of an accident. 

Once your child is large enough to safely ride forward-facing, you’ll still want to use a convertible car seat or a booster with a five point harness until they can stay positioned correctly using the vehicle’s seat belt. 

By switching car seats as your child grows, you’ll ensure a safe and comfortable ride through every phase of development.