The safest place for your child to ride is in a rear-facing car seat, in the back seat. In a crash, the rear-facing car seat protects your child’s head, neck, and spine. Keep your child rear-facing for as long as possible according to manufacturers’ instructions.

Types

• Infant Car Seat (Rear-Facing Only): “Infant-only” car seats can only be used rear-facing. These types of seats are designed to be portable and are generally lighter in weight and easier to carry than car seats intended for older kids. Best Practice: When your child outgrows the infant car seat, move him or her to a convertible, 3-in-1 or an All-in-One car seat, used rear-facing. These seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing longer. If a baby under 1 year old grows too tall or too heavy for an infant-only car seat, we recommend moving the baby to a car seat with higher rear-facing size limits.
• Convertible: Convertible car seats offer you the advantage of using one seat for both the rear-facing and then the forward-facing position as your child grows. Read the manual carefully, and remember that children should continue to ride rear-facing until they reach the top height or weight limit before you move them to the forward-facing position.
• All-in-One and 3-in-1: All-in-One and 3-in-1 seats offer you the advantage of using the same seat for the following positions: rear-facing, forward-facing with harness, then booster.

Best Practices

Convertible, All-in-One and 3-in-1: Read the manual carefully, and remember that children should continue to ride rear-facing until they reach the top height or weight limit, before you move them to the forward-facing positions with harnesses.

Final Thought

Keep your child in a rear-facing car seat for as long as possible, according to the car seat manufacturer’s directions. If your child is older than age 2 and still fits the car seat — used rear-facing — it’s fine for your child to continue to ride rear-facing. Be sure to check the height and weight limits for the seat. You can find the height and weight limits printed on the labels on the car seat and in the manual.