When using a car seat, it is imperative that it is used correctly – just as it was crash tested, to ensure it functions as it was designed to. Always refer to your car seat instruction manual and follow the instructions precisely EVERY SINGLE TIME. Do not take shortcuts, installing a car seat so that it functions as it should in a collision is a science and precision is critical, so it requires discipline. You can also refer to the easy-to-follow stickers on the car seat and watch the manufactures installation videos online. If you have misplaced your manual, you can check online, most manufactures have their car seat manuals available for download or e-mail the manufacturer directly and ask them to send you the manual. Always place the manual in the car seat storage compartment for future reference.

Start by making sure the seat is right for your child. Check the weight or height limits on the orange stickers on the bottom/base/back of the seat (R44 in kg and R129 in cm – for example, most infant (group 0 / 0+) car seats can be used until 13kg or 75/85cm (approx. 1 year old). The weight or height is important; the age is only an indication. Never be in a rush to move to the next stage of car seat, max out your car seat limits but never exceed them.

The following is applicable to all types of harnessed car seats (e.g., your child is restrained using either a 3-point or 5-point internal harness, not the vehicle seatbelt).

Dedicated infant seat (capsule/carrier) – rear facing only.

Dedicated toddler seat – rear or forward facing.

Multi-stage seat in infant / toddler harnessed mode (infant mode rear facing only; toddler mode rear facing or forward facing):

• Correct positioning of baby / toddler in seat

When placing your baby/child into their car seat it’s important to position their body correctly into the car seat itself. Their hips must be straight, their bum must be on bottom of the car seat and their back pressed flat against the back rest of the car seat.

• Harness height

The harness height varies for a rear and forward facing car seat. When using a rear facing car seat, the harness should be level or just below (max 2.5cm) the shoulders. For forward facing, the harness should be level or just above (max 2.5cm) the shoulders. Always make sure there are no twists in the harness. Some car seats have an integrated (no re-thread) headrest and harness, meaning they move simultaneously. Other car seats, generally older or budget models, have a re-thread harness, meaning the headrest and harness move separately and you must manually re-thread the harness into different slots along the back of the car seat. Make sure the left and right shoulder straps are threaded through the same height slots and that there are no twists in the harness.

• Headrest height

General guideline: the bottom of the headrest should be 2 fingers above the top of the shoulders. The headrest must not be so low that it digs into the child’s shoulders and not be so high that your child’s ears “hang out” at the bottom of the headrest. The child’s ears should be inside the headrest.

Rear facing: the top of head must remain within an inch (2.5cm) below the top of the headrest (or top of an infant car seat itself in the case of a dedicated infant seat).

Forward facing: the tips of the ears (or eye level) must not go over the top of headrest or shell of a toddler seat without a headrest.

Top tip: Each time your child outgrows their clothes or shoes, it’s probably time to adjust headrest and harness height. 

• Harness tightness

First, correctly tighten the harness and then do the pinch test (see below). For a 3-point harness, buckle up and then pull the adjustment strap located between the child’s legs, this will tighten the harness. For a 5-point harness, first remove the slack from the hips by pulling the shoulder straps upwards towards the baby’s/child’s chin and then tighten the shoulder straps by pulling the adjustment strap between the legs to tighten over the shoulders. Only 1 finger should fit between the harness and collarbone. Shoulder straps/pads should be flat and close to the neck, not slipping off the shoulders. A harness that is too loose is the most common, potentially fatal, mistake parents make. Never dress your child in puffy winter jackets or coats when they need to be strapped into the car seat, these jackets are too bulky and will compress during an accident which will make the harness too loose. Watch this video.

Your child is not safe when the harness is too loose and will most likely have critical or fatal abdominal/head/spinal cord injuries in the event of severe braking or a collision when the harness slips off the shoulders and the child’s upper body moves forward/sideways contacting hard areas in the vehicle.

Finally, always do the pinch test: you should not be able to pinch excess webbing between your fingers. If you can pinch the webbing, tighten the harness until you can’t pinch it anymore. To ensure correct tightness, you should correctly tighten the harness and perform the pinch test every single time you buckle up your child. Watch this video of the pinch test.

Top tip: After you have tightened the harness so that only 1 finger (1cm) fits between the harness and your baby’s/toddler’s collarbone, do the “pinch test” as it is more accurate than the “1 finger rule” due to the size difference of people’s fingers.

The harness should be comfortably tight, there are some babies who may not like this and may cry and protest. With time, most babies will get used to it and cry less. Persevere, if your baby absolutely hates the car seat, even after a perfect fit, correct installation and use, we need to investigate further.  Babies with ear problems, reflux, colic, vestibular or sensory issues may struggle more with being in a car seat. If your baby struggles with any of the above you can consult a Paediatric ENT, Chiropractor specialising in Paediatrics or an Occupational Therapist with Sensory Integration training. Babies may be fussier in the car seat when they go through teething/growth spurts/leaps/sleep regression or reach milestones such as starting to crawl or walk.  Usually, they get better again after 2 – 3 weeks.

• Inserts
  • Newborn inserts:

Car seats that can be used from birth come standard with inserts (foam padding or wedges for under the bum, sides, head) to better position the infant for optimal safety. Inserts can be made up of 1 or 2 pieces.

Please note that in most multi-stage car seats the newborn inserts are so thick that it positions the baby outside the shell of the car seat. Infant specific car seats (carrier / capsule) are the safest option because the baby sits deep inside the shell of the car seat, even with inserts and has good side impact protection.

Infant car seats: Infant (newborn) inserts are usually removed when your baby is between 4 – 6 months old or around 9kg. Please refer to your car seat manual for the specific age/weight range as this may differ between car seats. If not mentioned in the instruction manual, contact the manufacturer directly with the model’s name.

• Toddler / Multi-stage inserts:  

Some car seats specify that the inserts must be used until a child is 2 years old. Please refer to your car seat manual for the specific age/weight range as this may differ between car seats. If not mentioned in the instruction manual, contact the manufacturer directly with the model’s name.

Infant specific car seats – also known as an infant carrier/capsule

• The carry handle

For most infant car seats: the carry handle should be upright (like when you carry the car seat). Some carry handles must be against the vehicle backseat. Check your instruction manual for the correct position.  When in the upright position, it acts as roll over protection and prevents debris from coming down on the baby. The Doona car seat / stroller combo, Safeway Snug n Safe Orbit, Peg Perego Viaggio and BeSafe iZi Sleep are examples of infant car seats where the carry handle must rest against the vehicle backseat, in this instance the carry handle acts as an anti-rebound bar.

• Built-in sun canopy

Use with care, these get very hot, very quickly, especially in our hot South African weather. Our Secret Shades offer a safe solution to protect your baby’s eyes from the sun.

• Infant car seat covers

Car seat covers (which do not come with a car seat are an aftermarket product that have not been crash tested) should not be used in a vehicle. Only use one made of light breathable fabric when ‘out & about’, to prevent sensory input or people from touching your baby. The baby should always be buckled up, regardless of whether or not they are in the vehicle. Always remove the cover completely when installing the car seat into the vehicle as the cover can interfere with the correct installation, regardless of whether it’s a seatbelt installation or ISOFix base. Avoid using the car seat cover in the car as your baby may overheat, rather consider using our Secret Shades to shield them from the sun.  

• Recline position

Check the recline position (for newborns it should be 45 degrees, this stops their heads from falling forward (also known as head flop) where their chin rests on their chest. This restricts their airways – which can ultimately result in positional asphyxiation. If your car seat offers more than 1 recline position in rear facing mode, check the manual for the correct recline position to use for the weight/age of your child. The older the child is, the more upright their car seat should be.

• Aftermarket products

Avoid aftermarket products such as head pillows, head straps, chest clips, infant inserts, soft harness covers or shoulder pads, vehicle seat protectors and infant car seat covers. These products form part of an unregulated business, are not crash tested with your car seat and should be avoided. Aftermarket products can interfere with the correct installation and/or use of your car seat and can also cause the car seat not to perform as it should during a crash, for example the product could be highly flammable and easily ignited by sparks during an accident or it could be a homemade shoulder pad that is thick/slippery and compresses/ slips off the shoulders, which would result in the baby/child being ejected from the car seat during an accident. Only use products made and crash tested by your car seat manufacturer.

• Projectiles / loose items

Avoid hard, big toys as it can potentially become a projectile during an accident. Only use small, soft, light toys. Visit our online shop for a selection of safe in-vehicle activities.

Reduce projectiles in the car – any loose object such as a nappy bag, laptop bag, luggage, toys and even groceries can become airborne during an accident and become a potentially deadly projectile causing severe or fatal injuries. Store these items in the boot. A 500g margarine tub becomes 30kg in a collision at 60km/h.

Weighted blankets/toys for children with special needs should be considered and used with care. In this situation we must consider whether the benefit outweighs the risk. 

Correct seatbelt fit for a High Back Booster

Your child should ideally weigh a minimum of 18kg and be 4 years old (usually 105cm) to be booster* ready.

The vehicle lap belt should sit low over the child’s lap (touching thighs) and not over stomach. The vehicle shoulder belt should be positioned in the middle of shoulder, not against the neck or face, nor slipping off shoulder.

The vehicle shoulder belt should always be used across the chest, not under the arm or behind the back.

Always use a 3-point seatbelt. A high back booster (or backless booster) may not be used with a lap belt only – the child and seat will tip forward/sideways and child’s head may crash into the hard surfaces of the vehicle which may result in critical or fatal head/brain/spinal cord injuries.

Booster ready?

The minimum weight of 15kg / 100cm is only for tall, skinny children, thus above-average children regarding weight/height, e.g. a 75% percentile child on a growth chart.

An average child (average = 50% percentile on growth charts such as used for vaccinations) should remain in a harnessed car seat until they reach the maximum weight / height limit of the car seat’s internal 5-point harness (which is usually 18kg) and only then move to a high back booster.

A child who is either well below average (e.g. 15th percentile such as 4 years old and weighs 15kg) OR well above average (e.g. 97th percentile such as 2 ½ years old and weighs 17kg), should remain in a harnessed car seat until 25kg. There are quite a few ERF (Extended Rear Facing) car seat options available with a harness limit of 25kg or 36kg, such as the Volvo Britax Römer Maxway, Axkid One/Axkid Minikid 2/3/4/Axkid Move and BeSafe Stretch/iZi Plus X1.

Currently there are only three Forward Facing car seats with a harness limit of 25kg available on the South African market, namely the Safeway Polar, Joie Bold and Chicco Seat-Up 012. These seats must be installed in a specific way for the harness to be used beyond the normal 18kg limit, please make sure your vehicle has a 3-point seatbelt, ISOFix AND a Top Tether anchor point.

We strongly recommend that you max out your car seat limits. Most harnessed car seats on the South African market have a 18kg forward facing limit, very few can harness till 25kg (see above). If the harness can be used to 18kg / 105cm, it is safer to keep your child harnessed until they reach the weight/height limit, before moving to a high back booster.  This ensures your child of reaching a better level of both physical and emotional maturity which they need to be safe and protected in a booster.

If you can answer ‘yes’ to all these questions, your child is booster ready:

• At least 4 years old (for physical and maturity considerations)
• Minimum 15kg (for above-average children / tall and skinny) – minimum 18kg for average children
• Minimum 100cm (1m) tall
• Mature enough to sit in the correct and safe position for the entire trip.

Watch this video for more information on booster fit.

*We recommend High Back Booster seats (full back booster) as they provide crucial side and head protection. Avoid backless boosters, also known as “bum boosters” or “booster cushions”. They don’t provide any side or head protection and may slide out from under your child, specifically the ones made of polystyrene. Only use a backless booster as a “better than nothing” option for occasional trips if a high back booster is not available or practical e.g. when using public transport. Read our Public Transport article here.