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What are Convertible Infant Car Seats?
 5/20/2009  by Kerri
 
You can have child car seats front facing and you can also have rear facing car seats. A convertible child car seat is a seat that can be used for a child from when they are an infant right up to their toddler years which is when they can start using a booster seat. Those kinds of seats you can use for babies to ride in the rear facing position (facing the rear of the car). This kind of seat can also be used for toddlers and the position they sit in is facing the front of the car. Convertible child seats cater for more than one age group (can rear face as well as forward face) - our Graco Junior Mini is an example and is suitable for children from birth to 4 years old! These types of car seat have a 5 point harness built in which secures the baby in his seat.
 
Always be sure to check the weight restrictions for the seats before putting your baby in it. If your baby is too heavy for the seat he may not be as safe. Usually you should find the weight limit in the instructions or on the car seat label, although you should ideally know the weight limit of the seat before buying it. Some convertible infant car seats have been designed with higher rear facing weight restrictions than they did before. This is brilliant as parents can now keep their baby's rear facing for longer. Child car seats front facing is known not to be as safe as a seat that is rear facing (which is why you should use rear facing seats until your baby reaches the weight limit). Rear facing is the safest position for young babies to be in while riding in your car as they don't have many parts of their bodies that may be strong enough to withstand the force of a crash. The rear facing car seat helps to distribute the force along the back, neck and head which puts less force on any one part of the child's body. Many convertible infant car seats have increased their weight limits for the forward facing position as well. Be sure never to keep your baby in their rear facing car seat past the limit that is specified by the manufacturer.
 
Convertible child car seats have two seperate belt paths which the car seats belts can be passed through. Always check the car seat instruction manuals to check how to use the belt paths for forward facing and rear facing. One belt path is used for front facing and the other belt path is used for rear facing car seats. Some car seats have a seperate belt path for the vehicle seat belt.
 
It is advised to keep your child in a harnessed child car seat for as long as possible (not exceeding any weight restrictions etc) before switching them to a booster seat. 
 
 
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