Car Seat Types:

Choose the Right One for Your Child

Using the right type of car safety seat – taking into account the age and weight of your child -- is very important for the safety of children traveling in your vehicle.

Following are some tips from Dr. Maria T. Camacho, Pediatric Critical Care Specialist with the Matt & Patty Gorges Children’s Center at Valley Baptist Medical Center–Harlingen, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, on choosing the right type of car seat for your child.

Types of car safety seats

1. Infant-only seats

• Can only be used rear-facing

• Are used for babies from birth or five pounds and who weigh up to 20 to 22 pounds, depending on the model

• Are small and portable

• Come with a three-point harness or a five-point harness

2. Convertible seats

• Are bigger and heavier than infant-only seats, and because they can be used rear-facing and forward-facing, they can be used longer and for larger children.

• May not fit newborns as well as some infant-only seats. Make sure that your baby can recline comfortable in the car safety seat. Check the instructions from the car seat manufacturer to be sure that harnesses can be adjusted properly.

• Are used rear-facing for infants until they have reached at least one year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds. When your child is older than one year of age and has reached the highest weight or height allowed by the manufacturer for use in the rear-facing position, you should turn the car safety seat forward-facing and make the following three adjustments:

o Move the shoulder straps to the top slots or as they are described in the manufacturer’s instructions. The shoulder straps must be at or above your child’s shoulders. Check you instructions for any additional information on the placement of the shoulder straps that may be specific for your car seat.

o Move the car safety seat into the upright position. (Check the manufacturer’s instructions for the recline angle allowed when forward-facing.)

o Route the seat belt through the belt path for forward-facing.

• Have the following four types of harnesses:

o Six-point harness – six straps: two at the shoulders, two at the hips, two at the crotch

o Five-point harness – five straps: two at the shoulders, two at the hips, one at the crotch

o Overhead shield – A padded tray-like shield that swings down around the child

o T-shield – A padded T-shaped or triangular shield attached to the shoulder straps

Note: If using a convertible seat for a small infant, the best choice for safety and a more secure fit is the five-point harness. A small baby’s face can hit a tray or shield in a crash.

3. Forward-facing seats

• Cannot be used rear-facing

• Are only for children who are at least one year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds

• Can be used with a lap-only seat belt or a lap/shoulder belt

4. Combination Seats

• Cannot be used rear-facing.

• Are only for children who are at least one year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds.

• Have an internal harness system for children who weigh up to 40 to 50 pounds depending on the model.

• Convert to belt-positioning boosters (by removing the harnesses) for children who have exceeded the height or weight limits for use with the internal harness. This allows the seat to be used longer.

• Can be used with lap-only belt or lap-shoulder belt with internal harness, or with lap-shoulder belt as a booster seat.

5. Booster Seats

When your child reaches the top weight or height allowed for his car safety seat, his shoulders are above the harness slots, or his ears have reached the top of his car safety seat, you need a belt-positioning booster seat. Booster seats should be used until your child can correctly fit in a lap-shoulder seat belt.

Following are two types of booster seats:

• Belt-positioning boosters are used with lap-shoulder belts. The booster raises your child so that the lap-shoulder belt fits properly. This helps protect your child’s upper body and head. Both high-backed (for vehicles that do not have head rests) and backless models are available.

• Shield boosters: Based on federal motor vehicle safety standards established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), shield boosters have not been certified by their manufacturers for use by children who weigh more than 40 pounds. For these children, or for children who are too heavy or too tall to fit in a seat with a full harness, the shield may be removed and the seat used with a lap/shoulder belt as a belt-positioning booster.

Children who weigh 40 pounds or less are best protected in a seat with a full harness. Significant injuries have occurred to children in shield boosters in crashes due to ejection, excessive head movement, and shield contact. Although boosters with shields may meet current federal safety standards for use by children who weigh 30 to 40 pounds, on the basis of current published peer- reviewed data, the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend their use. Children should remain in a convertible, forward-facing, or combination seat with a full harness until they reach the top weight or height allowed by the manufacturer.

Is your child ready for a regular seat belt?

Keep your child in a car safety seat with a full harness or belt-positioning booster seat for as long as possible. When your child is big enough, make sure the seat belts in your vehicle fit your child correctly. The shoulder belt should lie across the chest, not the neck or throat. The lap belt must be low and snug across the thighs, not the stomach. In addition, the child should be tall enough to sit against the vehicle seat back with their legs bent at the knees and feet hanging down. Seat belts are made for adults. If the seat belt does not fit your child correctly, she or he should stay in a booster seat until the adult seat belt fits. This is usually when the child reaches about four feet, nine inches in height and is between eight to 12 years of age.

For more information on car seat safety, please visit the American Academy of Pediatrics’ web site by clicking here.  

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