Last month I wrote this post about myths surrounding extended rear facing car seats, and it was very popular so I thought I’d do another post about car seats; this time about the most common mistakes that people make and how to ensure that you avoid them, and keep your children as safe as possible.
Here are my top car seat safety mistakes and how to fix them!
1) Incorrect strap/headrest height
The annoying thing about kids is that they just keep on growing.
In rearfacing seats, the straps need to be level with or just below the shoulders to keep the child safe in a collision. In harnessed forward facing seats, the opposite applies; the straps need to be level with or just above the shoulders.
Luckily for us, the headrest is automatically adjustable in our Axkid Minikids, so as long as the straps are pulled tightly then we can’t go far wrong. If your straps are fixed, check periodically that they’re still in the right place.
2) Straps are too loose or twisted
My children complain all the time that their straps are too tight, but like the mean mummy I am I don’t care. At the end of the day if the straps aren’t tight enough, the child will be able to wriggle out or in a collision they risk being catapulted from their seat which seems less than ideal really.
Make sure your child is sat back right in the seat – this is really important with babies – and tighten the straps as far as you can. If you can pinch the strap between your fingers, it’s too loose.
It would be pretty hard to over-tighten car seat straps, but if you’re worried then check that you can get a finger between your child’s chest and the harness.
Ensure that the straps aren’t twisted and that chest pads in infant car seats are placed on the chest rather than shoulders.
3) Using coats and padded clothing in the car
Padded clothing makes car seat straps unsafe.
In the event of a sharp brake, the padding will constrict and the straps won’t hold the child inside.
If it’s cold, use a blanket over the top of the straps, but do not put babies in snow suits or children in coats inside a car seat.
This is something I didn’t know. I absolutely admit that my daughter’s first journey home from the hospital was in a snow suit; I just didn’t know any better. Now I do, and so do you.
4) Moving too soon into a forward facing seat
This is a big one, and there isn’t any real explanation. For some reason parents can rush to move babies up to their next stage car seat and often these are forward facing.
Group 0 infant car seats are perfectly adequate for children right up to the weight limit and are much safer than turning them forward facing.
There are usually removable foam inserts and head huggers, so if you think your child has outgrown the seat ridiculously early (and isn’t above the weight limit) then make sure you aren’t missing something before moving them into the next stage seat.
It is five times safer to keep your child rear facing until they hit at least four years old. If you need convincing, read this post about why you should keep your children rear facing for as long as possible.
5) Using an unsafe car seat
Some car seats have an expiry date stamped on the manufacturer’s label (usually on the sides or base). Others will have the date the seat was manufactured. Most modern car seats can be used for six years, after which the plastic will start to degrade and they are deemed unsafe.
Ensure that you check this before use if it’s not a new seat, for example if it belonged to a sibling.
If you think that a car seat might be damaged, do not use it.
Never use a car seat if you don’t know its history, as it may not be safe.
Even a low impact crash can compromise the safety of a car seat, although it might still look fine from the outside. There are plenty of items that you can most definitely buy second hand, but car seats really aren’t one of them.
When buying a new car seat, do your research thoroughly, and read articles such as Nuna’s articles on building car seats, to find the most suitable for your car and safest for your child. You want a seat that is well manufactured, easy to install, and will keep your child safe.
If you’re looking for a good deal on a car seat, many retailers have sales on older models several times a year. Cashback sites and points cards can also help to recoup some of the spend.
You can check in case of products recalls on this website.
6) Using an incompatible car seat
Check that is it compatible with your make and model of car. This is usually something people do when purchasing their car seats but if you change your car down the line, it might not occur to you to re-check.
7) Installing incorrectly
Research has shown that a huge amount of car seats aren’t installed correctly, and if a car seat isn’t installed properly then it won’t do it’s job.
ISOfix makes it harder to install a seat incorrectly but they are no safer than correctly installed belted seats.
Installing car seats can seem daunting, especially if there are tethers, but there are lots of official YouTube videos out there to help. Always install it according to the instructions and get it checked if possible, it should not wobble or move around.
If you are using a baby carrier, the bar needs to be forwards to act as a roll bar when the car seat is in situ.
8) Storing the car seat improperly
When it’s out of the car, you need to ensure that you store your car seat properly. That means wrapping it up and keeping it somewhere dry, and not in a damp garage or basement where it might get mouldy.
Leaving a car seat unsecured or in the boot to rattle around can damage it and make it unsafe.
9) Exceeding the weight limit
Make sure that you weigh your child periodically so that you know when they are approaching the weight limit for their seat.
Most ISOfix seats have a limit of 18kg, which is around four years but can come much earlier (or later). Some belted seats like the Axkid Minikids that we have are safe for use up until the child his 25kg, which offers more peace of mind.
10) Letting your children sit in the seats after being in the sandpit
Not dangerous but oh my god you’re going to regret it.
Same goes for letting them snack in the car. Oh my life. You might not even realise until you take the car seats out. Yeurgh.
Now for some amazing news!
You can WIN an Axkid Minikid car seat worth £350!
As an Ambassador for Axkid, I have the amazing opportunity to offer one of their brilliant Axkid Minikid 2018 car seats (suitable from 0-25kg) to a lucky winner.
Enter below as many times as you like for a chance to win!
Pin it!
To read about why I’m working with Axkid and what this involves, please read this post!
For our review of the original Axkid Minikid, which are shown in this post, go to this post here!
I’m really glad you’re talking about extended rear facing as it’s something I honestly had no clue about until you mentioned it before! Glad I know now and the seats look brilliant too.
Wow! There are some great tips here (I didn’t know that seats have an expiry date!) and some things I don’t want to think about – J always snacks in the car!!
I’d choose the pink thank you!
black I think or pink
My choice is the colour of pink so powerful yet so understated.
All black!
I think I was making about eight of those! I love your children’s expressions, they are little gems. Totally going to enter this ready for Norah’s next seat! Fab post x
I love the petrol blue seat!
I would choose the red seat
I’d choose the pink.
I’d have the blue it’s lovely… and it’ll match my car
I like the grey. Tips are always useful as it is easy to think you are getting things right when you are not.
Some great tips here and this looks a strong and sturdy make I like the petrol blue one
I’d choose the blue one….Thanks
I’d chose the pink for my new little girl
Some really good tips here. I confess I was completely clueless about car seats- fortunately my partner has had training in fitting them etc as part of his job, so he was much more informed than I was.
(PS. I like the red colour!)
Great tips! Its always good to be reminded of how important it is to stick with safety in car seats and knowing the rights and wrongs. I love the car seat in grey!
I’d love the blue one
Pink please, fabulous tips, learnt a lot by reading the review, thank you for this
I would choose the grey one
I love the blue , good to read all your tips
Fab post! My son would love the red one
I’d choose blue
I would Pick Grey
I think blue 🙂
I like the blue and pink, they stand out more, the tips are very helpful, it is very stressful when strapping the car seats in correctly.
I like the blue…it would go lovely in the car 😉
pink- everything would be pink if my daughter had her way!
I would totally love the pink!
The blue is lovely.
I like the red one. Great article, I don’t have kids so have never thought about car seats, didn’t realise they had an expiry date.
The red colour is my favourite. Lovely review thanks
Love the pink! xx
The black one.
Pink please
Thank you for sharing. Some things I didn’t know. Do you know if all car seats can be easily unbuckled as my daughter can undo hers. Thankfully not when I’m driving.
PS pink is cool!
I’d love to get the red one.
Fab tips!! Especially the sandpit one! I’d go for the grey please
The tips you shared are fantastic, I wish I had read a post like this when I had my first as I made so many of the mistakes you mentioned, we use isofix now, and even though as you say its no safer than a properly fitted seat without, I feel safe knowing that I’m not going to mess up fitting the seat over and over, plus they are so much less hassle
The red is my favourite
Grey
really great tips, i love it in grey 🙂
I love the blue! i’m just looking for the next car seat size up, so this would be amazing to win.
The tips are great and I love the grey as its great for a girl or boy 🙂
Great tips. I’d have to go with the blue colour…
Black for us, it would match the leather seats! The tips are very useful! 🙂
I love the blue – it’s a nice calming colour! These are gret tips. With two nephews this year who regularlay visit, and another on the way, bit not haivng kids of my own these are all really important things to note. Thanks for the post!
I would choose the grey x
I’d choose black.
I’d choose the grey one
Red seat
I would choose red.
Some great tips, especially about the twisted straps, my older kids twist ours like it’s going out of fashion!
Also to add. Always check the baby seat is buckled up OK, one of my older children knocked the release on ours whilst doing their belt up next to it and I didn’t realise until I got home and the seat moved as I was removing the baby! I check all the time now.
Red
I would choose the red one because its bright and cheery
I would pick the blue one
I like the red. great tip about the coats, something which can go unnoticed about the straps being so lose when wearing jackets/coats.
I’d pick the blue car seat
Really useful post.
Great tips! I’m still using my first chair with my little girl so will bear all of them in mind when I’ll be looking for her next chair….. unless of course I happen to be lucky enough to win one of the beautiful AXkid seats (would love my little lady in red). Great site x
Looks great! i would choose Red
I would choose the red seat
Lovely car seat, I’d love any of them but pink is my favourite for my third baby girl due next year 🙂
I would chose the black one
I would like the black one and the tips are very helpful
I would pick the red one, the tips were very useful.
I like the red one and the angle adjusting wedge feature
The red one, colour of my sons car and this would be for his little man to use
I would love the all black! And the tips are fantastically helpful!
Charcoal Grey would be fab
i love the look of the blue one its a lovely shade
Blue x
great giveaway
This looks great – really safe and luxurious. I love the blue one.
I would most likely go for a black one!
I’d choose pink and I found the tips really useful
Out of the choices available, I think the red is my favourite.
I’d pick pink
Grey.
Grey
There are some excellent tips here which I will be passing on too.
I’d choose the grey, it would match my car brilliantly!
Great tips! I always worry that my car seat isn’t in properly. I would choose the pink car seat!
A great reminder post for me as a lot of things have changed or I have forgotten since having my daughter 6rs ago and having my 2nd daughter recently!
This would be amazing for my little girl!
My favourite is the teal
The red seat is so lovely. They are all awesome though. Been on my wishlist for such a long time. Thanks for the tips too 🙂
grey and black one!!
I would choose the pink
I love the red myself 🙂
the tips are very useful