A forward-facing car seat lets your child continue to ride comfortably and securely as they grow. Once your child reaches the height, weight and age requirements to ride in a forward-facing car seat, there are several options to consider. Choose from a convertible car seat that transitions to a forward-facing car seat or choose a harness booster or belt-positioning booster for bigger kids. Rest assured, every Chicco car seat is engineered for comfort, safety and peace of mind. World-class innovation and user-friendly touchpoints make it reassuringly easy to install the forward-facing car seat and to secure your child, providing peace of mind for every ride.
Your child should remain rear-facing until they have reached either the rear-facing height limit or the rear-facing weight limit of the car seat. Even if your kid’s feet are touching the seat back, that’s okay, children are a lot more flexible than adults. The benefit of keeping your child rear-facing for as long as possible is protection for their developing head, neck and spine. Once your child has reached the rear-facing maximum height or weight limit of the car seat, they are ready to make the switch to a forward-facing car seat. See the recommendation from NHTSA.gov.
As with all car seats, you want a seat that will fit your child and fit your vehicle. Once your child outgrows their convertible car seat, you can look for a seat that is made to only be forward-facing. Forward-facing only seats are often less bulky than convertible seats and can free up valuable space in the back seat. A harness booster seat (also known as a combination seat) is a great seat that will support your child with a five-point harness and then help them transition to a booster seat. Once they move to a booster seat, they will utilize the vehicle seat belt.
Finding a car seat with a higher harness height is a great way to ensure your child can take full advantage of the safety of a forward-facing car seat.
The safest position in your vehicle is where you are able to get the best installation. While many people believe the rear center position is always preferable, note that often the rear center seat position is not as wide and is sometimes slightly elevated above the side seat positions, which can contribute to more challenging rear center seat installations.
The phrases “forward-facing” and “front-facing” mean the same thing in terms of car seats, however, “forward-facing” is more commonly used when referring to car seats. A forward-facing car seat is positioned so that the child faces the front of the car. Convertible and all-in-one car seats can be used rear-facing and then transition to forward-facing once your child meets appropriate height and weight limits. Harness booster and booster seats are forward-facing only and should only be used once your child meets the age, height and weight requirements for those particular seats.