Is your baby getting a little swishy in his or her capsule? The team at Baby Box have provided some guidance on how to know when to move on from an infant capsule and into a convertible car seat. Here’s what the ladies had to say:
It’s not one size fits all
Different capsules have different specs, so some can quite comfortably fit a child until 12 months old but others will require a move up at 6 months. So get to know your capsule and it’s limits.
You can find the limits for a capsule in the manual that comes with it. If you aren’t sure, talk to a Child Restraint Technician like those of us at Baby Box.
First remove padding and adjust the straps
Most capsules have additional new-born padding and different slots for the shoulders and crotch, so you can adjust the size to suit the child.
It’s surprising how many parents don’t realise they have an infant insert that can be removed, creating a whole lot more room for baby.
Similarly, you may need to move the straps up to another slot in the capsule. This is easy to do, but sometimes we forget to do it until baby really is swished.
Your car seats’ manual will let you know if there are removable components you can take out and will also let you know how many slots you have to play with.
When to make the move
Move up when your child is close to hitting the limits of their specific capsule, or earlier if you are moving them into a car seat which can accommodate them.
Some capsules’ limits are based on height. There may be an indication marking near the shoulders that lets you know. Others are weight based, so you need to monitor how heavy your child is.
It’s okay to move up before exhausting the limits of a capsule, provided you are moving your child into an age appropriate rear-facing restraint.
What do you move them into?
If ready to move up, we recommend moving them into a rear-facing car-seat. Most families will opt for a convertible option; one that will enable them to rear-face for now but forward-face later as their child grows.
Rear-face your child until they are at least 2 years old
Rear-facing car seats will support your child’s head, neck and spine by distributing crash forces across the shell of the car seat.
All Child Restraint Technicians in New Zealand will recommend that children are rear-facing for at least the first two years of life.
Extended rear-facing
It is possible to rear-face until 4, 5, even 6 years old. If planning to rear-face for a longer period of time, make sure you purchase a car seat that will allow you to meet your goals.
In store we have the Maxi-Cosi Pearl which will allow most children to rear-face until 4 years of age. We also sell the Clek range.
Clek and Diono have the highest weight limits for rear-facing in New Zealand. There are also a few additional safety features with the Clek seats, which make them a bit more expensive so keep this in mind.
How to work out the best option
The best way to determine the best car seat for your child and your vehicle, is to seek advice when purchasing.
Car seats can be very specific. They absolutely must fit and be installed properly, and sometimes our cars don’t allow us to use our number one choice in car-seat so we have to keep looking for options.
Similarly, your family composition and your child’s physicality dictate your options. It is important when buying a new car seat to consider all occupants in the vehicle, to ensure that everyone is comfortable and safe when travelling.
We love helping parents figure out what they need. We also sell the extras (like anchor point kits) that will help you make your car seat fit safely in your vehicle.
If you think now’s time to move your little one on from their infant capsule, please don’t hesitate to visit our Child Restraint Technicians in store at Baby Box, 18 Ihakara Street, Paraparaumu.