Keep in mind most cars do not have lower anchor capability in the center position. In that case a seat belt install is just as safe! Lower anchors were designed with convenience in mind.
Lower Anchor limits are only for use up to 65 lbs or in cars before are 55lbs these limits include the weight of the car seat. Because children grow so quickly, using the seat belt to secure the car eat eliminates the possibility of your child being too heavy for LATCH!
This simply means that as your child grows older, you will need to switch to using the seat belt system instead of the LATCH System. When it doubt consult with your local CPST! Search Search our store. You can learn about some of my favorite car seats convertibles, infant seats, combination seats, and booster seats here , as well as which ones are likely to fit into a vehicle you drive through my 3 across car seat guides here. If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not.
Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases. What about forward-facing tethering? Do I need to do this? Does anyone do this? Is this even possible? You don't have to be one of them. Most vehicles have two sets of lower anchors, one on the driver side and the other on the passenger side in the back. A few vehicles may have sets of lower anchors in all three backseat positions. Often the center seat in the second row and many positions in the third row in vehicles with a third row will not have lower anchors.
Most vehicles do not allow you to borrow the innermost lower anchors belonging to the driver and passenger seats to install a car seat in the center; the spacing is not the same. Even if you have one of the few vehicles that allow this, make sure you are using a car seat that allows this. There may be a tag, button, or imprinted lower anchor symbol to tell you where the lower anchors are in the vehicle. Even if you can easily locate those lower anchors, you should still read through the LATCH section of your vehicle owner's manual.
It will give you installation advice specific to your vehicle. The Car Seat Lady has information on where you can find the lower anchors and tether anchors in any American vehicle made from to , including which positions in the vehicle have these anchors and which don't. This table also shows which vehicles have center LATCH and links to a list of the car seats that allow themselves to be installed with lower anchors that are spaced wider than standard.
It may look like the lower anchors, but there's only one per set of lower anchors. In an SUV or minivan, the tether anchor is most often found on the back of the vehicle seat where the car seat is installed. However, in a sedan it is always on the shelf below the rear windshield. A few vehicles, most often SUVs or station wagons, have a tether anchor on the ceiling above and behind the back seat. The vehicle owner's manual can give you the exact location of any tether anchors in your vehicle.
With a few exceptions such as convertibles or cars without back seats , there will be a tether anchor to go along with each set of lower anchors, and there is almost always at least one additional tether anchor, as well, that can be used along with a seat belt installation tethers must be used for all forward-facing installations, whether with lower anchors or seat belt.
For pickup trucks, the tether anchors may look vastly different than in other vehicles. They may even be loops of webbing instead of metal. You must read the vehicle owner's manual to learn how to use this type of tether anchor.
It is one of the only types where more than one car seat could share an anchor. Car seats have a way to connect to the lower anchors. Most use a strap with some type of a hook that connects to the vehicle's lower anchors. A few car seats have rigid LATCH where the connectors are rigidly attached to the frame of the child's car seat and there is no strap involved.
All forward-facing car seats have a tether strap, which is a strap with a hook on the end that comes from the head of the child's car seat and connects to the tether anchor in the vehicle. The LATCH system was designed to allow seat belts to be optimized for restraining the human body and the lower anchors for installing a car seat.
For some car seats, rear-facing car seats in particular, another advantage of installation with the lower anchors is that the car seat won't tilt to the side due to pressure from the shoulder portion of the vehicle's seat belt. A seat belt installation where the seat belt's built-in locking mode is used will often cause a tilt.
Putting two installation belts through the same belt path could increase the crash forces applied to a particular area of the car seat, possibly causing the car seat to break or perform in ways that cannot easily be predicted.
Additionally, using two installation belts could put additional force on the car seat, possibly causing it to perform in ways that cannot be easily predicted. Always install and use the car seat exactly as the manufacturer specifies in the instruction manual. If you install the car seat using methods that are not outlined in the seat's instruction manual, it's like you're using your child as a crash test dummy. You can't be sure of what will happen when car seats are used in ways that have not been crash-tested and approved.
To find out how your car seat should be installed, check the car seat instructions as well as your vehicle's owner's manual. If you cannot get the car seat installed tightly using either the vehicle seat belt or the components of the LATCH system, find a certified child passenger safety technician or a car seat inspection station by visiting Safe Kids USA.
Every position in the car has a seat belt, but not every position usually has the lower anchors. If the car seat is going to be installed in the center seat, for example, this will almost always require using the seat belt. If the car seat will be installed on one of the side seats, you'll often have the choice between the lower anchors or the seat belt. You should choose the installation method that allows you to get the best fit for your vehicle.
A car seat is installed correctly when you cannot move it more than an inch in any direction when you grab the car seat at the belt path. After verifying that the seat is tight, make sure it is angled properly—reclined for rear-facing kids and more upright for forward-facing kids. Remember that even though you have to pick between the vehicle seat belt or the lower anchors part of the LATCH system , the tethers are used in addition to the vehicle seat belt or lower anchors for every forward-facing installation.
The lower anchor weight limit is listed on the car seat labels and in the instruction manual. Currently, there are several seats that do allow the use of the lower anchors and seat belt simultaneously. Carefully review the information on the product you've purchased to ensure you understand how to install it safely. However, it's important to keep in mind that car seat safety information can change quickly as manufacturers put out new seats.
Always read that instruction manual—even if you think you're already very familiar with the car seat model. The lower anchor weight limits only apply to car seats where the child is restrained by a 5-point harness. Lower anchor weight limits do not apply to boosters boosters are seats where the child sits on the booster and uses the vehicle's seat belt across them as the restraint.
Many booster seats can connect to the vehicle's lower anchors. It is safe for the booster to be secured to the lower anchors while the child is secured using the vehicle's seat belt across them.
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