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Overview

Car seats and booster seats provide protection for infants and children in a crash, yet car crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13. It's important to choose the right seat and use it correctly every time your child is in the car.  Follow these important steps to choose the right car seat or booster seat, install it correctly and know when it’s safe for your kid to transition to a seat belt.

Find The Right Car Seat

The Process

Related Topic

Follow these steps to help you through the process of finding the right car seat, installing it correctly, and keeping your child safe. 

Find the right car seat

Install your car seat correctly

Keep your child safe in a car seat

Car Seat Safety Tips
How to Choose the Right Seat

Find The Right Car Seat

Car Seat Types

Learn about the four types of car seats, while keeping in mind the following tips:

Rear-Facing Car Seat

Car seat rear-facing

 

The best seat for your young child to use. It has a harness and, in a crash, cradles and moves with your child to reduce the stress to the child's fragile neck and spinal cord.

Types

  • Infant Car Seat (Rear-Facing only): Designed for newborns and small babies, the infant-only car seat is a small, portable seat that can only be used rear-facing. Most babies outgrow their infant seats before their first birthday. When that happens, we recommend that parents purchase a convertible or all-in-one car seat and use it rear-facing.
  • Convertible Seat: As a child grows, this seat can change from a rear-facing seat to a forward-facing seat with a harness and tether. Because it can be used with children of various sizes, it allows for children to stay in the rear-facing position longer.
  • All-in-One Seat: This seat can change from a rear-facing seat to a forward-facing seat (with a harness and tether) and to a booster seat as a child grows. Because it can be used with children of various sizes, it allows for children to stay in the rear-facing position longer.

Forward-Facing Car Seat

Car seat forward-facing

 

Has a harness and tether that limits your child's forward movement during a crash.

Types

  • Convertible Seat: As a child grows, this seat can change from a rear-facing seat to a forward-facing seat with a harness and tether.
  • Combination Seat: As a child grows, this seat transitions from a forward-facing seat with a harness and tether into a booster.
  • All-in-One Seat: This seat can change from a rear-facing seat to a forward-facing seat (with a harness and tether) and to a booster seat as a child grows.

Booster Seat

Car seat booster

 

Raises and positions a child so the vehicle’s lap-and-shoulder belt fits properly over the stronger points of a child’s body, the hips and across the chest.

Types

  • Booster Seat With High Back: This type of booster seat is designed to boost the child’s height so the seat belt fits properly. It also provides neck and head support and is ideal for vehicles that don’t have head rests or high seat backs. This seat may ease the transition from a harnessed car seat by having a similar structure, and must be used with lap-and-shoulder seat belt.
  • Backless Booster Seat: A backless booster seat is designed to boost the child’s height so the seat belt fits properly. It does not provide head and neck support. It’s only to be used in vehicles that have head rests or high seat backs and must be used with lap-and-shoulder seat belt.
  • Combination Seat: As a child grows, this seat transitions from a forward-facing car seat with a harness into a booster seat. When transitioned to a booster seat, this seat may be used in vehicles that do not have head rests or high seat backs, but must be used with lap-and-shoulder seat belt.
  • All-in-One Seat: This seat can change from a rear-facing car seat to a forward-facing car seat (with a harness and tether) and to a booster seat as a child grows. When transitioned to a booster seat, it must be used with lap-and-shoulder seat belt.

Seat Belt

Seat Belt

Should lie across the upper thighs and be snug across the shoulder and chest to restrain your child safely in a crash. It should not rest on the stomach area or across the neck or face.

 

 

 

 

Find The Right Car Seat

Car Seat Recommendations

There are many car seat choices on the market. Use the information below to help you choose the type of car seat that best meets your child’s needs or print out NHTSA’s car seat recommendations for children (PDF, 370 KB).

  • Select a car seat based on your child’s age and size, then choose a seat that fits in your vehicle, and use it every time.
  • Always refer to your specific car seat manufacturer’s instructions (check height and weight limits) and read the vehicle owner’s manual on how to install the car seat using the seat belt or lower anchors and a tether, if available.
  • To maximize safety, keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long as the child fits within the manufacturer’s height and weight requirements.
  • Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12.

Recommended car seats based on your child's age and size

Rear-Facing Car Seat

Car seat rear-facing

Birth-12 Months

Your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. There are different types of rear-facing car seats:

  • Infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing.
  • Convertible and all-in-one car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.

1 – 3 Years

Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. It’s the best way to keep him or her safe. Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether.


Forward-Facing Car Seat

Car seat forward-facing

1 – 3 Years

Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. It’s the best way to keep him or her safe. Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether.

4 – 7 Years

Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.


Booster Seat

Car seat booster

4 – 7 Years

Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.

8 – 12 Years

Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snugly across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face. Remember: your child should still ride in the back seat because it’s safer there.


Seat Belt

Seat Belt

8 – 12 Years

Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snugly across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face. Remember: your child should still ride in the back seat because it’s safer there.

 

Find The Right Car Seat

Find & Compare Seats

Search car seats by brand name and model

Find car seats for your child by brand, or look up the details of a specific car seat model.

Ease-of-Use Ratings Explained

The Car Seat Finder is an easy-to-use tool that lets you compare seats and ease-of-use ratings to find the right car seat for your child. Just fill out your child’s age, height and weight above, and you’ll be provided car seat types that fit your child. Before you get started, make sure you're familiar with the four types of car seats and NHTSA’s recommendations for choosing the right type of seat for your child.

 

Installation Help

Car Seat Installation Parts and Tips

Car Seat Installation Tips

Your child’s safety could be in jeopardy if your car seat is not installed correctly. Before you install your car seat, make sure you’re familiar with vehicle and car seat parts used in the installation process and these important installation safety tips.

Vehicle and Car Seat Parts Explained

Every car seat needs to be installed using either the lower anchors or a seat belt to secure it in place, never both. If you choose to use a seat belt to install your car seat, pay close attention to how to  “lock” your seat belt according to the vehicle’s owner manual. With a forward-facing car seat, use a tether if one is available. Before installing your car seat make sure you understand the function and location of the vehicle and car seat parts that are used in installation.

Car Seat Glossary

Vehicle Parts

Lower Anchors

Used for installing a car seat using its lower anchor attachments

The lower anchors are found in a minimum of two rear seating positions in a vehicle. Each lower-anchor-equipped seating position has two small horizontal bars found in the space between the vehicle seat’s back and bottom cushion (the “seat bight”).

Tether Anchor

Used for attaching a car seat's tether to the vehicle

Typically there are a minimum of three tether anchors in a vehicle. In sedans, these are usually located above/behind the vehicle’s back seat on the rear shelf. In some larger vehicles such as vans, pickup trucks, and SUVs, these tether anchors may be found on the back of a vehicle seat, on the floor, the ceiling, or other location.

To avoid confusing tether anchors with other hardware such as luggage tie-downs, be sure to read your vehicle’s owner manual carefully to find out where they are located in your particular vehicle.

Car Seat Parts

 

Attach top tether from the car seat to the tether anchor in the vehicle.
Fasten lower anchor attachments on the car seat to the lower anchors in the vehicle.

Lower Anchor Attachments

Used to install the car seat in a vehicle with lower anchors

Tether

Used to secure a forward-facing car seat and limit forward head movement in a crash

The tether is located on the top rear of convertible, combination, and all-in-one car seats. It’s adjustable and has a hook and strap that connects to one of your vehicle’s tether anchors. Most rear-facing car seats in the United States do not use a tether for installation. However, installations vary from model to model, so you must review your particular car seat’s instructions and your vehicle’s owner manual carefully.

Follow your car seat manufacturer’s instructions regarding when and how to use the tether for your particular seat. NHTSA recommends always using a tether with a forward-facing car seat—installed with your vehicle’s seat belt OR the lower anchors—as long as it is permitted by both the car seat and vehicle manufacturers. IMPORTANT: Both installation methods are designed to work with the tether to achieve the highest level of safety for child passengers restrained in forward-facing car seats.

Lower Anchor Weight Limits

Lower anchors have weight limits set by the vehicle and car seat manufacturers. You can determine the lower anchor weight limit by checking the warning label or installation diagrams located on the side of the car seat. If your car seat does not have a label, you can determine the maximum allowable child weight for lower anchor use by subtracting the weight of the car seat (usually available in the car seat’s instruction manual) from 65 pounds.

Lower anchor weight limit = 65 lbs – weight of car seat

Know the Facts

Once your child outgrows the vehicle or car seat manufacturer’s established limits for the lower anchors, stop using the lower anchor attachments and reinstall the car seat using the vehicle’s seat belt.

Installation Help

Car Seat Installation Instructions

Once you've become familiar with vehicle and car seat parts used for installation and NHTSA's tips to install your car seat, you're ready to follow these detailed car seat installation instructions and videos by type. 

Installation Help

Car Seat Inspection

Get your car seat inspected

Whether you’ve just installed a car seat or need help installing or using one, get help at a car seat inspection station near you. Certified technicians will inspect your car seat free of charge, in most cases, and show you how to correctly install and use it. Some locations now offer virtual inspections.

 

Can’t find an inspection station near you? You may be able to find a tech through Safe Kids Worldwide.

Registration

Register Your Car Seat

Congratulations — you chose the right car seat and installed it correctly. Now it’s time to register your car seat with the manufacturer to receive recalls and safety notices so your child can remain safe. Also, you can sign up with NHTSA to receive e-mail alerts about car seat and booster seat recalls.

 

Register your car seat to receive important safety updates

Registering your car seat makes sense

The car seat manufacturer can contact you directly about recalls and safety notices. 

Registering your car seat is easy

Send in the card that came with your car seat or complete a quick registration on the manufacturer’s website. Your child’s safety could depend on it. 

Go to Website

Need help?

If you are unable to register your child’s seat with the manufacturer, contact NHTSA at NHTSA.ODI.ced@dot.gov.

Also, get recall notices from NHTSA

In addition to registering your car seat to receive recalls and safety notices from your car seat manufacturer, you can download our SaferCar App for free to get alerts on your mobile device about car seats and booster seats recalls. You can also sign up to receive e-mail alerts.

Resources

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