The first ride home is the one with the least margin for a practice run. A seat installed and checked weeks earlier turns that ride into a routine one. This is a sensible order.
Timeline
| When | Task |
|---|---|
| As soon as you have the seat | Check the label, register it, and read both manuals. |
| Several weeks before the due date | Install it, practice the harness and book a technician check. |
| At the technician visit | Bring the vehicle, the seat and both manuals. |
| Before the hospital bag is packed | Confirm the seat is installed, the harness is set for a newborn and the manual is in the bag. |
Step by step
- Read both manuals. AAP says to read the car seat manual and the vehicle owner's manual before every installation. NHTSA's rear-facing guide tells you to learn where your vehicle's lower anchors are and how its seat belt locks.
- Choose the position. AAP says the back seat is the place for all children under 13. The center may be best, but only if the seat can be installed tightly there. See installing without LATCH if your vehicle lacks anchors.
- Install with one method. NHTSA says to use either the lower anchors or the vehicle seat belt. If you use the belt, lock it as the vehicle manual describes. The seat manual lists the methods it allows.
- Set the recline. Most rear-facing seats have an angle indicator or adjuster, and the angle may need changing as the baby grows. See recline angles.
- Test the install. NHTSA says the seat should not move more than one inch side to side or front to back when you pull at the belt path. Press down firmly while you tighten.
- Attach the carrier. For an infant seat, NHTSA lists clicking the carrier into the base as the last step.
Practice the harness
Use a doll or a stuffed animal of similar size to practice. Rear-facing, the harness straps sit at or below the shoulders. Buckle the harness and chest clip and tighten until you cannot pinch extra webbing at the shoulder, which is NHTSA's check. The chest clip goes at armpit level, according to NHTSA and AAP. Practice with winter layers as well if the baby is arriving in cold weather; check the manual for what may be worn under the harness.
Book a technician check
NHTSA says certified technicians usually inspect seats free of charge, and some locations offer virtual inspections. Ask how far ahead appointments book, since slots near you may fill. Our CPST guide explains how to find one. If you installed with the belt, ask the technician to show you how your vehicle's belt locks.
Rear-facing space and airbags
A rear-facing seat takes room behind the front seats, so adjust the front seat to suit and check that the driver and front passenger still have space. AAP says never to place a rear-facing seat in front of an active passenger airbag, which is one more reason the back seat is the answer. Sit in the driver's seat with the seat installed to confirm you can drive comfortably.
Register and check the label
NHTSA recommends registering the seat with the manufacturer, by mailed card or online, so the maker can contact you about recalls and safety notices. The label shows the model number and manufacture date; AAP says to check the maker's lifespan too. See how to read the labels. If you have not chosen a seat yet, our registry checklist covers the choice.
Hospital day
- Leave the seat installed. Bring the manual in the hospital bag.
- Ask your hospital what it expects at discharge; requirements vary. If your baby may spend time in the NICU, read about the car seat tolerance test.
- Do a final harness check before you leave the parking lot.
A second vehicle changes the plan. A grandparent's car needs its own manual read and its own install. Do not assume the first install carries over.
Sources and verification
- AAP HealthyChildren.org, Car Safety Seats: Information for Families: rear-facing from the first ride home, both manuals, back seat, center seat, tightness, harness position.
- NHTSA, installing rear-facing car seats, installation tips and car seat guidance: one-inch test, recline, carrier last, free inspections, registration.
- Not verified: how far ahead a given inspection station books, and any hospital's discharge rules. Ask them directly.