At what age or weight do you turn the rear facing car seat around? What age do they need a booster seat?

Answer 1

20 pounds AND 1 year old

my son is 21 pounds and 8 months old, but even after he is 1, he will stay rear facing, because that is the best position. I will probably turn him at about 18 months. WHY RUSH IT?

Answer 2

One year old AND at least 22 lbs but it is recommended you keep them rear facing to the maximum the seat will allow. Think about it this way, what is the benefit of forward facing, even at the required age/weight? There really isn't any. Some people worry about the child's legs being too long but according to the Child Passenger Safety website below, there has never been a documented case of a child breaking a leg/hip from extended rear facing. And if it were to happen, better a broken leg than a snapped neck. My one year old will be rear facing until she reaches the maximum limit of her car seat for her safety. I hope others will consider this as well.

As far as a booster, the recommendation is from about age 4 (40 lbs) to about age 8 unless they are 4'9".

Answer 3

Generally forward facing at 1 year + 20 pounds
Generally booster seat at 40 pounds (which happens around age 4)

Of course, check the car seat for its specific weight and height restrictions.

Answer 4

"Rear-facing is the safest position the child can ride in. It is strongly recommended that all children stay rear-facing beyond the minimum requirements of 1 year and 20 lbs. Children should not be turned forward-facing until they reach the maximum rear-facing limits of a convertible seat (that allows rear-facing to at least 30 lbs). These limits are either the maximum rear-facing weight limit or when the top of their head is within one inch of the top of the seat shell, whichever comes first. While most parents are aware that they must keep their children rear-facing "until they are AT LEAST 1 year old AND 20 lbs", very few are told that there are significant safety benefits when a child remains rear-facing as long as the seat allows. For most children, rear-facing can and should continue well into the second year of life."
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx

Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible, and after that keep your child in a harnessed seat as long as possible. I have the Britax Regent for my 3 year old, it goes up to 80 lbs! Don't rush it, your child's safety depends on it.

**As for the scrunched legs comments...better scrunched legs than a broken neck. From the link above:
"There is not a single documented case of children's legs, hips, etc. breaking or being injured in a crash due to longer rear-facing. There are plenty of cases of head and neck injury in forward-facing children that could have been prevented if the child had remained rear-facing. However, even if a leg or hip were broken or injured, it can be fixed. A damaged spinal cord (from forward-facing too soon) cannot be repaired and subjects the child to lifelong disability or death."

Also, 96% of car crashes are frontal and side impact. They are also the most deadly type of crashes and rear-facing children have MUCH more protection in both types of crashes than forward-facing.

Answer 5

20 lbs. and 1 year old as Terrymom said.

Our baby is 16 months old and we just turned her carseat around because she fluctuated between 19 and 20 lbs. for months. She is now at 21 lbs and we finally made the switch.

The longer they are rear facing the better. Our baby never complained about it because that is all she ever knew. She had never been forward facing until we made the switch.

Good luck!

Oh- our son had a booster seat until he was 5 or 6. He is 11 now and I just read that it's a law here. We did it long before it was a law because it just made sense.

Answer 6

It's 20lbs AND 1 year, We just moved our 7 1/2 month old into a convertable one this weekend and it's rear-facing and will stay that way until she reaches the maximum weight for rear-facing which is 35 lbs for her car seat. Rear-facing is way safer because in a crash instead of the baby flying forward with their head being forced into a whiplash kinda motion when front facing, rear-facing allows the carseat to the the majority of the force and the kid just kinda slides up and the carseat a little. I read somewhere that in Sweden adn places like it's common for them to keep their kids rear-facing until 3 and they said they haven't had a child under the age of 2 who was rear-facing die in a car crash in 5 years. But they've had 15 kids who where front facing die in accidents. I have to find the website, but I know I read it on one of those baby sites....

Answer 7

It depends on your car seat. If you have a convertable car seat then you can turn it around at one year of age. If you have an infant seat you will need to purchase a new front facing seat. We had a Graco snugride seat its weight limit was 22 pounds. We purchased a rear and front facing convertable seat when she was 19 pounds and kept it rear facing until she was one year old and 20 pounds.

Answer 8

it usually says on the car seat.. but my son is 21 lbs right now and in rear facing still we upgraded the car seat to a 20-80 lb car seat but we installed it rear facing .. i also have three kids and i started rear facing when they were 1

Answer 9

some people actually keep their kids rear facing until they are like 5!! no joke, google extended rear facing. it looks realllly weird when a childs legs have to be crossed or up the back of the backseat. but i say 20 lbs and 1 year. booster seat around 4 i think.

Answer 10

The law in most states is 20 lb AND 1 year.

But my son's seat can be rear facing until 33 lb and we're keeping him rear facing until he reaches that point.

It doesn't matter if their legs are scrunched. They can be crossed. And if a crash is forceful enough to break legs, it's forceful to break a neck. I'd much rather my son have broken legs if I had to choose.