Buckle and Latch, Shoreline, WA (2025)

06/04/2022

How do you know if your child has outgrown their car seat?

❗️These are general guidelines that are largely true for many car seats. Please read your car seat manual to confirm what YOUR child's car seat requires! ❗️

There are four different ways you can tell whether your child has outgrown their seat:

👉🏻 They have exceeded the weight limit of the car seat
👉🏻 They have exceeded the height limit of the car seat
👉🏻 Their head is less than an inch from the top of the seat (for rear facing infant and convertible seats) or their ears are above the top of the headrest (for forward facing convertibles and high back boosters)
👉🏻 Shoulders are above the highest strap slot when they are forward facing in a 5 point harness.

As we know, forward facing kiddos must have the harness straps coming out of the car seat shell at or ABOVE their shoulders. If your child is forward facing in a 5 point harness, even if they are under the height/weight limit for the seat, they have outgrown the seat once their shoulders are above the highest harness slot.

If any one of these is true for your kiddo, then they have outgrown that seat and they need a new one - or they should need to move to seat belt use if they have outgrown their booster.

If your child does have a longer torso and you'd like to keep them in a harnessed car seat for longer, you can try the MyFit combination seat (goes from forward facing harness to booster seat). Its highest harness height is 54".

06/03/2022

Disposing of an Expired or Damaged Car Seat

Once your car seat has expired or been damaged, it's no longer safe to use! Before you toss it out on the curb, see if you can recycle it!

👉🏻 Target does biannual car seat recycling events. They take expired and damaged seats and give you a 20% off coupon for a new seat purchased at Target
👉🏻 You can check out recycleyourcarseat.org to see if your state has a recycling program
👉🏻 You can try carseatrecycling.com and mail in your car seat to have it recycled!

If you can't recycle your seat, you'll need to dispose of it safely. Instead of just putting it out on the curb where it can be picked up by someone else who may try to re-use or re-sell an expired/damaged car seat, take these steps before putting your car seat out with the trash:

✔️ Remove all padding from the car seat shell
✔️ Write “EXPIRED” or “DAMAGED” all over the shell
✔️ Cut the harness straps
Put the car seat shell and parts into a black plastic bag before you put it on the curb so it can’t be identified as a car seat

Is your car seat near its expiration? Do you have a plan for what to do with it once it is expired?

05/26/2022

What To Practice Before A Seat Check

After your baby has been born, you will have so much on your mind! Learn the ins and outs of your child's car seat before they arrive so you can use it confidently from the very first day.

Here are a few things that many expectant parents/caregivers that I see at seat checks don't know how to do:

1) Adjust the Harness (tighten/loosen) - This is a huge part of getting a good fit and can be really frustrating if you're not sure how to do it. Especially when you're trying to get a snug fit on a tiny baby and when you're trying to loosen the harness enough to get your tiny baby OUT of their car seat!

2) How to Harness a Baby - Proper harnessing is one of the foundations of car seat safety. Getting a snug fit keeps an infant's airway open and ensures the car seat can help protect them during a crash.

3) How to Dock/Undock the Car Seat - Don't wait until you're placing the bucket seat in the car on the way home from the hospital to find out how to dock/undock the seat! Read your manual and practice docking/undocking until you can do it with your eyes closed. Your tired parent brain will thank you later!

Was there something you realized you didn't know about your car seat after your baby was born? Share it with us!

05/22/2022

Getting a Tight Installation

A tight installation is perhaps the most important (and foundational) part of car seat safety. Without having the car seat anchored firmly to the vehicle seat, it won't be able to do its job of protecting your little one.

But what if you're having trouble getting a nice, tight installation? I'm here to help! Here are four tips you can try:

👉🏻 Try a different vehicle seat: Sometimes a middle seat may be too narrow or too "hu**ed" to get a tight installation. Sometimes outboard seats can be more sloped and the middle seat (if available) could be a better choice.

👉🏻Apply pressure: While you're installing and tightening the vehicle seat belt or LATCH strap, be sure to apply firm pressure in the center of the car seat. This compresses the air out of the vehicle seat. After you've tightened using this method, the air will rush back into the vehicle seat once you remove your hand and the installation will be additionally tighter!

👉🏻Check for twists: Make sure that the vehicle seat belt or LATCH strap is free of twists. Twists in the belt/strap can prevent it from tightening properly.

Tighten the LATCH strap the right way: Pull the tightening end of the LATCH strap toward the car seat, not away from it. It makes it much easier to tighten.

Have you tried any of these methods? What worked best for you?

05/17/2022

Boosters: Backless Vs. High Back

The two main types of booster seats are backless and high back. While they both work to position a standard vehicle seat belt correctly over your kiddo, one or the other may be better for you, your child, and your vehicle!

Generally, high back boosters are recommended for younger kiddos who still need/want that "car seat" feel after transitioning out of a harness. They also provide more body and head support, which some kiddos need. If your child falls asleep in the car often, a high back booster will provide more support for them and help them sleep safer. Some high back boosters also transition into a backless booster.

However, some high back boosters may not fit correctly in every vehicle, depending on the slope of the seats, the height of the seat backs, and whether or not there are head rests. Your child may also need something more portable than a high back booster, in which case you can look at backless boosters!

Backless boosters are great for older kiddos or those who need something lightweight and/or more portable. They typically have a shoulder belt positioner, which helps make sure the seat belt is positioned correctly on the child. They are best for vehicles that have higher seat backs and/or head rests that the child can use as they grow, since they do not provide their own head/neck/back support.

Just like every other car seat stage (except the infant seat), make sure to max out the height/weight! And, as always, please read your booster manual thoroughly and make sure you're following all installation and usage instructions. A poorly used booster seat won't provide the protection a growing child needs.

05/16/2022

Rear Facing Pop Quiz!

Best practice is to keep your child rear facing for as long as possible.

We have learned from crash testing and real life accidents that toddlers in rear facing seats have better outcomes in crashes than forward facing toddlers. Think about what happens when you come to a sudden stop in the car - your limbs (including your head) snap forward until they are stopped by your seat belt. This will happen to a toddler, too, but their head is proportionally much heavier and their neck is proportionally much weaker which can mean more severe injuries in the event of a crash. The longer you can keep a young child rear facing, the better it will be for their developing head, neck, and spine.

Every family and every child has different needs, so it's possible you may need to turn your child forward facing earlier. That's okay! As long as you are obeying state laws and the forward facing minimums of your car seat, then you can turn your child forward facing. I'm not here to shame anyone - I know that "best" is not always achievable for everyone. As a CPST, I'm here to provide information and education about best practices while supporting families in doing the safest thing they can reasonably do.

If you must turn your child forward facing earlier, then be sure you're doing everything else you can to keep them safe:
👉🏻 use the top tether on their car seat (and make sure it’s routed correctly!)
👉🏻 make sure their harness is snug and passes the pinch test
👉🏻 ensure the chest clip is positioned at armpit level
make sure the harness straps are coming out of the car seat shell at or ABOVE the child's shoulder level

If your child is currently forward facing and they could still ride rear facing without causing any family hardship, I encourage you to turn them back around until they hit the weight limit!

05/15/2022

Car Seat Types and Stages

A child will go through many different stages of car seat use during their lifetime. It can be hard to determine when your child is ready to move on to the next stage or what seat you may need to purchase next.

The ages/weights presented here are by no means definitive. It's always important to transition your child according to their weight, height, torso length, maturity level, and any special needs they may have. Some 5 year olds will be safe in a backless booster, while some will be safest staying in a 5 point harness in a forward facing convertible car seat.

Best practice is always to have your child max out the height/weight in every stage of their car seat, but I know that is not possible or practical for every child or every family. You have to do the best you can for your specific child in your specific situation. As long as you are not going against any state laws or manufacturer height/weight usage requirements, then you can make the decisions that are best for your family.

What stage is next for your child? Will you need to buy a new seat? Do you know how to convert the seat you have?

05/09/2022

Check Your Belt Path!

A common misuse CPSTs see in the field is a car seat installed using the wrong belt path. Often it's a convertible car seat installed forward facing while still using the rear facing belt path.

When the wrong belt path is used, the car seat will not be held securely to the vehicle seat and it won't perform correctly during a crash. Using the incorrect belt path can actually cause even more severe injuries. A car seat can only do its job if it's installed correctly!

The belt paths on most car seats are labeled clearly (rear facing/forward facing), some with colorful labels. Always make sure you are using the belt path that is closest to the vehicle seat back on which you are installing the car seat. This will ensure a tight installation that will help the car seat do its job to protect your kiddo during a crash.

This is an installation error that CPSTs see even experienced parents make. They've been installing their child's car seat rear facing for so long that they don't realize there's another belt path they need to use!

Is your kiddo close to switching from rear to forward facing? Have you found the forward facing belt path?

05/08/2022

Re-Introduction

👋🏻 Hi! I'm Britney. I'm a mom and CPST (child passenger safety technician) living in the N. Seattle area with my husband, toddler, and dog.

In the past I have been a project manager for a biotech company, and a professional stage manager and production manager for live theatre. The road of life is full of curves, but I've enjoyed every part of my varied career!

After I became a parent, I had so much anxiety about making sure my kiddo was safe while riding in the car that I spent 40 hours and two full weekends studying, learning, practicing, and finally becoming a nationally certified CPST.

Training doesn't stop there - as a CPST I am required to stay up to date on current car seat best practices and information by earning Continuing Education Credits, doing audited car seat checks, and providing hours of community service through public seat check events. I need to fulfill all my continuing education requirements every two years to remain a certified CPST.

I find car seats fascinating and I love helping parents and caregivers keep their children safe in transit. So I started my very own business to do just that!

Thanks so much for being here. You are doing a great job keeping your kiddos safe!

05/04/2022

Reasons to Avoid Renting a Car Seat

If you're flying domestically, it's always better to take your car seat with you and have your child use it on the plane. It keeps them contained, gives them a familiar place to sleep/relax, keeps them safe during turbulence, and it also means you have a car seat at your destination!

Renting a car seat can be a tough proposition. Like any second hand seat, you don't know the history of the car seat you pick up. Has it been thrown up on recently? Has it been cleaned according to manufacturer's directions, or treated with caustic chemicals? Has it been in an accident that perhaps hasn't been reported? Do you know how to install it? What if the rental place runs out of car seats that fit your child?

Eliminate all those variables and questions by bringing your car seat with you when you travel domestically! When you're tired after a long flight, the last thing you want to do is try to install a questionable car seat that you've never used before.

If you travel regularly and your child's car seat is heavy, consider finding a lighter weight seat and using that specifically for travel. Also make sure you confirm that your child's car seat is approved for airplane use. This information can be found on the shell of the car seat and also in the manual.

Remember that if your child is using a booster seat, they will not be able to use that seat on the plane. Booster seats require the use of a shoulder and lap belt - airplanes only have lap belts. You can absolutely fold up a booster seat and bring it as a carry-on if it's compact enough.

Are you planning any travel? Where are you headed? 🛫

04/26/2022

The Stages of a Crash

Did you know that more than one crash happens during every collision? Vehicle crashes are often out of our control. They can happen without warning and we probably won't see them coming, which is very scary. Even if you are the safest driver on the road, you can still be in a crash because of someone else's carelessness or inattention.

We can't control the uncontrollable, but there are some things we CAN control. We can properly install our children's car seats and we can harness them snugly every time. This will help minimize the human and internal crashes in the event of an unanticipated vehicle crash.

Control what you can control - make sure your car seats are installed correctly and make sure your kids are harnessed snugly. That way when something unexpected happens you'll have peace of mind knowing you did everything you could to keep your littlest passengers safe.

04/20/2022

Washing Your Car Seat Cover

Kids are messy - at some point you will need to clean your car seat cover! When you do, make sure you're laundering it according to the manufacturer's instructions so you can maintain the safety and integrity of the car seat.

There are some car seats (like the .usa nextfit zip) that are designed so that the covers can be removed quickly and easily and be machine washed/dried. If a car seat like this fits your car and your child, it might be worth the investment if you find yourself washing your car seat cover frequently.

Remember to only buy extra car seat covers directly from the manufacturer’s website - not from amazon or another third party seller!

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