How to install a kids' car seat

By: Helen Foster

Here’s what to do – and what not to do – when fitting a car seat or capsule – and, it’s worth reading even if you’ve already done yours.

1. Get prepared

Every child car restraint is different, so the first thing to do is to familiarise yourself with the instructions for your particular model. Also find your car’s manual as that can help locate some important details.

“Things you need to be aware of include whether your car has a child car restraint securing system called ISOFIX, and if the model of restraint you’ve chosen uses this. If not, you’ll need to use your car seat belts to secure the restraint in place,” says Shawn Draper.

ISOFIX was introduced into Australia in 2013, so cars made here after 2015 will likely have it installed as might some older European cars. If you can’t find your car manual, look for fixing points or labels in the back seat saying ISOFIX or with pictures of a child car restraint.

You’ll also want to know where your car’s anchor points are. These are an extra fixing points in the back of the car that child restraints now use to keep them extra stable. Some older cars may not have these and in that case, you’ll need to have them installed.

2. Put aside some time

This probably isn’t going to be a five-minute job. “Do not leave it until the day you’re bringing home a newborn from hospital,” says Zora Marko from the Starting Out Safely Campaign at the Early Learning Association Australia. If you’re fitting a restraint for a newborn, start practising about two months before your due date so it’s all installed ready to go.

3. Find the right position

Your first job here is to decide which side of the back seat you want the seat or capsule to sit. “Technically speaking, the safest place is the middle position on the backseat, but let’s talk about the practicalities of that,” says Zora Marko. “It’s not easy as a new mother to crawl across the seat to lift out your child.”

Behind the driver’s seat also isn’t ideal as bulkier restraints can interfere with the leg position of taller drivers – and you’ll be lifting your child in and out roadside. For this reason, most people with one car restraint choose to put it behind the passenger seat. “If you’re installing a restraint for a second child, place the younger child behind the passenger seat rather than having to reach over to lift them,” says Zora.

4. Check the angles

If you put a rearward facing car seat or capsule flat on the ground you will notice it sits slightly backwards rather than bolt upright. This 45-degree angle is the safest angle for a baby to lie in or small child to sit in and you want to replicate it inside the car.

You do this by setting the base as instructed in your car restraint manual. But, you might need to make a small tweak. “Most car restraints sit at a slight angle which restraint manufacturers allow for, but if your back seat sits outside of the norm, you might need to adjust the restraint to have it sit at 45 degrees,” says Kidsafe WA’s Shawn Draper.

Check the restraint or capsule manual to see how they suggest you handle this – some include a pull-out wedge, others might suggest using a folded towel. “Some child restraints have a built-in spirit level so you can use the bubble to check the position is correct, others have a line you ensure is level with the ground. You can also use an angle measuring app on your phone.”

5. Position the anti-rebound bar

Not all restraints have these, but if yours does, the bar extends vertically from the foot end of rearward facing car seats and capsules and rests against the back seat. Position it as directed in the seat instruction manual.

6. Start securing the restraint

Exactly how you do this will depend on your restraint model and whether you are using ISOFIX or the seat belt method, but there are a few common mistakes not to make.

If you’re using ISOFIX, find the ISOFIX point – this might be zipped into the seat, enclosed behind a plastic lift up panel, or you might have to feel around the seating area.

Simply click the fixings on the restraint to the ISOFIX points on the back seat as directed and tighten the webbing. There is a gauge on the restraint that goes green when the seat is secured correctly, but don’t just check it once and think you’re good to go. “Move the restraint around and check it again,” says Shawn Draper. “Sometimes it can show green in one position, but then go black or red if the restraint moves.”

If you’re using the seat belt, the main mistake parents make here is threading the belt through the wrong area, as some restraints can have more than one pathway. “Remember the colour to use,” says Shawn. “If you’re installing a rearward facing seat, thread it through the blue pathway. If it’s forward facing, then use the yellow pathway.” Make sure the seatbelt is tight enough that the restraint doesn’t move around and that the belt is not twisted.

Lastly, don’t use both seatbelt and ISOFIX. “Some parents think this will make things even safer but the restraints are not designed to be used with both,” warns Zora Marko.

Note – if you’re fitting a baby capsule, you will install the base of the capsule into the car using the methods above. The capsule itself then clicks onto the base.

7. Attach to the anchor points

Most combination seats and capsules are secured in two ways – with ISOFIX or seatbelt, and via a top tether that attaches to anchor points in the back of your car.

One common mistake is using the wrong point to attach the tethers. The anchor points can be behind the back seat, on the parcel shelf or elsewhere (your car manual will tell you). “Many people get confused and use the luggage tether that’s also located back there,” says Shawn. “The correct point will be labelled with a dotted line and a picture of an anchor.”

When attaching the tether, there’s a final surprising mistake you can make. “People pull it too tight thinking that’s safer,” says Shawn. “But a too tight belt can actually lift the restraint off the back seat. When you’re fixing the final tether, hold the top of the restraint down to push it onto the back seat while pulling the tether tight.”

If you’re fitting a baby capsule, make sure you actually loop the tether through the handle. “A common mistake is wrapping it around the carry handle, but it needs to actually go through it,” says Shawn.

8. Last steps

If your seat has a side impact cushion, pull that out on the side nearest the door. Then give the seat a final wiggle to check it doesn’t move too much. Now, head off to an accredited car restraint fitter to check everything is set up correctly.

Don’t forget to keep checking things.

While you might think that now the restraint is in place and checked, the job is done, but if you’re using a capsule, you’ll be lifting that in and out so things definitely need rechecking regularly.

“Other restraints will also have to be altered as your child grows. Harnesses and buckles may need to be adjusted and repositioned,” says Zora Marko. Children also like to push buttons, so in time they might manage to unclip the seat belt, or loosen their harness. If you’ve had passengers in the back seat, they might accidently unclip something. Just as you check your mirrors every time you get in the car, check your child’s car restraint every time you clip them in.

For more advice on the correct restraint for your child, visit Road Safety (kidsafewa.com.au).