When to replace your child's car seat with a bigger one and when to give it up altogether

The rules for car seats for children are very clear: when transporting a child in a car, he or she must be in a car seat unless he or she is at least 12 years old or at least 135 centimeters tall. That's the law.

That said, reports the Which website, parents often have the problem of when to switch from one child car seat size to another? Here are some tips on how and when to do it to keep your child as safe as possible.

Car seats for toddlers

If you have a car seat approved under the latest R129 i-Size regulations, it is height-specific. You can determine if this product complies with the R129 standard by the orange sticker on the bottom of the seat.

Important: To determine what age the chair is designed for, you should check the dimensions of the product. They are usually classified as infant, toddler or i-Size child seats.

Most i-Size infant car seats are designed for a height of 40 to 85 cm, which is approximately from birth to 15 months.

Tip: always keep your child in the seat until they reach the upper height limit to ensure they are adequately protected in the event of an accident.

What about older children?

Under UK law, once a child reaches 135cm in height, a child car seat is no longer required and they can only be restrained by the car's three-point seat belt.

However, Ireland and some other European countries (France, Germany) have different laws. Here, children are in car seats until they reach a height of 150 cm.

Car seats for specific weights

Car seats certified under the older (but still valid) R44.04 regulations are based on weight and are divided into 'classes':

• Group 0 - from birth to 10 kg (about 6 months)
• Group 0+ - up to 13 kg (12 - 15 months)
• Group 0+/1 - up to 18 kg (about 4 years)
• Group 0+/1/2 - up to 25 kg (about 6-7 years)
• Group 0+/1/2/3 - up to 36 kg (about 12 years old)

• Group 1- 9-18 kg (9 months - 4 years)
• Group 1/2 - 9-25 kg (9 months - 6-7 years)
• Group 1/2/3 - 9-36 kg (9 months - 12 years)
• Group 2/3 - 15-36 kg (4 -12 years old)
• Group 3 - 22-36 kg (125 cm or 5-12 years).

When should I change my car seat?

Certainly you don't need to weigh your child every week. Instead, pay attention to certain visual signs that the car seat may need to be replaced soon.

For example, your child has definitely outgrown it if the top of his head is higher than the top of the seat.

The second sign is the position of the shoulder straps.

The safest position of the upper part of the straps depends on how the child is positioned: rearward-facing or forward-facing.

In a rear-facing seat, the point of contact between the harness and the backrest should be at or just below the top of the child's shoulders.

In a forward-facing seat, the straps should be at or just above the level of your child's shoulders.

If your child is sitting forward-facing and the shoulder straps come up and pass over their shoulders, it means they are ready to move to the next size car seat.

Important: Before moving to a larger seat size, check that the height of the shoulder straps is set to the maximum value

By the way, many children reach the height limit earlier than the legal age, so by the age of 12 you should not put your child in a booster seat with a high backrest.

Exception - disabled children or children of exceptionally small stature.