How Tight Should Car Seat Straps Be? 

Car seat safety is of the utmost importance. When harnessing your little love it’s important that the car seat straps aren’t too loose or too tight. 

If the straps are too loose your child could be ejected from the seat in the case of a car crash. And if the straps are too tight….well, straps can never really be too tight - but you just don’t want your kiddo to have red marks and restricted blood flow from the straps. So by all means tighten, tighten, tighten - just not to the point where circulation is being impacted. 

They say the tighter the better and that's very true. In this article we will explore why that is. We will also talk about: What’s too loose? How can you tell if it’s too loose? How do you fasten the car seat harness correctly? How tight should car seat straps be?  

As parents it’s our job to know how tight car seat straps should be and in this article we’re going to explore that. At the end of the article you'll learn about the Buckle Me Baby Coat, which was made to be used with your child's car seat.

But first, a daunting statistic...

Did you know that even in the year 2021 many parents unknowingly strap their children in the wrong way? That’s right. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that as many as half of all car seats aren’t installed the right way. This is a big problem for obvious reasons. Car seats have been proven to lessen the risk of crash fatalities by 70% when it comes to infants and 50% for toddlers. In other words car seats work! But they have to be used properly in order to work properly. 

Why Proper Harnessing Is Important

There are a ton of reasons why parents should double-check car seat straps. Here are the most important reasons below:

• When the harness is secured the right way it prevents children from being ejected from their seat. This is the bottom line and the most important reason.
• Have you ever heard of ‘submarining?’ It happens when a child slips under the belt when straps are positioned the wrong way. If there was ever a car crash this could be fatal for a child. 
• When a child is tightly secured it means less crash force and it means their little head stays in one place which makes head injury less likely. On the other hand if there ever was a crash a loosely strapped child will be thrown with force.
• We all know children like moving around so they can see the world. A tightly fastened harness stops the child from moving around in the car seat. That way if there ever was a crash it limits objects in the car from hitting the child. In a car crash everything becomes a projectile from your purse to your sunglasses to the diaper bag to the toys in back. 

How do you know how to harness the right way

#1 The type of car seat

As far as car seats go, you can put your little love in a rear-facing seat, forward-facing seat, or convertible seat. Before you figure out the perfect way to harness just think for a minute about what type of seat you have. If the seat is a rear-facing car seat then the harness goes at or below your child’s shoulders. You do the opposite if it’s a forward-facing car seat. So, that means you have to strap the harness above the shoulders in the case of a forward-facing seat.

#2 The type of harness

The next thing to think about is the type of harness you have. The five point harness is the best kind of harness because it does such a good job of protecting your child. It works like a spider web to keep the car seat in the right in place. It works by holding your child in place at five different points: two points go over each shoulder, two points cover their little hips, and one point gets buckled between their legs. 

#1 Do the Pinch Test

This is hands down one of the best pointers out there. If you’re wondering how tight the car seat straps should be you can do a pinch test to find out. How it works is you secure the harness over your child and then you pinch both of the harness straps up where your child’s shoulders are. Were you unable to grab anything? If you can't grab anything that’s good. That means the harness is tight enough. If you were able to grab a little bit of seatbelt fabric in your fingers that means you have to do some more tightening!

Introducing the Buckle Me Baby 

Now that you've learned about the importance of properly tightening the harness, here's how you can up your car seat game with the Buckle Me Baby Coat - a coat made for use with your child’s car seat. In fact, this coat makes car seats more comfortable and easier to use. It works by harnessing your child directly in - no tricky maneuvering required. Simply put your child’s jacket on. Harness them into their seat, and you’re good to go. It's that easy. 

Plus, these coats are a safer alternative to big, puffy winter coats - because big, puffy jackets were NEVER meant to be used in your child’s car seat. Puffy jackets make the child uncomfortable, which leads to driver distraction. We think this is the most important feature of the Buckle Me Baby Coat, and to drive that point home, we think you should know that the coat has been crash tested and was designed to be safer than traditional winter coats. That means your child is safer in a Buckle Me Baby Coat than they’d be in a regular coat. 

These coats have a chunky rib knit collar, magnetic removable hood, and thick (but not bulky) sherpa lining with a fleece back that will leave your child feeling cozy and warm no matter the weather. And they’re cute, too! The Buckle Me Baby Coat comes in a variety of adorable colors. 

Why choose Buckle Me Baby Coat?

There are so many reasons to order a Buckle Me Baby Coat for your child this winter. They’re a safer alternative to bulky winter coats. At the same time, they’re warm and cozy. They come in a variety of trendy colors and styles. The hood is removable. The coat is machine washable. Plus, we have a 30 day “Worry Free” exchange policy - so there’s never a need to worry about your purchase. But, let’s be clear, these coats are selling like hot cakes, and have been ever since they made their way into the market - get your hands on one before your size, style and color sell out!