Car Seat Guide: Safe Options for Every Age

You should switch from an infant car seat to a car seat when your child either reaches the upper weight or height limit of the infant car seat (usually around 9–12 months) or when your child's head reaches the edge of the infant car seat. It is important that your child still sits rear-facing in the car seat, as this is the safest way for young children to travel.

In general, the middle of the back seat is considered the safest place for a car seat, as the distance to the sides of the car, and therefore to potential points of impact, is greatest there. However, it is not always possible to install the seat there, for example because of the size of the seat or a lack of seat belt or ISOFIX anchors.

It is therefore difficult to give a general answer as to where a rear-facing car seat should be placed, as this can vary between car models. According to the Swedish National Society for Road Safety (NTF), the front seat and the back seat are equally safe options in terms of crash safety (read more on the NTF website here).

Please note, however, that some rear-facing car seats are not approved for installation in the back seat. If the car seat is installed in the front passenger seat, any airbag in front of the seat must be deactivated.

Paediatricians and safety experts recommend that children sit rear-facing for as long as possible, ideally up to the age of 6–7. Rear-facing car seats offer the best protection in a collision, as they distribute the force across the child's body and protect the head, neck and spine. This is especially important for younger children, whose heads are proportionally larger and heavier than the rest of their body.

You should switch from a car seat to a booster seat when your child has outgrown the car seat or has reached its upper height or weight limit.

When you switch to a booster seat, it is important that your child's knees can bend comfortably at the edge of the seat. Your child must also be big enough for the car's seat belt to sit correctly across their body in the booster seat.

The seat belt should sit over your child's hip bones, not the stomach, and the diagonal belt should run across your child's shoulder and chest, not over the neck. If the belt is not positioned correctly, your child risks being injured in a collision. Check that the belt is tight and not twisted.

Booster seats with a backrest are recommended, as they give extra support to your child's head, neck and back and better protection in side impacts.

The car seat's headrest should be adjusted so that it sits just above your child's shoulders, with enough room to support the head properly in a collision. If the headrest is too high or too low, your child won't get optimal protection for the head and neck.