I call it the reality check guide because no amount of engineering brilliance or perfect instructions is going to show you how to actually install your baby car seat into your car. Sure the instructions are well written and the process seems straight forward enough, but the manufacturers fail to take something major into account.

What they forget to think about, or at least mention is the most obvious. Vehicles! They come in all sorts of sizes, styles and shapes and this means that the seats inside are also different. What this means is that no matter how well you follow the recipe, your new baby car seat does not quite fit right.

There are services that can install your baby car seat for you but I recommend learning how to do it yourself. Not only do you save your money, but at some point you are going to have to remove the car seat for cleaning so you may as well learn how to do it right the first time.

There have been a lot of car seat models and a lot of different cars over the years, and I have had to install and remove the car seat in each one on many occasions. What I have learned is that each situation calls for a different approach, and only through trial and error have I figured out what works best. I give you my best tips.

As I mentioned previously, the services that are designed to help install your seat are dangerous because they have a default way of installing the seat, and because each car is different, it never fits quite right.

Sometimes the seat will fit snugly just on its own and in this instance you are cheering and there is nothing more you need to worry about, but more often than not this is not the case so you need to call in the ‘special mounting brackets’ otherwise known as towels.

The Towel or two placed either behind the back or under the front of the seat will usually stop the seat from moving and allow the fasteners to do their job, but sometimes the fix is far simpler than that.

The reason the infant car seats do not fit the car is because of the backseat, and the angle in which the seat and the backrest meet. Because there is a natural curve to the shape of the back of a baby seat, if the angle and curve do not match, the capsule seat will wobble no matter how well you install it.

The rocker bar at the back of the baby seat is designed to change how much the seat inclines, depending on the toddlers age, but it can also cause the angle to be all wrong, resulting in a seat that never fits quite right. Remove this and you will find your seat is able to fit much more securely – as it should.

You can read countless guides and tips on how to install a baby car seat, and they may or may not help, but it really comes down to following the instructions and if there is still some wobble in the seat, applying a bit of logic and a towel or two. Always keep the child’s health and safety in mind and keep within the law as well of course.

Learn more about Infant Car Seats and Covers, as well as advice, tips and reviews on choosing the Baby Car Seatthat’s right for you.. Also published at Why your Baby Car Seat won’t fit properly no matter what you do..

Britax Frontier is one of the most popular booster seats on the market today. It is so popular because of the high number of safety features found in this seat. This seat is smaller than a traditional convertible car seat, but includes many of the same safety features found in the larger seats. For instance, Britax believes that a safety seat that is easy to install is more likely to be installed correctly. Because of this belief, they have included a color coded vehicle belt guide in the Britax Frontier. This ensures the child will be as secure as possible and avoids improper installation.

Children can start using this booster seat when they turn 2 years old and weight 25 pounds. Children can stay in this car seat even when they reach 100 pounds! This booster seat is made to last for children from toddler years until they do not need a car seat anymore!

Since this car seat is designed for larger children it requires additional safety features not found in many car seats intended for babies or infants. To minimize movement and ensure maximum protection, the Britax Frontier includes several key safety features, such as, HUGS system, Premium Latch Connectors, and Energy Absorbing Versa Tethers.

The Britax Frontier has the HUGS system, which is a n enhancement to the strap harness. It increases the friction on the harness and improves the safety of the car seat even further.

Booster seats are all designed with a slightly smaller base than traditional car seats. This makes them more likely to move from side to side when using a regular seat belt to secure them in place. The Premium LATCH connectors in the Britax Frontier attach the car seat directly to the car. These connectors prevent wobbling or move when proper installed.

As children grow taller, car seats are more likely to tip or lean forward in an accident. To prevent this, Britax includes an energy absorbing versa tether with the Frontier and each of their car seats. This system latches directly to the car, preventing forward or tipping movements.

The multiple color choices and unique design makes the Britax Frontier an attractive car seat. However, after a few weeks of wear and tear from a confined toddler, any car seat will be covered with crumbs and other messes that can only come from a toddler. To keep this seat looking sharp, Britax included a key comfort feature for the parents, removable, machine washable car seat covers. The cover in the Britax Frontier pops off and can go right into the washer, keeping it as good as new.

Britax was one of the first companies to sell a booster seat in addition to the traditional safety seat. They choose to add this type of safety seat, to make sure toddlers were kept as safe as younger children. Ever since, Britax has continued to be one of the most popular booster seats on the market.

The Britax Marathon is favored by most parents. It is packed with safety and comfort features. Britax thought of everything when it came to the Marathon safety seat. They pack in state of the art safety features, including built-in lock off. They also kept style in mind for growing children. They offer several car seat covers. These covers allow children to enjoy new car seats, while parents get to save on the expense of buying a new one every six months.

Parents can use the Marathon in the rear-facing position. The rear-facing position is meant for newborns weighing 5 pounds and parents can keep it in the rear-facing position until 35 pounds. Most manufactures recommend you keep the child rear-facing for as long as possible. The Marathon can be put in the forward-facing position until the child reaches 65 pounds.

Safety Features Include:

Side Impact Protection – After several studies, they have shown that a child’s head and chest are the most vulnerable to injury, if in a vehicle accident. The side impact protection distributes crash force, shields the child from vehicle intrusion, and contains the head and body.

Build in Lock Offs – Britax has been using build in lock offs for their safety features since it was introduced to North America in 1996. This safety feature ensures that the child’s car seat will not move more than an inch to either side. If the built in lock off are not installed correctly the car seat will move more than an inch.

LATCH Connectors – Britax made the LATCH Connectors much easier to use; it is as simple as one click. The LATCH Connector makes a click sound to let the installer know it has been securely installed. Britax wanted to make it easier to install to ensure user friendly installation.

Harness Ultra Guard System – This safety feature is also known as “HUGS”. The HUGS safety feature is attached to the child’s harness; it is made of rubber and blends in with the car seat. HUGS helps prevent all of the force going to the brain and spinal cord. It helps distribute crash force so it is not focused just on one area of the child’s body.

Studies have shown that most car seats are installed improperly. The first mistakes parents normally make are they do not ready through all of the manufactures instructions. It might seem like a daunting task at first, but it is well worth the time. If you have read over your manufactures instructions and you still feel lost on how to install your car seat properly go to your local fire station. Most fire stations will show parents how to properly install their child’s car seat. If nothing else you can take the car seat up there to make sure it was installed properly!

Britax Marathon car seat has over 8 different covers you can choose from. They have everything from natural to animal prints. Parents will be glad to know that all of the seat covers are machine washable. This makes it easy for parents to keep their car seat covers looking brand new.