Diono Radian RXT Birth to Booster Convertible Car Seat Installation
As parents we research everything under the sun, from our children's diapers, clothes, toys, crib, sheets, you name it and we’ve googles it. Now here is the important question, have you installed your car seat properly? Have you gotten it checked out to make sure? This is the one thing we should take a moment, call up Tot Squad and or swing by your local police station and ask, is your car seat installed properly? Your child’s safety could be in jeopardy if your car seat is not installed correctly. The best protection for your child in a crash is to properly secure your child's safety seat. But, despite the importance of proper installation, research shows that 7 out of 10 child safety seats are not installed correctly.
Recently we switched out our Orbit G2 Toddler Car Seat for Diono Radian RXT Birth to Booster Convertible Car Seat. My little one has outgrown our beloved Orbit and I was looking for the best of the best since we are coming from a phenomenal car seat to begin with. I wanted a seat that would give him room to sit comfortably, is secure and a brand that is trustworthy. Upon my discovery I came across Diono Radian RXT, now I have my seat but how in the world am I going to remove my old seat and properly install the new seat? Here comes Tot Squad to help save the day and put my mind at ease. If you’re in California, you’re lucky, Tot Squad is accessible to you, they’ve recently expanded to other states to help parents like me that are in need. If you’re in a city that doesn’t have Tot Squad, call them to start a franchise in your city, I would if they weren’t based out of LA!
Tot Squad Safety Consultation & Installation realizes that as many as 90 percent of car seats are improperly installed, their team of certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians can safely install your car seat, even if you don’t need a cleaning. They also offer education for parents and caregivers on how to do installations correctly themselves. They will give you peace of mind, like they did me, so I can get back to your busy life.
Here’s a tid bit Jenn taught me regarding The Latch system which I did not know. Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children, or LATCH, is a way to install a car seat by attaching its anchors and tethers to the metal latches/hooks in the back seats of vehicles manufactured after 2002. In 2014, a new NHTSA regulation will took effect that requires car seat manufacturers to inform consumers of LATCH system weight limits. When the combined weight of your child and the car seat reach the LATCH system's weight limit of 65 pounds, you should use your vehicle's seat belt to secure the car seat.
Car Seat Install tips, The main types of infant car seats include a Rear-facing seats, which are required for all children up to 12 months old, Convertible car seats, which are designed to be modified as your child grows and may include more gadgets and straps that aid with restraint. When installing a car seat, Place it in the back seat. Ensure the seatbelt straps/tethers are tight. You should not be able to move any strap, harness, or the entire seat itself more than an inch if the car seat is properly locked into place by doing one of the following: Using the latch plate on the seat belt, enabling the seatbelt retractor, installing a locking or belt-shortening clip, if available, using the car seat's built in lock-off device, make sure there are no twists in the seat belt straps, make sure the base of the car seat is at the correct recline angle. Many car seats come with a built-in adjuster or angle indicator. If you have a vehicle manufactured prior to 1997, you may need to use a locking clip, which is used to create a fixed length of webbing on a lap/shoulder belt when there is no other way to lock the belt, it must be positioned within 1 inch from the latch plate. If your car seat came with a base, the carrier handle should be out of the way when the car seat is attached. Read your car seat's instructions.
***Keep your child in the rear-facing seat until he or she exceeds the seat recommendations for height and/or weight! Look at your state's guidelines.
When securing your child in the car seat, make sure, your child sits with his or her back and bottom flat against the car seat. The carrier straps are tight and the harness clip is even with the baby's shoulders or armpits. You buckle your child in the seat first before placing coats or blankets over the harness. You buckle the harness and the chest-clip, the straps are snug, with no more than 1 finger's slack. There are no twists in the harness strap. If there is a gap between the buckle and your child's groin, try placing a rolled washcloth or diaper in the space after your child has been securely fastened into the car seat for a more secure fit.
Installing Forward-Facing and Booster Seats
As your child grows and reaches the rear-facing car seat's weight limits, the car seat should face forward and eventually be replaced by a booster seat. Before installing any car seat, read the owner's manual. When installing a forward-facing car seat, keep it in the back seat, read the manufacturer's instructions. Secure the car seat with the LATCH system until the combined weight of the seat and your child reach the weight limit. If you do not have a LATCH system, carefully thread the seatbelt through the belt path and do one of the following to ensure the carseat is adequately locked into place, use the latch plate on the seatbelt, engage the seat belt retractor, install a locking or belt-shortening clip, if available, utilize the car seat's built in lock-off device. Ensure that the seatbelt straps are tight and the car seat has less than an inch of movement, if securing the seat with your vehicle's seat belt.
Booster Seats
When your child outgrows the car seat, they should begin using a booster seat. Three main types of booster seats include, no-back, which must be used with a lap and shoulder belt and fastened to a seat with a headrest that sits above your child's ears. High-back, which must be fastened with a lap and shoulder seat belt and can be used in seats with or without headrests. Combination, which can be modified as your child grows. Have your child sit in the booster seat before securing it. Pull the seat belt across your child's body and buckle it in place. Adjust the seat belt so it fits snugly across your child's thighs rather than the stomach. Adjust the shoulder belt so it rests snugly across your child's chest and periodically check the seat belt.
**** If you find the need to install the car seat yourself, here is the installation videos that Diono published to help parents learn the correct way to install their car seat.