# whats the earliest age babies can forward sit in a car seat?



## c.m.c

i have been looking into rear facing for Ava for as long as possible but i was just wondering what the guidelines are as to how early a baby can forward face?

my in laws had their ones forward facing from 5 months but i do not feel one bit comfortable or safe about this for my child. trouble is Ava is almost outgrown her maxi cosi car seat!!! she is very long and her feet already touch the back seat of the car:shrug: and her shoulders are tight to the sides too

does anyone have any ideas for me at all or what did you all do with your LO's???:shrug:


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## c.m.c

i just noticed theres and ERF thread- sorry!!! i have 2 car seats which can rear face so i will use these- how long do you guys keep your wee ones ERF?


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## mandarhino

Hoping till she's 3-4 years old. The seat is good to 25 kgs. I moved her from her Group 0 to her ERF one when she was 9 or 10 months. 

I think the youngest you can turn them is when they hit 9 kgs.


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## mommyof3co

We kept Hayden RF until about 3yrs old but then he was escaping his harness no matter how tight and we also have chest clips and he is a little houdini and can get out of anything. But with him RF I couldn't see him until he was out of the seat so we decided at that point it was safer to go ahead and turn him FF. I hope to go at least 3yrs with this next baby as well


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## c.m.c

thank you- i thought it was age and weight for the guidelines but thats me just guessing- ERF is very new to me but i am very interested- i can see the safety aspect of this. my car is so old there are no air bags and i can set Ava in the front beside me rear facing- DH's car is annoying as shes in the back and i cant see her


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## mommyof3co

As far as when they are allowed to be FF it varies depending on where you are, here in the US they have to be both 20lbs AND 1yr old or it's illegal, but then the recommendation is RF as long as possible :) Obviously that's as long as a seat allows, you should never use the seat over the stated limits just to keep them RF.


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## c.m.c

i dont even know the limits of my car seat- they say it can do a year but shes 5 months and very big for 5months- i have no clue what she weighs- 7weeks ago she was 17lbs 11


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## lozzy21

It doesnt matter if there legs are coming over the bottom aslong as their heads are not over the top of the seat. In the UK they are allowed to go FF at 9 months and 20lb but its safer for them to stay there as long as possible.


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## c.m.c

thank you lozzy21- her head is nowhere near the top!!! i have her second car seat bought which can RF or FF but its says from 9months+ so im too scared to use it yet


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## purpledahlia

I would def use it RF if you changeover, I changed out the maxi cosi at about 6months and got a britax first class plus, and then changed cars when she was 14months and the BFCP didnt sit so well in it, and i got a ERF seat, (volvo multitech), :thumbsup:


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## kawaiigirl

Keep her in the maxi cosi as long as possible, and as already said, it doesnt matter if her feet are dangling over the end, as long as her head is not poking out over the top! What type of seat have you bought??


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## c.m.c

my cousin bought me a seat from our local family run baby store- think it was very expensive and she sourced it out to be a good one but i have also bought 2 of the wee £25 seats from argos and they do from birth to 4years appros and can sit FF or RF- they will be used for a spare and my mums car> its just my in laws keep saying to get her out of her car seat but as you all have said her head isnt hanging over the end so that should be fime..... her wee shoulders are tight width ways in the maxi cosi though????? i will prob have her FF but not till she is well over a year


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## Eala

One thing I'd say is that I very much doubt that the Argos seats will be RF till 4 years. They are more likely to be a combi seat which will RF to a max of 13kgs (if that), and then will have to be FF. Chances are the seats are bigger than an infant seat though, so you might find that the combi seat is more comfy for her :)


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## hattiehippo

A combination seat will have more space in it than the baby one and you can usually RF to 13 kg. I would get her weight checked though - if she was 17lb at 7 weeks then she could be close to the upper weight limit by now (13kg/28lb).


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