Introduction

Graco understands that you need your child to be safe and happy when travelling. We know how important it is for parents to have peace of mind and this is why all of our car seats are developed with safety and comfort as a priority.

To ensure your child is secure and comfy, it is very important that you choose your car seat based on your child's weight, age and height.  There are different groups of car seats to cater to your child's specific needs.

Group 0

Group 0+

Group 0+/1

Group 1/2/3

Group 2/3

 

 

1. Universal vs Semi-universal car seats	5. How to ensure your child is properly installed
2. The ECE R44/04 Certification	6. Practical ideas for a pleasant trip
3. Ease-of-use and comfort are part of safety	7. At what age are infant car seats no longer necessary
4. How to ensure a safe installation	8. FAQs

 

Group 0

Until the age of 12 months (13kg/28lbs), your child must always be in a rear-facing position. Group 0+ car seats move from a reclined to a seated position, whilst perfectly supporting your child's back. 

Group 0+

Until the age of 12 months (13kg/28lbs), your child must always be in a rear-facing position. Group 0+ car seats move from a reclined to a seated position, while perfectly supporting your child's back.

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Group 0+/1

Children are unique and grow at different paces so category 0+/1 seats are highly flexible to reflect this.  Babies up to 9kg (19 lbs) can travel safely facing the rear. From 18kg (39lbs) the seat can be adjusted so they face forward, allowing you to spend more time face-to-face with your baby which is an important part of parent-child bonding.

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Group 1/2/3

The car seats in this category grow with your child from 9 months to 12-years old (9-36kg/19-79 lbs) so they can remain comfortable and importantly, develop properly. This flexibility makes it the ideal car seat category for large families and grandparents with grandchildren of different ages.

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Group 2/3

A child must have a car seat that is tailored to their weight, height and age until they are 12 years-old, or 36kg (79lbs). The group 2/3 category offers convertible seats for older children aged between 4 and 12 (15-36kg/33-79lbs), this means the car seat grows with your child.

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1) Universal vs Semi-universal car seat 

UNIVERSAL means the car seat has been approved for use with traditional car anchorage points (the 3 point seat belt or ISOFIX attachments).

This means:
If it is to be used with a seat belt, the car seat can be installed in any car approved according to the E16 regulation.
If it is an ISOFIX car seat, it can be used in any car approved with universal ISOFIX (new models approved after February 2006 and some models approved between February 2004 and February 2006).
ISOFIX is an international system which provides the safest, simplest and quickest method for the correct installation of a child's car seat without using a seat belt.  Always double check this information with your car manual to ensure that the seat is suitable for use in your car - not every seat fits properly in every car.

Important: Always try to install the seat in your car before you buy it.

If the car seat is marked SEMI UNIVERSAL, you will have to refer to the car seat instructions or the packaging for the list of compatible vehicles. If your car is not listed, or the car manufacturer is listed but the model is not, contact the manufacturer for more information. 

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2) The ECE R44/04 Certification

All car seats must display an ECE R44/04 certification label to show that they comply with European standard safety requirements.

Note: Because child safety is a serious matter, standards are constantly reviewed and changed. Car seats manufactured before 1995 and approved to the ECE R Standard Regulations 44/01 and 44/02 are no longer legal and must not be used.

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 3) Ease- of-use and comfort are part of safety

 As we have previously stated, unless the car seat is properly installed it will not help protect your child in an accident, no matter how good it is.

The installation of the car seat and the correct positioning of the child in the car seat are the most important safety features. If a car seat is not correctly installed, safety cannot be ensured.

Remember, more than 70% of car seats are incorrectly installed!

Graco products use colour coding to help you install your car seat from start to finish, we provide clear instructions for each step of the installation and our car seats can be adjusted to enhance your child's comfort.

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4) How to ensure a safe installation? 

Did you know that more than 70% of car seats are incorrectly installed when using a seat belt?

You will find instructions for the correct installation of your car seat on all seats approved to the ECE R44/04 standard.

Correct installation is the only way to ensure maximum safety:

Red or blue signs/plastic parts:

Car seats for use in the rear-facing position have blue signs that indicate the correct seat belt path. On car seats to be used forward facing (from 9 kg/20 lbs) these signs are in red.

These signs (either blue or red) can be stickers, small or big plastic parts, arrows or other indicators.

Product Labels:

Instructions have to be provided on the product itself. You'll normally find these in the form of illustrations on a label, stuck on the plastic shell or the supports of the car seat. With these instructions you should be able to identify how to position the car seats, the different steps of installation and where the seat belt must be placed.

The label must be visible even when the product is installed.

(included a picture of label and show where it is located on one of our product).

Instruction manual:
The instruction manual supplied with your car seat will include:

• Illustrations and explanations of each part of the car seat.
• Instructions on how to install the car seat.
• Instructions on how to secure the baby/child in the car seat and adjusting the harness. 

The car seat comes with storage space for the instruction manual. The manual must always be kept here for future reference, for example if you change your car or you lend the seat to a friend.

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5) How to ensure your child is properly installed

For seat belt routed car seats:

• Make sure the car seat is facing the right way.
• Check that the seat belt is not twisted.
• Check that the seat belt path has been followed.
• If there is a locking mechanism ensure it is secured correctly.
• Make sure that the tensioning system (if applicable) is in the right position to put pressure on the seat belt.
• Check the base of the car seat does not move more than 3cm back and forth. If there is too much movement, then tension the seat belt until there is less movement. 

For an Isofix car seat:

The Isofix system is standardised for ease of use. The seat is normally fixed at three different points. Visual indicators confirm correct installation by changing colour (green in the illustration). Some seats will have an audio indicator to indicate whether the seat is incorrectly or correctly installed.

ALWAYS deactivate any air bags when a child is using a car seat. The force of an air bag is so great it could severely injure a child if activated during a crash. 

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 6) Practical ideas for a pleasant trip

To make sure every journey you take with your child is as stress-free and comfortable as possible we advise the following:

Stop every two hours, stretch your legs and let your child out of their car seat.
Don't forget to bring toys, water and food for the trip.
Once a week, check that the belt used to maintain the car seat is still correctly tensioned. It may become loose due to vibrations caused by driving.

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 7) At what age are infant car seats no longer necessary?

The ideal car seat for your child depends on their age, size and - most importantly - weight.  Each age has different needs and different groups of car seats exist to help you choose the best one for your child.

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 8) FAQ's

How to check if child's harness is correctly tensioned?
Make sure the harness is correctly adjusted for the height of your child (just at the right shoulder level). It must not be too high or too low.
Make sure that the harness is not twisted in any way.  Make sure both metal parts of the buckle are assembled and inserted into the buckle itself. Tension the harness so only two fingers can be placed between their chest and the harness. For extra comfort remove your child's coat if your car is heated or you're taking a long trip.

What is buckle crunch?
If the seat belt buckle lies across the frame of the child seat it will be under pressure and may spring open on impact. Only the seat belt webbing should be in contact with the frame of the child seat. Buckle crunch happens when the length of the belt maintaining the buckle is too long. This length has been defined by car manufacturing regulations but is sometimes not followed.

Please ensure the following steps are taken:
Make sure the car seat is fitted according to the manufacturer's instructions and that the seat belt passes through the correct route guides on the seat.
If the car seat has an alternative belt route for use with shorter seats belts, try this to see if it avoids the buckle crunch.
If using a front seat, push the seat as far back as it will go.
In some cars it is possible to adjust the height of the seat belt on the door pillar. Try lowering the height adjuster if one is fitted.
Try the child seat in other positions in the car to see if there is a better fit.
Check with the car seat and car manufacturer that your car seat is suitable for your car. If not, you will have to use a different car seat (or car) for the security of your child.

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