How to Rethread Straps on a Car Seat
by Amanda Johnson
Infant and toddler car seats have adjustable five-point harnesses to accommodate your growing child, with safety a significant priority. The adjustable straps fit through slots in the car seat, allowing you to move the straps easily when your child grows. Undoing the straps is necessary when the seat padding becomes dirty and needs cleaning. Rethreading the five-point harness must be done correctly. Your child's safety depends on proper use of the car seat.
Step 1
Place your child in the car seat. Look at the strap slots closest to both shoulders. Mentally note what strap slots are best-suited for your child. Straps should sit below your child's shoulders if it's a rear-facing car seat. Straps should sit just above your child's shoulders if it's a front-facing seat.
Step 2
Look at the crotch strap and the slot. The slot closest to your child, not underneath, is best-suited for your child.
Step 3
Remove your child from the car seat. Place the car seat face-down. Remove the strap loops from the metal connector. Flip the car seat back over and pull the straps through the slots.
Step 4
Place the straps through the slots you determined are best-suited for your child. Don't twist the straps while threading them through the slots. Pull the strap through the slot from the backside of the car seat.
Step 5
Place the car seat face-down again. Hook the strap loops on the metal connector.
Step 6
Remove the crotch strap from the car seat. Lift the car seat padding to view the slot in the plastic shell. Lift the seat at an angle to view the crotch strap anchor on the bottom of the seat. Move the anchor so it's parallel to the slot and push it up towards the seat through the slot.
Step 7
Thread the crotch strap back through the seat padding in the correct slot. Thread it back through the plastic shell. Check the underside of the car seat shell to ensure that the crotch strap anchor is in place.
References
Tips
- Each car seat comes with an owner's manual. Refer to the owner's manual for specific instructions regarding the car seat's harness. The crotch strap anchor's removal may vary, according to each car seat manufacturer.
