Rear-facing car seats
In a rear-facing car seat, your child continues to ride facing backward in the car after the infant car seat. This has many advantages, not just in terms of safety!
Rear-facing car seat: The safest successor to the infant car seat
Whether your baby has really outgrown the infant car seat or simply no longer accepts it: Their neck muscles are not yet strong enough, to ride facing the direction of travel. Also, the head is still relatively large and heavy compared to the rest of the body – it accounts for up to 25% of body weight, compared to just 6% in an adult.
If you switch directly from the infant car seat to a forward-facing car seat, the head and neck are exposed to heavy strain in a crash: the harness or impact shield only holds the upper body in the seat – but the head and neck are thrown forward. You can observe the forces at play when loose objects fly through the car's interior during an emergency stop.
In the event of a crash, a rear-facing car seat offers more safety:
In a frontal impact: the strong pulling force is distributed across the child's entire back. This protects their sensitive cervical spine area, preventing serious head and neck injuries. The strain on the neck is about 5 times lower than in a forward-facing car seat.
In a side collision: if another car cuts you off and you have to brake hard, the child in the rear-facing position is pressed deep into the seat and well protected on both sides.
In progressive Scandinavia, by the way, most children ride in a rear-facing car seat as a matter of course until kindergarten age and even beyond. Current statistics show that significantly fewer fatal car accidents involving young children occur there than here.
From what age can my child ride in a rear-facing car seat?
Many babies stop accepting the infant car seat between the ages of 9 and 12 months because they can see little during the ride and feel uncomfortable in the reclined position. They usually aren't truly too big for the infant car seat – meaning the head reaches the top edge – until later. The recommendation to keep your baby in the infant car seat for as long as possible for safety reasons does not apply if a suitable rear-facing car seat follows. On the contrary: for older babies and toddlers, a suitable rear-facing car seat is actually the better choice.
Many rear-facing car seats are approved from birth. If, like most parents, you used an infant car seat first, your child can theoretically move to such a rear-facing car seat at any time without taking on a safety risk. Depending on weight and height, a car seat insert or a wedge-shaped insert cushion is then recommended. But when is the right time?
If your child hasn't outgrown the infant car seat yet, but the following points apply, switching makes sense:
Your child constantly tries to sit up during the ride.
Your child seems increasingly unhappy in the infant car seat.
Your child can sit up independently and has good body tension.
Unlike before, they sleep less in the car.
Your baby is slowly becoming a toddler: they're so heavy that you can barely carry them in the infant car seat anymore. When shopping, you no longer click the infant car seat onto the stroller frame but simply put them in the shopping cart's child seat. During the ride, they want to look out the window or look at picture books.
If a rear-facing car seat is not approved from birth, pay attention not only to the age recommendation but also to the guideline values for weight and height. This ensures the seat is suitable to replace your infant car seat.
Can I use a rear-facing car seat from birth?
In theory, yes: you can use Group 0+/I rear-facing car seats from the baby's birth (or from a body length of 45 cm) if you put the seat in the sleeping position and use the included car seat insert. The advantage: you only need a single car seat for the first 4 years of life.
Nevertheless, we recommend transporting newborns in an infant car seat and switching to a rear-facing car seat only later. Compared to a classic infant car seat, using a rear-facing car seat for newborns and small babies has some disadvantages:
Inflexible: you can only place the baby in the car seat once inside the car; after the ride you have to pick them up and carry them, or place them in the stroller or baby carrier. With an infant car seat, on the other hand, thanks to the carrying handle you always take it with you into the home and can put your baby in it there too. Or, after the drive, you attach the infant car seat to the stroller frame using adapters and can go shopping, for example, without waking your baby.
Too cold: a car seat permanently mounted in the car can get quite cold in winter. However, for the harness to fit properly, your baby shouldn't wear too thick a jacket during the ride. With an infant car seat, you can calmly bundle your child up warmly at home or wrap them in a practical swaddling blanket, so they won't get cold on the way to the car either.
Seat too big for newborns: in some rear-facing car seats, newborns look rather lost. In addition, the reclined position isn't always flat enough. Infant car seats, on the other hand, are optimally tailored to newborns, and small babies usually feel more comfortable in the snug padding.
When can I turn around a swivel rear-facing car seat?
The common recommendation from most manufacturers is to keep the child riding rear-facing up to an age of 4 years or a height of 105 cm. Nevertheless, with some rear-facing car seats it's possible to turn the seat around and use it facing the direction of travel. When you're allowed to turn the rear-facing car seat around depends on various factors.
For rear-facing car seats that comply with the new car seat standard UN R129 – better known as i-Size – the rear-facing position is legally required up to an age of 15 months. After that, it continues to be recommended. Some manufacturers additionally provide a minimum height or minimum weight as guidance for forward-facing use. You can tell whether your rear-facing car seat complies with the i-Size standard by the i-Size label on the seat.
For swivel or dual-use rear-facing car seats that are not designed according to the i-Size guideline, you must observe the manufacturer's individual recommendations for forward-facing use (e.g., "your child may also ride facing forward from a height of 80 cm"). In general, you shouldn't turn your baby around if they are younger than 9 months or weigh less than 9 kg. Experts recommend letting the child ride facing forward at the earliest once they can walk securely.
How is a rear-facing car seat secured in the car?
It's secured either using Isofix with a support leg or top tether, or with the vehicle seat belt – with Isofix installation being preferable for safety reasons. Rear-facing car seats with i-Size approval can only be secured using the Isofix system.
Before buying, be sure to check the vehicle type list from the car seat manufacturer to see whether the rear-facing car seat is compatible with your car – not every rear-facing car seat can be installed in every car. The lists are continuously updated; you'll find them on your car seat manufacturer's homepage.
How long can my child sit in the rear-facing car seat?
Many rear-facing car seats are designed for use up to about 4 years of age, a weight of 18 kg, and a height of 105 cm. Some rear-facing car seats are even approved up to a weight of 25 kg. That corresponds to an age of 5 to 6 years. Your child should switch to the next higher car seat in Group II/III (15–36 kg) as soon as they reach the maximum height or maximum weight.
Don't switch too early
Since your child is secured only by the vehicle seat belt in Group II/III car seats, don't switch to this seat too early! With children who are still too small, there's a risk that they could slip out from under the 3-point belt.
A wide range of rear-facing car seats at Babyartikel.de
At Babyartikel.de you'll find a large selection of rear-facing car seats from well-known brand manufacturers such as Recaro, Nuna or Joie.
