Harness to the sides.
→ Have the straps loose and hung over the sides of the carrier.
This makes it easier to get the child into the carrier and makes it less likely that the harness will get twisted.
Buckle child in.
→ Place the child into the restraint intheir normal clothing (not swaddled or in bulky clothing).
→ Buckle up one side at a time.
→ Make sure there are no twists in the harness.
Tighten harness.
→ Pull on the adjuster strap at the front of the restraint.
→ Sometimes this can take more than one go.
Check harness is tight.
→ Two Fingers – no more than two flat fingers should fit between the harness and the child.
→ Pinch Test – you should not be able to pinch the harness together at the child’s collarbone.
→ Tight – the harness must always be tight when the baby is in the capsule. Never leave a baby in the capsule with a loose harness. This is dangerous and baby may slump to an unsafe position causing their airways to block.
→ Retighten – with some infant carriers you can pull the harness at the back of the restraint to help make it tighter and then remove the slack with the adjuster strap at the front.
Tighten tether.
→ Attach and tighten the top tether to remove slack.
→ Make sure to not over tighten, this can cause the child restraint to be lifted up off the seat of the car.
