How important is it for car seat to be level?

**BeyondTheMasquerade** · 01-02-2014, 03:18 PM

My dd is 19 pounds and rf in a Recaro Proride. I finally got a tight install in the middle seat of second row in Honda Odyssey 2014, but I can't get the car seat level! There is a line indicator on the side and I've tried both pool noodles and towels. Regardless of what I use, I can't get a tight install AND the prope angle. Right now it is tightly installed and the seat is more upright. It's not too terribly off the level line,but it is a noticeable difference. I've heard that the recline is more for babies but I want my daughter to be safe as possible! Help!!!!!

**Car-Seat.Org** · 01-02-2014 03:18 PM

**jess71903** · 01-02-2014, 03:23 PM

I *think* Recaro allows it to be installed up to 30 degrees from vertical. Hopefully someone will come along with that knowledge.

**safeinthecar** · 01-02-2014, 04:54 PM

From a physics standpoint, more upright provides more crash protection. What we don't know is how this responds on rebound. Putting seats more upright than the level line as children get older was once common practice for techs, even part of the curriculum, and we have no crash data to suggest that this was a cause of injury, so if the choice is a poor install or a sightly upright seat (or if there is no option for a proper level in a small car and no other seat to use...like we see in checks all the time), I'd choose upright and not lose sleep over it.

**Pixels** · 01-02-2014, 06:23 PM

More upright also changes the crash forces on the child, and not necessarily in a good way.

**safeinthecar** · 01-03-2014, 12:39 AM

Originally Posted by Pixels

More upright also changes the crash forces on the child, and not necessarily in a good way.

Can you refer me to a reference on this?

**Keeyamah** · 01-03-2014, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by Pixels

More upright also changes the crash forces on the child, and not necessarily in a good way.

Originally Posted by safeinthecar

Can you refer me to a reference on this?

I'm curious about this as well. I have a Radian and from everything I've heard, that with the AA, there is no "too upright" according to Dinono.

**BeyondTheMasquerade** · 01-03-2014, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by Keeyamah

I'm curious about this as well. I have a Radian and from everything I've heard, that with the AA, there is no "too upright" according to Dinono.

AA??

**Kegracin** · 01-03-2014, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by BeyondTheMasquerade

AA??

Is what the diono angle adjuster is often called for short.

**Pixels** · 01-17-2014, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by safeinthecar

Can you refer me to a reference on this?

http://www.djgusa.com/usa/eng/Faq-Section?id=22

Dorel testing has shown that the resulting angle leads to the best crash test performance, even for older and larger children, for car seats that have level line indicators.

**1mommy** · 01-17-2014, 01:34 PM

Same website-

http://www.djgusa.com/usa/eng/Faq-Section?id=22

As baby ages and obtains better head control, he/she may sit more upright. This can actually provide for improved crash protection.

**safeinthecar** · 01-17-2014, 09:13 PM

Originally Posted by Pixels

http://www.djgusa.com/usa/eng/Faq-Section?id=22

I mean a reference that more upright leads to injuries. Saying a seat performs BEST under certain circumstances doesn't make it unsafe to use otherwise. For example, ffing seats perform best tethered, but (at least in the US) using them untethered provides a reasonable amount of protection