Any seats that allow you to forward face before 1 year?

[stdldb29]

Texas (from what it reads) requires you to use your seat according to manufacture instructions. It has "recommendations" but, you can only get in trouble legally if you do not follow the manufacture instructions. Every seat I have ever seen says that you can't turn it until 1 year and 20 (or 22lbs) depending on the seat. Does anyone know of any seats that allow rear facing earlier? I'm assuming no, but want to make sure I know my facts before I say anything to a friend.

So, from what I'm gathering-you have to have a child that is one year and 20 or 22lbs depending on the seat.

I am completely aware that rear facing is the safest-my 2.5 year old is still rear-facing, I just want my facts straight.

 

[rachelandtyke]

I'm not aware of any seats that allow forward facing before 1 year. Some also include a minimum height to forward face (I think the Scenera does), and there are some like the Frontier that have a higher minimum age and weight than 1 and 20/22.

 

[jacqui276]

I am fairly certain that there are no seats that allow forward facing before one year.

 

[stdldb29]

Thanks, that is what I had thought. I had looked at multiple seats and couldn't find anything saying otherwise. Thanks so much!

 

[carseatcoach]

Graco Comfort Sport used to. I don't know if it still does, but there are unexpired CSs without an age minimum.

 

[ketchupqueen]

The Orbit Toddler Seat G2 has no minimum age requirement for forward-facing, only weight.

 

[LISmama810]

The Orbit Toddler Seat G2 has no minimum age requirement for forward-facing, only weight.

Yep. I do find that unfortunate, although the company claims (probably correctly) that much of the appeal of their seat is to be able to swivel it, which you can't do forward-facing. So hopefully that serves as a deterrent. Their manual is also chock-full of ERF encouragement.

But, yeah, you can technically forward-face a kid of any age in it, as long as they weigh enough.

 

[canadiangie]

I seem to recall a batch of Radians with no min age to ff.

 

[ketchupqueen]

Yep. I do find that unfortunate, although the company claims (probably correctly) that much of the appeal of their seat is to be able to swivel it, which you can't do forward-facing. So hopefully that serves as a deterrent. Their manual is also chock-full of ERF encouragement.

But, yeah, you can technically forward-face a kid of any age in it, as long as they weigh enough.

Doesn't Canada require 1 year, 22 lbs., and walking unassisted to meet their standard now? I wonder if any of that language will make it into the next version of the manual for the US seat.

 

[crunchierthanthou]

I seem to recall a batch of Radians with no min age to ff.

this, and not just a batch. I had a hard time convincing a parent to keep her 10 month old rf in an RXT because she was over the 20 lb minimum. They only list the weight limit on the stickers and in the front pages of the manual. It's buried in the rf section about 1 year.

 

[jacqui276]

That is really unfortunate that there are seats that only have a weight and no age and that Texas doesn't specify an age. By that standard, my 6 month old could be FFing.

 

[monica-m]

I don't think Texas is the only state to not specify an age. It is a proper use state though.

 

[snowbird25ca]

That is really unfortunate that there are seats that only have a weight and no age and that Texas doesn't specify an age. By that standard, my 6 month old could be FFing.

Alberta doesn't have a minimum age either - we only have proper use. Kids under 40lbs or less than 6yrs old have to be properly restrained according to manufacturers instructions. It sucks, but it's the government's way out of having to revise the law when standards change....

 

[henrietta]

Many, if not all, of the Cosco/Safety First/Eddie Bauer seats also require kids to be a minimum of 34 inches tall to forward face in them...(Scenera, Apt, 3-in-1's, AOE's, Complete Air, etc--all common seats)

 

[An Aurora]

Graco Comfort Sport used to. I don't know if it still does, but there are unexpired CSs without an age minimum.

I seem to remember the first MyRides having no age minimum as well, and the "turn when the feet touch" line.

 

[Jessica61624]

The old comfort sports did. DD FF before 1 in one.

Eta-didn't read the replies.

 

[Carrie_R]

IIRC, the S4M doesn't have one. Don't know if it's a repeated oversight by Graco or what...

 

[violets_mommy]

I'm pretty sure the my ride doesn't have an.age for FF.

 

[Brianna]

I'm pretty sure the my ride doesn't have an.age for FF.

The current ones do have a one year minimum.

I couldn't find an age range for the Size4Me but I found in the manual

The American Academy of
Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that
children be rear-facing until age 2
or until they reach the maximum
rear-facing height and weight
rating for their seat.

 

[truckerswife]

I have a august 2010 Comfort sport and it says you can FF when the child sits unassisted and is 20 pounds and that the AAP suggests RF to age 1