One car seat two cars

[Gizmo]

Hi everyone I’m going to ask probably a silly question but I genuinely want to know for certain if at all possible, my nine-month-old granddaughter goes between our house/car to her fathers family/car they are currently using the car seat that we bought and have the bases for installed by the fire department they do not have bases in their car I know technically using the standard seatbelt over top of the car seat lap area is normally what’s done but I’m curious how safe that is and if we should tell them they need to have their own car seat/base and stop sharing hours?

 

[ketchupqueen]

Hi!
Using a rear-facing only seat without the base is absolutely fine as long as it is properly installed (correct angle, tight install, seatbelt locked, following the directions.) If it's done frequently you do need to be very careful each time; the more a seat is moved, the more times you have a chance to make an error. But it's certainly possible to do safely and many families do it frequently.

Once you get to the convertible stage (which may be quite soon- the rear-facing only stage doesn't normally last long, and the seat is outgrown when the weight limit is reached or there is less than 1" over the head of the child to the top of the seat), you'll likely want to have permanently installed convertibles in each vehicle the child rides in regularly. (Or, a very, very easy seat to install is an option.)

One further note- no one should "professionally install" a seat without instructing the caregivers on how to install, so they can confidently do it themselves. Make sure you check that anyone who assists with a seat is a currently certified CPST.