Did you know there was a proper angle for installing your child convertible car seat rear facing? Well if not, you are not alone. Many people think you just put the seat in and install with either the LATCH or the cars seat belt. The angle at which the seat is installed is important for the comfort and safety of your baby. if the convertible car seat is up too straight, your child’s head will flop forward more, especially if the child is an infant. If the seat is laying back to far, this causes fitment issues, and the legs can flop up towards the infants torso.
the recommended range for the installation of your child convertible car seat is between 30 and 45 degrees. This range provides the best comfort and safety for your child. Most car seats have a indicator of some kind to let you know if the seat is within the right range or not. Some car seats have adjustable feet that fold down or move to place the car seat at the right angle in your car. In the manual for the Britax Marathon 70, it is recommended to use a swim noodle or a rolled up towel to help get the right angle. the towel or swim noodle gets placed at the back of the seat, where the seat back and the seat bottom meet. This will help tilt the seat to the proper angle.
If in doubt though, it is always good to check with the manufacturer of your child convertible car seat for the recommended installation angle, and what, if anything, can be used to support the car seat to adjust the installation angle. When installing the car seat, you may need to use a knee to put extra pressure down on the seat to compress the rolled up towel or swim noodle. It is very important to get the seat belt, or LATCH strap very tight. You want less than one inch of movement at the belt path.