The short answer: keep your child rear-facing for as long as possible, until they reach the highest rear-facing weight or height limit allowed by their car seat. That’s the current recommendation from both the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). For many children, that means riding rear-facing well past their second birthday.

Why rear-facing is safer

In a frontal crash, the most common type of serious crash, a rear-facing seat supports a child’s head, neck and back and spreads the crash forces across the whole shell of the seat. Young children’s heads are large relative to their bodies and their neck and spine are still developing, so this support matters most for babies and toddlers.

What the guidance says

AAP: the AAP advises that infants and toddlers ride in a rear-facing seat as long as possible, until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their seat. In its 2018 policy statement the AAP removed the earlier age-based advice (“until age 2”) in favour of following the seat’s limits, because many convertible seats allow children to ride rear-facing for two years or more.

NHTSA: NHTSA’s car seat recommendations by age say children under one should always ride rear-facing, and children aged one to three should stay rear-facing as long as possible, until they reach the top height or weight limit set by the car seat manufacturer.

How to find your seat’s limits

Every car seat lists its limits on labels on the seat and in the manual. Look for:

  • Rear-facing weight limit: infant-only seats commonly have lower limits than convertible or all-in-one seats, which are designed to stay rear-facing for longer.
  • Rear-facing height limit: this is often expressed as a maximum standing height and/or a rule about the child’s head position relative to the top of the seat shell or headrest. Children often outgrow a seat by height before weight.

When your child outgrows an infant seat, moving to a convertible or all-in-one seat installed rear-facing lets them keep riding rear-facing.

Common worries

“My child’s legs touch the back seat.” This is normal and isn’t, by itself, a reason to turn a seat forward. Children sit comfortably with bent or crossed legs, and the seat’s limits are what matter.

“They seem uncomfortable or want to see forward.” Many children settle once they’re used to rear-facing. Toys that attach safely to the seat, and a properly adjusted harness, can help. Avoid hard or heavy objects in the car that could become projectiles in a crash.

“The law in my state says I can switch.” State laws set minimums, and they vary. Best-practice guidance from the AAP and NHTSA recommends staying rear-facing for longer than many laws require.

Installation matters as much as direction

A rear-facing seat only works as designed if it’s installed and used correctly:

  • Never put a rear-facing seat in front of an active front passenger airbag. The back seat is the safest place for children.
  • Install the seat with either the vehicle seat belt or the lower anchors (LATCH), following both the car seat manual and your vehicle’s manual. Use one or the other unless your seat’s manual specifically says you can use both.
  • Check the recline angle indicator on the seat. Newborns in particular need the correct recline to keep their airway open.
  • Keep the harness snug, with the chest clip at armpit level.
  • Remove bulky coats and snowsuits before buckling in; use a blanket over the harness instead.

If you’d like help, a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) can check your installation. NHTSA lists car seat inspection stations on its website.

When is it time to face forward?

Turn your child forward-facing only once they have exceeded the rear-facing weight or height limit of their convertible or all-in-one seat. They should then use a forward-facing seat with a five-point harness for as long as possible, up to that seat’s limits, before moving to a booster.

Ready to compare seats? Browse our car seat guides, and check whether your current seat has any open recalls using our recall-checking guide.