Infant car seats in Canada: what new parents need to know

The car seat is the one piece of baby gear you'll use from the very first day, and the one where the details genuinely matter. This guide doesn't recommend particular seats. It pulls together what Transport Canada and Health Canada say about choosing, installing and reusing one, so you know what to check whichever seat you end up with.

Two documents outrank anything you read online, including this: your car seat's instruction manual and the car seat section of your vehicle owner's manual. Each province and territory also sets its own rules on car seat use, so check yours.

Infant seat or convertible seat?

Transport Canada notes that babies can ride rear-facing in either an infant seat with a detachable base or a convertible seat installed rear-facing. The practical differences:

• An infant seat clicks in and out of a base, so you can carry a sleeping baby inside or attach the seat to a compatible stroller. Babies outgrow them sooner.
• A convertible seat stays installed in the car and usually covers a longer stretch, rear-facing and later forward-facing. You lift the baby in and out instead of the seat.
• Either way, check the weight and height limits on the label, and make sure the seat fits your vehicle before you buy — ideally by trying it in your car.

The National Safety Mark

• Car seats in Canada must carry Transport Canada's National Safety Mark: a round label with a maple leaf in the centre. It means the seat is certified to Canadian safety standards.
• It's illegal to import, sell or use a child car seat in Canada that doesn't have it.
• Transport Canada has warned that some online stores have sold seats without the mark. It recommends buying from a Canadian retailer, where you can also check the seat fits your vehicle.
• A seat bought outside Canada may not carry the mark. Check before buying across the border or from an international marketplace.

Expiry dates

• Although not required by regulation, most if not all car seats sold in Canada have an expiry or 'useful life' date. Look for a label on the seat and in the instruction manual.
• Why seats expire, per Transport Canada: frequent use and sunlight can weaken plastic, safe-use labels fade, and instruction manuals get lost.
• Don't use a seat past its expiry date. Transport Canada says an expired seat should be permanently discarded rather than donated or passed on to friends or family.
• If you're hoping to reuse the seat for a future baby, note the expiry date when you buy it.

Rear-facing

• Transport Canada says rear-facing is the safest position, and that children should stay rear-facing as long as possible — until they reach the seat's rear-facing weight or height limit — even if provincial rules would allow forward-facing sooner.
• Install rear-facing seats in the back seat. Front airbags are powerful and can hurt children if they inflate in a crash.

Installation: what Transport Canada says to check

• Before you start, read the vehicle manual's car seat section, the car seat manual, and your province or territory's rules.
• Secure the seat with either the Universal Anchorage System (available in vehicles made after 2002) or the vehicle seat belt, following both manuals. Infant seats without a removable base are installed with the seat belt.
• Once installed, the seat should not move more than 2.5 cm (1 inch) side to side or front to back.
• Set the recline angle to the manufacturer's specification. It helps protect a baby's airway.
• Adjust the harness straps so they sit at or just below your baby's shoulders.
• Make the harness snug — you shouldn't be able to pinch the webbing between your thumb and forefinger — and check it every time.
• Don't add items that didn't come with the seat, such as seat protectors or comfort pads. They may not be safe.

Installing a car seat for the first time takes longer than anyone expects. Do it weeks before your due date, not on the way home from the hospital.

Winter clothing

Transport Canada notes that bulky snowsuits can compress, and slippery fabrics can affect how the harness holds. If your baby is wearing bulky clothing, make sure the harness is tight enough to compress it, and check your seat manufacturer's advice on winter dressing. The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that bulky coats and snowsuits can compress in a crash and leave the straps too loose, and recommends thin layers instead.

Register the seat for recalls

Manufacturers are required to provide a registration card with each seat. Send it in or register online so the manufacturer can contact you about recalls. You can also check Transport Canada's safety alerts and notices for car seats and the Government of Canada recalls database.

Second-hand seats

A borrowed seat from someone you trust can be fine. A seat with an unknown history is a real risk, because damage from a collision isn't always visible. Health Canada's checklist for a second-hand seat:

• It has the National Safety Mark.
• It has not been in a vehicle during a collision.
• It comes with its manual and all its parts.
• The buckle, harness, chest clip and anchoring system all work, and the harness isn't frayed, torn or discoloured.
• It has no outstanding recalls.
• It's within its expiry or useful life date.

Transport Canada also notes that seats made before January 1, 2012 may be illegal to advertise, sell or give away, because they may not meet the latest safety requirements.

Getting installation help

• The Child Passenger Safety Association of Canada has a map of certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians, including some who offer virtual consultations.
• Your car seat manufacturer's customer support can answer questions about your specific model.
• Transport Canada's Motor Vehicle Safety line is 1-800-333-0371, or email mvs-sa@tc.gc.ca.

Car seats are for travel, not sleep

Babies nap in the car all the time. The Public Health Agency of Canada's guidance is that car seats are designed for travel, not sleep, and that you should move your baby to a safe sleep space once you arrive — even if they're sleeping soundly.

Readers in the US

The National Safety Mark is Canadian; US seats are certified to US federal standards instead. The American Academy of Pediatrics' guidance lines up closely on the essentials: rear-facing for as long as possible until the seat's limits, register the seat for recalls, avoid used seats unless you know their full history, and get a certified child passenger safety technician to check your installation.