Installation tricks shown using a Chicco NextFit in a Toyota RAV4
These aren’t new tricks, we’ve discussed them various times in the past. They may be easier to do with some car seats and vehicles than others, but you can usually find a way to pull the shoulder belt inward across the car seat by lifting the fabric cover or finding another path to avoid having to pull it from the side of the car seat. Also shown is a trick to recline the vehicle seat back when possible before starting, then bring it more upright at the end.
Call them mom-hacks or dad-hacks or life-hacks or whatever you like, but these are very simple “old school” tricks to help install many forward-facing car seats that use a 5-point harness system. These should apply to many forward-facing convertible, combination and all-in-one models in various vehicles. As always, check the warnings and limits in your owner’s manuals and on the labels!
Don’t have 5 minutes to spare listening to me drone on? Here’s a quick version of the seat back recline hack: