Installing A Rear-Facing Only Infant Carseat without the Base Using the European Belt Path Method

You probably CAN install your rear-facing only infant carseat (RFO) without the base! There are 2 ways to do it: using the American belt path or using the Euro belt path. Not all infant seats can be installed without the base AND not all infant seats can be installed using the Euro belt path, so you really have to read your owner’s manual for this. Some don’t even have labels on the side of the seat showing the Euro belt path even though you can install it that way simply because there’s not enough room for them. So break out that manual!

If you can install your RFO using the Euro belt path, give this method a try! It makes it so easy to hop into someone else’s car without having to futz with your base AND there are BENEFITS!

The shoulder belt routes behind the baby’s head, which:
✷ keeps the seat more upright in a crash, which in turn
✷ makes the seat more stable in a crash
✷ when the carseat is more upright in a crash, the child is less likely to ramp up the seat and hit their head on items in the vehicle, such as consoles, front seats, and side pillars
✷ it acts similarly to a load leg (an energy management feature) that is found on some bases
✷ it uses more of the seat belt, so practically, it’s easier to get tight

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Carseats shown in video:
Chicco KeyFit 35
https://amzn.to/41RcgqZ

Evenflo Litemax 35
https://amzn.to/41Wo3o7

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