Tight Car Seat Installation

Let me begin with an important rhyme: Just because it’s tight, doesn’t make it right. A tight car seat installation isn’t the ONLY sign that an install is correct.

In other words, “tightness” is not the only measure of a correct car seat installation, and, contrary to popular belief, a car seat does not have to be “rock solid” to be correctly installed.

I’m about to digress about my discovery of TikTok, so if you’re only here for the car seat videos, start scrolling like you’re looking for a recipe on a food blog!

TikTok is New Territory

At the ripe old age of 38, I have joined all the hip, centre-parted youngsters of TikTok.

Whenever I think of TikTok, I think of either the lyrics to 4 Minutes to Save the World by Madonna and Justin Timberlake or the lyrics to the Tickety Tok song in the Netflix children’s show, Word Party.

So in other words, I’m really, REALLY cool and clearly TikTok material.

TikTok to me means a LOT of complicated choreography. I still do not understand where this choreography comes from or how people learn it so effectively. I couldn’t even manage a simple Boot Scootin’ Boogie in the high school PE square-dancing unit (why was that a thing?), so to share my attempt at some snappy choreography for the world to see is my idea of a nightmare. (As is being recruited to serve on a Board of Directors, but that’s another blog post.)

But what has become painfully obvious to me, as someone whose businesses reach clients almost exclusively via social media, was that I would have to go where my future clients were.

My clients are, for the most part, parents. And the children of the parents who follow me on Facebook and Instagram will soon age out of most of my main areas of expertise (cloth diapers and car seats, for example).

But you know what? There are a lot of parents on TikTok who’ve never heard of Maman Loup, and I need to reach them!

So I made a TikTok.

I had experimented a bit with Instagram Reels (the old person’s TikTok, I guess), so I understood the concept. I have a cool photography light in my room and a tripod for my phone. I applied a nice filter AND used the delightful “beauty” option that really smooths those fine lines, and I posted my first video to the attention of my zero followers.

It’s been less than a month since that first video, and it now has over 525,000 views, and I have 12.8K followers. I have been trying to reach 10K followers on Instagram for the better part of 5 years … and have not been able to reach 8,500. (And so far, my efforts to translate my TikTok following into higher Instagram numbers has proven fruitless.)

Based on the response to my video, I am clearly filling a need that I didn’t know existed: snappy car seat tutorials set to cool beats from my childhood and adolescence.

TikTok remains somewhat mysterious to me. My tutorials often need to be the full 60 seconds, but most song clips are only 15–30 seconds long. What’s a girl to do?

Sometimes I post something, and it gets thousands of views. Other videos that I consider to be as, if not more, interesting get a couple hundred.

At first I was overwhelmed by the comments: I want to help EVERYONE with their car seats and frankly my wrist got super sore from so much typing on my phone! There’s a limit to how much I can even type in one comment!

As with any social media space, there is a lot of misinformation out there about proper car seat use. I love that I can respond to comments by making a new video—this has hopefully allowed me to bust few of the most pervasive car seat myths.

I’ll keep learning how to make cool TikToks and sharing my knowledge: if just one parent sees one of my videos and starts paying closer attention to their kids’ car seats, then it’s all worth it.

Tight Car Seat Installation Tutorials

Before you begin: Remember that just because a car seat install is TIGHT doesn’t mean it’s RIGHT.

When checking for movement, seats are allowed to have up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) of movement at the belt path (which I show in my videos), both side to side and front to back.

Remember that a correct installation ALSO needs to follow all steps and requirements in the car seat manual and your vehicle owner’s manual.

Rear-Facing Seats

How to tighten an infant seat using the lower anchors:

@carseatcubsInfant seat with UAS? Here’s how to install! Always consult YOUR manual 🥰 #carseatsafety #cpst ♬ Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) – Weezer

Important: Remember that we ONLY check for movement at the belt path (where the seat is secured to the vehicle). It is normal for there to be movement at other points on the seat.

Do not kneel on or climb on top of your car seat base to install. Seats are not designed to be installed this way, and you may accidentally break components.

How to tighten an infant seat using the vehicle seatbelt:

@carseatcubsRun out of appropriate songs just choosing long enough songs I like. Infant seat install with vehicle belt. #carseatsafety #cpst ♬ Borderline – Madonna

Important: Remember that we ONLY check for movement at the belt path (where the seat is secured to the vehicle). It is normal for there to be movement at other points on the seat.

Do not kneel on or climb on top of your car seat base to install. Seats are not designed to be installed this way, and you may accidentally break components.

If you are having trouble with the base tipping because the shoulder belt is pulling it upwards, there are two possible solutions. One is to follow all the install tips in my video but only lock the seatbelt as your very last step. This may be a two-person job, with one person putting downward pressure on the base and pulling the slack out of the lap belt, and the other waiting until the perfect moment to lock the vehicle belt. The other option is to follow the instructions in your car seat manual for a locking clip installation. Not all seats come with a locking clip, but many do.

How to tighten a rear-facing car seat using the lower anchors:

Using your arm from the side of the seat:

@carseatcubsRear-facing install too loose? Use this trick to achieve a tight install, and remember to also check your angle! #carseatsafety #cpst ♬ Under Pressure – Remastered 2011 – Queen

Using your hips from behind the seat:

@carseatcubsYes, I’m demo-ing in my room. Yes it’s a tight squeeze in a car. If you don’t fit behind the seat, check my tutorial from the side! ##car seat safety♬ Push It (Re-Recorded) [Remastered] – Salt-N-Pepa

Important: Remember that we ONLY check for movement at the belt path (where the seat is secured to the vehicle). It is normal for there to be movement at other points on the seat.

Do not kneel on or climb on top of your rear-facing car seat base to install. At the rear-facing angle, most seats have a recline foot or other components that are not designed to support adult weight. Some seats have different foam components that can be accidentally cracked by a misplaced knee. ONLY use the pressure from your arm or from your hips (from behind the seat).

How to tighten a rear-facing car seat using the vehicle seat belt:

@carseatcubsYou asked and I deliver. In my garage. On a Friday night. Rear facing install with seat belt. #carseatsafety #cpst ♬ Rhythm Nation – Janet Jackson

Important: Remember that we ONLY check for movement at the belt path (where the seat is secured to the vehicle). It is normal for there to be movement at other points on the seat.

If you are having trouble with the seat tipping because the shoulder belt is pulling it upwards, there are two possible solutions. One is to follow all the install tips in my video but only lock the seatbelt as your very last step. This may be a two-person job, with one person putting downward pressure on the base and pulling the slack out of the lap belt, and the other waiting until the perfect moment to lock the vehicle belt. The other option is to follow the instructions in your car seat manual for a locking clip installation. Not all seats come with a locking clip, but many do.

Forward-Facing Seats

How to tighten a forward-facing car seat using the lower anchors:

@carseatcubsCar seat tip time! This is how CPSTs get a nice, tight install for forward-facing seats using UAS. #carseatsafety #cpst ♬ Let Me Blow Ya Mind – Eve

Important: Remember that we ONLY check for movement at the belt path (where the seat is secured to the vehicle). It is normal for there to be movement at other points on the seat.

For forward-facing seats, a SINGLE knee in the seat can be used for downward pressure if you cannot get enough pressure using your arm. Do not sit in the seat or put your entire body into the seat.

Remember to correctly secure the top tether for forward-facing installations.

How to tighten a forward-facing car seat using the vehicle seat belt:

@carseatcubsForward facing seatbelt install! Naked seat for better view. #cpst #carseattech ♬ original sound – Maman Loup / Car Seat Cubs

Important: Remember that we ONLY check for movement at the belt path (where the seat is secured to the vehicle). It is normal for there to be movement at other points on the seat.

For forward-facing seats, a SINGLE knee in the seat can be used for downward pressure if you cannot get enough pressure using your arm. Do not sit in the seat or put your entire body into the seat.

Remember to correctly secure the top tether for forward-facing installations.