The Car Seat LadyInside vs Outside

Why should I care?

LATCH belts are finicky – and will only get tight if you pull them exactly as they want to be pulled.

How do I know if I am pulling the LATCH belt correctly?

If you drop the LATCH belt and it falls on top of the child’s car seat – where the child sits – then you have pulled it correctly from INSIDE the car seat. If you drop the LATCH belt and it falls on the vehicle seat (i.e. to the side of the car seat) then you have been pulling it from OUTSIDE the car seat.

**See bottom for the exceptions to this rule.

DON’T: Pull the LATCH belt from OUTSIDE the car seat

Rear-facing First Years True Fit with LATCH belt pulled from OUTSIDE

Rear-facing Combi Coccoro
with LATCH belt pulled from OUTSIDE

DO: Pull the LATCH belt from INSIDE the car seat

(pass the tail of the belt through the side hole in the car seat)

Rear-facing First Years True Fit
Pulling the tail of the LATCH belt from INSIDE the car seat

Rear-facing Combi Coccoro

Pulling the tail of the LATCH belt from INSIDE the car seat

Britax 70 (Marathon/Boulevard/Advocate) or 55 (Roundabout)
Pulling the tails of the LATCH belt from INSIDE the seat

Forward-Facing Evenflo Tribute
Pulling the tail of the vehicle’s lap belt from INSIDE the car seat

Forward-facing Britax Frontier or Frontier 85
Pulling the tail of the vehicle’s lap belt from INSIDE the car seat

**EXCEPTIONS:

Because every rule needs a few exceptions…

Britax Advocate, Marathon, Boulevard (the original versions – that go to 65 pounds) – the 2 separate LATCH belts are connected on a metal bar on the side of the car seat and the belts pull best from the OUTSIDE of the seat. Note, the newer versions – the Britax Advocate 70, Marathon 70, Boulevard 70, and Roundabout 55 – like the belt pulled from INSIDE the seat.
Chicco Key Fit – the LATCH belt is located centrally, and therefore you have no choice but to pull it from inside the seat (you wouldn’t be able to pull it from outside even if you tried)
Graco Safe Seat Step 2 (Forward-facing only seat) – the forward-facing belt path is closed off, forcing you to have to pull the belt from the outside (which makes this seat more difficult to install with LATCH than others)
Recaro Signo – the 2 separate LATCH belts are connected on a metal bar on the side of the car seat and the belts pull best from the OUTSIDE of the seat
Sunshine Kids Radian – the rear-facing belt path is closed off, forcing you to have to pull the belt from the outside (one of the reasons this seat is more difficult to install tightly than others)