CAR SEAT ADVICE UK
  • Car Seat Advice
  • Everything you need to know
    • Choosing the right car seat
    • Seat Types and Weight and Height Limits
    • Rear Facing or Forward?
    • Installation Methods
    • The Harness
    • The Law
    • Car Seat Testing
    • Common Errors
    • FAQ
  • Installation methods
    • Infant car seats up to 13kg or 87cm
    • Rear facing car seats up to 18kg or 105cm
    • Forward facing seats from 9-18kg or 15 months to 105cm
    • Rear and forward facing seats from 9-25kg
    • Booster seats from 15-36kg
    • Seat Belt Buckles
    • ISOfix Points, Tether Straps and Support Legs
    • Indicators and side impact protection
  • Admin Team
  • Specialist Retailers

Seat belt buckles

Car Seat Advice UK | BeSafe iZi Combi
Car Seat Advice UK | Ford Focus seat belt bucklesPicture
In some cars the seat belt buckles are set low down in the seats' upholstery and close to the backrest.
Car Seat Advice UK | Ford Focus seat belt buckles Joie Every StagePicture
These buckles work well with both forward...
Car Seat Advice UK | Ford Focus seat belt buckles Axkid MinikidPicture
... and rear facing car seats.
Car Seat Advice UK | Toyota Estima seat belt bucklesPicture
However, in some cars the buckles are much longer, and mounted further along the seat away from the backrest.
Car Seat Advice UK | Toyota Estima seat belt buckles Joie Every Stage buckle crunchPicture
Buckle crunch and forward anchorage are more common in forward facing car seats, because the belt path is usually low down and the backrest can be quite thin.
Car Seat Advice UK | Toyota Estima seat belt buckles Axkid MinikidPicture
Buckle crunch and forward anchorage are rarely an issue in rear facing seats where the belt path is much higher and further forward.


Buckle crunch and forward anchorage

In some cars like the Ford Focus pictured here, the seat belt buckles sit low down in the seat's upholstery and are close to the backrest. The position of these buckles is ideal for installing a car seat and won't cause any problems. However, the buckles in the other car, a Toyota Estima, are much longer and are positioned a bit further forward away from the backrest. Buckles that are long like this can cause buckle crunch*, and when they are too far forward they can cause forward anchorage**.
*Buckle crunch is where the buckle strap is so long that the buckle rests on the plastic frame of the car seat and lies where the seat belt should be. When the buckle lies in the car seat's belt path it is not always possible to pull the seat belt tight enough and the car seat may wobble. There is also a risk that the buckle may shatter in a crash.
**Forward anchorage means that the lap belt doesn't hold the car seat tight against the vehicle's backrest, allowing too much forward movement.
A car seat should be as tight as possible, so if forward anchorage causes your car seat to move or if your long buckles are in the belt path, it means that that seat is not suitable for your car. Buckle crunch is most likely in car seats with a low lap belt path, and forward anchorage is most common in forward facing car seats that have a relatively thin backrest. Ideally the belt path should be quite high and far forward.  Buckle crunch and forward anchorage can occur in rear facing car seats, but are more common in forward facing ones.
Car Seat Advice UK | seat belt buckles Maxi-Cosi Tobi buckle crunchPicture
The buckle touching the side of the car seat is fine. As long as it is flat and doesn't bend into the belt path it is not buckle crunch.
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  • Car Seat Advice
  • Everything you need to know
    • Choosing the right car seat
    • Seat Types and Weight and Height Limits
    • Rear Facing or Forward?
    • Installation Methods
    • The Harness
    • The Law
    • Car Seat Testing
    • Common Errors
    • FAQ
  • Installation methods
    • Infant car seats up to 13kg or 87cm
    • Rear facing car seats up to 18kg or 105cm
    • Forward facing seats from 9-18kg or 15 months to 105cm
    • Rear and forward facing seats from 9-25kg
    • Booster seats from 15-36kg
    • Seat Belt Buckles
    • ISOfix Points, Tether Straps and Support Legs
    • Indicators and side impact protection
  • Admin Team
  • Specialist Retailers