Infant carrier handle up or down?

fallbride00

I have a Graco Snugride that I used for my first and when we had the carseat installed they told us to always put the handle all the way down while driving.  I've been seeing lots of other people drive with the handle up and wondered what everyone else is doing.  I've read that the snugride was reconfigured to allow driving with the handle up but I'm a bit hesitant to do it.  What do you all do?

kelsgreeneyes

We also have a Snugride and drive with the handle up.  I'm pretty sure the carseat wouldnt fit it the handle was down.  I never heard you werent to drive with it up.

KrisM86

Check your carseat manual. I have a Chicco Keyfit and it specifically says the handle can be up or down while in the car, as long as it locks. It won't lock in the down position in the car, so we put it up and locked.

s00z

We have a Combi Shuttle 33, and the manual says to keep the handle up. I guess it differs from seat to seat.

Amitchell0626

The first seat we had (Eddie Bauer) said on the seat to have the handle down and locked when in the car. The seat we use now (Maxi Cosi Mico) doesn't say anything. The handle wont go down far enough to lock in the car because there's no room so we always left it up. When we had it installed they never told us to put it down.

CHI-06

KrisM86:

Check your carseat manual. I have a Chicco Keyfit and it specifically says the handle can be up or down while in the car, as long as it locks. It won't lock in the down position in the car, so we put it up and locked.

I actually never looked in the manual for this.  We were also told when it was installed to always put it down while driving so this is what we always do.

lucylea

Our tech told us that no matter what the manual said it was safer to keep the handle down and locked as otherwise if you were in an accident it could shatter when it hit the back of the seat.  I'm not trying to be judgy, but for those of you that it won't fit are you making sure that the back of the vehicle seat isn't touching the top of the infant carrier?  That's a big no-no.  

jsong

When we had our car seat inspected (we also have the Graco Snugride), we were told to always have it down in the event of an accident, it will protect the back of the car seat where the babys head is. 

thetheisens

lucylea:

Our tech told us that no matter what the manual said it was safer to keep the handle down and locked as otherwise if you were in an accident it could shatter when it hit the back of the seat.  I'm not trying to be judgy, but for those of you that it won't fit are you making sure that the back of the vehicle seat isn't touching the top of the infant carrier?  That's a big no-no.  

We were told the same thing. I have a baby trend one though and it actually has a big sticker on the side that says the handle should always be down and locked when in the car. I know some car seats say it doesn't matter, but I see people with the same one as me driving around with the handle up. If the manual says it's ok either way I would think the company has done tests on it both ways and it is safe both ways.

SuperCuteBenz

The Graco manual shows you all the positions, and tells you where it can and cannot be while driving. I believe there are 4 handle positions.

We always used ours with the handle up while driving, and have never been told not to do so by a tech.

SuperCuteBenz

 

https://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=144521&highlight=baby+trend+handle

Kcirar726

My tech told me to always have it down because I have side airbags on the ceiling, and if the handle it up, the airbag would smash the handle into the baby.

aveeh

I just went to a carseat safety seminar a month ago and the tech came into our cars to individually check them.  I always put it down because that is what I was told to do, but she said Graco JUST came out saying that keeping the handle up is actually safer. 

If you think about it, it makes sense, she said if you were in a head on accident, the carseat (non tethered end) would fly up and the handle would stop it before your LO hit the back of the seat.  Makes sense to me, so now we keep it up.

j&lo82907

We drive with the handle up. Mainly because it wont fit with it down.

babyAutumn

We usually drive with it down but we keep it up on longer car trips so that LO can play with the toys that hang on it. 

mplesset23

We drive with it up, because the firemen that installed it told us to do so.  I'm so confused now reading all of these posts.  I'll have to do some more research.

memali26

Ditto checking the owners manual of your seat. We have a Graco SnugRide 32, and it has the four handle  positions PP mentioned. According to our manual, two of the positions are safe to use while driving - all the way up, and back around the top of the car seat. I usually put it down because I can see her better in the mirror and reach better if I need to help her find her nuk (from the passenger seat, not while driving!) but occasionally leave it up if she really seems into the little bugs hanging from the handle at that moment.

clangley09

Always down. We had to go over carseat safety a little bit more intensely than most since LO was leaving NICU & BARELY even fit into a carseat.

ashleyaus

We were told by the hospital, doctor, and fire dept, that with the Graco Snugride, click it 1 step back while driving. The only time it should be all the way back is so when it's on a flat service it will prevent the seat from rocking. Happy travels!