If you're in the market for a child car seat you've probably being hearing a lot about something called LATCH. But what is it? Well, LATCH stands for "Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children" and is a system for installing a child car seat in an automobile. Defined by the United States Federal Motor Vehicles Safety Standards, LATCH is designed to make installing a child's car seat easier.

So...what exactly is it?
Like the name says, LATCH uses anchors and tethers to hold a child car seat firmly in place. It replaces the traditional "seatbelt" method of securing your child car seat with a new system that keeps the child car seat firmly in place when installed properly.

LATCH anchors are standard on all Model Year 2003 automobiles and later, but may be available on earlier models. You can tell if your automobile is LATCH-equipped by checking your automobile's owner guide.

How do I install it?
Once you have consulted the owner’s manuals for both your vehicle and child car seat and have located the anchors, the following tips will help ensure proper installation.

Installation for a rear-facing seat with a base:

• Hook the LATCH attachments to the lower vehicle anchors. Make sure the LATCH belts are not twisted.
• Make sure the base is pressed firmly against the vehicle seat back and tighten the LATCH belt by pressing down hard with your knee in the middle of the base and pull to tighten the LATCH belt.
• Make sure the seat is at a 45-degree angle; if the seat is not at the proper angle, either adjust the recline on the seat by raising or lowering the foot (if available) or by rolling a towel and placing it underneath base at the vehicle seat bight.

Installation for a forward-facing seat:

• Hook the LATCH attachments to the lower vehicle anchors. Make sure the LATCH belts are not twisted.
• Make sure the seat is pressed firmly against the vehicle seat back and tighten the LATCH belt by pressing down hard with your knee in the middle of the seat and pull to tighten the LATCH belt.
• Attach the top tether to the appropriate anchor and tighten the strap. For either seat, check for a secure fit by pulling from side to side at the belt path. The seat should not move more than an inch forward or sideways.

My automobile doesn't have LATCH!
Don't worry! Children's car seats, even new child car seats equipped with LATCH, still work fine with the traditional seatbelt method. LATCH may simply make installation a bit easier for those who have it. If you're in the market for a new or late-model used automobile, though, you might want to look for LATCH equipped automobiles.

My child's car seat doesn't have LATCH!
If your automobile has LATCH and your child car seat doesn't, don't worry. The proven, traditional "seatbelt" method of securing a child car seat will still work fine, as long as your automobile's seatbelts are designed to install a child car seat safely - again, always read both your automobile's owner manual and Graco car seat instructions whenever installing your Graco car seat.

LATCH and Graco
All Graco child car seats with a harness system manufactured after September 2002 feature LATCH.

Learn more about GRACO car seats.

Check out the Car Seat Do's and Don'ts.