A tether is a strap that connects the top of a child seat to an anchor bolted to the vehicle’s frame to reduce excessive movement of the seat in the event of a collision. Almost all forward-facing child seats made after September 1, 1999, have a tether strap and all passenger vehicles manufactured after September 1, 2002, are required to have tether anchors.
A top tether holds the back of the child seat firmly against the vehicle seat. This makes the seat more secure and reduces the amount of movement that occurs during a crash. The top tether also reduces the distance that a child’s head moves forward and therefore can lessen the risk of head injuries during a crash; this provides more protection for a child.
Most child seats on the market can only be tethered while they are facing forward, however, all Britax convertible seats can be tethered when they are both forward and rear facing. This provides an extra level of protection for your child when he or she is rear facing.
The tethering system that is utilized by Britax is called the Versa-Tether system. This means that the tether on all Britax seats, both convertible and forward-facing child seats, utilize two attachment points on the child seat to distribute crash forces while anchoring the top of the seat to the vehicle to reduce movement of the seat during impact.
Top tether anchor point locations vary based on the vehicle. Be certain to read your vehicle owner’s manual to determine where the anchor points are located in your car.
For more information about tether use, be sure to read our Frequently Asked Questions.