Yes, you heard me right! When we are done with car seats and would like to declutter it from our homes, the obvious choice is to sell it, so other parents can get a good deal, while keeping their children safe.
I adore the preloved buy and sell market, because it’s so good for the environment, BUT car seats are tricky and I recommend parents be highly cautious. Ask lots of questions, when buying a preloved car seat.
Has this ever been in an accident – even a minor one?
Even minor accidents can dislodge important car seat parts, that aren’t immediately visible externally. Car seats that were present in any type of crash, no matter how minor, should never be used again.
How was it stored?
Car seats should be in climate-controlled storage – must not be humid or warm, and must have fresh air circulating regularly.
If your car seat has been stored in plastic or an enclose storage without enough dehumidifying tubs that are replaced regularly, then just like a shoe, it will expire faster than a car seat that was used regularly. The plastic will become brittle and no longer provide safety for our little ones.
Are all parts are complete and good working order?
Check for the manual online and compare to see if parts are complete. Better yet, when you view the car seat, print out and bring the manual so you can compare.
Is it a recalled model?
See list of recalls here
When is it expiring?
Expired plastic is brittle and can give a false sense of security. Average expiration is 6 years after MANUFACTURING DATE, not date of purchase.
HOW TO CHECK CAR SEAT EXPIRATION?
Simply google “(BRAND NAME) car seat + expiration” to get instructions. In the screenshot below I googled GRACO CAR SEAT EXPIRATION and I got so much information, from the brand itself and youtube videos. However some really high quality car seats are good up to 10 years. Do your research.
WHAT TO DO WITH EXPIRED CAR SEATS?
Recycle the car seat. Send it to recyclers like Tzu Chi Foundation. However to make it clear that it’s FOR RECYCLING, NOT REUSE this is what you should do:
- Cut the straps
- Remove any foam and padding from the shell
- Yhen write with permanent marker in big bold letters:
“THIS CAR SEAT IS NOT SAFE TO USE, IT’S EXPIRED. “
Never throw away or send for recycling an expired car seat whole, coz someone might pick it up and use it. It will give them the false sense of safety for their child when in reality expired car seats are brittle and will shatter into pieces upon impact.
For more complete instructions and answer you may have about preloved car seats and how to safely buy them, head over to THE CAR SEAT LADY. All this useful info is from her super informative website.
Please do share this post with other parents who are thinking of disposing of a car seat OR buying one-second hand. It could save a life!
WHAT’S THE BEST CAR SEAT?
After doing all my research, for me the best car seat are Cybex! Your car must have ISOFIX for these because it’s the safest way to attach the car seat to the car without too much human error that happens when it’s seatbelt only. Human error reduces the safety offered by the car seat so read the manual well & watch the YouTube videos to make sure your baby is properly & safely placed in the car seat.
- From birth up to 65 lbs, (approx. 4 years) CYBEX SIRONA
- From approx. 3 to approx. 12 years (or 15-36 kg) CYBEX SOLUTION S FIX other similar options if the one I got is out of stock (temporarily because of the pandemic):
Though there are CYBEX car seats thats from 0-12 yo, I am recommending these because I feel that it’s safer. But if you have a newborn it may be worthwhile for you to check the NUNA EXEC or NUNA RAVA. I have not used these but they are available in Manila.
For the money I pay, I still prefer the Cybex. I shop on Amazon.de 2-3 months ahead of when I think I’ll need the car seat then ship to my ShippingCart UK address together with some cute GRIMM’S wooden toys para sulit my SEA SHIPPING fee.
*Please only add to cart from my Amazon affiliate link link once ready to check out! Thank you! Your purchase gives me a small com that helps with our expenses here in Switzerland!
IMPORTANT TIP WHEN CHOOSING A CAR SEAT:
- Choosing a car seat that grows with your child saves money & reduces stress so you don’t have to buy each time the car seat is outgrown. But I also don’t want to get the one that’s for 0-12 because it’s not as safe with all the layers IMO.
- Never get BLACK car seats so they don’t absorb as much of the sun and they also show every speck of dust, hair & fur. I always go for a classy light gray because it’s soooo forgiving. Another thing I noticed with cybex is the fabric tech is so good, my warm baby never felt hot in it. So worth it!
- Get a gender neutral color so if you have a child again in the future it wont matter, or if you pass it on to someone you don’t alienate a certain sex.
- If you will be moving to another country in the future, make sure that the car seat is approved there. Since CYBEX is EU approved I was confident to buy it and it was my way of calling the energy for a future EU posting.
- I prefer not to have a cup holder because things like a bottle or water tumbler can become a dangerous object that can hit your child if it goes air-born during an accident. Besides, we do not really allow our child to eat in the car so that pieces of food do not get lodged into the nooks & crannies of the car seat and we don’t attract cockroaches inside the car. If your car is parked in a basement, pests can go into your car if you have food particles inside.
Leave a Reply