expired car seat

[Anonymous]

Can I use expired car seat if it has never been in car accident/in good conditions? It is passed down from family member, so we know the history of the car seat. We probably use the car seat to drive out once a week only because we live in city and everything is within walking distance.

[Anonymous]

Nope. The plastic ages and weakens.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't. All (new) car seats are exactly the same in terms of safety, you're just paying for bells and whistles. Get a $60 one.

[Anonymous]

No. The materials degraded and the seat is weaker than it was originally. Toss it and buy a cheap seat.

[Anonymous]

You don't need to purchase many baby things new, but car seat is not where I'd cheap out.

[Anonymous]

NO

[Anonymous]

Officially I would say no. However, if you know the history and it is only a year or two past expiration and is the same design as the current model it’s actually fine. For example I wouldn’t use a really old seat with a T bar style harness. They don’t make them like that anymore for a reason. But if safety features are current it’s fine- car seat tech

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Officially I would say no. However, if you know the history and it is only a year or two past expiration and is the same design as the current model it’s actually fine. For example I wouldn’t use a really old seat with a T bar style harness. They don’t make them like that anymore for a reason. But if safety features are current it’s fine- car seat tech

NP. What do you mean by “t-bar” harness? I tried googling but couldn’t find anything. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Officially I would say no. However, if you know the history and it is only a year or two past expiration and is the same design as the current model it’s actually fine. For example I wouldn’t use a really old seat with a T bar style harness. They don’t make them like that anymore for a reason. But if safety features are current it’s fine- car seat tech

I cannot believe any legit car seat tech would say an expired car seat it ok. Yikes.

[Anonymous]

Just spent $100 on a new seat and don't put your child at risk. FFS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just spent $100 on a new seat and don't put your child at risk. FFS.

This.

[Anonymous]

Sure, the plastic degrades over time, but it’s like expired food - it doesn’t suddenly go bad on the expiration date. The issue is you don’t know when enough time has passed to cause a problem. So I would say you are ok with a very recently expired car seat, but you should be in the process of acquiring a newer one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Officially I would say no. However, if you know the history and it is only a year or two past expiration and is the same design as the current model it’s actually fine. For example I wouldn’t use a really old seat with a T bar style harness. They don’t make them like that anymore for a reason. But if safety features are current it’s fine- car seat tech

I cannot believe any legit car seat tech would say an expired car seat it ok. Yikes.

you’d be surprised. We are told that as long as the child leaves safer than they arrive ( like at a checkpoint) we are good. It’s slightly more detailed than that but if a family shows up with an expired seat and we don’t have extras we check the install and fix if need be, talk about when to change to next seat, seatbelt use, etc etc….. not everyone has access to the best cars and the best seats and only had 2 kids or owns a minivan. We do what we can to make them as safe as we can.

[Anonymous]

I can’t find a pic of the T bar strap. They’re pretty old.it was basically a plastic piece shaped like a T. The kid got in the seat then pulled it down over their head and it clicked in the crotch area. Tjete was no strap that went over the hip area. It was like a 3 piping harness but with hard plastic over the internal organs. For years they made seats like this then data showed the hard plastic on young bodies caused internal injuries. At the same time 5 point harnesses became the norm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sure, the plastic degrades over time, but it’s like expired food - it doesn’t suddenly go bad on the expiration date. The issue is you don’t know when enough time has passed to cause a problem. So I would say you are ok with a very recently expired car seat, but you should be in the process of acquiring a newer one.

It's not only the plastic, but the styrofoam also degrades, same as the types of foam that is used in car bumpers. That's why nowadays when a bumper has been tapped, that car shops want to replace it all. These materials are designed to withstand a certain amount of pressure and force, but when it's been in an accident or just from age, the material is no longer rated for the same amount of force. Likewise, the straps can no longer sustain the amount of force that it is rated for in holding the infant in the seat.

The materials are constantly aging and the expiration date is when the materials are due to pass the point where they are no longer able to withstand the same force or speed of accidents as they are required by law. So, while it may seem like its the same as it was a month ago, the materials can no longer be guaranteed to provide the same protection as they were a month prior.

Frankly, when it comes to protecting your child, the carseat is very important. There are accidents every year where children are injured or killed when the safety devices like the car seats do not operate as expected. Don't risk it. Look for one of the stores that has a trade-in discount on new car seats and trade in your existing car seat for a 20-25% discount on a current car seat. It's worth it.