Would you buy a used car seat?

[Anonymous]

Money is tight. Just wondering if it is safer to buy a new low-end car seat or a used high-end car seat for the same amount of money. Opinions? TIY.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't buy a used carseat unless it was from someone you know and trust. Just my two cents.

[Anonymous]

All new carseats are supposed to meet the same safety standards. I bought a Britax Diplomat because I liked the extra side impact protection, but really, any NEW seat should be ok. I would only buy used if I absolutely knew for sure it had been in no accidents (say it was a family member's or neighbor's). A potentially damaged "nice" one is just not worth the risk to me.

If you're buying for an infant, you could skip the infant seat and go right to a convertible, saving some money you could then use for a "better" seat. Another option if you like but can't afford a certain new model, shop around online and not be hung up on color. Often discontinued patterns will be cheaper.

[Anonymous]

new, or from a friend. no strangers. "better" seat according to the safety ratings and price are not correlated.

[Anonymous]

No, except from a trusted friend. One other thing to consider is that car seats "expire" after 5-6 years, so if you think you might have more than 1 kid, it may be worth it to buy a new one.

[Anonymous]

Agreed. Check Baby Bargains and Consumer Reports. There are a few highly rated seats that are very affordable. Sometimes the high ratings for the expensive seats are related to "ease of use" which is not the same thing as safety.

[Anonymous]

Thanks. I thought Britax was #1 for safety as well as ease of use. That's what I was thinking of in terms of being "high end," but I'm thinking I will definitely go with a new one now.

[Anonymous]

no! I'd only take it if it was free and use it for a backup or a friend/family member to use it in their car.

[Anonymous]

don't you all wish we could use FSA to buy car seats? think of it as 'preventive' health care...