is there an expiration date on car seats? I have an infant car seat from 1995 and was wondering if I should trash it or if it is still good to use.
Usually I'm about as frugal as they come, but when it comes to the safety of an infant, I would definitely trash this one since it's so old.
I would take out all the straps and hardware, even go as far as breaking off pieces, if you can, and take it directly to a recycle center. Or you could put it in a black trash bag (so no one can see what it is and be tempted to grab it), and put it out on pickup day.
Good luck!!
YES, they expire !! It's expired, and under no circumstance use a 18 YEAR old car seat. They wouldn't meet the legal standards now, for one. And, the materials breakdown. It would be incredibly unsafe. Trash it. However, make sure you take off the coverings and cut out the straps. Many people would pick up a used car seat from the trash. You don't want anyone trying to use it!!
Definitely trash it. Like Bug said, disable it so no one can use it.
The plastic breaks down over time, and can become warped, brittle, and greatly weakened. Even if it looks fine. Plus, unless it is yours, or a hand-me-down from someone you know and trust, you don't know if it has been through an accident.
It's just not worth the risk.
If you don't want to 'waste' it, you can turn it into a toddler chair... Just glue some rubber pads to the bottom of it, and remove the straps. If you are crafty, go ahead and sew cushions for it. My DD LOVES sitting in her old car seat. Or she will use it to play with her 'babies'.
Toss the seat. Expiration dates on car seats are because of the breakdown of plastics as well as the fibers that the straps are made of. Car seat regulations are not born from the greed of CEOs, they are a result of infant/child death and injury and the desire to prevent the agonizing loss of our precious little ones. I am quite irked at 8kidsdad for his persistent rants on the subject, but I rest in the fact that most parents are more interested in child safety facts than conspiracy theories. Kudos to he and his parents for never getting injured or dying from an auto accident. Rah-Rah for good luck. Just because a person never sat in a car seat and lived to tell about it does not make them an expert in child seat safety.
Thanks for asking this question, A.. You have good sense.
They expire usually after 6 years.
Definitely trash it! Even the very few longest lasting seats don't last more than 10 years. Look up youtube videos on expired seats and you can see the straps break through the plastic in a crash. Remove and cut the straps before trashing. If you want to get something out of the seat, hold onto it (without using!) for a while and Babies-R-Us will do their "great trade-in event" that happens 2-3 times a year. You can take any expired, old, broken, or just unused baby equipment and get a voucher for 25% off a new item. There are some limitations on the types of equipment that can be traded in, but any stroller, high chair, car seat, pack and play, or bouncer can be traded in for the coupon off of any of those types of items. You can trade a car seat and buy a stroller for example. And, they take care of disposing of the items safely.
The new car seats have expiration dates marked on them. I bought one for my son in 2009, and it will expire next march. Car seat safety has evolved since the 90's; another option is a child consignment shop. They often won't take equipment more than 2 yrs old. Babies R Us also does trade-ins in exchange for a discount coupon. HTH. :)
The manufacturers of car seats put expiration dates on car seats to limit their legal liability. Its like , "Oh, were sorry your child was injured, but the car seat they were riding in was '30 seconds' past the expiration at the time of the accident."
The car seat manufacturers are in business to sell car seats and make money. So they put expiration dates on car seats. I would use the car seat, but it depends on whether you are paranoid or not and whether or not you think the CEO needs a new mansion.
Just a thought, I lived all my life and never even sat in a car seat. Both my mom and dad lived to be 76 and 80 years old and they never sat in a car seat. None of us were injured in a car accident.
Good luck to you and yours.
