Hot Carseats

I usually have a softsided - lunch size cooler that I take with us (packed with blueice and bottles of water). When I park I put it in the carseat and cover the whole thing with a towel. The seat is nice and cool, plus we have cold drinks. Sometimes I take two so my seat stays cool too ;)

Hi,
So I have found the best solution for this problem. I use a reusable flexable ice pack that I got from my chiropractor. I made a little pocket to put it in and then when we leave the car we just plop the ice pack right over the buckles and it keeps them cool. The ice pack is usually melted by the time we get back from a major shopping trip but the buckles are not hot. My daughter loves it becuse she gets to put the ice pack in her car seat like a big girl. We chose some cute fabric for the pocket and she thinks it is soo cool. It also comes in handy for boo boo's as well. If you can't find one send me an email, I have some extras, I make them for baby gifts! Hope this helps! A L

Put a light colored blanket over the entire car seat, and try to park in the shade. Also I would start the car and crank the AC and just wait outside the car for a minute or two, then jump in when its cooled off a bit.

I use one of those fold-out windshield screens over the car seat--reflective side up. It does still get warm, but not burning hot. Additionally, I hooked up a clip-on fan in the back seat. It plugs into the dc port and helps circulate the air and keep my kid cooler without having to blast the A/C. I've also kept a spray bottle of distilled water in the car...I spray it on the buckles and lightly on the seat...the fan helps evaporate the water and cool it off quickly.

I know you mentioned "cheap" solution. Although this isn't a cheap purchase it will last for years. I bought a Cold Seat when my son was almost one and he is now turning five and we still use it. I think it is the best purchase ever. They cost around $50 but if you think about it, it only has costed me $10 per year of use. This price includes all of the ice packs as well.

I just keep it in my freezer outside in the garage and when we go to leave I pull it out, use it for the day and then when we get back home I roll it up and throw it back in the freezer so it will be ready for tomorrow.

You can check it out at the following website. Last year they sold them at Once Upon A Child stores because I bought one for a gift, not sure if they are selling them there this year or not. There are probably other local stores that have them as well.

On sale for $39.99 - GREAT PRICE!!!
http://www.thebabysbundle.com/store/WsDefault.asp?One=5

$49.95
http://www.coldseat.com/index2.html

$48.95
http://www.bargains4babies.com/coldseat.html

$45.95
http://www.mylittlechild.com/products/Cold-Seat-Pink-Flow...

$42.70 with coupon code on front page of website for 5% off
http://babies1st.com/m-3829-cold-seat.aspx

We always covered ours with a thick towel. The seat will get warm no matter what, but keeping it out of the direct sun light by covering it will keep it from getting hot. Tinted windows also help, if they are allowed in your state.

I agree with a light blanket or we used to keep our beach towels in the car and covered the seats with them during the summer.. We also always kept an ice chest in the car with fresh ice, water, juice boxes and "prepped fruit" in ziplocs.. It was all in case we wanted to go to the playground, an event or if we got to the car and it was too hot to enter until we could "air out the heat" with the doors open for a while.. ..

I know it is going to be hot, we are also already experiencing the heat..

One thing you might do is keep a light colored blanket in your car and cover the carseat with it since light colors are supposed to help keep things cool. And it will keep it out of direct sunlight. Good luck.

for the crotch buckle Britax makes a belly pad that goes around the buckle and protects your baby from the hot plastic and from getting pinched. Thanks for posting this! I keep meaning to put it back on now that it's getting hot.
If you go to the Britax website they sell them there and strap covers. My favorite is the cowmooflage!! I just looked and the set is $20. But I'm sure you could make your own or find something similar.
http://www.britaxusa.com/buy-parts-accessories

Updated

for the crotch buckle Britax makes a belly pad that goes around the buckle and protects your baby from the hot plastic and from getting pinched. Thanks for posting this! I keep meaning to put it back on now that it's getting hot.
If you go to the Britax website they sell them there and strap covers. My favorite is the cowmooflage!! I just looked and the set is $20. But I'm sure you could make your own or find something similar.
http://www.britaxusa.com/buy-parts-accessories

Keep a spray bottle in the car and in your purse to quickly spritz the doorhandles as well as the buckles. Once they are cool enough you can hold them in your hand to dissipate the heat.

start the car a few minutes early and crank up the a/c!

You'll probably receive better tips than mine as we moved to Phoenix when our youngest was about 2 1/2 yrs old and I figured a few things out on my own....
1. Park with the rear of your car towards the sun as often as possible. Or better yet park in shade, even if you have to drive a bit further.
2. Invest in a good window shade for the front window of the car and use it ALL the time. This will definitely keep the interior of the car cooler.
3. Start the car, roll down the windows, turn up the A/C and wait a couple of minutes before buckling into the car seats.
4. Keep a hand towel in the car and place over the car seat when leaving the car. I used the wooden beads for me and it helps a ton with the heat here. It keep the seat cool and the air circulating. I get made fun of all the time, but I absolutely LOVE my beads. The favorite set I purchased at the Toyota dealer ship.

Stay cool!!

We use the Cold Seat as well and consider it a good investment. If you don't want to spend the money on one (totally worth the $35 we paid for it), use ice packs. Even with a towel covering the seats, they can still burn the little ones in this AZ heat.I saw a Cold Seat on sale for only $30 here: http://www.gogonatural.com/The_Original_Cold_Seat_10-1.html
If you figure all the money you spend things on for kids, I think this is seriously one of the BEST investments, if you're in AZ.
Good luck!

We had remote start installed in our car and I love it. I can start the car with the AC on and by the time we get there it has taken the edge off enough for us to get in. It is a bit pricey but I think it was completley worth it, especially if it is a car you are planning to have for a while. I also found some car seat protectors that are made with a reflective material and have elastic around the edges on OneStepAhead.com. They work pretty well to prevent the burning hot buckles. Hope this helps.

I use a light colored beach towel to cover up the seat. Also I always try to park the car with the passenger side away from the sun so it's not in direct sun-light, I think it helps. Good luck!

Clean out a old milk jug fill with water and freeze. Put a light colored towel down and the frozen milk jug in the car seat it will stay cold. It works as well as my cold seat. I love the cold seat bu couldn't afford one the second time around. Hope that helps.

I wanted to add my vote for the Cold Seat carseat ice packs cover. I have one for each of my kids and they are great! I found my first one several years ago new on Ebay for about 1/2 what I paid for the second, which was about $45. But I agree with the other post that it is really worth it--they hold up for years (had my first one for 4yrs with no wear/damage).

We bought some inexpensive basinet sheets and used those to cover the car seat. I like that it has the elastic and is snug around it. You could do the same thing with a sheet. Other than that and what's you're doing there's not too much else! Just pray that you can find a shaded parking spot

I have two young toddlers in my backseat. I found a set of those twist down reflective window shades (at Wal-Mart I think) for $8 that are more square than round and not connected to each other. I pulled out the wires to make them limp fabric. I drape one over each car seat when we leave. If it is particularly hot, I hang them in the side windows to protect more of the car. Looks interesting, but works great!

Thankfully, I don't live in Phoenix, but I've had many friends put a light colored towel over the car seat. Good luck!

Hi FR-

During the summber I would keep a blanket and drape a blanket over the carseats so the bucklet etc didn't burn the children when I put them in the car. It helped.

R. Magby

I carry ice packs in the car and put them on the seats while we are out doing things. Works pretty well! Just have to remember to bring them in and freeze them again.

I just cover the seats with a towel, but if we are planning on leaving the car in the sun for a while I freeze water in a gallon milk jug. I put the jug on top of the towel covering the car seat when we get out the car and the seats are nice and cool when we get back.

Thanks for posting this...the hot car seat has been the cause of many meltdowns in years past. I just went onto www.gogonatural.com and bought two Cold Seats for my kids for $30 each, plus free shipping. The only downside was they only offered the sports pattern at that price. It would have been nice to be able to get a girly pattern for my daughter.

I always covered the car seat with an old receiving blanket, towel, etc. It did seem to help. And, get that air conditioner going!

What I've been doing for my kiddos that seem to help, I use a white towel (make sure it is white or a light colored towel) to drape over the entire seat, then I used a old foil sunshade we had to help reflex the sun. If I can't park in the shade, always use the sun shade, If I'm able to park in a shady spot, I usually don't need to use the sun shade. Along with keeping the windows cracked, it helped at least with the scorching belt buckels.
Another thing that I do is first turn the car on and turn the AC on full power while I load the car from grocery shopping or from the mall, then my babies are usually last to go in, that way it gives the car some time to cool off and the AC to kick in before putting them in there.

For like $150 or so I got my car windows tinted (all around). Our carseat is black and its almost never even warm, let alone hot. Living in AZ I have learned that UV window tint is a MUST for a car!

I did not read your other responses so I apologize if I repeat. I keep a towel under my seats for each of my childrens carseats and cover them when we are not in there-also we have tinted windows which helps a bit. L.:)