To ask a really stupid question about coats and car seats

[isshoes]

So with the weather getting colder I'm planning to get a new coat for my 18 month old. I keep finding myself rejecting ones that are too padded because of the thing about how you aren't supposed to put them in car seats in padded coats. Because what are you meant to do - take them out of the house in the coat, walk a few metres to the car, take off coat, put child in car seat, drive to destination, arrive, put child back in coat? Surely not? The temptation would just be to get them in the car quickly and not bother with the coat until you arrive at your destination, but then I don't see people taking their children out of their houses without a coat on in cold weather, and surely they'd get cold without a coat inside the car in mid-Winter!

I know I'm overthinking this. Please help me to underthink it.

I put dd into her car seat and chuck a blanket or 2 over her

As long as it’s not raining then I just get dc in the car quickly without coats on, them they have a blanket they can snuggle after they’re strapped in.

If it’s raining they wear them to car then take them off to get strapped in.

Then the reverse when getting out of the car.

Yes to blankets and no coats in car seats. Last winter I got my two one of those microwaveable teddies each and on really cold days they’d take them into the car (warmed up) which was really useful for those really cold days when it takes the car ages to warm up.

My daughter leaves the house without a coat and we take a blanket and tuck it over her lap when the car is cold. When she was a baby we could wrap her in the blanket, remove the blanket at the car then lay it over her once in the car.

If the car was further away I would put a coat on my daughter then take it off at the car, and again tuck her in with a blanket. But then cars generally warm up quite quickly

I never put mine in a big padded coat in their seat, the straps don't fasten tight enough to the body especially with the padded bubble type ones. I used to put them in a hoody or cardigan that had a fleecy lining and then tuck a blanket over their legs. You can also get a car seat blanket? The ones that the harness go through? Not sure if they are more for small babies or if there are toddler ones too.

They aren't going to get cold going from house to car. What I used to do when DD was young was put her in the seat and do her straps up then tuck her coat over her or keep a blanket in the car. Coats under car seat straps simply aren't safe.

I bought a 2 layered coat for dd. So instead of one puffy coat, it had an under coat that could detach. I would put her in the car seat in that and then lay the second layer over her. To get her out, undo straps, slip second coat on, then get out of car.

On super cold days, I would just wrap her in a thick blanket and carry her because it gets below freezing here and that plus the wind is very harsh on any exposed skin.

We also have a car blanket stash. We take them out in a jumper, get the heating on pronto and snuggle them under a blanket.
A few moments of chill won't kill them

Absolutely no padded coats in car seats. To be honest the same applies to adults but obviously adults can make an informed decision about the risks. Seatbelts are not as effective in a car crash if there is airy material between your body and the belt.

I just buy coats that aren't puffy.

Yes if it's a long journey we put them in the car without a coat and give a blanket once in. They can wear a woolly hat too, then take it off when it warms up.

For short journey we also have some thin zip up fleeces which don't have hoods that they wear from house to nursery for example so don't need to take their proper coats on/off. Asda did two for £7 on fleece last year, probably have similar this year. We only use on short journeys as they get too hot in them otherwise.

Get a morcck blanket for the car seat they are brilliant for wrapping them up in the car safely.

You just take them out of the house to the car with no coat on, they won’t freeze, well my children haven’t yet anyway!. They have morrck blankets on the seats or we use normal blankets over the top once they’re fastened in. No coats should ever be used while in the car seat no matter the thickness.

Another who uses blankets in the car and never a winter coat.

Blanket in car, but keep the blanket in the house. It’s really hard to warm up under a blanket that’s been sitting in a cold car for hours / overnight.

Our house is about a three minute walk to where we park, which means we do have to do this, but I also don't find it that annoying/weird because I never ever wear my own coat in the car (I hate driving in any kind of coat or jacket - I hate the feeling on my arms) so I'm also popping that on and off. I never bother doing up either mine or DS's coat for the journey to or from the car so it takes a second to put the coat on or take it off.

If I was having an organised morning I'd put hot water bottles in the car seats 5 mins before journey.
There is a video that shows a crash test dummy slipping through the harness of a car seat and it scared me into taking their coats off every time (massive faff though).

I'm very glad I asked this question! Blankets it is...

We just put coat on to the car then coat off, strap in, put coat on them in reverse. Bonus points if it has a hood and you put it up over their face (joking, in case that needs saying!). My DD thought it was hilarious putting a coat on back-to-front. Plus wearing it from house to car gives it a bit of warmth for being in the car.

A friend of mine puts them in the car seat, straps them in and then puts their coat on backwards over the top. Added bonus of not being able to mess with the straps 😬

I had no idea they shouldn’t wear coats in car seats so thank you for this thread!

Just didn’t bother with coats until we got where we were going. Yes to a blanket for car in cold weather.

@Fridakahlofan same here. I have never heard about this. I have been putting dc in car seat with puffy jacket.

Regardless of the weather, NEVER put baby, toddler or child into a car seat wearing a coat. This includes all in one coats. Your precious little one will not be secure and should you have to emergency stop or were involved in an accident, it could seriously injur them or worse, kill them. It is never worth taking the risk, even if it's just 10 minutes down the road. If it means you have to put coat on and off a few times then thats what you have to do. Put a blanket over them in the car.
Also, cars can get pretty warm. Leaving the coat on causes overheating which can, in some cases, lead to death. With a blanket over the straps, you can regulate little ones temperature more easily.