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Car seats

Confused about car seat regulations? Find baby car seat advice here. For Mumsnetter-approved essentials, sign up for Mumsnet Swears By emails here.

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Original poster

Winter coats in car...

21 replies

baabaapinksheep · 04/02/2011 18:29

The instructions for my carseat for DD1 2.8, say that any bulky coats should be removed before using the carseat.

Does anybody actually do this? And if so, how do you stop your DC getting cold?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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nicm · 04/02/2011 18:35

hi, i use a fleece on ds and then have a blanket in the car that goes over him in the car seat. he's 2.9 yrs and in the twe and ds2 just has the cosy toes on his baby carry seat and blankets over the top as they're easier to remove when the car warms up.

CokeFan · 04/02/2011 18:36

Yep - always take dd's coat off (she's 2.5 and in a Britax 2 way elite). There's no way she'd be comfortable in a coat and I couldn't get the straps fastened properly if she was.

The car warms up quickly enough once you get going and, given how padded car seats are, I think she'd actually be too warm in a coat after a few minutes. If it's really cold when we get in she has a blanket or her coat over her legs

Meow75 · 04/02/2011 18:38

Warm up the car before putting child in car.

Use your spare keys to lock the car doors if you are concerned about your car being interfered with while you go back into the house to finish getting ready.

The reasoning behind it is that winter coats are bulky AND squishy, so an emergency braking situation could leave your child bouncing around between the seat and the harness.

BertieBotts · 04/02/2011 18:39

Yes you are supposed to, because the padding in the coat can contract under impact and cause the child to slip out of the harness, if you were to crash.

I never wear a coat in the car because I feel travelsick if I get too hot so it's never occurred to me to worry about DC being cold... but yes blankets when they are little and then you just put the heating on. They'll survive even if they're cold for 5 minutes while the car heats up :)

Original poster

baabaapinksheep · 04/02/2011 18:47

Blankets it is then, had no idea I was meant to do this. Its fine at home as I usually warm the car up first, but obviously can't leave it running for 5 mins at the supermarket.

Thanks everyone.

OP posts:

TruthSweet · 04/02/2011 21:46

If you are really worried about the cold you can strap them in and then put their coat on back to front - that way their arms still go through the sleeves.

As an alternative, if it sub-zero you could open their coat, do the harness up but making sure it is REALLY tight (tighter than the usual just able to get index & middle finger flat against the chest) and then zip/fasten the coat up over the harness.

In usual circs. we take the DDs coats off then harness and their coats over their laps with extra blankets over them. That seems to work well for us

joshandjamie · 04/02/2011 22:27

Try a baby hoodie from www.morrck.com. They are designed to overcome this exact problem

OADCB · 04/02/2011 22:35

We always take coats off in car seats.

A pet hate of mine are the padded snowsuits

JaquesTouatte · 04/02/2011 23:18

Do not leave your car engine running whilst unattended, even if outside your house. If it is on the road, you are committing an offence, and even if it is in your drive, you risk not being covered by your insurance should somebody pinch it.

Other than that, I would not sit in a car wearing a bulky coat, and so would not expect a child to. If I was concerned that I would be cold, I would wear a fleecy long-sleeved top, maybe gloves, and perhaps a hat. I would dress a child similarly, and use a fleecy blanket, as already suggested.

EldonAve · 04/02/2011 23:23

Mine wear fleeces and hats
Usually sorts them out until the car warms up

Original poster

baabaapinksheep · 05/02/2011 14:35

Jaques - the car is on my driveway, behind 6 foot locked gates, no chance of it being pinched.

I never take my coat off when in the car, so hadn't thought to do the same for the DC, will do from now on though.

OP posts:

OADCB · 05/02/2011 14:59

OP have you ever gas the central locking lock with keys and child in car? I have.... Lucky engine wasn't on and able to ring DP for spare as phone in pocket.

joshandjamie · 05/02/2011 15:07

to show what a difference wearing a thick coats makes to the harness tension.

OADCB · 05/02/2011 15:20

I don't wanna watch that do I?

JaquesTouatte · 05/02/2011 16:33

Actually, yes, you do want to watch that, it is completely benign.

joshandjamie · 05/02/2011 18:44

OADCB - it's not a scary thing - it just shows you how to do a test to see if a coat is too thick.

OADCB · 05/02/2011 20:05

Thanks thought it would be a crash video. Its not.

Today DS had moved into high back booster so suppose that's solved the coat/harness issue!

Original poster

baabaapinksheep · 06/02/2011 19:10

OADCB - tbh I've never even thought about the possibility of locking my keys and DC in the car, I make sure that once I've locked the car my keys stay in my bag/pocket/hand.

OP posts:

OADCB · 06/02/2011 21:29

I normally do too- except once when it was raining and I soaked and I threw handbag onto front seat from back as struggling with DS. Keys went with it as hands wet and cold and numb. Shut Door. Locked. . .

You can imagine my language!

Edmonds5 · 07/02/2011 09:54

I had baby hoodies for my twins, never used coats cos it was too much hassle - we just used to unwrap them when the car got hot

lenats31 · 09/02/2011 15:29

SITBAG here, which is a multi-functional fleece bag

Lena

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