5 year life of car seat...wwyd

[Fisharefriendsnotfood]

Hi

I bought a friends 2nd hand bugaboo chameleon, and her maxi cosi car seat and isofix base. I know the advice re 2nd hand car seats but I know this family well and am confident the seat has never been involved in an accident.

Anyway, I came across a thread on here that mentioned the 5 year life span of a car seat. Despite this being dc3 I had never heard of such a thing. My friends eldest dc is 5 in November, and my dc is due next month, I've just read the instruction manual for both the seat and the base and they both say product should be disposed of after 5 years - but lets face it they want to sell more products..

My friend has 2 dc, so the seat and base would have been in use for 2 of the 5 years. Would you replace both?

Bump

I would and I did for ds. We were given one. It isn't from the manufacturers, I read it in which. The materials can degrade. But I am obsessive about car safety, whereas I might not be so bothered about other stuff.

we bought new after using first stage seat for ds1 and ds2 we got a new one for ds3 and used it for ds4 aa well and then got a new one for dd. i just wasnt prepared to risk it. it may look fine but could break in an accident. i couldnt live with the what if.

Oh no

We bought car seat and base for DC1 who was born in Jan 07. Its an American model and does say on it do not use after Dec 12,
DC4 is currently using the seat, and will be 8mo at the end of Dec, I am not buying another car seat for her last couple of months in rear facing seat. Going by weight (I don't have small babies) she will probably get a Kiddy seat for Christmas!

Fair enough for a month but this would be the entire time it was in use basically yorky

I'm just a bit cynical as to how much it can actually be past it's best, and how much is just playing on parents fears and wanting new sales

With you on the cynicism Fish :)

I know the heat in a car can have a bad effect on the life of the plastic, but they are only in actual regular use for a relatively short time - even we've only used it about 9months out of every two years. The rest of the time they're usually in the back of a cupboard - nice and cool and dark, which has to be easier on the seat.

TBH I only looked for the date on it because of the MN discussion

But the research wasn't funded by car seat manufacturers. I wouldn't risk it.

Bloody hell - I've paid for it now

I didn't know about it until I read it on MN either, so you're not alone. Problem is, once I knew, I had to change as I couldnt risk it.

I would just use it, without giving the matter another thought, not the PC answer, but that's the truth.

UV: can't get it thru car windows.

Super high Heat in the car: yeah, we have lots of that in the UK (Not).

Even less extreme temps in our cupboards.

Extreme cold: we don't have extreme cold in most of the UK, either.

If it was left in the direct sun long days, out in the snow, or lots of strap washing due to baby puke, I would get concerned.

I would use it

I wish I could find some info as to why they say five years and why 'from purchase'. Surely it could have been in a warehouse somewhere a year before my friend bought it an how is that different from being in her garage

I am a bit puzzled by this too. I have stage 1/2/3 seats for both my children. Suitable up to age 12 or when they no longer need to use a seat.

So am I supposed to chuck them after a few years even though they are sold as from 9kg+ to age 12ish?

Although both my children were well over 12m before we started to use them, kept them in rear facing infant seats as long as possible.

That's a good point

I'd use it. One of our car seats has been kicking around for more than 5 years now. We need it only for another year so I'm not forking out another £150 for a new one.

I'd use it. Wouldn't even enter my mind not to. DC3 is using DC1s stage two seat with a fair age gap in between and a DC2.
Bastard marketing, what a cracking ruse the seat manufacturers have pulled.

ooh i didnt know that either! so thankyou!

Group 1-2-3 are not intended to be used from 9 months until 12 years, this is the the age range it is suitable for.

Having seen Road Safety demonstration I saw a lady inspect a 0+ car seat and declare it fine, right before the leader dropped it from head height when it practically fell apart.

I would never risk it now.

I am as tight as tight comes, but even I have taken my two infant car seats to the tip. I could not live with the thought that someone else's child could get hurt, so refused to sell them on. I am currently in a quandary about my sliver cross seat as when I emailed the company, they said it did not have a use by date, and had never heard of them deteriorating over time. I am likely going to buy a new one for DC3.

All car seats have little dials on them, one for the month and one for the year so that you can date from manufacture. They are quite tiny, you have to search. I would and am using one that reaches 5 years part way through the time I will be using it. My reasoning - I think there must be some margin in the time, other seat manufacturers say ok up to 10 years and they can't be that different, and I think the guideline must be for seats that are in continuous use and mine hasn't been.

FWIW I wouldn't use a stage 1-2-3 car seat for 9 months - 12 years.

Interesting. Those that would change, would you change the base as well as the seat?

When we took the covers off my Chicco car seat to wash it there was a sticker with an expiry date under them on the plastic. It had a six year life span. Mine was 2nd hand from a friend too but I'm going to buy a new one because dc2 is due in December and it goes out of date in January.

I'm getting a cabriofix and isofix base so that it fits my bugaboo. Last time I managed with a car seat that didn't fit the travel system. I wish I'd just bought a new one when I had dd now, it would still be in date and I could have used it with the wheels all this time.

I'll strip the cover off and see of there is a manufacturing date, on the instructions it says 5 years from purchase which is what made me a bit