Car Seat and Pushchair From Family Member

[BKJ89]

Hi MNers

I apologise in advance if this has already been covered in another thread; I did have a quick look but couldn't find anything that answers this specific question.

I am 15 weeks and my brother - 12 years older with a little 5 year old boy - has offered me tonnes and tonnes of baby bits that he had when my Nephew was tiny. Some of which include their travel system which they don't have use for anymore (Pushchair, Newborn Baby Seat, Isofix base etc etc). To avoid drip feeding, my brother is extremely wealthy and my little Nephew (as admitted by my brother) is very spoiled with only the best things. I have no doubt that the bits and bobs they are going to give us will be top notch and well looked after - he's the type that if something is broken, instead of trying to fix it, he will just buy new!
I know for sure that they've not been in any car accidents or shunts etc so the safety of the car seat isn't in question, but something one of my work colleagues mentioned today has me thinking. She said that I would need to make sure that the car seat isn't over 4 or 5 years old as it would be deemed unsafe and that parts can start to biodegrade.
I have trawled through the internet at websites like RAC, GOV.uk, Which etc etc but I can't find anything to corroborate this.
Do you lovely MNers have any info that might be useful?
Thank you so much in advance.

That's a new one to me! Hmm, if it has been well looked after and stored appropriately (i.e. not damp) then I would probably use it if you want to. I can't see which parts of a car seat would degrade that quick it's mostly plastic?

As I say though I have absolutely no idea myself. But I personally would use it if you know the true history.

The plastic can, in theory, degrade somewhat over time, especially if it’s been stored in an attic or garage that gets very hot/cold in the summer/winter. However that also applies to toddler car seats that are meant to be left in the car, and they’re often designed to be suitable for five or more years of use.

If it’s the sort of car seat that you’d use for a maximum of 18 months then I personally would strip the fabric off to wash it and if the plastic underneath didn’t show any visible signs of age or discolouration then I’d happily use it for another year.

There had been discussion that car seats may begin to deteriorate after 5/6 years (Britax recommend 6 year lifespan) due to exposure to extreme temperate changes.

I've never seen any conclusive non-biase testing on this though so it may well be a marketing ploy although in my mind it does make sense.

I wouldn't have any qualms about using a second hand pram but a car seat could potentially be a life saving device and I wouldn't want to skimp of I didn't have too.

With that said, as long as you know the full history and strip the seat down to inspect every inch (particularly around the straps and base connection points) for the slightest sign of wear it will most likely be fine.

Apparently suggested expiry dates have been retrospectively extended- so maxi cosi now say their seats are good for 10 years so long as they are stored well. We’ve passed amongst family and my niece’s infant seat and isofix base purchased in 2010 has done both of my children and is due to be retired at the end of the year!

It will be fine. European car seats don't officially expire. The main reason you'd want to get a new one would be if it had been heavily used and had wear and tear or if it was so old that modern car seats on the market had better safety features. A 5-6 year old car seat which has been used for one child and well cared for will be absolutely fine. Yes do look over the straps, check the plastic for any stress marks and check any polystyrene parts for cracks and dents but I'd use it.

Sorry meant to add this link: www.goodeggcarsafety.com/blog/do-child-car-seats-expire.html

Thank you so much for the replies.
Following what it's said on the link kindly provided and what you guys have said, given that I know the history of the seat and that it hasn't been involved in any accidents, I think I'll certainly accept it and when washing the covers etc give it a good inspection for wear and tear etc.

Thank you again, it's certainly helped to put my mind at ease a little.