What to do with a car seat when it is outgrown?

SammyD_2

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone...I will try to sell it first as it is in excellent condition and has never been in an accident (I wouldn't have my daughter in it now if it had!).

samnmalc

I donated mine to the local 'battered wives ' group , along with a pram and various other stuff.
I was pleased that it all went to someone in need....

jellyhead

5 years - gulp! i haven't heard that before. i've been using my nephew's car seat, it's more than 6 years old! it was used for a few months then kept in the loft for 6 years and it hasn't been in an accident so i assumed it was okay. i've bought a new one today anyhow, splodge the podge is too tall for his infant carrier now. the staff in mothercare said you have to be careful of the head reaching the top of the seat, it makes it more dangerous in an accident apparently, even if the baby weighs under the 13k limit.

lynzpower

I think maybe part of the reason why they dont sell on ebay might be the "heaviness" of the item and thus the postage.

I personally, having worked in social services for many years would have no probs with buying a second hand one. Weve been using the same car seats in a variety or cars and cabs for some years, shipping nippers between foster carers and hospital and so on, with no problems whatsoever.

I think part of the market for baby products places expectations that things need to be new when they arnt. Chances are you do a car boot sale, it'll be one of the first things to go.

across

i have two carseats at the moment that i bought within the last five years but i also use another one as an extra in any other peoples cars we go in which was my nephews who is now 12 about to be 13 years old and i dont see any problem with it at its an old britax one and i think its lasted rather well! ive seen plenty of babies in cars without anything at all whether it be sat on someones lap or just using the normal seatbelt without even a booster so surely the seat whether it is old or not is safer. sometimes circumstances cannot enable everybody to buy a new carseat and we should stop pressurising people to spend loads of money on baby accessories some people are just trying to live within their means and this is not by forking out £90 for a new carseat because the carseat manufacturers do not recommend a used one! i think they create these rules to cover themselves at the end of the day and it is all down to using your own common sense in the end hope this helps anyone who is thinking of buying a decent looking second hand carseat to not feel guilty! good luck!
its as bad as the cot mattress argument my two girls used the same mattress it was very clean and they have come to no harm !

molerat

HappySad wrote:

Don'y buy a car seat that is over 5years old as the plastic starts to fail(manufacturer info).

If is is >5years the cut it up so no one else can use ity & throw it in the bin.

I don't know where you got that from. I recently spoke to a manufacturer on this very subject. They said there was no problem with old seats except that the harness might be worn (that would be visible) and the seat would most likely not be up to the current testing standard. The plastic should be ok for at least 10 years.

bobsa1

I'm using dd 2's car seat for DD 3 at the moment and that is seven years old. No problems of wear and tear and in very good cond. Can't see the five year thing being correct.

gravitytolls

Give it to a charity shop, or pop an ad on your supermarket free ads board offering it for a nominal amount or free.

Filyjonk

I am a benefits advisor and see very many families whose young children are traveling in cars without car seats. They are in carrycots or being held.

Now I am the first person to say all children should be in proper seats and forked out for not only ISOFIX seats for the kids but also a car to put them in. I've know of kids killed in car crashes and I know it can and does happen. I'm all for frugality but not at the expense of kids safety.

But there are people who genuinely cannot afford car seats. I would hazard that even a seat that has been in an accident would be safer than being held in a car.

So, my verdict would be, give it to the local charity shop, ot Sure Start or similar. Or pop a note in the newsagent's window.

Think if you offer it for free, it kind of implies there's nothing wrong with it. Else you'd just bin it, surely?

code-a-holic

My local charity shop refused to take a pram or car seat from me as, according to staff' they were not allowed to sell them due to 'the rules'. It is policy not to re-sell items like this due to safety factors. I have 3 car seats in my attic which are all within 5 years old and are in great/new condition. Someone could really benfit from them.