How Long Do Infant Car Seats Last

What To Do With An Expired Car Seat

You have a child safety seat thats past the best before date and more than a dozen pounds of plastic, metal, nylon, and other materials you cant use.

How do you get rid of it?

Selling the expired car seat online can be tricky. Some states have no problem with it. But others have proper use laws that prevent consumers from using or reselling old and used safety seats.

And besides:

Do you really want to sell a car seat that no longer protects its passenger as it should, promoting a false sense of security?

If your answer is no, then this section will help you get rid of an expired car seat the safe way.

How To Dispose Of An Expired Car Seat

If you find yourself with an expired car seat on your hands, youll likely want to dispose of it . While the obvious solution seems to be to chuck it in the trash, experts caution against this. Youll want to dismantle and dispose of it so that someone doesnt salvage it and unknowingly reuse it when its past its prime, says Hayden Little, a certified child passenger safety technician and owner of Tot Squad, a baby-gear services company in Washington, DC. Start by removing and discarding the foam, padding and fabric. Cut the harnesses and straps. Remove any metal parts and recycle the plastic pieces.

Dont feel like dealing with the car seat disposal yourself? Some communities have car seat recycling programs: Check here to see options in your area. Some retailerslike Targeteven host car seat trade-in events at various times throughout the year, offering a special discount on your new seat purchase.

Q: Where Is The Best Place To Place The Car Seat In My Vehicle

A: Recommend is rear center however refer to the vehicles ownerâs manual for the seating locations. Some seating locations may not be available to safely install your childâs seat. Contact customer service for additional help at 1-800-328-7363

Q:How do I know if my car seat is compatible with your stroller?

Refer to compatibility chart

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How Long Are Car Seats Good For Essential Expiration Information For The Most Popular Brands

The exact number varies from one seat to another. Although, the service life for most models ranges from six to 10 years. Most manufacturers emboss the car seat expiration date somewhere on the unit, while others put it on the product manual.

To help you get answers, we listed the service life and essential expiration information for 10 of the most popular car seat brands.

We also added links to their contact pages and phone numbers in case you need to speak to customer support. Just make sure you have the seats model and serial number as representatives need those details to answer questions specific to your car seat.

Note: Logos and product names are the property of their respective owners.

Expiration Date If You Have A Chicco Car Seat:

• Convertible Car Seat: 8-year lifespan from the date of manufacture. The expiration date is found on the white label on the underside of the car seat.
• Infant Car Seat : A 6 year expiration means that you can use it longer, so the seat can be passed down through several babies. The expiration date and date of manufacture are printed on a sticker on the top of the base and on the bottom of the car seat itself. However, sometimes the base and the seat itself will have different manufacture dates. This just means that they werent manufactured together but were packaged together at a later date.
• MyFit Harness + Booster: 8-year lifespan from the date of manufacture. Therefore, make sure to check the manufacturers label on the underside of seat for a Do Not Use After date.
• KidFit Belt-Position Booster Seat: 10-year lifespan from the date of manufacture so make sure to check the manufacturers label on the underside of seat for a Do Not Use After date.

Here are some examples of what the expiration date label may look like for CHICCO car seats:

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Q: Installation Update With Ally 35 Infant Car Seat Instruction Manual

A: You can download the Ally⢠35 Infant Car Seat instruction manual here: ALLY_35_030819U.pdf

Important Safety Information Recent Ownerâs Manual Updates:

Ally⢠35 Infant Car seat

Baby Trend has identified an inaccurate illustration that may have been included in an initial production of the car seat owner’s manual. Please check page 42 of your owner’s manual to see if your manual contains the inaccurate graphic. If the figure in 42-2 does not match the illustration below, please disregard this letter. If it does match, please follow the directions in the letter mailed to you to fix the illustration and use the adhesive label that came with the letter or download the owner’s manual online. Applicable to car seat manuals produced on 3/8/2019

If you cannot locate your owner’s manual, please contact Baby Trendâs Consumer Service department at 1-800-328-7363 for a replacement or you may download online.

Owner’s Manual Download: Ally 35 infant car seat

How Do You Know If The Car Seat Is Expired

The expiration on a car seat is generally easy to find. Most companies will stamp the date of expiration on the manufacturer label, which is located on the side or base of the seat.

Sometimes, a company might only include the date of manufacture instead of expiration. In this case, a good rule of thumb is to assume the car seat will only be good for six years after the manufacturing date. Keep in mind that it doesnt actually matter when you purchased the car seatthe countdown begins after the date of manufacture.

If youre still unsure how long to use the seat for, you can always check the owners manual or call and ask the manufacturer about its expiration.

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How Long Do Infant Carseats Last You

When do you need to switch the baby to a convertible car seat? The convertible car seat says it can begin at 5lbs but I obviously understand the convenience of the snap out infant car seat. Just wondering when most people transition?

about a year give or take. It depends on how fast your baby grows.

! Infant car seats usually say theyll last until your child is 30-35 lbs but thats heavy and then you have the weight of the seat itself to lug around too. My kids always got heavy fast so I think we transitioned around 9 or 10 months.

I transitioned my daughter shortly after her 1st birthday I believe. Doctors can tell you the exact regulations on when they should no longer use an infant car seat but I cant remember specifics.

We transitioned around 9 months to the convertible seat in our every day car but my chubbers still fit comfortably in the infant seat past one year in my husbands truck.

Both mine lasted about 8 months

I transitioned my son at 5 months not because he was big but bc he screamed in carseat the entire time we were in car. It was terrible. I never actually had the convience of just taking car seat out bc he screamed bloody murder. Someone told me they out their baby in a bigger seat and it helped. So I did and it was beat decision I made. Hopefully this baby girl will love her car seat

We just had the carrier in one car and the convertible in the other

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When Does The Doona Expire

The manufacturer recommends that you discontinue use of your Doona infant car seat after it has reached 6 years from the date of manufacture. How can you find out when yours was manufactured? Just refer to the sticker located on the underside of your Doona car seat for the date of manufacture – it’ll be found on the white sticker with a barcode, and will also have the serial number of your car seat which will be helpful when registering your car seat with the manufacturer.

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Q: I’m Having Difficulty With The Front Wheel On My Jogging Stroller What Should I Do

A:Maintain your item

• Check the wheel tire pressure is correct, recommend is 20 to 25 PSI, depending on the size of the tire. Only use a tire pump when inflating the wheels with air. Recommend to NOT use an air compressor as it may overinflate the wheels.
• Check the front wheel hardware is properly assembled and tighten. The axle nuts and retainer plates located on both the inside and outside of the axle should be tighten before use.
• Most joggers have a housing nut attached. This is located under the front fender and connects the swivel fork to the frame. To check the housing nut, remove the fender and use a crescent wrench if you need to tighten, check your manual for instructions. NOTE: itâs important not to over tighten the housing nut. For more details, please refer to your manual
• Check your item for any missing, or broken parts on the product. Check front and rear wheels parts are secure before use. Contact customer support for replacement parts at 1-800-328-7363.

Baby Trend Car Seat Expiration Dates

You will find the manufactured date along with the serial number on the underside of the car seat and the bottom of the base of your Baby Trend car seat. Each seat will have a Dont Use After date molded into the seat, which the company calls a hot stamp. I had to call Baby Trend for more accurate information on expiration dates as their website along with most websites offer extremely limited information. Here is a quote from the EZ Flex Loc Infant Car Seat manual: Discontinue use of the Safety Seat and Base after six years from the date of manufacture. The date of manufacture can be found on the label located on the underside of the Safety Seat or Base.Infant Car Seats expire after 6 yearsConvertible Car Seats expire after 7 yearsBooster Seats the top portion and harness expire after 6 years and the bottom portion expires after 10 years.

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Car Seat Expiry Date Australia: How Long Do Car Seats Last

How long do car seats last? Well, physically, if kept in dry conditions, out of the sun they might last many years indeed, but that doesnt mean you should keep using them, or hand yours on to other parents, because the recommended expiration date for a car seat in Australia is 10 years.

This will come as news to a lot of people who probably assumed that, not being made of milk, car seats wouldnt have an expiry date.

On the plus side, anyone who is still having children 10 years after they had the first one, and invested in their first car seat , is clearly living in the 1930s, when everyone had half a dozen kids.

So you really should only need two or three car seats to get you through the parenting of small children years, depending how many kids you have.

The key thing to note, of course, is that the car seat expiration is a recommendation, not an Australian law, or even a NSW law. No policeman ever, not even the most fastidious highway patrolman, is going to pull you over and demand to know how old your child seat is.

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As the people at Infasecure point out: The 10-year timeframe is not law, its not mandated in the Australian Standard, and its not enforceable its something that the industry loosely agreed upon, and is generally used as a best-practice guideline.

ISOFIX anchor points are becoming increasingly common in cars sold in Australia.

So how do you know how old your seat is?

How Long Do Car Seats Last

Most car seats come with an expiration date, which is usually between five and nine years after they were manufactured. The expiration date is not the only thing that may limit a car seats lifespan, however. If a car seat is involved in a crash or sustains damage to the structure in any way, it should be retired.

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Expiration Date If You Have A Nuna Car Seat:

• Infant Car Seat : The expiration date will be visible in three places: Firstly, at the back of the seat shell. Secondly, on the base itself. And thirdly, in your user manual. The Pipa Series can be used for up to 7 years after the date of manufacture.
• Convertible Car Seat : The Rava car seat expires 10 years after the date of manufacture. Also, the label is found on the bottom of your car seat.
• Harness to Booster Car Seat : The Aace expires within 10 years of the date of manufacture. Its label can also be found on the bottom of your seat.
• All-in-One Car Seat : The label will be found on the bottom of your seat. The Exec will expire 10 years after the date of manufacture. In many cases, however, this is the only seat you will ever need!

Here are some examples of what the expiration date label may look like for NUNA car seats:

Further Reading Recommendations About Uppababy And Infant Car Seat Safety

Weve used several authoritative sources to help with our review of the UPPAbaby MESA. We recommend that you read them if you want to learn more about car seat safety in general. These are also great resources if you want to understand a particular aspect of child safety or want to stay up-to-date with the latest research.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Child Passenger Safety Board have excellent in-depth resources on car safety for children. We recommend you start there:

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If You Must Throw It Away Do So Responsibly

Recycling centers and trade-in events can be hard to come by. But worry not, throwing the old car seat away is always in the cards. If you decide to bin it, though, make sure you follow the steps below:

• Remove and cut the foam, padding, and fabric
• Cut the harnesses and straps
• Dismantle the seat.
• Add a DO NOT USE. EXPIRED label.

Doing so ensures that people who come across the expired baby gear dont use it and put their little ones life at risk.

Child Safety Seat Registration Card

Don’t forget to mail back the registration card. If you don’t, you will not be notified if the child safety seat is recalled or has other safety problems.

If you moved since you mailed the card, make sure you call your child safety seat manufacturer to update your address.

If you misplaced the registration card that came with your car seat, please and mail or fax it as instructed.

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Q: Are Other Accessories Shown In The Manual Available For My Model

A: No, the manual provides assembly instructions for various models. An accessory may be listed in the instructions that is not featured with your model. To verify what accessories are included with your product check the instruction manual parts section or contact customer service at 1-800-328-7363 for help.

Q: What Steps Should I Take If My Baby Trend Product Is On A Safety Notice Or Recall List

A: If your product, Model Number and Manufacture Dates appear on the safety notice or recall list, discontinue use of the item immediately. DO NOT return item to store! Contact our Customer Service at for details about your notice or recalled item. Customer service will help guide you through the steps. Recall items required to return to Baby Trend will be issued an Authorization number before returning your item. Recommend writing the Return Authorization Number obtained from customer service on the outside of your returning package.

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Uppababy Mesa Car Seat: Most Frequently Asked Questions

• Question: Does it come with the UPPAbaby MESA base?Answer: Yes. This model comes with the base in the package. You can also purchase the UPPAbaby base separately if you prefer.

• Question: Do you have to use the base with the UPPAbaby MESA?Answer: No. You can also install the UPPAbaby MESA without its base if needed. Just the seat belt as described above. The base will make it more secure and convenient if youre installing the seat in your own car, however.

• Question: Can the UPPAbaby MESA be installed on an airplane seat?Answer: Yes, the UPPAbaby MESA is FAA approved. You can install the seat on a plane seat using the lap seat belt. You can check that your car seat is FAA approved by looking for a sticker that says This Restraint is Certified for Use in Motor Vehicles and Aircraft. Flight attendants are trained to look for these stickers when someone is boarding the plane with an infant or toddler car seat.

• Question: How much does the UPPAbaby MESA weight without the base?Answer: The UPPAbaby MESA weighs 10.36 lbs without the base. Its on the heavy side compared to other infant car seats that we reviewed.

• Question: Can I attach the MESA infant car seat on a grocery cart?Answer: No, and you shouldnt try to do that with any car seat. Placing an infant carrier on top of a shopping cart can be very dangerous. The safest place would be in the cart itself, facing towards you and reclined appropriately for your child to be comfortable.