# car seat expiration - WWYD?



## devon (Jun 29, 2005)

We have a new baby (#3) coming in the beginning of April. Our snugride (20lbs/26'') from DS #1 has a manufacture date of 8/2003. Our first two kiddos were switched from the infant seat to a convertible (Decathalon) at about 4.5 months because they had outgrown it height wise at that point (DS#1 was 16lbs,27 in at 4 months, DS#2 about the same).

When we have not been using it, it has been stored in the garage. We live in WI, so the temps are normally 80's in the summer, and 0s in the winter. It's in a detached garage so it stays a little warmer than that in the winter, and hotter in the summer.

With this kiddo, I potentially would like to keep them in an infant seat (or have the option) until they are about 6 months (to trek to the other kids activities). That being said, we have always switched at 4 months-ish because we're sick of schlepping it around. but who knows - this kiddo might be smaller than the first two.

What would you do? Just keep the infant seat and HAVE to switch at exactly 4 months because of the expiration date? *My only concern is safety - would the garage storage have made it degrade faster so we really should replace it sooner than later?* We'll probably have another kiddo, but not planning on it for another 4 years or so.

We're considering the Graco SafeSeat1 (found a great deal on one for $85) because it has the higher height limit.

TIA!
Devon


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

I would not use a seat past expiration. I hate infant seats and switched both kids out asap.

-Angela


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

I'm pretty sure they have to include things like being stored in a dry, indoor garage (or car) in their expiration dates, so I would use the seat you have and then switch to a convertible. I would also invest in a really easy-on carrier like the Ergo or Beco to pop that 4 month into for dropping kids at school or whatever.


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## Ruthie's momma (May 2, 2008)

I also wouldn't use the car seat past expiration. If you are interested in the five year guideline, the seat already expired in August of last year.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ruthie's momma* 
I also wouldn't use the car seat past expiration. If you are interested in the five year guideline, the seat already expired in August of last year.

?? What do you mean? Some seats have a 5yr expiration, but I'm pretty sure that graco has a 6yr.

-Angela


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## azmomtoone (Aug 30, 2008)

If it's a 6 yr exp. I would keep it, use it for 4 mos, and then go into a convertible...many babies are happier in the convertible anyway as they get older; and while it's possible that you might have a smaller babe this time around, you might have a bigger one too, so that a new infant seat would really be a waste. After the 4 mos are up, switch to the convertible, and like a PP said, have a good carrier to use to keep your hands free while taking the other kids to activities (even if you still have an infant seat to use, in most case I think the carrier would be far more convenient)
If anything, I think that being in a garage would make it degrade more slowly than being in a car the whole time. (don't use past exp!). Being in direct sunlight would make the plastic degrade quickest, (ever seen plastic containers out on the middle of nowhere that are completely brittle from sunlight, and weather exposure). I also think that temps would change more in the car then in the garage (heated from 0 to 70ish every time you drive in winter, and much hotter temps in summer than outers, cooled to 70ish every time you drive). So I think you are perfectly safe to use it up to the exp date.


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## Ruthie's momma (May 2, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
?? What do you mean? Some seats have a 5yr expiration, but I'm pretty sure that graco has a 6yr.

-Angela

I follow a five year expiration date on all car seats, no matter what the brand. If the car seat was manufactured in August of 2003, then it expired last year (August of 2008).

I know a mom in our playgroup who replaces her childrens' Britax car seats every year!?!?


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## devon (Jun 29, 2005)

Just a quick note - I would NOT use it past the expiration date ever - but Graco's per their website is a 6 year expiration date so it will expire in August of this year. I do have a lot of carriers/wraps to use, but am just thinking about the napping baby having to be woken up to pick up brothers from school, etc.

Our garage is not heated or cooled so it doesn't get below about 0, but probably gets up into the 90-100* range in the summer. Definitely not as extreme as a car but also much more than a house.


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## alysmommy2004 (Jun 23, 2006)

If it were me I'd go ahead and use it for four months and then switch out. I am not a huge fan of lugging infant seats around. However, if you really do want to have baby in a bucket for longer for your convenience then you might as well snatch up that SS1. It's a great deal for a great seat.

I'm curious, why a 5year rule? I always defer to the manufacturer. Graco is six, so that is fine by me.


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## JoyofBirth (Mar 16, 2004)

Check the bottom of your seat for the expiration date. Ours is molded into the plastic on the underside where the baby's feet are. My friend's seat had a DOM of Aug 2004 and the expiration on the bottom said december 2010. I woulld say use it till August and then if you still want an infant seat, buy a safeseat at that point.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

I can't imagine not trusting an expiration date on a seat you trust. Maybe on a less-trustworthy company... but if I trust the seat with my kid, I trust their expiration date. I've never seen any data to suggest otherwise.

-Angela


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## Ruthie's momma (May 2, 2008)

I have chosen to follow a five year guideline, by choice. Am I being overly guarded? Perhaps. A little paranoid? Maybe. But, I would simply rather err on the side of caution. As such, I encourage others to do the same. That's my story...


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

I'm totally about carseat safety







Way more conservative than most- even more conservative than many techs.

Do you have any info that supports a 5yr rule?

-Angela


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *devon* 
Just a quick note - I would NOT use it past the expiration date ever - but Graco's per their website is a 6 year expiration date so it will expire in August of this year. I do have a lot of carriers/wraps to use, but am just thinking about the napping baby having to be woken up to pick up brothers from school, etc.

Our garage is not heated or cooled so it doesn't get below about 0, but probably gets up into the 90-100* range in the summer. Definitely not as extreme as a car but also much more than a house.

I really wouldn't worry about it, as if you think abotu convertible carseats being left in the car all summer, it's way hotter in there. Many people do the same with the bucket seat, and don't take it out. And the base generally stays in the car all the time. I would feel totally comfortable using it within it's expiration date.


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## Ruthie's momma (May 2, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
I'm totally about carseat safety







Way more conservative than most- even more conservative than many techs.

Do you have any info that supports a 5yr rule?

-Angela

Why would I need to provide data that supports a more conservative approach to child passenger safety? I am presenting my "educated" and heartfelt opinion on a parenting discussion forum, not defending a dissertation







. As I have stated, the the five year guideline is more _my_ choice than anything else.

Just because _some_ child car seat manufacturers (i.e. Graco) suggest using their products no more than six years does not mean that their guidelines are reliable. Graco also claims that their Naulitus is designed for a 20lb 1 yr old. Furthermore, Consumer Reports and the NHTSA suggest using a child car seat for six years, at the very most.

In the end, most children outgrow their car seats before they expire. If another child is waiting in the wings, I would use the seat. But, if the seat is packed away for a good while, I would not use the seat.


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## alysmommy2004 (Jun 23, 2006)

So if you had a TF that had a 7 year life span, or a Radian with an 8, you would not use it that long? To me those are advantages to those seats. With money tight all around right now some people are looking to get as much use out of their seats as possible.


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## Ruthie's momma (May 2, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alysmommy2004* 
So if you had a TF that had a 7 year life span, or a Radian with an 8, you would not use it that long? To me those are advantages to those seats. With money tight all around right now some people are looking to get as much use out of their seats as possible.

No, I would not.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ruthie's momma* 
Why would I need to provide data that supports a more conservative approach to child passenger safety? I am presenting my "educated" and heartfelt opinion on a parenting discussion forum, not defending a dissertation







. As I have stated, the the five year guideline is more _my_ choice than anything else.

Just because _some_ child car seat manufacturers (i.e. Graco) suggest using their products no more than six years does not mean that their guidelines are reliable. Graco also claims that their Naulitus is designed for a 20lb 1 yr old. Furthermore, Consumer Reports and the NHTSA suggest using a child car seat for six years, at the very most.

In the end, most children outgrow their car seats before they expire. If another child is waiting in the wings, I would use the seat. But, if the seat is packed away for a good while, I would not use the seat.

If there is any data or research to show that some 6yr seats are unsafe after 5 I would truly love to see it. RF tether is not required, but I have seen crash data and I understand the physics enough to recognize the advantage.

I have NO faith in ANYTHING CR says on carseats







and I think NHTSA is not 100% reliable- most of their requirements are pitifully low.

I choose my brands and seats carefully. Right now we have britax and safeseat. There is a good chance that we will use most of our seats to their full expiration (6yrs on britax and 7yrs on safeseat) I trust those brands as a general rule to have safer standards than the minimum. If you have ANY information, other than *it seems like a good idea* to a 5yr rule instead of the recommended expiration date, then I'm all ears.









Truly. Just interested in info.

-Angela


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

I would use the snugride until August when it really expires.

I don't think, for one second, that my Britax seat is unsafe today because it expires this October.


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## MommyinMN (Oct 18, 2007)

I am pretty sure all Gracos expire in Dec., 6 years after the year they were made. Check your manual. I have no issues using a seat up up until the day it expires.


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## mamarootoo (Sep 16, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ruthie's momma* 
Consumer Reports and the NHTSA suggest using a child car seat for six years, at the very most.

i don't see anything wrong with erring on the side of caution. rules about safety are in a constant state of flux. i would want to kill myself if my child was part of the "data" that would force people to follow stricter rules.

if i were the OP, i would just buy the new seat, since as far as i know, there's no way to tell if a seat is going to malfunction until it does







i do know that extreme heat and cold ages plastic, and can make it brittle. i would assume that carseats are made to handle that kind of thing (they are meant to be in cars, after all) but when you're getting so close the the exp. date i would be more cautious because of the risk it could create.


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## alysmommy2004 (Jun 23, 2006)

I think the manufactures take extreme temperatures into account when they put a life span on their seat. I'm sure the seat isn't going to fall apart the after it expires. I personally would never use an expired seat, even if only a day, and I do not advocate this to anyone. While I do believe in erring on the side of caution, I tend to think the manufacturers do as well. What do they have to lose? Let's say they test their materials and the plastics they use hold up six years. Why put a six year lifespan on it? Why not five so they can make more money? It just doesn't make since that they'd risk the liability of stretching it out for another year.


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## MacKinnon (Jun 15, 2004)

I would be OK with using the seat. Like some of the other posters said, Graco sets their expiration date in Dec. of the year they were made, regardless of the month. And the weather conditions are taken into account. I think it would be harder on the plastic to have been in continued use during that time, heating and cooling in and out of cars, every day. I DID use my Snugride after 3 years of storage in our attic btw. DD and DS.

Now, that said, we did part ways with our carrier after DS. I knew I would want a new one when we had another baby.







I'm not pregnant yet (we're not even TRYING yet), but already thinking about what seat I want. Plus, I thought we might want to use the carrier longer with baby #3, and my big babies outgrew their Snugride by 4 to 5 months. I'm looking at the Snugride32 or Keyfit30, to use them a little longer. And hey, I like to get new car seats


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## janasmama (Feb 8, 2005)

I agree with alysmom and believe that the manufacturers are already erring on the side of caution. If they test the seats and say they last for 6y9m then they are going to say hey, let's just give a 6 year life instead of the full term of true expiration.

That being said, I would use my carseat up until the date/month of expiration.


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## mamarootoo (Sep 16, 2008)

i used to assume that carseat manufacturers erred on the side of caution too-- until consumer reports tested carseats at highway speeds and most failed miserably.

i had no idea that they only test carseats at 35mph. i was so relieved that we had a graco-- which was one of few that held up at the 70mph crash test!


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## alysmommy2004 (Jun 23, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamarootoo* 
i used to assume that carseat manufacturers erred on the side of caution too-- until consumer reports tested carseats at highway speeds and most failed miserably.

i had no idea that they only test carseats at 35mph. i was so relieved that we had a graco-- which was one of few that held up at the 70mph crash test!

That study was flawed and CR later retracted their findings. I have a Keyfit 22, one that supposedly failed. I did not stop using it when the study came out and I will use it again in the future if I need it. I already didn't trust CR prior to that article for other bad carseat advice they had handed out.

In real life situations crashes don't often have a 70mph _impact_. Most likely if they did no one is going to survive.


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## mamarootoo (Sep 16, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alysmommy2004* 

In real life situations crashes don't often have a 70mph _impact_. Most likely if they did no one is going to survive.


i guess i just felt better knowing that at least my DD's carseat would hold up of we did have one! call me crazy


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## Ironica (Sep 11, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ruthie's momma* 
Why would I need to provide data that supports a more conservative approach to child passenger safety? I am presenting my "educated" and heartfelt opinion on a parenting discussion forum, not defending a dissertation







.

And many of us are interested in furthering our own education on this matter, so we would like to know what informs that educated opinion. That's all. If nothing more informs it than your own "hunch," it's still your opinion that you're perfectly entitled to, but it's not an "educated" opinion. It certainly doesn't put your child at risk, though it *could* put another child at risk, if a parent without the monetary resources to purchase a new seat every five years decided it was better to buy a three-year-old used seat of unknown history and origin than to continue to use a five-year-old seat with one or two years more to go before expiration.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ruthie's momma* 
As I have stated, the the five year guideline is more _my_ choice than anything else.

Which is fine... but now you're recommending it to other people, and it's reasonable for them to ask what your recommendation is based on. If it's based on your own "feeling," and not any particular information or data, that's an important disclosure.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ruthie's momma* 
Just because _some_ child car seat manufacturers (i.e. Graco) suggest using their products no more than six years does not mean that their guidelines are reliable.

The guidelines for seat expiration are based on the physical and chemical properties of the materials used in the manufacture of the seat (for the most part, the plastics used). There are TONS of different types of plastics, with all sorts of different properties: clear or opaque, brittle or flexible, high tensile strength (I don't even know what that *means*), yadda yadda. The expiration date is based on the lifespan of the shortest-lived plastic they used, under normal use conditions (including being stored in cars that might get very hot or cold inside). It's not a guess.

And if their guidelines are *not* reliable, and a child dies, that gets VERY expensive for them... both because of the ensuing lawsuit, and because of the lost marketshare in the wake of the negative publicity. Some carseat manufacturers do take that gamble, and there are those of us who would never entrust our child's life to them. (BTW, one of those manufacturers was VERY highly rated by the Consumer Reports study that was later retracted.)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ruthie's momma* 
Graco also claims that their Naulitus is designed for a 20lb 1 yr old.

No, they don't. 20 pounds is the *minimum* weight that the seat is tested for; they don't claim it's "designed" for that weight, and offer multiple products that rear-face beyond that weight. Second, the user manual NEVER mentions age, and even in the harness pictures, always depicts a child who is clearly late toddler or preschool age, definitely not an infant. Their website also lists no age. It's when you go to Target.com or whatever that they list age ranges (starting with 1 year).

It's the law that claims it's safe to FF a 1-year-old, which is clearly not true... but the carseat manufacturers are pretty careful NOT to claim such.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ruthie's momma* 
Furthermore, Consumer Reports and the NHTSA suggest using a child car seat for six years, at the very most.

As noted previously, Consumer Reports has some credibility issues on car seats. I cannot find anything on the NHTSA's website (where they have a LOT of stuff about CRSs) that says anything other than following the manufacturer's recommendations on expiration. (The pdf at this link, for example, lists one common misuse is "CRSs were being used beyond the manufacturer's expiration dates.")

As there is often difficulty getting people to comply with the minimum requirements, much less the best practices supported by the available data, actively advocating more restrictive (and expensive) practices in the absence of any supporting data whatsoever seems to me to be just a tad irresponsible.


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