Is it reasonable to use either of these 2 carseats?

Question

Ok, I'm 32 weeks pregnant and don't have a new carseat for my baby. I do have an Evenflo Discovery (which I absolutely HATED for a number of reasons) that I used a few times with my first (born in Oct. 2003) and second child (born Feb. 2005). It's been sitting in the garage now for over a year and a half, is mildewy, the fabric is slightly faded. The other day I found an Evenflo Portabout in excellent condition with the base at a thrift store for $5, BUT the umbrella thingy is missing. I couldn't imagine using a carseat without the umbrella. My husband says ok, now you have 2 carseats...we're not buying another one. Just wash the dirty one or use the one without the umbrella. If you have read anything about the Discovery I'm sure you'd be scared to use one too. It has a 3 point harness, not 5, the seat is a pain to get out of the base, the handle on the carseat wobbles and isn't stable. This 3rd child was a surprise so the other carseat was sold last yr. Am I being picky?

Answer 1

NO you are not being picky. The car seat is the most important item you will use. Never use a second hand car seat...you have no idea if it was in an accident. Being in even a fender bender at less than 15 miles per hour can compromise the harness and the structure of the car seat. So it may appear perfectly fine, but it may not be. Secondly...ALL car seats have an "expiration" date stamped on the back of the seat. If it's passed that date, it's actually illegal to use (you could recieve the same fine as not having your child in a car seat). Also, a 3 point harness is horrible! In 2004....over 3,000 babies in the usa were acttually decapitated (yes...head was severed from the body). Their small bodies can slide and actually bend so much it strains the neck and can cause that not to mention the sever neck and spine injuries. The National Child Passenger Saftey Alliance has been trying to get 3 point harnesses outlawed, but they aren't deemed as dangerous enough because 3,000 babies out of 2 million isn't enough of a tragedy. It's really disgusting on your Government's part. If it's a money issue...contact local things like fire departments, your social services, the hospital or dept of health and human services. Many counties have brand new car seats available free to those who qualify or for cheaper rates. I am a CERTIFIED Child Passenger Safety Technician in the state of WI, so I am NOT talking out of my butt or making things up. If it was me....I would tell my husband to get bend and buy a new car seat if no free ones were available. Fortunatly....my husband hears me grip and moan about car seats so much...he no longer agrues lol! Good Luck!!

Answer 2

I don't think you are being picky. Some people gave us a car seat stroller set but the carseat only had a 3 point harness so i refused to use it. Eventually we got rid of this set it was actually just an extra set for the other car it was also evenflo. I also know that if you buy a carseat from a thrift store then you don't know what has happened to it. If a carseat has ever been in an accident then you aren't supposed to use it anymore so you don't know the history of this carseat. As far as the other one with the mildew some people are allergic to mold and i don't think regular detergent will get rid of mold and you can't wash it with bleach because that would ruin it. I would just suck it up and buy a new car seat stroller set you can get one at Target and Walmart for about 150 dollars. I think safety comes first.

Answer 3

I don't think you're being picky at all. God forbid you're ever in an accident, you'd want the best for your child. I'm sure your husband does too.

You might want to go to www.consumerreport.org and look at their recent study for the top brands of rear-facing car seats. If I remember correctly, the Evenflo Discovery performed HORRIBLY in their crash tests. Show your husband, and he might be more inclined to invest in a newer, safer car seat. I've also always heard that you should never use a second-hand carseat because there's no way of knowing if it was in an accident or not. Even if it looks stable, if it's been in an accident there could be tiny cracks in the plastic that could cause it to completely break if it experienced that kind of impact again.

Good luck and congrats on your new little one!

Answer 4

Um, I have none of those problems with our Discovery, might be from sitting for a while. And the other carseat, you really shouldn't buy a seat secondhand, you never know if it has been in an accident, or what kind of abuse it has suffered that might make it unsafe for your baby. I would buy a new one anyhow, (or clean the Discovery, at least you know it's use history) would you want your baby to get injured because you didn't want to spend the money for new?

Answer 5

This is your new born baby's safety we are talking about. Can you put a cost on how much you would pay to keep your baby safe? I can't, I wouldn't necessarily trust the thrift shop carrier either though. If money is tight try going to a 2nd hand baby shop they are pretty reasonably priced and are better educated on whether a seat is safe. Also by us we have car seat safety checks at various different fire stations look into if they have that in your area they will tell if you have a safe seat and if its in the car right. Most people don't have their child's car seat buckled in the right way and that can be the determining factor in whether your child/baby makes it in a car accident.

Either waywhne it comes to your baby's safety you can never be too picky.

Answer 6

No you are not just being picky. YOu need to check the dates on the carseats and make sure they are less than 5 years old because they are supposed to be thrown out after that and if it is mildewy it can make your child sick even if it looks like you got it all out you still tend to miss some and mildew can weaken a carseat 's fabric.

You can always use a recieving blanket for a cover on the one you just bought though.

Answer 7

No you are not being picky. My mother recently got an email saying that only 2 carseats passed the test...others came off the latch(with dummies of course) and throw the dummie like 30 feet from a 35 mph crash... The two carseats that passed were baby trend flex-loc and graco snugride They even recalled the discovery..you are not being picky at all! Its the safety of your baby! Im glad the flex loc was cute because thats what i got my son in october...and I love it!

Answer 8

Well if there is that much wrong with it then I would not use either one of them. On my last child I used a car seat that I had with one of other children. The main thing the say not to use a used car seat if it has been in a car accident. So just do not give up if you want a new one. Your husand needs to realize that this is a life and if you feel more comfortable with a new one then he should do what makkes you happy and more comfortable...
GOOD LUCK!

Answer 9

Car seats expire! The plastic breaks down, and there should be a date somewhere on it to let you know. The first one might still be good. NEVER buy a used car seat. You never know if that seat has been in an accident. Even a minor one compromises it, and you don't know it's history. Thrift stores aren't even supposed to sell used car seats. Get a new one!

Answer 10

Check the Sunday paper for car seats they are not that much. In fact I'm thinking about getting another one because the baby is about to outgrow this infant seat that came with the stroller. We have another car seat but its in my husband car. We look for conveyance.

Just throw the other one away if you cant machine wash the fabric. Don't get me wrong all of my baby stuff is not new. For instance her saucer was $5 at a yard sale. I took it down to the bone. Bleached it good and boiled all the toys in hot water. So there is hope with second hand items.