has anyone used a car seat for their baby, and how did they determine if it was safe?

Question

sorry i worded the question wrong i wanted to know about ppl who used a used car seat and how they determined it was ok.

Answer 1

i would only purchase on if it look almost new. you cant really tell how safe it is i mean anythign can happen but as long as it is looking new with all the parts i say its fine but walmart has really cheap ones and are not cheap in material just price i would go there i bouth my daughters there for about 50 or less and it works for p to 100 LBS

Answer 2

Do you mean a used car seat? It's not recommended because you can't always tell if it has been in an accident.

My son and I were rear-ended once by a car going 35 mph when he was 2 and had a forward facing 5-point car seat. Our car was totalled, but the car seat showed no damage whatsoever (and he was uninjured - car seats work!). My car insurance replaced the car seat anyway because damage to the plastic can be unnoticable, but still cause the car seat to be less effective next time.

It is always best to go with a new one. You really can't tell by looking at it.

Answer 3

It is ILLEGAL to be in a moving vehicle without a child strapped into a car seat or booster.

Car seats industry-wide are safety tested to the highest standards and are critical in protecting your child in the event of an auto accident. There are minimum requirements based on Governmental Legislation that makes it mandatory that all seats provide such safety.

However, you must realize that if you are using a second-hand seat you need to know without a doubt that the seat has never been involved in any sort of accident, otherwise it will be considered unsafe. Any time a car seat is involved in an accident, even a little fender-bender, it needs to be replaced.

Also bear in mind that most car seats have a 'safety lifespan' of about 6 years and any seat older than that should be replaced as well.

Also always make sure to have your child in the seat designed for their body size and weight. Any child under one year AND 20 pounds needs to be rear facing until both minimums have been met since their necks need more support during an impact.

Finally, as others have mentioned proper installation is key to maintaining the safety of the child. Many times local hospitals, police stations, and/or fire stations offer free installation inspections to be sure you have installed everything properly.

Answer 4

I used the Graco Snug Ride infant carrier and was very pleased - plus the bucket comes out and they can stay in it if they fall asleep.

I use the Britax Marathon for when they grew out of the bucket seat. I also use the Costco Alpha Omega Convertible seat.

Both of the seats above can be faced backwards for the infant and turned around at a year, growing with the child.

You can also go by a local firestation and they will check to make sure you put it in correctly. Just call and find out which one does this in your area. Always try to put it in yourself first, they appreciate that.

(Check consumer reports to see about the safety rating to help you make your choice - Baby Universe has some good sales sometimes online)

Answer 5

i have never used a used car seat with any of my kids and dont intend to...i supposed if you know the person who had it and they can answer questions about rather or not they were ever in an accident then maybe it will be safe....the recommendation has always been NEVER use a used car seat though. ive never had to take advantage of it (thankfully) but my car insurance has a stipulation on it that if im in an accident (rather the kids are with me or not) i have to have the police note on the report how many car seats were present...then bring them to them and they will replace them for me. even if i had to pay out of pocket to do so (and with the new booster seat laws i have 4 kids in car seats) i would replace all of them for even a fender bender.....you can never be too safe with your kids....there are plenty of perfectly safe brand new car seats that fit pretty much any budget...and if you absolutey cant afford one check with your local health dept or police and find out if there is a program in your area to get a free seat. If you send me an email letting me know where you live I can even look for you and find a program near you that has free or discounted car seats. my baby outgrew his infant seat at 7 months (i wouldnt recommend infant seats for anything other than convenience honestly especially on a tight budget) so 7 months after we paid like $80 for it we were in the position to pay anywhere from $50-200...depending on store and brand for a convertible seat that could be used facing backwards. I went to a program that my local health dept has and took a 30 min class and they gave me a free seat (the one they gave me is $149 at walmart so its not a cheap noname seat)they also had me show them the boosters i was using for my other kids and decided that i should replace those as well and gave me 2 brand new ones. (my 4 year old had just moved to a booster so hers was fine) they also had a state trooper there who accompanied me to my car (i have a minivan with captains chairs so seating is a little tricky) and installed the babys seat for me where it needed to be and made sure it was tight and correct.(boosters are nobrainers)..you REALLY need to reconsider using the used seat if you dont know where its been every single minute since it was purchased.

Answer 6

Go to the Consumer Reports website for current car seat information. All of the ones on the market are tested to be safe at current standards, but you do have to be on the look-out for recalls once you purchase a car seat.

Answer 7

It doesn't matter how you "WORD IT" ... you are strapping your child into a rocket propelled machine and placing the machine into a launching pad filled with millions of idiots on rocket propelled machins; if you get into a serious accident your child WILL get injured;regardless of your hormonal levels .....

But we chose a system sold at Kmart and Walmart that has a little Teddy Bear Patch on the qulted backing of the car seat because if you place your hand inside the chairs and feel the cushioning of the seat this brand is the most plush and comfortable feeling,it also has a built in head and arm rests for a newborn to give neck support and was only like $99.00

Answer 8

Go with a big name brand. You can research them on the Internet. You can also have your local police department help you to install the car seat in your car before the baby is born. Just call them for an appointment, and bring along the car seat's instruction manual.

Answer 9

Its the law to have a car seat for a baby so I would guess that everyone is gonna say yes.

I determined mine was safe by getting a well known brand, reading the review, recommendations from friends and checking on safty and recalls

Good Luck

Answer 10

If you know the person who used the car seat, you can ask them questions about it such as how long did they use it and were they ever in any kind of accident including a fender bender. If it is someone you don't know, I wouldn't use it. Too many experiences of people selling broken things and flat out lying to get a buck.

Answer 11

If we have a baby and go in a car, then yes, we have used car seats. We determined it was safe when we installed it properly and everything functioned as it was intended to.