Hand-me-down Car Seats: Yay or Nay?

11 Responses for "Hand-me-down Car Seats: Yay or Nay?"

1. Ali February 24th, 2011 at 6:40 am 1

   I let my sister use our old one after both of my boys grew out of it. It was never in an accident and it was not expired.

   I would use a used infant seat if I was not using it in a car but if I was attaching it to a stroller kwim?

   My carseat did not attach to my bobs stroller so I bought a new marked down one from bru. I would have preferred a used one for cheaper. The only one that I would take a used car seat from is my sister though.

   I have baby # 3 coming and I will probably trade in all the old car seats when they have there promotional trade in event again and get new carseats.

   The thing is I am debating whether or not to get an infant seat this time or just get a regular carseat. This should be more eco friendly.

2. becca February 24th, 2011 at 11:37 am 2

   My children will be 18 months apart, and I plan on using the same infant seat with both. I see no reason not to do this, and I can’t believe all the backlash you guys are hearing. The decision to reuse car seats- just like anything else you recycle- has to be made using good sense. There are exceptions to everything.

3. Brittany February 24th, 2011 at 1:11 pm 3

   I totally agree with your stance. I would have no problem borrowing a carseat from a trusted source who could assure me that it fit the qualifications. To me it’s no different than re-using the same carseat for all three of my boys (ages 4, 3, and almost 1).

4. another Josh February 24th, 2011 at 3:08 pm 4

   We borrowed a Chicco infant seat from a good friend that had got it new and was holding on to it for a potential next child. We new it hadn’t been in any accidents and hadn’t expiredIt worked great and we’ve since graduated to a Britax convertible seat we got new on clearance after the newer models were rolling out. The infant seat is now safely stored until we can return it. My only qualms about it was the potential to damage their seat, so I resolved that we would replace any part that was damaged with a new one.

5. Aimee February 24th, 2011 at 6:23 pm 5

   We purchased an infant seat from a trusted source. I felt comfortable using it formour daughter, but I know many other moms would not.

6. Kristin February 26th, 2011 at 9:56 am 6

   We actually tried going this route – used seat from a good friend, a totally trusted source. She gave us a Graco infant seat and base that she said she got for her daughter (who was about 18 months at the time). However, when we went to the installation check they recognized that the seat was at least 7 years old and there were many MANY stress marks all over it from prior use (though likely not an accident). It was no longer anywhere near safe. What I think happened is that my friend gave us her son’s seat – he is about 4 – and they may have received that one second hand. I think she likely got them mixed up. I haven’t told her, since there is nothing she could do and I knew she’d feel terrible. But I’ve told a number of other parents-to-be:

   ALWAYS GET YOUR SEAT INSTALLATION CHECKED BY AN EXPERT

   Not only did they catch our old seat, but (of course) we didn’t have it installed correctly. Something like 80-90% of car seats are installed incorrectly. So we went out, bought a brand new seat and brought it right back to the experts for them to install properly.

   Coincidentally, today we’re heading back to our favorite expert (my employer, a university, has a weekly car seat installation check) to have our new convertible car seat installed. This one should last for a number of years, so we decided to buy a new one.

   Would I use a used infant seat in the future? Yes, but I’d make sure to get it checked out by an expert to make sure it is safe. In fact, my sister is trying to get pregnant now and we’re going to offer them our soon-to-be old infant seat. They’ve heard our whole story, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they decided to buy a new one, just in case. However, we’re going to let them decide. (We’ll also be offering them our stroller frame. As Ali pointed out above, an old seat is probably fine for a walk around the block.)

   Oh, one more thing I learned during the car seat debacle. Don’t ever wash the straps. You can spot clean them, but don’t remove them and put them through the wash, it ruins their structural integrity. If the straps are really gross and beyond spot cleaning you might be able to purchase new straps for a recent seat.

7. Betsy (Eco-novice) February 26th, 2011 at 10:48 pm 7

   A stranger was more than happy to buy my used car seat (with 2 bases). I hated it (too heavy) and wasn’t going to use it for it’s full life-span, so I’m glad someone else could use it. I sold it VERY cheap. Of course, I never would have sold a car seat that had been in an accident or without disclosing the date of purchase and remaining time for safe usage. I personally would take a hand-me-down from someone I know, but not a stranger. Mostly, I just hate car seats and cars in general. I wish I lived in a car-free community.

8. Jaime March 5th, 2011 at 9:02 am 8

   I agree with your stance on this. I borrowed infant seats for both my kids from close friends. After my kids outgrew them, I gave them back and both seats are currently being used for the friend’s new babies. It feels good to know that at least 3 babies have used each seat. If I wasn’t able to borrow infant seats I would have skipped them all together and went straight for a convertible car seat.

9. melody March 7th, 2011 at 5:58 pm 9

   Just to reinforce what an earlier poster said, you need to make sure the straps have NEVER been washed. You need to replace them if they’ve been washed. I was shocked when I contacted a few people on craigslist about used carseats and they all answered that the straps had been washed frequently. It made me loose my confidence in purchasing a carseat used.

10. Kat March 21st, 2011 at 11:56 am 10

    I did actually purchase a “used” car seat / stroller combo from a stranger off craigslist. I researched it online first and made sure it was not outdated. She had only used the stroller portion because the car seat itself didn’t fit in their car. I got a really good vibe from her and the car seat looks new. I got a good price, she was able to make some $ for their next baby and we both helped the environment! I really think it boils down to good information and trusting your instincts! I am not due for a couple months yet but will be excited to start my new baby off as a green baby!!

11. Regina August 18th, 2011 at 9:37 am 11

    I agree with Kat… I did the same and my son has been fine. Trust your instincts!! But don’t mistake that for ignorance