European car seat in the USA? any rules about it

U

Unregistered

Guest

• Jun 15, 2006

• #1

Hello,

I am pregnant with my first child. I am looking for baby gears and I am wondering if european models of car seats are ok in the USA or if we can only use the car seats that are commercially available in the USA. I hope you can help me out! thank you

 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor

Staff member

• Jun 15, 2006

• #2

If you're living in the US a foreign seat is illegal to use, it hasn't been tested by the US standards. Some foreign seats will blow the US standards out of the water (like Sweden) and others would fail horribly. So only seats that are commercially available in the US are legal for you to use.

Wendy

 

U

Unregistered

Guest

• Jun 15, 2006

• #3

thanks!

actually I did read that europeans are even ahead on safety of the USA. Some people had foreign car seat in the USA and never a problem. Should I ask the police to get the exact info on car seats that are ok in the USA?

 

S

SusanMae

Senior Community Member

• Jun 15, 2006

• #4

Only SOME of the european countries test to higher standards than us.

Usually to use a forgein seat here legally--You need a prescription from the baby's doctor and then you'll need to petition the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

What seats from "across the pond" do you like? Maybe we can help you find something similar here. Some of the brands are moving over here like Jane' and Chicco.


Susan

 

U

Unregistered

Guest

• Jun 15, 2006

• #5

actually the one I want is a bebe confort (very good French brand top of the line for years) and top of it it would be a gift for my baby shower.
the US car seat I like is the peg perego; it is in France too but the base seems different there (from a tiny picture on the internet). The bebe confort car seat has the same properties then the PegPerego. the most expensive oversea is the bebe confort. I know that price and safety are not always proportionnal...
The seat I like is the Creatis from bebe confort. I am very divided on this topic my heart says to go with the French model and my reason with Peg Perego.

 

U

Unregistered

Guest

• Jun 15, 2006

• #6

OP - Have you seen this seat or known someone that has it? Just curious, it looks very interesting. The site that I looked at said that it had been tested in France and Germany and faired well.

 

bbartlettnfld

New member

• Jun 16, 2006

• #7

Hi Unfortunatly no you cannot use European carseats in the USA. I bet you like the Creatis.. I know someone that did use this seat but only on her stroller (bebeconfort also) but not in the car. Chances are that North American vehicle seatbelts are too short to be able to secure the carseat properly. The seat belt is not going to have enough slack to go arond the back of the carseat with out flipping it up, therefor the carseat won't be at 45 degrees.
If you like the Peg Perego SIP then get it. It is safe for use in the USA. The only difference is the UK version is a 3pt and the USA are 5pt harnesses. And the UK one might have anti-rebound protection-if this is what you want then look into a Britax Companion, it has the "look" of the Creatis as well.
Hope that helps.
BethAnn

 

U

Unregistered

Guest

• Jun 16, 2006

• #8

Hi,

could you please give me link to see where the Creatis seat failed. Thanks!
I am very curious as this brand is completely on the top of the line in Europe. Everybody who is having a baby in France right now that I know off has the Creatis car seat and they all love it. People review their products very well. All the kids I took care off when I was younger back in Europe had Bebe Confort gears and they are soo nice. Bebe confort is not commercialized in the USA, apparently if a company like that wants to do businesse in the States they need to have a plant here.
Are seatbelts in European cars in the US on American code?
I will check the Britax too. I know for carseat group 1 I want a Britax.
It is also funny to see the difference reading European stuff;everywhere it is written not to have the baby over 90 minutes at the time in that seat in Europe also carrycots are very common (even ok for long car trip, here it is forbiden)
Also if we go there on vacation we could not use the US car seat (even if the brand is commercialized en Europe as the codes are different on both side of the Atlantic ocean.
I just wanted to thank everybody to help me out!

 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor

Staff member

• Jun 16, 2006

• #9

Unregistered said:

Also if we go there on vacation we could not use the US car seat (even if the brand is commercialized en Europe as the codes are different on both side of the Atlantic ocean.
I just wanted to thank everybody to help me out!

Click to expand...

No, on vacation you can bring your own seat. It's only if you're living in a country that you have to use the seats of that country. Though you may have to follow foreign laws when it comes to air travel, depending on the airline. We flew on British Midlands when my daughter was 15 months and they made me turn her forward facing (she wasn't 20 pounds yet) and they gave me a special lap belt to put her in that would attach to me in case of an accident. It didn't matter if the seat was FAA approved since they don't care about the FAA's laws.

Wendy

 

U

Unregistered

Guest

• Jun 16, 2006

• #10

Just so you know... We used a European car-seat (Maxi-Cosi) while we were in the States on Holiday. (Latch or Isofix is fairly rare still on European seats.) Our Maxi Cosi seat required the seat belt to go around the whole back end of the car-seat. When it fit, it was great -- the car-seat was so secure. But - like the previous poster mentioned, there were several cars we couldn't use because the seat belts were too short. This was a bit of a shock to us and a significant inconvenience, so it is definitely worth checking out.

I've seen the Bebe Confort seats and strollers and they really are nice. IMO they don't have the hip and modern styling of Maxi Cosi or Bugaboo, but more of a luxe, soft, cushy, baby-like colors and plush feel to them. They seem very well-built and are very $$$ -- at least where I am outside of France.

FYI - There is a whole slew of "fashion-conscious" Dads that are importing Maxi Cosi car-seats into the US b/c they don't like the appearance of American car-seats. (See www.daddytypes.com)

 

U

unregistered

Guest

• Jun 16, 2006

• #11

The "rule" is that we should use a car seat that has been tested on USA cars with USA regs, and labeled accordingly. Anything else is illegal, maybe not unsafe per se, but definitely illegal.

Honestly, I'd import a stroller or clothing or whatever else you love, but not a car seat.

For me, they blow through the infant seat so quickly, it wouldn't be worth the expense and hassle to import an illegal seat for whatever reason.

Sorry, I don't think its what you want to hear!

I've also read daddytypes, cracks me up. (And, weirds me out a little.)

 

U

Unregistered

Guest

• Jun 17, 2006

• #12

Since I am pregnant of course for car seats I am only looking at American models. The latest thing I learn here and on an other website: if you take the plane often with European companies the car seat is not allowed. Before that I just wanted a US car seat FAA regulated to bring on our transatlantic flights
I just find it strange that if you go abroad you can still use your seat you use at home but if you leave in one country you have to use whatever is commercially available there (an accident can happen anytime).
European women told me today that there is no pb we can use foreign car seat but in case of a car accident there could be problems with the insurance. Some did it and never had a problem. the Hospital let them go home with a european model car seat
Actually this discussion turns out very funny! Believe it or not I posted this discussion because my all American husband (=born and raised in the US) is the one who prefers the look of the Creatis over the peg Perego. I never thought about having a French car seat in the US at the first place but just for a stroller because it fits better our life style
Prices of Bebe Confort in France are also very expensive (more then foreign brands!!!) so yes it just tells us that it is pricy but with my experience with this brand it is worth it (you buy for one child you can use it for a few!)

The end result would most likely be the US car seat Peg Perego with a snap and go. European stroller with bassinet (Bebecar or Bebe confort)

Thanks again for all your input!

 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor

Staff member

• Jun 17, 2006

• #13

Unregistered said:

The latest thing I learn here and on an other website: if you take the plane often with European companies the car seat is not allowed. Before that I just wanted a US car seat FAA regulated to bring on our transatlantic flights

Click to expand...

Piper's flown on a foreign airline in her American seat. She's flown on American airlines originating in foreign countries a bunch of times and we've never had a problem. I've known a bunch of people who've flown from the US to Europe and never heard a problem about them using their seat. I don't know if they were flying US airlines or foreign, but still, I've never heard of someone not being allowed their seat on board. British Midlands did say I was to take out my 15 month old 18 pound child and put her in a lap belt strapped to me in case of an emergency, and they made her go forward facing, but her seat was perfectly allowed.

Wendy

 

U

Unregistered

Guest

• Jun 24, 2006

• #14

A Must Read!!!!

Hello all,
I thought I'd add my two cents worth...

I'm American, living in Nantes, France, and have just had a baby--May 23rd.

What my wife and I are finding is that safety standards in Europe--and I'm talking the UK and France--are WAY BEHIND already known safety standards.
Maybe I'm going overboard, but I'm really frustrated right now.

In France, nearly everyone considers comfort more important than safety. This is why you see so many people using a nacelle/car bed/lit auto ! Most of these do not have a harness of any sort, but a single belt that is used over the baby. This will NOT protect your child in any sort of crash (forward, rear or side collision)...the child will either fly out or the belt will do so much internal damage around the abdomen.
Although many people use these, don't fall for it. It's not worth it. One crash and you will be very sorry.

As for regular car seats, I have discovered that most are finally using either 3-point or 5-point harness--although NONE have the REQUIRED chest clip to maintain the shoulder straps in place in a collision.

I have been really impressed with France's health system and so many other things, but I must say that people are very ignorant here. They just don't know how unsafe it is to NOT use a 5-point harness WITH a chest clip.
This safety information is at least over 15 years old.

I'm still looking for an acceptable car seat.

 

skaterbabs

Well-known member

• Jun 24, 2006

• #15

For what it's worth, chest clips are not required. They are a precrash positioning device, and in a crash will probably break or slide down. That's OK.

 

U

Unregistered

Guest

• Jun 25, 2006

• #16

info on Peg Perego

I just wanted to give you some advice on the Peg Perego baby seat that you like. If it is still the same as the one I have (3 years old) it requires the use of a base at all times. This means that when travelling by plane, you have to lug along the seperate base instead of having the option of installing it with the seatbelt thru the carrier like you can with a Graco. I agree that it is much prettier and has more padding than many others, but it is also significantly narrower than the Graco. This was fine for my 5lb baby but it limited it's use for my much larger second one who seemed very uncomfortable in it and was much happier when we switched him to his Britax.
glad you asked this question. I've always wondered because I like the Maxi Cosi and wish they were sold here.
Good luck.

 

U

Unregistered

Guest

• Jul 12, 2006

• #17

Really illegal or are we just guessing?

I had my first baby in Germany so I bought a European stroller and infant car seat that meet the EU regulations. Now I am about to have my second child and I live in the US. I was planning on using my European infant car seat but I also wondered whether or not it was legal here. It does not have a chest clip.

I see many replies that state it is illegal. Can someone post the source/reference to support this claim? I have not had any luck searching on the internet.

Thanks.

 

M

Marsus

Guest

• Jul 13, 2006

• #18

No car seat in Italy (I don't know in Europe) has the chest clip: I saw it the first tim in this website!

 

skaterbabs

Well-known member

• Jul 13, 2006

• #19

It's not illegal to not have a chest clip, it is illegal to use a European seat because you must use a NHTSA approved and labeled seat in the US.

 

U

Unregistered

Guest

• Sep 21, 2008

• #20

Hi there. This is very interesting.
I actually live in Sweden and have an 11 month old. We found the Swedish infant seat very flimsy and seeming a little less safe than what I had experienced with US car seats. So when she started getting too long for her infant carrier (about 5 months with a Britax), we had my mom bring a US convertible seat. It is very sturdy and stable and comfy for our little girl. Now I am a little worried if it is legal. I never imagined it wouldnt be. But after reading this thread... well, how do we find out whether it is legal?
Thanks in Advance for any advice or answers.
Noelle