tjham
New member
I am on a private parenting board and someone asked about using an infant seat that will be expiring soon (but still usable for this baby). The discussion went on with most people agreeing that you should go by the expiration date. Then along came these two posts 
, one right after the other:
I was in a baby factory shop yesterday and the lady said if the carseat has been stored away then it doesn't count only when it is outside in the UV rays as it weakens the seat.
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FWIW, a child safety coordinator and I were talking about reusing older carseats a while back, and she said that the *expiry date* refers to continuous use...so if the carseat's been packed away and stored for part of the time, that affects the *actual* expiry of the seat. So, unless you've left the carseat out in the sun or been using it as a trampoline or portable fishpond, you should be fine!
Then my response:
I have to say, according to the advice of all of the car seat technicians I have read on several child seat safety boards, both of those ladies are very wrong. The phrases "continuous use" or "stored away" have nothing to do with the expiration date and when you should stop using a seat. It may be fine to use a seat a few months past the date, as there probably is a little leeway built in, but I wouldn't go much beyond that. It's just not worth the risk.
, one right after the other:I was in a baby factory shop yesterday and the lady said if the carseat has been stored away then it doesn't count only when it is outside in the UV rays as it weakens the seat.
__________________
FWIW, a child safety coordinator and I were talking about reusing older carseats a while back, and she said that the *expiry date* refers to continuous use...so if the carseat's been packed away and stored for part of the time, that affects the *actual* expiry of the seat. So, unless you've left the carseat out in the sun or been using it as a trampoline or portable fishpond, you should be fine!
Then my response:
I have to say, according to the advice of all of the car seat technicians I have read on several child seat safety boards, both of those ladies are very wrong. The phrases "continuous use" or "stored away" have nothing to do with the expiration date and when you should stop using a seat. It may be fine to use a seat a few months past the date, as there probably is a little leeway built in, but I wouldn't go much beyond that. It's just not worth the risk.
