Why Do Boosters Expire?

brooklynsmommy

Active member
I know and understand why. But someone I emailed about a VERY old seat emailed me back wanting to know (in a show me the proof/ reasoning why way). So lay it on me oh knowledgeable experts!
 
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MomToEliEm

Moderator
I think with boosters, the main reason for them to expire is due to changing regulations and safety standards. Without expiration dates on them, older less-safe boosters may stay on the market for a long time. Shield boosters were very popular a few years ago. Luckily many are starting to expire now so hopefully fewer are being used. If these shield boosters didn't have expiration dates, they could stay on the market for a long time. Studies have proven that they are not the safest booster for the child so they stopped being made.

Boosters may still be affected by plastic degradation. The lapbelt portion of the booster (typically the armrests) need to be strong enough to keep the lapbelt down during a crash. If they were brittle they may break off raising the seatbelt up on the child's belly. The shoulder belt positioned on a seatbelt may also break off if the plastic is brittle causing the seatbelt to not fall correctly on the child at the right time.

If a car crash occurs and en expired booster seat is in use and fails for some reason, the crash victim or his family does not have many options in regards to suing the manufacturer since once a seat is expired.
 

dhardawa

Active member
When the laws in our state changed, there was a lot of talk about whether or not boosters were load bearing. In the end, most manufacturers said their seats were load bearing. So, if they are load bearing and the plastic degraged the seat may not perform correctly.
 

leighi123

Active member
In my tech class today, both of the instructors said that boosters shouldnt expire as long as 'they look ok'. I dunno, that bugged me.
I would expect it to break down in a crash, the same way that an expired carseat would, and that would be bad.
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
Yes. The booster actually provides support for the soft bones of the pelvis, which is one of the reasons it's good to leave kids in boosters until puberty even if they pass the five step test.
 

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