Are these a NO or "not recommended" thing?

Ericak95

New member
I was just cruising around for baby/kid stuff and came across a site that sells carseat covers. http://tickatoo.com/catalog.php?category=2

They are cute (I'm not in the market for them though) but I thought that after market things were not to be used. I'd like to drop the site a quick (but nice) FYI note but since I don't know if this is one of those things that is "forbidden" to use or just "not recommended".

Thanks
Erica

:eek: I read the disclaimer/description -- I only wish is that everyone who is interested in a seat cover does and understands.
Safety:
Today, most American housholds have a certified car seat installation specialist install their car seats for peace of mind that it is done correctly. The thought of not having to remove your car seat, it's harness straps, it's slipcover and then replacing it all is a huge relief as a parent. Babble Chic's design, the Quick Fit System, allows you to use a slip cover, eliminating, the above concerns. Although most manufacturers are voiding warranties if a slip cover is used, the fact of the matter is, accidents do happen and you need to remove everything in order to clean the slip cover and car seat. More often than not, this makes for a frustrating, inconvenient, and time consuming process
Cleanliness:
Fom spit-ups, germs, dirt, spills, potty training, car sickness, you name it - it can happen while driving. Children are exposed to germs and dirt everywhere, doctor visits, day care, school, the park/gym, play dates, and carpooling, In less than a minute, you can remove your Babble Chic slipcover and continue about your business or toss it in the wash. All of our covers are machine washable and dryable, a must have for families.

Function:
The Quick Fit System allows you to easily use and remove a slipcover, while the Protective Pouch makes for convenient storage. Our infant and toddler styles fit directly over the manufacturers' cover and do not compromise the original equipment, hence always traveling with multiple options. In addition to these essential functions, your car seat will rarely have to be removed.

Design:
Our design provides versatility as well as letting the consumer customize their own gear. You can change your print to fit your mood, your child's gender, and the season. You can update a car seat that was used for your first child and personalize it for your second. With many families having at least two children, this is a wonderful opportunity to use a perfectly sound, yet slightly tarnished, car seat and update its look for today.
 
ADS

Mom to a few

New member
I think it's kind of funny that under "Safety", they don't really talk about the safety of their product. All they say is, "Yes, using this cover will void your warranty, but hey, kids have accidents all the time, and this sure will make life more convenient for you! This way, you can have someone else install your seat for you (so you can avoid that hassle), and never have to remove it again!" Wonderful message, isn't it? And I think its a HUGE stretch to say that "most" parents have their seats installed by a professional...

They don't talk at all about the safety during crashes :(
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
:ROTFLMAO:

I don't know if it's because I hate the product or because the description is so terribly worded, but I had to read that paragraph three times before I understood what she was saying.

Today, most American housholds have a certified car seat installation specialist install their car seats for peace of mind that it is done correctly. The thought of not having to remove your car seat, it's harness straps, it's slipcover and then replacing it all is a huge relief as a parent.

I thought she was saying you could surreptitiously slip it on after a "car seat installation specialist" installs it so they wouldn't yell at you!

And in this part...
Although most manufacturers are voiding warranties if a slip cover is used, the fact of the matter is, accidents do happen and you need to remove everything in order to clean the slip cover and car seat. More often than not, this makes for a frustrating, inconvenient, and time consuming process

It took me a couple minutes to realize that by "accidents" she was referring to things that would come out of your child, not a car crash. I honestly thought she was suggesting that because the thing peels off, you could avoid the manufacturer knowing that you had voided their warranty by just getting rid of it.

Ok, terrible marketing aside, those are definite no-nos.
 

HEVY

New member
Sad thing is she is letting people know that the manufacturers void the warranty (no mention of the possible danger) to save her butt, but also knowing that most people won't really care about the warranty cause after all our children are "accessories".
 

Morganthe

New member
Not to mention they aren't flame resistent either. Once I saw that van thread, I am all for that now! :)

Same here. :thumbsup:
DH completely agrees. :D

piddle pads, SKJP insert, cloth diaper, thin fabric vinyl 'lap protectors', burp cloths.. even a backwards coat or blanket over the kid in the harnessed seat. Those all work to protect the seat and kid without seat interference.
Why spend more & go against the manufacturer's who are trying to make a safe product for something that's relatively minor to deal with vs. vehicle accidents? :rolleyes:

There's also the (gasp) concept of limiting junior to water & non messy snacks in vehicles on most occasions.
 

tanyaandallie

Senior Community Member
QUOTE=LISmama810;493998]:

It took me a couple minutes to realize that by "accidents" she was referring to things that would come out of your child, not a car crash. QUOTE]

:yeahthat:

The whole thing is so poorly worded!!!!


Well, I messed up the quote. Sorry!
 

emars002

New member
I sent them an email. Those prices are ridiculous!

Lynne

You could almost cover the cost of a new britax roundabout/marathon - whichever seat that cover is on! Why buy a $200 cover when you could but a $200 seat with a cover?
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
Hi,
I just thought I would reply to some of your comments.
First off I know this is a very controversial issue.
I already replied to Erica's and Lynne's email.

I sell covers from several different wahm and would not sell something on my site, that I thought was unsafe.

Here is a copy of my reply to Erica:


I understand your concern with the car seat covers.
It is true that a manufacturer will void your warranty if an after market
product is used. That goes for car seat covers, strap covers, head
supports, snuzzlers, etc. If it didn't come with the car seat cover, then
the warranty will be voided.

In my opinion, I do not think that the covers themselves are unsafe. I
used a cover with my daughter and do not think I put her in harms way.

The covers are not treated with flame retardant. A flame resistant cover
is important to a lot of people. It was not an issue for me because I
usually have a blanket on my baby anyway which is also not flame
retardant. I don't smoke and I just can't imagine the car seat getting on
fire(but of course you should expect the unexpected, anything can happen).

A lot of customers, actually buy the covers because they are not treated
with flame retardant chemicals. There is also a lot of controversy
regarding the toxins in children's car seats, high chairs, and other baby
products now on the market.

One of the popular covers that we have are the easy on and off covers.
When potty accidents happen, which they do, customers prefer to just slip
off the cover, wash it, and slip it back on without having to undo
everything and potentially reintalling the car seat incorrectly.

I know that there are a lot of different opinions on this issue.
I would not sell something that I thought would cause harm to a baby.
The warranty would be voided, but that does not mean that it would cause
harm to the child.


----------------

P.S. I know that prices are high, but I'm not the one that makes them and each designer has their own prices.
 

MissAllyLou

New member
If I'm going to pay $300 for a car seat to keep my kid "safe," I'm not going to put a chintzy, non-fire retardant cover on it that has never been safety tested at all. "My" kids mean more to me than that, and they aren't even mine!
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
I sell covers from several different wahm and would not sell something on my site, that I thought was unsafe.

Just because you don't feel they are unsafe doesn't mean they are safe. Why jeopardize your child's safety to make their carseat more fashionable...if you want to call it that?
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
Hi,
I just thought I would reply to some of your comments.
First off I know this is a very controversial issue.
I already replied to Erica's and Lynne's email.

I sell covers from several different wahm and would not sell something on my site, that I thought was unsafe.

Here is a copy of my reply to Erica:


I understand your concern with the car seat covers.
It is true that a manufacturer will void your warranty if an after market
product is used. That goes for car seat covers, strap covers, head
supports, snuzzlers, etc. If it didn't come with the car seat cover, then
the warranty will be voided.

In my opinion, I do not think that the covers themselves are unsafe. I
used a cover with my daughter and do not think I put her in harms way.

The covers are not treated with flame retardant. A flame resistant cover
is important to a lot of people. It was not an issue for me because I
usually have a blanket on my baby anyway which is also not flame
retardant. I don't smoke and I just can't imagine the car seat getting on
fire(but of course you should expect the unexpected, anything can happen).

A lot of customers, actually buy the covers because they are not treated
with flame retardant chemicals. There is also a lot of controversy
regarding the toxins in children's car seats, high chairs, and other baby
products now on the market.

One of the popular covers that we have are the easy on and off covers.
When potty accidents happen, which they do, customers prefer to just slip
off the cover, wash it, and slip it back on without having to undo
everything and potentially reintalling the car seat incorrectly.

I know that there are a lot of different opinions on this issue.
I would not sell something that I thought would cause harm to a baby.
The warranty would be voided, but that does not mean that it would cause
harm to the child.


----------------

P.S. I know that prices are high, but I'm not the one that makes them and each designer has their own prices.

Have you seen the pictures in this thread? http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=51253 Fortunately no children were in these carseats when the car caught fire, but this really illustrates the importance of flame retardancy and sticking to the OEM covers that came with the carseat rather than using aftermarket ones. I would never want to risk using an aftermarket cover nor encourage anyone else to do so. The owner of this burned vehicle previously was a user or maker of aftermarket covers, and she has wisely done a complete about face as a result of her vehicle fire. I would strongly encourage you to do the same because it's not worth potentially endangering a child, nor incurring the potential liability risk for selling such products in our all too sue-happy world. :(
 
Last edited:
U

Unregistered

Guest
Have you seen the pictures in this thread? http://www.car-seat.org/forumdisplay.php?f=5 Fortunately no children were in these carseats when the car caught fire, but this really illustrates the importance of flame retardancy and sticking to the OEM covers that came with the carseat rather than using aftermarket ones. I would never want to risk using an aftermarket cover nor encourage anyone else to do so. The owner of this burned vehicle previously was a user or maker of aftermarket covers, and she has wisely done a complete about face as a result of her vehicle fire. I would strongly encourage you to do the same because it's not worth potentially endangering a child, nor incurring the potential liability risk for selling such products in our all too sue-happy world. :(


Hi Jean,
I have seen the van pics if that is what you are referring to.

I know my opinion on this issue is probably way different than most people on this board.

I rather have my child sit on a seat that is not treated with chemicals. My daughter skin would rash up because of the cover.

In my "opinion" I think that a chemically treated toxic car seat cover does more harm than good.

I think that fire retardants in cribs and car seats cause SIDS.

Yes, a freak accident may happen. But what are the chances that the car would start on fire and I would not be able to take my kid out before it gets engulfed in flames.

The chances are the fire would happen when you are either not in the vehicle or it would happen so fast that even a fire retardant cover would do no good(like an explosion)

I don't really want to harm my child with chemicals on the off chance that a freak accident might happen.

We bought a mattress about a month ago. I spent 20 minutes in the room and my entire face felt numb and I was very dizzy.

I did not want to sleep on that mattress. I thought if I went to bed on that mattress, I probably would not wake up. We got an organic mattress instead.

These are just my opinions. As a mother, I will do what I think is right for my baby and as a mother you should do what is right for you.

I choose not to use any harmful chemicals in my house, I choose to cloth diaper, I choose to eat as much organic as possible, I choose not to vaccinate my kids. These are choices that I make as a mother. I weigh the risks versus benefits.

O.k. back to the topic.

"Just because you don't feel they are unsafe doesn't mean they are safe. Why jeopardize your child's safety to make their carseat more fashionable...if you want to call it that?"

Just because you feel they are unsafe does not mean they are not safe. As stated above I don't want my child sitting on chemicals and I feel like I would jeopardize her safety rather than protect her.

But saying that, I think that about 10% of customers buy the covers to make the cover more fashionable and not because they are concerned about chemicals.

Some just don't want to use a stained car seat but at the same time don't want to purchase a new car seat when their old car seat is in perfectly good condition.

Some want to buy a cover because they have skin rashes or reactions to the manufacturer's cover.

Some want a cover that they can easily clean without constantly having to undo everything.


I think people should decide what is right for them.

Also one more thing, I'm not sure if it's true, but I think that Britax only uses a spray retardant. So with a few good washes the retardant would wash off. I'm not sure about that but will look into it.
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
Yes, the thread with photos of the van that burned is what I thought I had linked to directly. I've corrected the link to point to the actual thread. :) I understand if you have concerns about chemicals in the OEM covers given the description of your circumstances with your child. By that same token, those same concerns could apply to the whole "new car smell" aspect of the chemicals utilized in the plastics, upholstery, and other materials utilized in manufacturing the cars in which we regularly drive our children around. Where do we draw the line? Do we plan to never utilize our vehicle, or plan never to have a car fire, or do we factor in for the worst case scenarios where fires can and do happen beyond our control, sometimes without any car crash leading up to the vehicle fire? It's entirely a matter of weighing all of the risks and making informed, individual parental choices. You've clearly factored in your situation in making the decision to utilize a non-OEM cover. It's those who don't make a fully informed decision that concern me much more. :(
 

keri1292

Well-known member
"I choose not to use any harmful chemicals in my house, I choose to cloth diaper, I choose to eat as much organic as possible, I choose not to vaccinate my kids. These are choices that I make as a mother. I weigh the risks versus benefits."

And you will find A LOT of like-minded mamas here. ;) However, motor vehicle crashes are the #1 killer of children. Not SIDS or other diseases related to toxin exposure. Using an aftermarket cover makes your child a crash test dummy. Is the seat safe with an aftermarket cover? We don't know. And I wouldn't want to find out that it is not safe through my own personal crash testing. :twocents:
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
And you will find A LOT of like-minded mamas here. ;) However, motor vehicle crashes are the #1 killer of children. Not SIDS or other diseases related to toxin exposure. Using an aftermarket cover makes your child a crash test dummy. Is the seat safe with an aftermarket cover? We don't know. And I wouldn't want to find out that it is not safe through my own personal crash testing. :twocents:


It's nice to know there are a lot of like-minded mamas here.

Motor vehicle crashes are a #1 killer, but children die because it is a really bad accident or they die because parents either don't buckle up their children or install the car seat incorrectly.
In my opnion children don't die because they have a slip cover on or because the car seat has non fire retardant material.
I would love to have these crash tested. Is there an actual way to have this done?
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
You can throw it against the wall and call it crash tested. There are no guidelines as to how these items should perform. The fact is, these covers are unregulated products that are NOT safe to use. Fire retardancy can mean the difference between first degree burns and third degree burns.

About a year ago, Graco had to recall a seat because the padding in the cover was a hair too thick. The seat failed testing with that cover, and thus the cover needed to be replaced.

You have no way of knowing how these seats will perform in a crash with a different cover than the manufacturer intended. Just because it's not illegal to sell them doesn't mean it's ethical.

In some states (including mine) the usage of these covers is illegal even though the sale of them is not because the state requires "proper use". This means the seats MUST be used according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Furthermore, whether you are responsible for manufacturing these covers or not, your site sells them. Thus, you can be sued if a child is hurt as a result of using a cover purchased from your site.
 

Ericak95

New member
Wow -- thank you all for your responses. I feel as if I'm quite informed on child safety, but just wasn't sure about after market covers. I'm glad that there are places out here were you can get great information. I really meant no harm to the site that I posted in my original post. I hope sites like car-seat.org can get the word out to everyone about what is safe and what is not.

Erica
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
First, thank you for having the guts to post... because we love the opportunity to debate/argue these issues with sellers and to thereby get more info out there.

To everyone - this is remaining a very friendly debate... so let's keep it this way, because it's a great discussion and bringing up a lot of good issues.


SO... onto the main point of my post...

I wanted to respond to some of the points you made


But saying that, I think that about 10% of customers buy the covers to make the cover more fashionable and not because they are concerned about chemicals.

I agree... but sometimes this ends up costing more than a new carseat would... or, if they had bought a more expensive carseat which happened to have a higher weight limit, they could have spent the same amount or less (if they turned around and sold their original cover set) and not voided their warrenty.

BUT... I do commend you for telling people on your site that these do void warrenties. SO many companies that make aftermarket products/covers do not say anything about this at all. I'd love to see it mentioned that they are not flame-retardent, too... and list all differences between the original and new covers.

Some just don't want to use a stained car seat but at the same time don't want to purchase a new car seat when their old car seat is in perfectly good condition.

If they wash according to the manufacturer instructions, stains are exceedingly rare... and let's also remember that not all "old" carseats are useable... if they are past their expiration, they are downright dangerous.

I'm not saying you should take your items off the market because of us, but perhaps add a reminder about carseats expiring and that people should contact their manufacturer about when theirs expire.

Some want to buy a cover because they have skin rashes or reactions to the manufacturer's cover.

I can understand this... it's rare, but we have had people who have come on here with just such problems.... however, it was with a PARTICULAR color of a cover that was offered in multiple colors. It turned out that the other color did not cause these reactions, making it clear that this particular color cover must have a dye used that caused the reaction. Calling the manufacturer prompted immediate action... supplying a new cover set in the other color.

with some infant seats, people noticed problems due to the type of fabric used and... again... simply calling the carseat company got replacement covers that were offered on the same seat in a different pattern, which was made of different fabric that did not cause the problem.

People need to contact the manufacturer first, because, often, they can supply a solution without having the consumer have to pay.


Some want a cover that they can easily clean without constantly having to undo everything.

I can understand this... but there are seats on the market where the covers come off more easily... some without having to undo the straps at all (the Evenflo Triumph and Triumph Advance, for instance). If they shopped around more before buying their seats, they could avoid this.


I think people should decide what is right for them.

I agree.

Also one more thing, I'm not sure if it's true, but I think that Britax only uses a spray retardant. So with a few good washes the retardant would wash off. I'm not sure about that but will look into it.

I'm not sure what kind of retardent they use... BUT... whatever it is, it is the same one every company that makes carseats uses, because they all have to meet federal regulations. AND, that means that they would be tested for holding up through washing. It's why the washing directions are what they are, sometimes requiring washing in cold water, etc.



Now, as to other products with flame retardents, I've never had an issue with them... and we have used blankets, sheets, pajamas, all flame retardent. It is a piece of mind to know that they can help protect our children.

However, in those cases, the organic alternatives are regulated as well and so are known not to pose additional risks.
 

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