Car seats are an essential piece of baby gear. No matter your lifestyle or family dynamic, you’ll need a car seat to keep your baby safe while traveling! However, we’re all well aware kids can make a real mess of vehicles. Whether it’s a juice spill on the interior or your child has an accident while potty training, many new parents with nice and neat cars cringe at the idea of children in their vehicles.
Of course, it’s inevitable! But, the potential mess and damage has a lot of parents considering vehicle seat protectors to place under the car seats. The thought is this will prevent the fabric from getting damaged or stained while making clean-up after messes much easier! However, the question remains . . . is it safe to use a vehicle seat protector with a car seat?
That’s what we’re going to discuss today!
Are Car Seat Protectors Safe to Use with a Child’s Car Seats?
There are SO MANY car seat accessories out there, and since there are no regulations on many of these products, it’s hard to know what’s safe and what’s not. Before using anything on or with your car seat that did not come in the box, it’s important to do your research.
What is a Car Seat Protector?
A car seat protector is a cover or pad that goes over a vehicle seat that prevents damage and staining to the seat fabric. They’re placed on a vehicle seat first and then the car seat is installed overtop, so the seat protector acts as a barrier between the infant car seat base or the car seat itself and the vehicle seat.
Are Seat Protectors Safe to Use With Car Seats?
As a rule, we at Safe in the Seat do not recommend you use car seat protectors because they can hinder proper seat installation and cause movement in a crash. However, the true answer is a bit more nuanced. Each car seat manufacturer has their own rules for whether car seat protectors are safe with their seats. This is because some have done crash testing with protectors to ensure that their seats are safe with the extra layer between the seats while other manufacturers haven’t. And, some car seat manufacturers will allow you to use a thin towel in place of a protector. Here’s how it breaks down:
- Baby Jogger: Can use car seat protectors
- Baby Trend: Can only use car seat protectors with Trooper, Cover Me, and PROtect Folding Booster
- Britax: Can’t use a car seat protector
- Bubble Bum: Can use car seat protectors
- Century: Can use car seat protectors
- Chicco: Can’t use a car seat protector
- Clek: Can use only their brand car seat protector
- Cosco: Can’t use a car seat protector but can use a thin towel
- Cybex: Can’t use a car seat protector
- Diono: Can use only their brand car seat protector
- Doona: Can use only their brand car seat protector
- Evenflo: Can use only their brand car seat protector or a thin towel
- Graco: Can use car seat protectors
- KidsEmbrace: Can use car seat protectors
- Maxi-Cosi: Can use only their brand car seat protector or a thin towel
- Nuna: Car seat protectors are not recommended but not prohibited
- Orbit Baby: Can’t use a car seat protector
- Peg Perego: Can’t use a car seat protector
- Safety 1st: Can’t use a car seat protector, but can use a thin towel
- UPPA Baby: Can’t use a car seat protector
- Wayb: Can use only their brand car seat protector
Aftermarket Car Seat Accessories to Avoid
Head Supports
Head supports that use a sling to hold your child’s head back against the seat are very dangerous. The idea is that these slings prevent your child’s head from slumping when they sleep, but once your child is able to safely sit up, this slump shouldn’t be a concern. However, what should be a concern is the risk of strangulation if the sling falls or the risk of serious injury or death in an accident because of this accessory. If your child has a head slump, you may need to make some adjustments with your car seat or even buy a new seat.
Additional Padding and Inserts
You don’t need any additional padding in your car seat, not even for the newborn stage! This is another common misconception. Whatever the car seat comes with is sufficient for your baby as long as they’re within the weight and height requirements. Parents will often try to prevent head movement of infants to keep them facing forward, but this is actually unnecessary and could be potentially dangerous. Just use the padding in the packaging and make sure you read up on when to remove the newborn insert.
Custom Fabric Covers
Custom fabric car seat covers shouldn’t be used. Like other products on this list, they will likely void your car seat’s warranty and they can put your baby at risk. They can interfere with the seat’s safety features, prevent proper buckling/fit, and increase the seat’s flammability. Plus, there are risks of overheating and suffocation depending on the cover. Though cute, they’re unnecessary and unsafe.
Attachable Toys
No toys or mirrors should be attached to the car seats including an infant car seat handle! These can be projectile risks and also violate the car seat manufacturer’s instructions. Nothing can be attached to your car seat. Here are car seat safe toys to keep your little ones entertained!
Swaddlers
Swaddlers go in your car seat before your baby, then you put your infant inside, buckle them, and wrap it around them. This is unsafe, because nothing should be between your baby and his or her car seat. Like with the fabric covers, they can interfere with proper buckling and alter the effectiveness of the car seat’s safety features. Luckily, there is a way to safely swaddle your baby in their car seat!
Seat Belt Extenders
Seat belt extenders are not compatible with car seat belt paths or booster seats. They can interfere with the safety features and they are also known to increase the risk of failure in a crash. Additionally, they can place the seat belt or buckle in an improper place, putting your child at further risk in a crash.
As a rule, avoid vehicle seat protectors to ensure your car seat is safely installed.
Though kids can be messy and car seats can be rough on vehicle seats, we recommend you avoid using seat protectors. If you do want to use one, just ensure you have a car seat that’s compatible with them!
If you still have questions or are struggling to get the right fit, just book a consultation with one of our Child Passenger Safety Technicians! We’ll ensure you’re not making any common car seat mistakes and you get the safest installation. There’s nothing more important than your child’s safety!
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