When Do Car Seats Expire

Government or any sort of federal law expiration dates on car seats provide a threshold for parents to judge whether or not a car seat is still safe for their children to use.
When do car seats expire. Although not mandated by the u s. 6 year expiration means the seat can be passed down through several babies. The maxi cosi mico max 30 is one of the best infant car seats in terms of stroller compatibility. As to why do car seats expire now that s a slightly more complex answer.
Most infant car seats expire six years from the date they were manufactured although that timeframe can vary among manufacturers. Chicco provides an expiration date on the seat and the base. Why do car seats expire. Car seat expiration dates can be a head scratcher for parents.
Most of the child car seat manufacturers claim that the useful life of a car seat is about 6 to 10 years from the date of manufacturing depending on the seat model. It might seem like just a ploy by baby gear manufacturers to sell more car seats but it actually makes sense when you think about it. Yes car seats typically expire after six years from the date of manufacture. The expiration date and date of manufacture are printed on a sticker on the top of the base see picture below.
An expiration date can be found on the white label on the underside of the car seat. Car seats are mostly made up of hard plastic which can deteriorate over time. Do car seats expire. Baby trend gives an expiration date for its car seats as 6 years post manufacture.
Some recommend changing them every decade but it s always better to err on the side of caution. May 3 2017 why do car seats expire. Only a few car seats can last longer than six years. A sticker that provides the serial number includes manufacture and expiration dates.
Though it might look like that your old car seat is well kept and still quite useful in reality it could be useless as child car seats do expire. After all your child s car seat is not a carton of milk that can go sour. Photo by ashley deleon. How safe are hand me downs and when should you get a new one.
We reached out to a lot of experts to find answers. But there are legitimate reasons seats have expiration dates. In this short article we ll look at why car seats expire how long car seats are valid for how to check your car seat expiration date and what to do with an expired car seat.