Second Hand Car Seat

MissMandyD · August 2014

We have a couple of close friends who are giving us their less than 1 year old car seat. They have never been in an accident with it, have the original instructions for installation and they aren't missing any parts etc. We are super excited not to have to buy this rather expensive item.

However this weekend my mother told me that when my brother and SIL were replacing their car seat (they were rear ended) the person told them that you should never use the same car seat for two children even if both are yours that you should buy a new one each time. This sounds like a sales tactic to me. Anyone else ever heard or been told that you can't use a car seat for 2 different kids and that you should buy a new one every time?

krazyinsane · August 2014

No I haven't heard that. Maybe ask on the FB Car Seats for littles? I don't have a Facebook but everyone seems to recommend it. We buy Dionos so it's one car seat from birth to 10 years so each kid does get new.

ss265 · August 2014

I have never heard of that and don't recall reading anything like that in the manual. Sounds like misinformation to me.

MrMrsandBaby · August 2014

No, I know most people use the seat multiple times as long as it hasn't expired. Bad info...

MissMandyD · August 2014

Thank you all! That was my feeling as well. The only info I could find was to not buy seats at garage sales and such because you can't know the history.

vrj0522 · August 2014

Sounds like a deceitful sales pitch to me. I have read extensively on car seats and have never heard such a thing. It's not like the car seat molds to your kid. I would take the car seat and be happy!

noellemari · August 2014

We used our infant car seat for both of girls and plan on using it with baby 3. It doesn't expire until 2016. And we moved DD1 into a diono and gave DD2 her britax. I've never heard that it shouldn't be done.

Emerald27 · August 2014

Carseats have expiration dates. Use for as many kids as you like until it expires, as long as you haven't been in an accident or anything.

hermanavelasquez · August 2014

Well, I live in Dominican Republic, I can tell you we are experts in recycling everything, there is nothing that we use for a child that won't use for a second child, including car seat and I have never heard that this have been harmful for any child. There is no reason why reusing a car seat could be bad. Maybe you could be concerned about skin diseases and allergies, this can be controlled with a good cleaning of the car seat. That's it.

rae76 · August 2014

I used a friend's infant carrier for my son. It wasn't expired and had never been in a wreck.

Once he outgrew it we bought a convertible car seat for him. When my car got rear-ended while parked, we replaced it because it had been in a wreck, although not with a child in it, but also the shards of glass from the back window were everywhere and I didn't think we would get them all out of the fabric.

As long as the seat is in good condition, isn't past the expiration date, hasn't been in a wreck and comes from someone you know/trust, then I would use it as well.

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Second Hand Car Seat

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