All posts in: Infant Car Seats

Unsafe car seats and tires recalled; and mispackaged contraception packs scare consumers again

By Rita Colorito on February 2, 2012 in

Little girl in car seat.

Several recalls this week affect the safety of your ride, including two large child car seat recalls, one tire recall and two vehicle recalls. And another oral contraceptive, Lo-Ovral, gets packaged incorrectly.

Read more

How to recycle a car seat

Family & Pets
By Rita Colorito on November 29, 2011 in

Car seat skeleton on beach

My family is already on our third car seat. We're big into donating and recycling, but we couldn't do either with our first infant car seat: Most charitable organizations won't accept donated car seats because of liability issues and most municipal recycling facilities can't handle the extensive labor involved to break down a car seat, so you can't just stick one in your recycle bin. 

So, we left our car seat on the curb with a "Free, Please Take" sign. Our seat had several years left before it surpassed the expiration date, hadn't been recalled, and hadn't been in any car accidents, the main reasons most charities won't take them. And because places like Goodwill or Salvation Army can't verify the latter at all, most of us with these backseat behemoths on our hands are stuck trying to find another, responsible way to make sure they don't end up clogging a landfill.

Luckily there are ways to recycle car seats, if you know where to look, or who to bother.

Read more

Car Seats: Know your LATCH system weight limits

Family & Pets
By Angela Stringfellow on July 25, 2011 in

Toddler in a car seat

You know those metal U-shaped anchors nestled into your car's back seat? How about the metal rings found just behind the back seat's headrest? Those are part of the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system, a standardized child restraint anchorage system that allows child safety seats to be installed without using the vehicle's seat belt system. Cars are required to have upper tether anchors in at least two rear passenger seats. These rings are affixed to the top of an infant car seat to provide a more secure attachment and reduce the risk of injury in an accident. And while most parents adhere to the guidelines from their car seat manufacturer in terms of weight and age limits and proper usage, vehicles' weight limits for the LATCH system can differ from what car seat manufacturers recommend.

Read more

Study shows toddlers escape car seat restraints

Family & Pets
By Rita Colorito on May 13, 2011 in

Image of boy in car seat through rear view mirror

While parents play chauffeur, their little ones might be playing Houdini in the back seat, undoing their safety belts much to their delight but to their parents' horror. According to a recent pilot study by Yale University School of Medicine, most kids start to unbuckle themselves at age three. And many children play escape artist while the vehicle is in motion, putting them at a 3.5 fold increased risk of serious injury.

Read more

Britax Chaperone infant car seat recalled over harness clip defect

Family & Pets
By Carey Rossi on November 8, 2010 in

Britax Chaperone infant car seat

If you took our advice and purchased a Britax Chaperone infant car seat, know this: The harness chest clip may break as your child is being secured into place. The company issued a recall of 17,251 Chaperone infant car seats sold in the United States and 2,350 of the same seat sold in Canada.

Read more

Precious cargo: Choosing a car seat

Family & Pets
By Sarah Burns on August 8, 2010 in

Car seat

Bringing an infant home from the hospital can be a stressful endeavor. More often than not, parents are worried about their new bundle's safety--making the car seat they select for the occasion an incredibly important purchase. So what should you look for when buying an infant car seat? Here, some important considerations.

Read more

Car seats and travel systems recalled due to breaking handles

Family & Pets
By Christine Frietchen on December 19, 2009 in

Dorel car seats recalled

In cooperation with the Consumer Products Safety Commission, Dorel Juvenile Group -- which manufactures infant cars seats under Cosco, Safety 1st, Disney and Eddie Bauer labels, has recalled almost half a million models. According to the CPSC, the carrying handle can break. So far, the agency has received 77 reports of breaking handles, three of which resulted in injuries to the baby. None of the affected car seats are top-rated in our report on infant car seats.

In cooperation with the Consumer Products Safety Commission, Dorel Juvenile Group -- which manufactures infant cars seats under Cosco, Safety 1st, Disney and Eddie Bauer labels, has recalled almost half a million models. According to the CPSC, the carrying handle can break. So far, the agency has received 77 reports of breaking handles, three of which resulted in injuries to the baby. None of the affected car seats are top-rated in our report on infant car seats.

Read more

Fisher-Price high chair tops fancy models

Family & Pets
By Christine Frietchen on September 2, 2009 in

Boon Flair High Chair

Baby gear is one of those areas where you can spend $100 or $1,000, but reviewers say you just don't need to spend big bucks on a high chair.

While we found sporadic recommendations for fancy designer chairs like the Boon Flair Pedestal Chair (pictured at left), we actually found stronger support for cheaper high chairs.

Read more

Back to top