Coats and Car Seats
Keep kids safe and warm with our guide to wearing coats in car seats.
An important car seat safety tip that is often passed over is that coats and car seats don’t mix.
Stuffing in that Coat
When you put your child in a coat, even if it doesn’t seem big and puffy, you will most likely have to loosen the straps to get them buckled in. Then if you get in accident, the coat will get compressed and your child could be thrown from the car seat.
How Can I Tell if the Coat is Too Big?
One way to tell if the coat is too big is to buckle your child in while they are wearing the coat and tighten the straps as you would normally. Then, take them out of the seat, take the coat off, and buckle them back in. If the straps are too loose without the coat, then the coat is too big. You want to make sure you are adjusting the straps based on your child’s actual size and not simply by what they are wearing.
What are my Alternatives?
Instead of putting on a large coat in the winter, your child can wear a thin jacket while buckled in. Fleece jackets work very well and keep your child warm. You can also use blankets or have your child wear the coat backwards once they are buckled in. Once out of the car, they can, of course, wear whatever coat you want them to. Watch this video to see how one mother solves the coat problem.
Check out this video from Nikki, an awesome mom that demonstrates how to do without a coat in the car seat (with some help from Evie!)
Do you have any questions about coats and car seats? Comment below to join the conversation.
The News Wheel Guide to Car Seat Safety:
- Choosing the Right Car Seat
- How to Properly Install a Car Seat
- Why Coats Shouldn’t be Worn in Car Seats
- Why Do Car Seats Expire?
- Are Used Car Seats Safe?
- Pros and Cons of Built-in Booster Seats
Sarah Mahan currently lives in the Bicycle Capital of the Midwest, Xenia, Ohio, with her band director husband and two darling daughters. She loves all things French and the written word.
Sarah writes professionally for the automotive industry. While her forte in cars focuses on new vehicle technology and family-friendly features, she is developing a love for all things fast, maybe in an attempt to get to know her wild side. See more articles by Sarah.