There seems to be a trend in infant car seat covers these days that I’d like to address in this post. Seat covers can be a great way to show off your style, and give your baby a hip look for the season, as well as get longer use out of your car-seat. But, that being said, car seats are unfortunately a technology with limited longevity, and it is unsafe to use a seat for longer than what is recommended by the manufacturer. Yes, infant car seat covers can be a great way to breathe new life into an old seat, but there’s a difference between seats that are a little old but still comply to industry standards, and seats that are just plain unsafe. I know that as parents we don’t like to think about what could happen in the worst case scenario, but unfortunately that’s our job- and car seats are about much more than convenience and style- they’re primarily about safety.
In these economic times, it can be very tempting to save money on an expensive car seat for your baby by purchasing a used one, or perhaps using an old one from a previous child. But while there are many areas of your life which can be trimmed during the recession, skimping on car safety for your infant is not one of those areas.
Another safety concern I’ve seen recently is parents buying infant car seat covers that interfere with the mechanics, straps, or safety devices of the car seat itself. It is incredibly important that the seat should be able to perform its function in its entirety. Of course, no manufacturer would intentionally create a seat cover that puts your baby at risk, but there’s a wide variety of shapes and styles in the seat industry, and no seat cover manufacturer can possibly account for all of the discrepancies. It is your responsibility as a consumer to make sure that the seat cover that you are buying is actually made for your specific infant car seat, or at the very least that it fits with ease around all of the mechanics. There are lots of car seat covers on the market to choose from, don’t let style override your concern for safety.
Infant car seat covers can be a great addition to your life, and I don’t want to discourage you from getting one- quite the contrary. Just make sure that you’re responsible in your choices. Thanks for reading my infant car seat covers blog!
