One of the most important items you need when you have a child is a car seat. It is how you safely transport your child anywhere.
It is common to purchase your first baby a new car seat, but did you know that they have expiration dates? What do these dates mean? Why do they even exist? What can you do with your expired car seats? These are all questions that people normally have and knowing the answers will help you understand the safety behind the seats.
What Do Car Seat Expiration Dates mean?
Expiration dates mean the same thing regardless of what you purchase. You know that expired foods need to be tossed out and not used. The same is true for car seats. Expiration dates on the seats tell you when the company can no longer ensure your child's safety.
Why Do Car Seats Expire?
The actual reason seats expire is very complex. Breaking the complexity down will help understand why the dates are in place, and why it is so important to heed them.
Wear & Tear
Plastic degrades over time. It can become brittle and crack, even if you cannot see the damages. When you wear an article of clothing, you notice the seams begin to show wear. Car seats are used regularly, from birth to eight years old. Infant seats pop in and out of the car to carry the child everywhere. Booster seats handle the growing weight of a child. You will constantly be adjusting the straps and cleaning messes. When the plastic gets hot or cold, it weakens. Same with the straps; constant pulling will weaken the fabric.
Regulation Changes
The car seats seen 20 or 30 years ago look nothing like the ones you see on the market today. There is a good reason for that. With new technology and constantly testing, car seat regulations change with time. Professionals in the medical fields meet with the transportation agencies and manufacturers to improve safety devices for children. Not only do car seats look different, but they also use improved materials. You find leveling bars on the sides of the seats to make sure it is installed correctly. The expiration date considers the changes that have been made in safety regulations.
Test Time Limits
Manufacturers usually only test the limits of their car seats to ten to 12 years. This is because most children do not require a booster seat past this age. Depending on the model, the seats may have a lower expiration date because they are designed to only be used to a specific age. In many cases, you will find short expiration dates on the bucket seats (for infants) and longer dates on all-in-one seats. While this does not mean that they cannot last longer than the date, they cannot be guaranteed. When it comes to your child’s safety, you should not gamble on the unknown possibility of it still being okay past that date.
Recalls
Another reason that manufacturers add expiration dates on their car seats is to reach people who do not register their seats upon purchase. When you register your purchase, you will be notified of any recall announcements by mail. These recalls can be for any defect that is discovered over time, which will put your child at risk of injury or death. The expiration dates help make sure that parents are using the most up to date car seat and are less likely to have recalls. However, it is always important to check their website for any recall announcements, especially if you purchase a used car seat.
When Do Car Seats Expire?
We now know what expiration dates mean, and why they are there. However, we still have not covered how long the car seats are good for. Unfortunately, it will vary based on the seat you purchase. Different manufacturers have different dates for each of their seats, based on their testing. You can expect a seat to have a lifespan of seven to ten years from the date it was made. What is important to note, is the date is years from when it was made, not when you purchased it. Therefore, you must always check the date because it may have been sitting on a warehouse shelf for a long time before entering your home.
Diono Car Seat Expiration Dates
The first place to start when it comes to expiration dates is knowing where to even find them on your model. With Diono, they put a manufacturer label on the bottom, back, or side of their products. The sticker is generally near their other manufacturer warning stickers. You will find the model, manufacture location when it was made, and then the serial number for that specific product. The following chart includes all of the Diono products currently for sale on their website.
However, there are others that can be found in box stores. These include the Rainier, Pacifica, and the Olympia. These three seats have a lifespan of eight years with the harness in use, or 10-12 years without the harness. If you purchase a convertible manufactured post 2019, that is not on the list, the lifespan is ten years. The manual found with the car seat will give you the exact information. If the manual is not available, you can contact Diono for more information.
model | expiration date | expiration date location | manual |
|---|---|---|---|
10 years | Side | ||
Radian 3QX | 10 years | Back | |
Radian 3RX Luxe 2020 | 10 years | Side | Owner's Manual Not Online |
10 years | Back | Owner's Manual Not Online | |
Radian 3RX | 10 years | Back | Owner's Manual Not Online |
Radian 3R | 10 years | Back | Owner's Manual Not Online |
Monterey 4DXT | 8 years | Bottom | Owner's Manual Not Online |
8 years | Bottom | Owner's Manual Not Online | |
Everett NXT | 8 years | Bottom | Owner's Manual Not Online |
Cambria 2 | 8 years | Bottom | Owner's Manual Not Online |
8 years | Bottom | Owner's Manual Not Online | |
6 years | Back | Owner's Manual Not Online | |
Nuna PIPA Lite | 6 years | Back | Owner's Manual Not Online |
Nuna PIPA Lite LX | 6 years | Back | Owner's Manual Not Online |
How to Dispose of an Expired Car Seat
If you have discovered that your car seat is expired, the question then becomes, what do you do with it? The most important thing is to make sure that you do not simply throw it away. If you do decide to throw it away, destroy the straps so someone else will not use it.
The best option when it comes to expired car seats is to hold onto them and wait for trade-in programs at retail stores. Most baby stores will offer a buy back and recycling program a couple of times a year. They will give you credit towards a new car seat, or store credit to use on something else you need.
What to Take from This?
As a parent, it is hard to resist accepting gently used items, especially with the high costs for a child. In many cases, donated items are not a problem. However, when it comes to your child's safety, it is best to shop new with a car seat. You will be guaranteeing that the seat will not expire for several years, and it has not been in an accident. The other thing to think about with the lifespan of the car seat is if you have a second child while the seat still has life left, you can reuse it. The best thing you can do is register the car seat upon purchase, and follow all recommendations from the manufacturer.
Different manufacturers will have different expiration dates on their car seats. While Diono has one of the longest lifespans on the market, you do not want to expect the same from other brands. In addition, a shorter lifespan does not mean that it is a lower quality or less safe. Straps on a car seat that can be removed will extend the life of the seat when you remove them. Everything needs to be taken into consideration when looking at a seat.
The final consideration to keep in mind is an accident. Regardless of how much life is left on your car seat, the seat should be exchanged if it is has been involved in an accident. The impact involved in a car crash can cause small cracks that you cannot see, as well as weaken the plastic overall. It is designed to keep your child safe during an accident, but it will need to be destroyed following one. This is also why it is important not to purchase a used car seat from a thrift store or a garage sale. You cannot verify that it has not been involved in an accident, and you are hoping that the previous owners are truthful.
With two kids of my own, I’m passionate about child safety! I’m a research nerd who’s on a mission to make the world a safer place for kids – starting with car seats!
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