It’s no new news that we all want the best for our little ones, especially while they’re riding in the car.
When purchasing a car seat, two of the most popular factors that parents look for are safety and comfort. But, if you purchase a car seat and find that it wasn’t everything you hoped for, most car seat manufacturers produce a line of accessories that you could use to make your child’s car seat performance better.
Car seat strap covers are a prime and common example of a car seat accessory that parents use to enhance their child’s car seat. They’re used to make the harness straps comfortable and to prevent them from irritating your child’s neck.
In this article, I’ll be focusing on car seat strap covers safety to help you determine if they’re safe to use. I’ll also be teaching you how to use them safely, and I’ll give you my list of recommendations for the safest harness covers available on Amazon.
Are Car Seat Strap Covers Safe?
In short, car seat strap covers are only safe IF you purchase them from your car seat manufacturer. You can also purchase them from third-party companies, but only if you have the expressed permission of your car seat manufacturer. However, you need to be very careful when purchasing from third-party companies, and here’s why.
The aftermarket accessories that these companies manufacture are not regulated by the government. This means that these accessories have not been crash-tested, so there’s absolutely no way to guarantee that they will keep your child safe. Now, let’s say that the third-party company that’s promoting these “safe” car seat harness covers have crash-tested their products. That’s great, but the product hasn’t been tested with your child’s car seat, so you don’t know if the harness covers will work with your child’s car seat, and it’s best not to risk it.
An article on Motherly recounts the story of a mother who used third-party harness covers on her child’s car seat. The mother and her 2-month old baby were involved in a car accident and the material that was used to make the harness covers slid across the baby’s clothes, causing her to fly out of her car seat on impact. The baby, thankfully, is alive and well, and the mother now warns people about the dangers of buying accessories from third-party companies.
If you’re interested in purchasing car seat strap covers for your child’s car seat, the safest way to do that is to buy them directly from the car seat manufacturer. Their products are heavily regulated, and nine times out of ten, the accessory you’re interested in would have been tested with every car seat that your manufacturer offers. So, you’ll be able to rest assured knowing that their accessories have been deemed safe to use according to the US and NHTSA safety standards.
If you’re still interested in purchasing your accessories through aftermarket companies, DO NOT do so unless you have permission from your car seat manufacturer.
Car Seat Strap Covers - What To Look For and How To Use Them Safely
After looking online, I found that no one has an outline of what to look for in car seat strap covers to tell if they’re safe. Below, I’ve compiled a few tips that I believe will help you narrow down your search if you’re looking for harness covers on Amazon or a similar site.
Recommended Car Seat Strap Covers
To help you narrow down your search even more for the safest car seat strap covers, I’ve provided a list of two of the safest harness covers that are available on Amazon.
Note: There aren’t many items on this list because you should only buy accessories from your car seat manufacturer.
The COOLBEBE car seat shoulder pads are comprised of super-soft velvet pads that are designed to prevent slippage and add an extra layer of safety and comfort to your child’s car seat. They work to eliminate irritation caused by the harness straps and with their versatile design, the COOLBEBE shoulder pads can be used in car seats, infant carriers, and strollers. In addition to that, these inexpensive shoulder pads are machine-washable and easy to remove, so clean up time can be quick and super easy.
The Diono Universal Soft Wraps are manufacturer-approved harness covers that very cheap and made out of super-soft velvet fabric. As the name suggests, the soft wraps are universally designed, so they can be used on almost any car seat, infant carrier, and stroller. Their purpose is to relieve irritation caused by the harness straps, and they’re also machine-washable and easy to remove, so you don’t have to spend too much time on clean-up.
DIY Seat Belt Cover by DIY Crafts Tutorial - Guidecentral
Conclusion
Car seat harness covers are a great accessory to add your child's car seat to maximize their comfort.
To ensure that the harness covers you're using are safe, remember that the safest place to buy your accessories are from your car seat manufacturer or a manufacturer-approved company.
When looking for the safest harness covers, keep an eye out for who made them, what they're made out of, and if they're able to safely fit your car seat. If you have any doubt about the harness covers you're interested in, don't use them.
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!
To contact me directly please click here.
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