Buy a new convertible carseat or use the old one?

DD is 6 months old. DS will be 3 in April.

DD probably has about 2 months left in her infant car seat.

We have 2 cars. A smaller car and a new family SUV.

We have 2 convertible car seats, one in each car, and the infant car seat only in the SUV.

DH is currently the only one who drives. I keep saying that I will get my drivers license but just have not had the time to get around to it. I really want to do it though.

DH takes DS to daycare in his building, so DS is in the car every day.

DH switches cars every now and then so that we can keep the mileage lower on the new SUV, which is why we have a convertible car seat in each car.

He thinks we should just move the old convertible car seat from the smaller car to the SUV for DD when we have both of them the car (only on weekends) and have no car seats in the smaller car, and just move DS' car seat into the smaller car if he chooses to use that one for work that day.
(sorry, sounds so convulated and complicated)

I think we should just get a new one, especially since I want to get my license soon and I hate the idea of moving car seats back and forth.

WWYD?

Re: Buy a new convertible carseat or use the old one?

If it were me, I'd say sure why not.

But if you want, you should be able to look up the serial info on the 'old' convertible and see when it expires. But I want to say they are good for at least 5yrs. Actually the expiration date should be ON the carseat itself.

Re: Buy a new convertible carseat or use the old one?

I found this article:


Car seats expire within 6 years from the date of manufacturing??
Q: I have a used car seat that is in great condition. The cover even looks new. I listed this car seat on my local Freecycle group, and now I'm getting emails from people who say that the car seat is expired and is dangerous and should be destroyed. I bought the car seat in 1999. I wouldn't sell it if it was obviously dangerous, but I don't see how a car seat in perfectly good condition should be thrown away.

A: To answer your first question, yes, car seats do expire. In fact, most car seats have an expiration date on one of the manufacturer labels that can be found on the sides or bottom of the car seat. To find out if a car seat is expired, you should look for that expiration date label first. If there's no expiration date listed, use the date of manufacture and consult the car seat owners' manual. Many manufacturers give a maximum car seat life in the manual. If not, call the manufacturer and ask.

The rule of thumb, if no expiration date is given on the seat, is that car seats expire six years from the date of manufacture. Assuming that your car seat was manufactured in 1999, when you purchased it, yes, it is expired. A few car seat manufacturers allow 10 years of life for their car seats, but unless you have specific directions from the manufacturer, the car seat label or the manual that state otherwise, you should stop using a car seat after 6 years. Expired car seats should be destroyed so that no one picks the seat up thinking that it is still safe to use. Good ways to destroy car seats include cutting up the cover, cutting the harness straps, and using a saw or large hammer to break the shell. If you can actually watch the car seat go into a garbage truck and watch it be crushed, this is a good option, too.

Re: Buy a new convertible carseat or use the old one?

The older convertible car seat was purchased when DS was born (3 years ago) so I'm sure it is still good.

We got the 2nd one specifically for the 2nd car.

Re: Buy a new convertible carseat or use the old one?

Well, if you use the second car that rarely consider purchasing cheaper seats for it in case of emergency. (Like Scenera for the younger child which is only $39 at Walmart etc) and keep the primary seats in the primary car.

Re: Buy a new convertible carseat or use the old one?

Car seats do expire. There are a variety of reasons, but it is important to not use seats beyond the experation date.