Many Parents asked why they should not use winter coats in a car seat?
Dr. Leah Alexander did extensive research to answer this important question to our dear carseatsmom readers.
Winter is approaching, which means it is time to dress warmly for outdoor activities.
As you prepare for this weather, you layer on the heavier onesies, sweaters, coats, and hats.
Then, putting your child into the carseat requires you to remove a layer.
You look at your little one, very warm and cozy, and think, “Do I really need to take the coat off? “Is this really necessary?” In reality, it is.
Read further and you will understand why it is much safer to take the coat off.
Why Are Heavy Coats Unsafe?
The primary issue of bulky coats and clothing is that they prevent carseat harnesses from properly securing your infant or child.
These straps remain unexpectedly loose because of the coat. According to the AAP:
“In a car crash, fluffy padding immediately flattens out from the force, leaving extra space in the harness. A child can slip through the straps and be thrown from the seat.”
When in a carseat, straps and clips should lie flat against the chest. The chest clip should be at the armpit level (source). Straps should be tight but comfortable for your child.
The AAP Recommendations
The American Academy of Pediatrics, however, provides more specific age and height recommendations for carseat use:
- Birth to Age 4 Rear-facing, infant carseat (under 35lbs)
- Age 4 to seat weight Forward-facing convertible or harness carseat limit (35-60lbs)
- Ages 8-12 Booster seat Height under 4’9”
- Ages 13 and up Seatbelt only Height at least 4’9
Take a look at this link for their helpful charts and diagrams
How To Choose & Proper Installation
They also provide information on how to choose and properly install a carseat:
It is important to note that all infants and toddlers should be kept rear-facing at least until the age of 2.
Crash test studies reveal an increased risk of spinal cord injuries among this age group during accidents when in a forward-facing carseat.
In November 2018, the AAP updated their policy to state “rear-facing until the age of 4” if possible:
Because laws may vary in your state, it is best to consult your local authorities to determine when to transition your child to the next stage of carseat.
Carseat Safety & Laws
First, let’s discuss a bit about carseats. Carseats for infants and children have come a long way since laws were passed requiring their use in 1985.
Recommendations on which type of seat to use varies by age, weight and height.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Committee offers some basic recommendations:
- Infants Rear-facing, infant carseat
- Toddlers Forward-facing carseat with a harness and tether
- Grade School Children Booster seat
- Older Children Seatbelt only
How do I Know Which Coats Are Safe?
It may be obvious that bulky down coats and snowsuits will not fit well in a carseat.
You may be wondering, however, if a fleece onesie or lighter jacket would be ok.
- SAFE CAR COAT: SAFE, crash tested in a crash testing facility, surpassing safety NHTSA standards, CPSC/CPSIA Safety Compliant after rigorous testing, CPST car seat technician recommended. AAP agrees, bulky coats under belts are not safe, that's why our car seat ponchos go on your child over the buckles and seatbelts, leaving no room for belt slack and no interfering with carseat harness. We worked tirelessly to assure your baby toddler boy or girl is safe!
- QUICK: This women & veteran owned small business made sure you'd save time getting in and out of the car. The Traveling Poncho slips on over your child’s head, allows for extra room for a hat if needed, rest of poncho spreads over your child’s body for full coverage and warmth, the back can be flipped over the head rest to prevent bulkiness and the front spreads over your child to provide warmth.
- FITS: One Size, the poncho fits kids 6 months to 5 years old, in car seat or walkers, and grows with them. Double layered with two layers of thick fleece and reversible. You will have this safety coat for years to come. Nothing beats the gift of safety, calling all parents, moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles; these make amazing birthday, baby shower, back to school, Easter and Christmas ideas. Say goodbye to plush jackets, bulky puffy coats and snowsuits in the cold.
- SAFE CAR COAT: SAFE, crash tested in a crash testing facility, surpassing safety NHTSA standards, CPSC/CPSIA Safety Compliant after rigorous testing, CPST car seat technician recommended. AAP agrees, bulky coats under belts are not safe, that's why our car seat ponchos go on your child over the buckles and seatbelts, leaving no room for belt slack and no interfering with carseat harness. We worked tirelessly to assure your baby toddler boy or girl is safe!
- QUICK: This women & veteran owned small business made sure you'd save time getting in and out of the car. The Traveling Poncho slips on over your child’s head, allows for extra room for a hat if needed, rest of poncho spreads over your child’s body for full coverage and warmth, the back can be flipped over the head rest to prevent bulkiness and the front spreads over your child to provide warmth. Double layer, super warm. Kids have the freedom to move arms or keep them under blanket.
- FITS: One Size, the poncho fits kids 6 months to 5 years old, in car seat or walkers, and grows with them. Double layered with two layers of thick fleece and reversible. You will have this safety coat for years to come. Nothing beats the gift of safety, calling all parents, moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles; these make amazing birthday, baby shower, back to school, Easter and Christmas ideas. Say goodbye to plush jackets, bulky puffy coats and snowsuits in the cold.
- Double lining: Polar fleece inner lining, the outer layer of cotton
- Size 95-100: Length 16 inches, Width 36 inches, fit for 1-3 years babies
- One page pure color One side patterned
- SAFE CAR COAT: SAFE, crash tested in a crash testing facility, surpassing safety NHTSA standards, CPSC/CPSIA Safety Compliant after rigorous testing, CPST car seat technician recommended. AAP agrees, bulky coats under belts are not safe, that's why our car seat ponchos go on your child over the buckles and seatbelts, leaving no room for belt slack and no interfering with carseat harness. We worked tirelessly to assure your baby toddler boy or girl is safe!
- QUICK: This women & veteran owned small business made sure you'd save time getting in and out of the car. The Traveling Poncho slips on over your child’s head, allows for extra room for a hat if needed, rest of poncho spreads over your child’s body for full coverage and warmth, the back can be flipped over the head rest to prevent bulkiness and the front spreads over your child to provide warmth. Double layer, super warm. Kids have the freedom to move arms or keep them under blanket.
- FITS: One Size, the poncho fits kids 6 months to 5 years old, in car seat or walkers, and grows with them. Double layered with two layers of thick fleece and reversible. You will have this safety coat for years to come. Nothing beats the gift of safety, calling all parents, moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles; these make amazing birthday, baby shower, back to school, Easter and Christmas ideas. Say goodbye to plush jackets, bulky puffy coats and snowsuits in the cold.
- Solid Color
- Cotton blend material,cotton scottish plaid linging, super soft, cozy and comfortable, machine washable.
- Cute and fashion design hood, great gifts for christmas theme, can easily match with skirts, pants, sweaters, ect.
Consumer Reports developed a “Puffy Coat Check” to help parents determine if their child is safe. They recommend:
Step 1
Put the coat on your child, sit him or her in the car seat, and fasten the harness. Tighten the harness until you can no longer pinch any of the webbing with your thumb and forefinger.
Step 2
Without loosening the harness at all, unhook it, and remove your child from the car seat.
Take the coat off, put your child back in the car seat, and buckle the harness straps, which should be adjusted just as they were when the child was wearing the coat.
Step 3
If you can pinch the webbing between your thumb and forefinger now, then the coat is too bulky to be worn under the harness.
You may want to try this test before assuming that a lighter coat is safe enough. Take a look at this consumer Reports video
In general, however, Consumer Reports agrees with the medical authorities: removing the coat is safer.
It’s Cold Outside! Now What?
You may have noticed a variety of products on the market with claims stating they are a “safe winter coat” option for carseats. Once such option is Buckle Me Coats.
- Safer baby and toddler winter coat for use in car seats; award-winning design; ingenious solution to the problem of safely securing your child in a car seat in the winter; experts advise against bulky winter coats coming in between your child and the car seat and car seat harness; parents struggle with taking coats on and off in the car, trying to keep Baby both safe and comfortable in the car seat but ready to brave the cold when they go back outside; worry no more with Buckle Me Coats
- Side zipper and hook & loop closures at the shoulders enable you to move the entire front panel and shoulders out of the way before securing the car seat harness; then, fold the front panel back over your Baby and the harness to keep Baby warm; or roll the front panel to the side when the car warms up to avoid overheating; jacket back panel is thin with incompressible fleece lining to minimize dangerous bulk between Baby and car seat; front panel is insulated and warm
- Getting child out of car seat is just as easy; more importantly, no need to struggle in the confines of your car with getting fidgety kids’ arms into a jacket before heading out into the cold; just fold the front panel back in place and secure with the side zipper and shoulder hook & loop closure – ready to go
- One Step Removable Front/Shoulder Panel
- Harness Safely Snug On Chest/Shoulders
- Thin Back = Same Harness Setting As No Coat
- GREAT CLIMATE CONTROL - Cozy fleece keeps babies and kids warm when they need it. Rollover cuffs convert to mittens and booties, providing your baby or child with ultimate climate control for all environments.
- SHARE CUTE PHOTOS - Adorable one-piece jumpsuit style options that combine cute novelty with outerwear functionality - sharing photos of your infants or children on social media has never been more fun!
- VERSATILE - A perfect Halloween costume, birthday present, or holiday gift to keep little ones warm inside and outside. A must-have for any family with kids.
- Water resistant fabric
- Insulated 100gsm. Reverses to microfleece.
- Reverses to microfleece
- SAFE - We know that as a parent, the safety of your child always comes first. The Road Coat is a car seat coat with a split collar which enables the 5 point harness to lay flat against the shoulders.
- WARM - Our Road Car Seat Jacket keeps your child warm in up to -30 celsius/ -22 fahrenheit, with a warm, down-filled exterior.
- DURABLE - Made with hard-wearing, machine washable materials, The Road Coat is built to last. With high density, wind and water resistant polyester shell fabric, your little one will be protected.
I have not, however, found a single product that has been endorsed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Both government and medical authorities all agree that bulky coats and carseats are a bad combination.
Instead, the consensus is to use a blanket or the heavy winter coat draped over the car seat once your infant is secured inside.
Adding a hat and mittens provides additional warmth. Blankets should NOT be wrapped around the baby or tucked under the harness in any way[Mayo Clinic]
- 3M Thinsulate insulation and waterproof membrane lining insert
- Full sure gripper PU on palm and thumb
- Gusset insert under wrap
- Super Warmth Lined: Insulated with lightweight thick sherpa fleece to keep hands super warm and dry in cold winter. Comfortable and soft to wear. It is actually outside playing mittens for 18¨H or below and perfect in digging, sledding, snow games and other outdoor sports.
- Durable Water-Repellent Nylon Fabric: It is water-resistant and wear resistant for any outdoor snow sports. High color fastness. Effectively prevent melted snow wetting and water soaking into, Easy to fun and keep hands stay warm and dry in long time playing.
- Non-slip PU Palm: Full PU gripper on the palm and fingers. The quality is approved as imported environmental-friendly fabric for kids. Three years quality warranty for any ripped issues.
- Package includes: each package comes with 6 pairs of winter knit gloves in different colors, the quantity is sufficient for you to wear and change; Washing: machine wash recommended, do not bleach
- Material: these mini gloves are made of acrylic and spandex with strong elasticity, flexible and breathable, thick and warm to wear, fully fit the hand shape and not easy to slip, in order to keep hands warm in cold winter
- Adorable accessories: its warm and great color combination design makes these gloves can not only provide your kid's hand a full coverage warmth, but also bring decorative effects, it is applicable to attend some party in the winter, also can wear in daily life, looks cute and adorable
- EASY TO PUT ON AND STAYS ON: The mittens are designed with elastic in the wrist area, which widens and allows for an easy-on fit. The hook and loop closure allows for a tight, secure fit to keep the mittens from falling off of baby and little kids hands. These are great for first-time mitten wearers and active little kids who love running around outside!
- WARM AND COMFORTABLE: N’Ice Caps fleece materials are selected for softness and comfort, and are naturally warm and a little water resistant. The mittens are all double layered with soft and fuzzy fleece lining, so they are very warm in cold weather. These mittens are so soft and cozy, that even our fussy tots are happy to wear these fleece double layer mittens.
- 2 PAIRS IN EACH PACK! With 2 pairs in each pack, you can keep one pair clipped to your child's jacket (mitten clips sold separately), and have the extra pair in your diaper bag, glove box, or someplace handy because you never want to be in a situation where your child cannot play outside because they do not have mittens.
- Multi-style baby gloves: all kinds of lovely colors and styles cover the baby's whole hands to prevent him from grabbing things and keep his hands warm in cold winter; keep kids active during the winter without handbite by cold wind
- Material and size: made of warm and breathable acrylic fiber, with is delicate, soft and comfortable to wear and stretch well, making children's hands warm and comfortable; the dimension length is 13cm, it is recommended for children between 2 and 4 years old
- Elastic and soft: soft and elastic gloves suitable for baby's skin, with enough elasticity to stretch out, large enough to cover your child's entire hand, easy to care for, and can be machine washed and hand washed
The AAP offers additional tips for keeping your little one warm AND safe(Source)
Blanket In The Best Solution
So, as you prepare for enjoying fun winter activities, remember carseat safety. Skip the heavy coat, and bring a blanket to drape over him or her instead.
- BUNDLEME BUNTING BAG: Baby can enjoy maximum warmth wrapped in plush inner shearling with a luxuriously soft exterior
- STABLE DESIGN: Removable top allows for easy temperature control to keep your little one comfortable on the go; Removable back panel allows your little one's back to rest on the car seat
- Comes with multiple styles with distinct colors and patterns
- Baby protection: stretch over your baby carrier to protect your baby from the elements and low temperatures
- Blanket style design: weather-resistant nylon deflects wind and light rain; soft fleece and a blanket-style design keep out the cold in place of a bulky jacket
- Temperature control: adapt to the weather by unzipping the flap or removing the top entirely
- Universal Fit Elastic Car Seat Cover Features Soft Fabric For Baby's Comfort And Warmth
- Ultra-plush Fleece Collar Flips Open And Securely Snaps To Outer Layer
- Collar Snaps Closed For Extra Warmth While Framing Baby's Head
- - MULTI-USE: Swaddle, carseat blanket for Car seat or Stroller with 5 slots for 3 or 5 Point Harness System. For infants up to 26 inch, perfect for travelling in chilly weather. 28x28 inch.
- - QUALITY: Premium quality, double sided with light filling, breathable cotton on one side, super soft, minky plush on the other side. Stylish design, hooded and with leg pouch. Made in Europe.
- - EASY to USE: Easy transition in and out from Stroller or Car seat, keeping the baby warm and wrapped. Your Baby is not disturbed while sleeping. If it gets too hot, just open the blanket. Can be used as an alternative of bunting bag or sleeping bag
- BLANKETS NOT REQUIRED: Keep your baby warm and cozy with a luxuriously soft Thermaplush interior and quilted nylon exterior to protect against wind and rain; Infants 0-12 months.
- WEATHER READY: The removable top and detachable hood allow for easy temperature control to keep your little one comfortable on the go; Machine washer safe.
- REFINED STYLE: Fits most infant carriers; Choose between multiple styles of stylish colors and patterns. Makes a great gift for expecting parents or your family
Last update on 2019-12-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
