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Car Seat Safety Q&A (+ Chicco KeyFit 30 Car Seat Giveaway)

October 4, 2016 by Julie 475 Comments

Good morning! How are you guys today!? I hope your Tuesday is off to a good start! We’re talking about car seat safety on the blog today, so buckle up and enjoy the riiiide! (<— Oh the puns! I just can’t help myself.)

CAR SEAT SAFETY  Important Info

A couple of weeks ago, I asked you guys to submit your car seat safety questions so I could pass them along to Chicco’s Child Passenger Safety Advocate and share a Q&A on the blog. The questions came rollin’ in and many of you guys had similar questions related to car seat safety. (Many of your questions were also questions I personally had for Chicco which was great! Thanks for covering my bases, friends!)

Last month was Baby Safety Month and I am partnering with Chicco to help spread the word about car seat safety to encourage parents and caregivers to keep their little ones as safe as possible. A car seat safety Q&A may be found below that incorporates your questions and at the bottom of this blog post you will find a pretty awesome giveaway for a Chicco KeyFit 30 car seat! 

Now let’s get to it!

Car Seat Safety Q&A

  • How long do we keep the newborn/infant inserts in the car seat?

Car Seat Safety Important Info

The infant insert is the smaller contoured seat pad that fits inside your infant car seat. These pads are engineered to position a smaller baby at the correct seat angle, as well as ensure that the harness fits tightly. You can remove the insert when you feel it is no longer necessary, but it must be removed once your infant reaches 11 lbs.

  • When do I need to get the next car seat up from the infant car seat? Is it by weight or height?

Convertible Car Seat Safety

You may transition your child to a convertible car seat that allows them to remain rear-facing until at least two years old at any time, but must make the switch from an infant car seat to a convertible car seat when your child outgrows either the height or weight guidelines for their infant car seat.

  • I can’t find anyone who will check my car seat! The local fire department, highway commission, police, etc. are no longer allowed to due to “liability concerns.” Any tips to help ensure I’ve done a good installation, or other resources I haven’t thought of? 

If you’re having trouble finding a certified child passenger safety technician in your area, check out Safe Kids Worldwide’s navigator here or visit SeatCheck.org.

  • Is there a difference in an infant car seat and a convertible one as far as safety is concerned? 

chicco convertible car seat

As long as your convertible car seat is being used in rear-facing mode as instructed and it’s installed correctly, your infant is protected in a convertible car seat. As a reminder, it’s recommended that child passengers be kept rear-facing until two years of age, whether that is in an infant car seat or convertible car seat.

  • Why on earth do car seats expire? And will I get in trouble if I use an expired car seat?

Car seats expire for a few different, equally important reasons. First, over time, car seat technology improves and safety standards change. Additionally, materials used in car seats wear down with extended use, which could compromise safety features down the road. It’s also important to note that car seat manufacturers stop safety testing seats after a certain period of time, meaning that past expiration, manufacturers cannot guarantee how a car seat will perform in an accident.

  • I heard that we shouldn’t put babies in their car seats wearing winter coats? We get some pretty COLD winters in New Jersey so I’m curious to see if there is any truth in this? 

Don’t buckle your child into a car seat with bulky clothing, blankets or add-on products like a car seat bunting. The harness should be as snug as possible, and the added padding can interfere with the harness fit and crash performance of the seat. If you are using an infant carrier, put your child in the carrier and tighten the harness before you head to the car, then put blankets on your child to keep them warm.  If you are using a car seat that is installed in your car, have your child take off their coat, get them in the car seat and tighten the harness, then put their coat on backwards until you arrive at your destination.

  • What age/weight/height is safe to switch your little one to a forward facing car seat position? 

Car Seat Fit Finder

Keep your child rear-facing in their car seat until at least two years old. Are your kid’s feet touching the seat back? Do they look a little cramped? That’s okay. Kids are a lot more flexible than adults. Kids need to stay rear-facing for as long as possible to protect their head and neck in the event of a crash. Kids do not need to be turned forward-facing until they reach the maximum height or weight of the car seat. Kids are fragile, and they are best protected rear-facing, even if that means they have a little less leg room.

  • Is there a way to clean a car seat safely? I’ve heard that soaking it in water can make it unsafe…

The best way to clean car seat straps and other non-removable pieces is with mild soap and water, and then let it air dry. To simplify the process, Chicco’s line of Zip car seats include easy to remove zip-off features, such as a removable seat pad, that make clean-up a breeze.

Chicco KeyFit 30 Giveaway

And now it’s giveaway time! Chicco is giving away a KeyFit 30 car seat to one lucky PBF reader!

Car Seat

We absolutely love our KeyFit 30 car seat and I cannot recommend it enough. It easily clicks into our travel and jogging strollers and Chase seems comfortable and secure in it.

If you would like to be entered to win the car seat, simply leave a comment on this blog post, telling me about one thing that surprised you about pregnancy or becoming a new parent. I will randomly select a winner next Friday.

Good luck!

Looking for additional car seat safety information? Check out Chicco’s Car Seat Safety Guide and the Car Seat Education page of their website!

Thank you to Chicco for sponsoring this post and to all of you for your continued support. I truly appreciate it!

Be sure to follow PBFingers on Instagram and Facebook!

I'd love to connect with you! I am always so grateful when you let me know you tried one of my recipes or workouts and tag me in your photos or updates. Thank you so much!!!

Filed Under: Giveaway Tagged With: car seat, car seat safety, Chicco, giveaway, safety

About Julie

My name is Julie and I am a full-time blogger, new mama, fitness enthusiast (certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor) and food fanatic (mostly healthy... but also not-so-healthy) living in North Carolina with my husband, dog and baby boy. Thank you for visiting Peanut Butter Fingers! I hope you enjoy little glimpses into my life and have fun trying the sweaty workouts I frequently share and making some of my favorite recipes along the way!

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Comments

  1. Theresa J says

    October 7, 2016 at 6:14 pm

    Pregnancy feels like forever. I remember at the end I couldnt wait to deliver and then the first night home my daughter cried what seemed like all night and my husband and I thought our neighbours were going to call the police. We were young

    Reply
  2. Lesley says

    October 7, 2016 at 10:23 pm

    Everybody tells you how hard yet rewarding being a parent is. But you never really know it until you actually live it!

    Reply
  3. Lindsay says

    October 8, 2016 at 4:47 pm

    I’m newly pregnant.. so new that we haven’t told anyone but our families yet. I know i have a lot to learn and a lot of surprises coming my way. One thing that has surprised me so far is how extremely TIRED I am! I usually consider myself to be quite the busy-body, but I can hardly make it through school (I’m a teacher) these days. Generally, I take a nap after work, which is very unlike me. I’d love to win this car seat for our future little one! 🙂

    Reply
  4. Alexandra W says

    October 8, 2016 at 7:21 pm

    I was honestly surprised how much research I would need to do on things like car seats. This was perfect timing for me. Thank you!

    Reply
  5. EmilyD says

    October 8, 2016 at 9:20 pm

    I was surprised at how much baby gear I (thought I) needed! Of course when you bring baby home you realize all you really need is food and diapers 🙂

    Reply
  6. Jessica W says

    October 8, 2016 at 10:13 pm

    How much you love your children. people always try and explain it,but until you experience it, it is hard to fathom.

    Reply
  7. Lindsay says

    October 9, 2016 at 8:03 am

    I’m pregnant with my first, and surprised at how much I need to the baby and how much research fora into each item! It’s overwhelming.

    Reply
  8. Jill says

    October 9, 2016 at 12:20 pm

    I’m 15 weeks pregnant and have been doing so much research on what items to add to my registry. I keep coming back to the Chicco Keyfit!

    This post had great information in it- thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  9. Kim says

    October 9, 2016 at 2:45 pm

    I’m surprised at how much I google every food or little feeling I have…need to learn to trust my gut!

    Reply
  10. Rivka says

    October 9, 2016 at 6:47 pm

    I’m not a parent yet, but kids always surprise me! I love them!

    Reply
  11. Erin H says

    October 9, 2016 at 10:40 pm

    I’m pregnant with my second child and it has surprised me how I forgot how uncomfortable being pregnant was!

    Reply
  12. Amy Cooper says

    October 10, 2016 at 4:41 am

    I’ve been shocked how instantly I loved our girl! I was never deally a baby person, until Addison entered our world!

    Reply
  13. Priscilla says

    October 10, 2016 at 10:06 am

    One thing that surprised me about pregnancy is how incredibly hard the first trimester is! I thought it would involve a quick puke, and then I’d be about to move on with my day. Instead it’s been 27/4 nausea and fatigue. I applaud any mom that has made it through the first trimester with a smile on her face!!!

    Thanks for all your pregnancy posts! I love all the info!

    Reply
  14. Trenda Tillson says

    October 10, 2016 at 8:28 pm

    It surprised me how quickly a third pregnancy goes by! With two other small children at home I didn’t have time to think about being pregnant!

    Reply
  15. Alisa Christianson says

    October 12, 2016 at 9:57 am

    Being a new parent, every day I am surprised by how fast my little one adds to his personality! Don’t try taking away that bath duckie…he really wanted that!! 🙂

    Reply
  16. Sarah says

    October 12, 2016 at 1:07 pm

    One thing I’ve been finding out as we prepare for our first child is how many options there are for baby gear!! Also surprising is how much I can love getting kicked in the ribs! 🙂

    Reply
  17. Michelle T says

    October 12, 2016 at 4:02 pm

    I’m due in April and still learning all the things… lol

    Reply
  18. B says

    October 14, 2016 at 3:00 pm

    This is probably the most helpful blog post I’ve ever seen – thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
  19. Julie says

    November 11, 2016 at 9:37 am

    Really informative article. There are so many factors to consider when you are purchasing a car seat. Glad to see people are doing their homework!

    Reply
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  1. 5 Best Infant Car Seats for Small Cars that can fit most compact vehicles says:
    September 11, 2018 at 12:02 am

    […] Choose the right type of car seat for your baby's age (Source: Peanut Butter Fingers) […]

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Hi! I’m Julie and I am a mom to three energetic boys and a personal trainer and blogger living in Charlotte, North Carolina. Welcome to my blog! Peanut Butter Fingers follows my life and my interests in food, fitness, family, travel and (mostly) healthy living.
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