Of all the baby items you’ll add to your registry or purchase for your little one, a safe car seat is one of the most important. And even after researching and doing your best to choose a seat that meets safety criteria and fits your budget, you need to be aware of uncertified or counterfeit car seats. Here are our best tips to help you select a car seat that’s as safe as possible…and how to avoid accidentally purchasing a non-certified one.
What Is a Non-Certified Car Seat?
Believe it or not, there are more non-certified, or counterfeit, car seats available for purchase than you might think. The majority of these fake car seats are found on online websites and retailers, and often look incredibly similar to car seats manufactured by popular, trustworthy, national brands. These knock-offs may look safe to the untrained eye, but are made with cheap, flimsy, and unsafe materials. Counterfeit car seats also have non-federally regulated design flaws that have the potential to be downright dangerous for your little one in the event of an accident.
It’s important to do your due diligence when researching or purchasing a new car seat. Here are several of the most important steps to take.
1. Avoid Strange or Unusual Brand Names
When shopping in-store, and especially online, it’s important to avoid retailers or brand names that aren’t familiar to you. A car seat sold by a third-party retailer with an unfamiliar or foreign-sounding name has a much higher likelihood of being counterfeit. In order to ensure you’re purchasing a certified, safe car seat, experts recommend shopping in-person at a trusted retailer, or directly from a trusted manufacturer’s website.
It’s important to note that websites such as Amazon and Walmart allow third party vendors to sell and ship to customers. When purchasing baby products from these websites, it’s crucial to look into the name of the company selling the product. If you ever see the words “Sold and Shipped by <Insert Unfamiliar Name Here>,” on these websites, it’s a red flag that the vendor has not purchased the item directly from a reputable manufacturer.
While it’s understandable that price is a consideration when purchasing high-ticket items such as car seats, it’s important to prioritize your little one’s safety over a good deal. If a sale on a car seat sounds too good to be true, the product simply might not be safe.
2. Check All Labels On the Car Seat
Federally-regulated car seats are sold with many safety labels affixed to various parts. Read through all of these labels upon purchase, making sure there are no strange misspellings, foreign characters, or pictogram-only labels. It’s also important to look for a warning label with a yellow header that reads, “This child restraint system conforms to all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).” Any car seat that is compliant and certified in the United States will contain this label. If it’s absent from your car seat, it is likely a counterfeit.
All car seats sold in the US must also include the model name or number, the manufacturer’s name and telephone number, and the date of manufacture.
3. Look For and Utilize the Registration Information
All car seats in the US are also required to be sold with safety/instruction manuals and a registration card in both English and Spanish languages. Without these papers, you can’t trust the car seat is certified. All car seats are also sold with a unique serial number that allows parents to register their car seat with the manufacturer.
Registering your car seat validates its authenticity, and ensures you’ll receive any recall or safety updates if necessary. Some counterfeit car seats may contain a fake serial number. However, upon registration the manufacturer should raise any concerns of a fake or duplicated serial number.
4. Check For a Chest Clip
While it technically isn’t illegal for your baby to ride in a seat without a chest clip, every certified car seat sold in the US is manufactured with this clip. When shopping for car seats, immediately check for a chest clip. If you don’t see one, it’s reasonable to suspect it’s a knock-off car seat. The five-point harness system featuring a chest clip is the best way to keep the straps safely over baby’s shoulders and hips in the event of an accident.
We’d also like to remind you that you’ll have to show your care team your certified car seat that fits your newborn properly before being discharged from Women & Babies Hospital. Visit the American Academy of Pediatrics’ website for more information about car seat safety, as well as a list of available, certified car seats sold in the United States. To find a local child passenger safety technician who can inspect your car seat for safety, visit Safe Kids Lancaster County.