Coats and Carseats...

[katyldf]

Ok so tell me how I do this... I know they are not supposed to wear their coats in their carseats to much extra fluff. We spent the last 4 years in Hawaii and when we moved there we didn't have a kid yet.... So this is all new to me, were in Colorado and its FREEZING (and supposedly its not even cold yet lol)

[dolphingirl]

We put the kids in the carseats first and then put their coat over them like a blanket until we arrive at the destination (if they're really cold, they'll even put their arms in with the coat on backwards.)

[tjs77tsa]

I put my first three kids in the carseat with their winter coat with no problems which was way before it was decided it is not allowed and I intend to with my 15mth old too. I see all kinds of people posting fb pics with their kids in the seat with the straps off their shoulders or so loose they wouldn't even come close to holding them in if they were in an accident which I consider to be a lot more dangerous then properly adjusting the belts with a coat on. just my opinion though maybe I am just old and set in my ways.

[MommaMal]

I live in Maine and it gets pretty cold here. We keep a no-sew fleece blanket in the entry way and wrap the baby in that before we go to the car. After she is strapped in I tuck the blanket around her. I did the same when my youngest was a baby too.
There are so many accidents and so much unsafe driving I will do what ever I can to help keep my children safe. My oldest wears a fleece zip up and her jacket out to the car but removes her jacket before getting in her seat.

[mamatoclaire]

It gets freezing here too, and I just have DD wear a fleece jacket or pullover, with long sleeves under if needed. That's what I wear too, and it's warm enough for just in and out of the car - not like she's out playing in the snow. HTH!

[Alaga]

We do the backwards coat thing too, but having designated carseat blankets is a great idea too!!

OP- it seems like a pain, but once you're used to it (and the kiddos are used to it), it's just what you do when it's cold out!

Sent from my iPhone using DS Forum

[jess71903]

I know you already know that coats aren't a good idea in the seat but this thread also has some suggestions for what does work. Anna (an_aurora) wrote it and she lives in Alaska.
http://www.diaperswappers.com/forum/....php?t=1302314

[Mom2Connor]

google "carseat poncho" That's what we use for DS.

[kaimon]

We don't do coats in the carseat. Fleece underneath, buckle fast and then either jacket or blanket on top.

That said - I have yet to see any actual crash test safety videos on this issue. I see all the youtube videos and pictures and blogs of the with coat without coat thing and what bugs me is that while I completely understand there is risk of compression during a crash - a coat cannot compress to the point of non-existence. It just can't. So those pictures are not 100% representative of what would *actually* happen in the event of a crash.

Cloth diapers did the exact same thing as those coats did in those pictures. With the diaper the harness was not nearly as tight as without. And yet everyone claims that they don't pose a risk of compressing so it's safe. But the before and after photos would look the same - so how's that proof?

Now, I have no intention of taking that risk. Like I said - we don't use coats in the car. But I am not completely convinced the risks are as high as suggested by some.

[Computermama]

Originally Posted by kaimon We don't do coats in the carseat. Fleece underneath, buckle fast and then either jacket or blanket on top. That said - I have yet to see any actual crash test safety videos on this issue. I see all the youtube videos and pictures and blogs of the with coat without coat thing and what bugs me is that while I completely understand there is risk of compression during a crash - a coat cannot compress to the point of non-existence. It just can't. So those pictures are not 100% representative of what would *actually* happen in the event of a crash. Cloth diapers did the exact same thing as those coats did in those pictures. With the diaper the harness was not nearly as tight as without. And yet everyone claims that they don't pose a risk of compressing so it's safe. But the before and after photos would look the same - so how's that proof? Now, I have no intention of taking that risk. Like I said - we don't use coats in the car. But I am not completely convinced the risks are as high as suggested by some.

Regular coats are made with fiber fill. If you want to see how well those compress, take a look at space bag videos. They really do compress to next to nothing. A cloth diaper won't do that - they're many layers of cotton or hemp or microfiber. They might compress a little, but not like a fiber fill or down puffy coat will. The point of those coats is to puff up and trap a thick layer of air against the body to make it feel warm. The point of a cloth diaper is obviously somethign completely different.

To the OP's question, I put my girls in car seat ponchos. Or rather the older one is in a poncho and the younger one is in a carrier carseat with a shower cap style cover and will be getting a car seat poncho for when she goes into a convertible seat right after christmas. If it's especially cold (and wind chill can peak at around -40 degrees celcius around here) I'll layer them up with fleece jackets and pants, and baby legs underneath. Several thin layers is safer than one thick puffy one. I try to just not go out when it snaps that cold, but sometimes you don't have a lot of choice.