Choosing the Right Car Seat Cover Jacket

The car seat cover jacket is a popular accessory to help kids stay warm in their carseats. However, if you don’t choose the right one it can cause the harness to be too loose in the event of an accident. This can be dangerous because it could lead to a child being ejected from their car seat. To prevent this, choose a cover that prioritizes safety by passing the Winter Coat Test. Also, be sure your child is wearing a few thin layers in areas that don’t affect the fit of the harness like gloves, hats (once they are old enough for them to not pose a suffocation risk) and baby leg warmers on their arms and legs.

Most winter coats are too bulky to fit on a child in their car seat. This is a serious problem because in the event of an accident, the force from the impact would flatten the jacket against the harness and create extra space between your child’s body and the straps, which can allow the straps to slip through and potentially eject your child from their seat. In addition, the thick jacket can add additional pressure to the crotch buckle. This can be life-threatening to your child and make it more difficult to tighten the crotch buckle correctly.

If you are looking for a solution that allows your child to stay cozy in their car seat without the need for a heavy coat, look into a safe-for-car-seat poncho instead. A poncho is a blanket with a hole for their head so they can wear it to and from the vehicle and still get buckled up. A poncho is safer than a jacket because it will not come between your child’s legs or restrict the crotch buckle.

To ensure that a poncho or blanket doesn’t compromise the safety of your child’s car seat, choose one with a zipper that opens up behind your child and has pre-cut holes for the crotch buckle. A few brands that offer safe ponchos include Buckle Me Baby Coats (use code 15SAFEINTHESEAT15 for 15% off), One Kid and Tempo Outerwear.

Another option is to use an aftermarket coat cover that is specifically designed to give warmth and pass the Winter Coat Test. These covers are essentially fitted blankets that have been tested with your specific car seat model to ensure they don’t interfere with the safety features.

If you are using an aftermarket car seat cover, place it over your child’s snug harness after buckling them up and before putting on their coat. Then after they are secure, turn their coat around backward and put it on over their head so the back of the coat is resting on top of their harness. This will help keep them warm but will not compromise the harness fit in the event of an accident. For older babies, toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners, you can place their coat over the harness after securing them in their seat with the arms through the armholes or simply drape a blanket over them after buckling up.