Though it doesn’t seem quite logical (it is plastic, after all, and it’s an established fact that plastic is indestructible, right?), your child’s car seat will expire at some point, and it will be necessary to get a new car seat. You may be wondering why? It may not seem apparent to you, but over time, plastic polymers can degrade and weaken.
The maximum accepted “life” of a car seat is about ten years, though some manufacturers recommend as few as six. There should be a label stating the manufacture date on the seat, as well as in the instruction manual. This is not just a case of planned obsolescence, by the way, with the manufacturer forcing you to buy a new product just for their profit margin. If anything, it’s a case of corporate CYA (cover your *ahem* derrière), because without the expiration warning, a lawsuit is always a potential threat.
Still not sure? Think about the forgotten toy that was left outside for weeks on end, and how, when you found it, discovered that it had become brittle from exposure to the elements, so you chucked it in the trash before your little one discovered you’d found it. Your car seat is sitting inside your car, where temperatures can be extremely hot or cold. Your child’s car seat will eventually lose its ability to absorb impact forces, and to safely cocoon your child within the shell of the seat. If that’s the case, it will be as “good” as your kid’s messed up toy. Chuck it. And don’t ever forget about affordable car insurance!
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