# Does your child wear a coat in their carseat?



## vinteenage

Just curious as to what the general consensus is. Not like, a light sweatshirt weight spring coat but a more medium/heavy weight that has a bit of bulk.

I do not let Finn wear a coat in the car seat.


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## Hotbump

They dont have bulky coats, I just layer there clothes so they wont be cold. Like a long thermal sleeve under a short sleeve and a warm hoodie :flower:


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## JadeBaby75

I'm with hotbump! It doesn't really get that cold in texas I just layer her clothes and put on a hoodie!


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## 112110

Not gonna lie Daphne wanted to smack her a little. No I do not, he wears a sweater or sweatshirt + a hat + socks/shoes/slippers + blankets.


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## hot tea

Never.


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## x__amour

Nope! A sweater but never the big poofy jacket!


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## Strawberrymum

Nope she wears it from the house to the car then i take it off she has a blanket in the car. it doesnt get that cold here but she does have a poffy winter coat. 

If i put her in her jacket in her car seat (which i wouldnt do) she can take her arms out her jacket and out the straps.


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## Harli

Mine do, yes.


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## rileybaby

Riley does :) its so cold here, i couldnt not put him in one


I dont quite understand whats wrong with wearing a coat in the car anyway..


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## MommaAlexis

I was in northern canada last year, so not having her big coat on wasn't really an option, as it can get to minus 30 or 40 celcius. But this year we moved close to toronto and usually only needs a bigger sweater, she's learned to shimmy out of it by now though!


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## sarah0108

We don't have a car anymore so they rarely actually go in cars but no, i put their coats on once we get out


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## lauram_92

I voted yes, but then I read it. He wears a coat, but it is not a thick one. He has a thin waterproof coat and a slightly padded one that he wears in the car. It is too cold to not have him in a coat, and he also has a blanket over himself.


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## EllaAndLyla

I have no choice. My heating in my car doesn't work so it is just as bad as being outside, and worse as your not moving around keeping warm. But it all depends on the day, if it has been sunny then the car may have warmed up and she will just wear layers of tops/jumpers and have a blanket over her bottom half. But I'm finding myself using the de-icer more and more because it freezing!!


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## Natasha2605

It depends. In general yes, we're rarely in a car, like maybe once a fortnight for ten minutes and if she has a jacket on by chance then we keep it on. If she doesn't then obviously not xx

Eta - Summer doesn't really have a thick jacket so whatever shes wearing is generally quite thin


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## Mei190

I would probably say yes. Defining how padded his coat is, I cannot do well but, he does wear I'd say a medium-ish padded coat in his carseat. I never even knew people didn't for some reason or another.


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## _laura

He normally wears a jumper in the car and a coat once we get out, only because we have the heater on in the car.


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## mayb_baby

With me a thin raincoat and a hoody but I saw MIL take him out of her car in his snow suit but I explained and now she takes it off before he goes in


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## vaniilla

he wears a cardigan with a thin coat, we layer clothes so that he doesn't have to wear a thick coat in the car but we do always take one with us :flower:


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## 17thy

lol its still in the 70s here, we don't even own a big coat for Em. she wears sweaters in the car seat but we wouldn't put her in there with a big coat even if we needed one here.

edit: She gets her blankie in the car with her if its a little too chilly for just a sweater.


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## LauraBee

I voted yes before I read the post. She doesn't even wear thick coats in her stroller because she has a footmuff.

We have used a carseat like three times. If we were going straight from our house into someone else's then I'd just put her in a top and bottoms (with a vest in the winter) but if we're going to be dropped off in the cold then I'd put her in with a jumper on too. Basically, I wouldn't bother putting on or taking off a coat as an extra thing.


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## KiansMummy

Not thick winter type coats but he has a thin Cagoule type which he does sometimes wear in the car x


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## rainbows_x

We rarely go in the car so it's never really an issue for us. She will wear one, not a hugely bulky one though.


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## rockys-mumma

Quick journeys he wears a coat because the car doesn't have a chance to warm up, if we are going to be any longer than 10 mins then we don't! I always loosen the seatbelt and then do it up really tight, his coat isnt really thick anyway! I voted yes anyways lol


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## 10.11.12

I have an auto heat thing in my car so I can make it warm before we go in so I never let Edie wear her thick coat in the car. She has an L.L Bean puffer coat and it's pretty thick so it wouldn't be safe. She usually wears a fleece in the car and sometimes (if it's really cold) a blanket on top. I just bring the coat with us and put it on her when we've reached our destination.


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## bumpy_j

something like a Barbour jacket or a very slightly padded anorak then yeah, nothing puffy like a snowsuit


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## AriannasMama

I heat up my car before we leave the house so I just put it on her to walk to the car then take it off of her when we get in & I keep a blanket in the car. If we are leaving a store or something and I can't heat up my car I just put it on her backwards after she's harnessed in.


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## amygwen

I live in Texas so it's not that hot here. He doesn't have a large coat like you would put them in, in the North. But when we have gone out, no matter what he usually has a long-sleeved shirt on, a hoodie/jacket. I usually take the jacket or hoodie off because I was always told when you go in the car or when you go inside somewhere, where you're not exposed to the cold to take off jackets. Not sure why! But that's always what I've done.


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## Hotbump

amygwen said:


> I live in Texas so *it's not that hot here*. He doesn't have a large coat like you would put them in, in the North. But when we have gone out, no matter what he usually has a long-sleeved shirt on, a hoodie/jacket. I usually take the jacket or hoodie off because I was always told when you go in the car or when you go inside somewhere, where you're not exposed to the cold to take off jackets. Not sure why! But that's always what I've done.

?????:haha:


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## Rhio92

Depends how long we're in the car. For long journeys, no. He'll have a jumper and blanket of it's cold.
For short trips, I just stick him in with his suit on.


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## AirForceWife7

We JUST got her a winter jacket & haven't been out with it on her yet.

For long trips, I definitely will just wrap her in a blanket.

For short trips that I won't have a chance to warm up the car, then yes I will put her in with her jacket on.


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## Melibu90

Depends where we are going my car takes a while to heat up so if we're not going to be long its not worth it

Is it really bad to wear the jacket :shrug: i feel bad if im doing something wrong


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## 17thy

Melibu90 said:


> Depends where we are going my car takes a while to heat up so if we're not going to be long its not worth it
> 
> Is it really bad to wear the jacket :shrug: i feel bad if im doing something wrong

THe reason why they tell you not to put a thick coat on them in the car seat is because the harness straps need to remain tight over the baby's shoulders regardless of what they are wearing. But many parents don't know basic car seat safety as it is so a lot don't even have the straps in the right slot or tight enough. A trick to do is if you need to have them wear a coat, at least take the coat off their shoulders so the straps can stay tight. And then have a blanket for them.


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## vinteenage

This is the link I posted on FB. The video is worth watching, too.
https://thestir.cafemom.com/baby/109699/6_tips_for_winter_car


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## rileybaby

Well, ive never heard of that


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## vinteenage

I think it's really, really important to look up car sear safety yourself or contact your local fire station and ask if they have a certified car seat safety advisers.

Doctors are NOT the people to look to for car seat safety advice.


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## bumpy_j

thanks for the link Daphne, interesting video, only thought it was relevant to big puffa coats


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## rileybaby

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLTVPqn0aR8 this one looks a good idea


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## AriannasMama

That one is still not considered AS safe because there is bulk behind the baby, which would still make a bit of space between the baby and straps if there were a car accident.


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## vinteenage

rileybaby said:


> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLTVPqn0aR8 this one looks a good idea

Id probably leave the coat open though, only so if there (God forbid) is an accident, it's easier for police/firefighters/whoever to get baby out. 

Yes, I am neurotic about car stuff, haha.


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## AriannasMama

Arianna's coat is SOOO puffy, I put her in her car seat once with it before I found out about this and it was near impossible to fit her in there, lol.


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## LauraBee

I've never heard of that either. I assumed the problem was with over-heating :dohh: Luckily, we almost never need a car and she doesn't have a coat as of yet either.


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## lauram_92

^ She doesn't have a coat? :shock:

Oliver's got a few coats but they're all really thin actually. The same thickness as jumpers but waterproof :p


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## lizardbreath

We live right on the water way north in Canada going without a coat is a big no! We have adjusted their car seats accordingly and I'd rather them safe and warm then cold and comfy.


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## Melibu90

LauraBee said:


> I've never heard of that either. I assumed the problem was with over-heating :dohh: Luckily, we almost never need a car and she doesn't have a coat as of yet either.


This was what i thought too. The straps are always really tight i do check feel very silly now :dohh: will deffinately stop all jackets! Thanks for the info :thumbup:


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## MommyGrim

Yes and no...

If we're going a short distance, then yes, but otherwise no, because Avalon has a natural high body heat, so she gets hot REALLY quickly...I find that if we're going somewhere that's longer than 15 minutes away she doesn't need her coat on.


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## rileybaby

Maybe we just never got told in the UK, i told my mum and she said she never heard of it either..


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## MrsEngland

She does yes but i make sure the straps are really tight and most of her coats are thin-ish anyway. Takes my car that long to warm up she'd freeze if not lol.


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## emmylou92

Yeah Hollie does long or short journeys, I wear a coat in the car once its warmed up enough to take them off we pull over if we need to if. Is to cold not to. Blanked dont work, she just pulls them off, plus most of the time when I'm walking to the car its peeing it down.


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## amygwen

Hotbump said:


> amygwen said:
> 
> 
> I live in Texas so *it's not that hot here*. He doesn't have a large coat like you would put them in, in the North. But when we have gone out, no matter what he usually has a long-sleeved shirt on, a hoodie/jacket. I usually take the jacket or hoodie off because I was always told when you go in the car or when you go inside somewhere, where you're not exposed to the cold to take off jackets. Not sure why! But that's always what I've done.
> 
> ?????:haha:Click to expand...

LOL
I'm an idiot :rofl:

It's not that cold here. woops!


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## hot tea

lizardbreath said:


> We live right on the water way north in Canada going without a coat is a big no! We have adjusted their car seats accordingly and I'd rather them safe and warm then cold and comfy.

They might be warm, but certainly not safe. Use polar fleece. Coats defeat the purpose of even using a carseat.


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## 17thy

lizardbreath said:


> We live right on the water way north in Canada going without a coat is a big no! We have adjusted their car seats accordingly and I'd rather them safe and warm then cold and comfy.

Do you mean warm and comfy rather than cold and safe? :shrug:
There really isn't anything you can do to make your car seat safe for your child unless the straps are tight against their shoulders, not the thick padding of a coat. 

If there is anyway you could properly strap them in with a couple long sleeve shirts on, and then put their thick coat on backwards over their arms, or give them a thick blanket, it would be way safer.

This isn't really related, but when my daughter was about 2 months old, me and my husband were in a parking lot and this lady has a newborn baby swaddled in a blanket and the car seat straps buckled around the swaddle and puts the car seat in the car and gets ready to hop in the driver seat, and my husband said something to her about how unsafe that was and she of course rolled her eyes and drove away. I'm sure she thought she was just trying to keep her baby warm but if they got in an accident any number of realllllly bad scenerios could play out.


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## bbyno1

We don't drive so Aliyah has been in her car seat all of like 4 times in the last few months lol. She didnt need to as it was warm back then. Now i would put her coat on if she was to though


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## kittycat18

Yes Lucia wears a coat in the car because it is so cold here and my car is always freezing. I strap her in tightly but comfortably. I have never heard of this in the UK. My mum nor Conor's mum have heard of this. My mums and nurse and Conor's is a children's nursery owner. This obviously isn't a big thing in the UK or we would here about it non stop.


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## kittycat18

Yeah checked my carseat manual. Nothing about coats


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## Aidan's Mummy

Yes aidan and this baby will wear a coat in a carseat(unless it's boiling). If we are going on a long journey I take his coat off and them put it back on before we get out of the car. When he was a baby even if he was being carried in his car seat once out of the car I would always put his coat on just so I was confident he was warm x


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## rileybaby

kittycat18 said:


> Yeah checked my carseat manual. Nothing about coats

This is what i thought :shrug:


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## AriannasMama

It isn't in our manual either, but if you think about it, in the event of an accident the crash will cause the coat to compress leaving a ton more space between the baby and the straps, which could result in numerous horrible things. I think the point of this thread was to create awareness not make anyone feel bad or anything.


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## AriannasMama

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNGT9eBL_gg


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## alexis_

Louie doesn't wear a coat. I read somewhere that in an accident it causes the straps of the seat to loosen or something along them lines? I just put the heating on.. Besides, they look really uncomfortable all squashed up wearing a coat in the car seat!


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## Hotbump

They dont tell you about this in the hospital, it isnt even in the carsear manual but if you think about it it makes sence.

BTW I from the US incase anyone wonder :haha:


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## 17thy

Um just because it isn't in the manual means it's not safer? They aren't going to tell you how to dress your baby. Seriously, its up to you how you put your child in his/her car seat but just because your mom or your car seat manual don't know about not putting thick coats on underneath the straps doesn't mean that the risk isn't there!


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## Aidan's Mummy

I think I would rather a parent put their baby in a car seat with a coat than have no car seat at all. The manuals giev you advice for safe use and fitting, I think safer is better but as long as they are in a car seat that's good enough for me x


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## hot tea

Wearing a thick coat defeats the purpose. On impact that coat will compress and your child will NOT be safe. To me, a coat in a carseat is like not being in a carseat. It's like going to mcdonalds and buying ten hamburgers and ordering a diet drink to tell yourself you're being healthy.


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## kittycat18

17thy said:


> Um just because it isn't in the manual means it's not safer? They aren't going to tell you how to dress your baby. Seriously, its up to you how you put your child in his/her car seat but just because your mom or your car seat manual don't know about not putting thick coats on underneath the straps doesn't mean that the risk isn't there!

I never said the risk wasn't there. There is no need to be so rude about it.


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## kittycat18

Ok it makes sense but I will continue to do it so my daughter doesn't get pneumonia in our freezing weather. I agrees with Aidans_mummy, most people (especially younger parents) here don't even put their children into carseats. I would much rather see a child in a carseat with a coat on instead of no carseat at all.

Obviously more information needs to be provided on this for mothers.


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## hot tea

I know here in canada it is ILLEGAL not to have your child in a carseat correctly. You can get fined hundreds of dollars. They actually do checks and pull over cars.

I think it is horrible to have that attitude. It may just be that thick coat could be the deciding point of life and death for your child. Are you reslly going to play russian roulette KNOWINGLY with your child?????


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## hot tea

I don't mean to be rude, and I doubt anyone else is, but you can't expect people to be nice when they see mothers putting their own child at risk of serious injury for absolutely NO REASON.


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## kittycat18

It's Christmas Eve. Have you nothing better to do with your time? I didn't know about it. I do now. It's cold here. Coat on. Think I covered just about everything. :xmas3:


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## hot tea

Well it is eight in the morning and I am breastfeeding, so no, I don't have anything better to do.

Please educate yourself. It is cold here too. There are special thermal suits you can buy that are very very light that are suitable for carseats. There is no excuse for putting your child in harms way.


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## Aidan's Mummy

We have strict laws in thsi country on car seats and how they should be used, fitted etc. I have worked on children's wards and nurses have put babies in car seats with coats on etc. I think if it really put a child in serious danger there would be a law passed here and this goverment are VERY strict on care seat laws and the safety of children x


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## hot tea

There are laws! Are nurses actually trained in carseat safety? No. Laws HAVE been passed. At least here they are. When I was in Amsterdam I couldn't help but noticd that five point harness carseats were very uncommon as well. I would never put my child in ANYTHING but a five point harness.


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## hot tea

How the heck can people seriously dismiss this???? I don't get it! Your child can die because of this!


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## Aidan's Mummy

There are no laws here about care seats and coats and no health proffessionals mention dangers, they hand out car seat saftey booklets with current laws and sfatey requirments etc before a baby can even be taken home. NO where does it say about coats etc. x


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## hot tea

Oh, and does this booklet also say you can switch to forward facing at a year too? Bcause that is how it sounds to me. Outdated information.

Having your child in a coat in their carseat is unsafe and potentially a fatal mistake in hard impact. I don't know what else to say. It is common sense, even. You should never, ever, EVER have to adjust the straps between use of a carseat. If you have to, your child is wearing too many layers. The straps need to be tightly against their body, not their coat. 

Big coat = air pockets. Air pockets = compression. Compression = violent jolting of your child within their carseat. Said jolting = broken neck. 

Pretty simple.


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## Aidan's Mummy

Anyway point is unless evidence based material is provided to new parents and hey are no advised on safe practices they are no purposfully putting their child at risk. Health professionals are aware of dangers with care steas, car sfatey as they have to be to advise parents i.e. health visitors who readily hand out information on car saftey etc x


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## Aidan's Mummy

Also I have been nothing but polite and respectful, why do your posts come across so patronising and rude. There is no need to be rude in a discussion


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## hot tea

Really? It sure as heck doesn't sound like they are handing out good information.


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## leoniebabey

LO will wear a barbour style jacket or duffle coat in the car i dont see the issue, never been told otherwise and i dont know anyone else who has been told this either. Last winter he went in with a snowsuit on as it was FREEZING.
Were rarely in a car anyways so it's not a major point for me anyways


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## booflebump

Locked due to the number of reported posts


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