Keeping kids safe in the car is very important, and we all try to pick the best car seats for our youngest passengers. But here’s something you might not know: car seats don’t last forever. They actually have expiration dates, just like the food in your fridge.

In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about car seat expiration. We'll talk about why car seats expire, why using an old car seat can be risky, and how to find and read the expiration date on your car seat. Keeping up with this information is a big part of keeping little ones safe on the road and we hope this guide will make it a little easier!

Car seats typically last 7 to 10 years, depending on the manufacturer. To know for certain, look for a label on the car seat or refer to the user manual. On this label, you will usually find either an expiration date or a manufacturing date.

It’s important to be able to differentiate between these two dates. The expiration date indicates how long the car seat is good for, while the manufacturing date shows when the car seat was produced. You determine the expiration date by adding the manufacturer's recommended lifespan to the manufacturing date.

However, if you buy the car seat in advance and it remains in the box for 4 months before installation, there's no need for concern. Determining the expiration date typically involves two factors: the production date and the installation date in your car. You can accurately calculate the expiration date with these dates and the recommended car seat lifetime. This approach accounts for the fact that the car seat is not considered 'in use' until it is installed in your car, at which point it begins to experience various temperatures, movements, and usage scenarios.

Finding an expiration or a manufacturing date on a car seat or a base shouldn’t be too difficult to locate. It’s usually a sticker on the car seat base and car seat, or it’s embossed directly into the plastic. If you're having trouble locating it, have a look at the user manual or the manufacturer's website for more information. This sticker often includes other important information as well, such as the model number and manufacturer details.

For Thule car seats and bases, you will find a label at the bottom of the car seat or a car seat base and it looks like the example below. On this label, you will find the product number, followed by a manufacturing date with a year, month, and date, as well as a serial number.

If the expiration date is not visible or has worn off, get in touch with the car seat manufacturer. If you don’t know the expiration or the manufacturing date, it’s better not to use the car seat since it may no longer meet safety standards.

If your car seat is out of date refrain from selling it on the secondhand market. Instead, check with the manufacturer if they have a recycling program for expired car seats or if they perhaps host trade-in events where you could bring the expired car seat and get a discount for purchasing a new product.

If none of these exist in your region, then make sure you dispose of them properly to prevent reuse. Don’t hand in an expired car seat to a charity shop or sell it on a secondhand market. Mark it clearly as “expired” and cut the straps or dismantle it before disposing of it. This way the car seat doesn’t risk being used by another family for an unsafe travel with their child.

Car seats safeguard our most precious cargo. Understanding the expiration dates, recognizing signs of wear and tear, and knowing the history of a car seat you're considering are paramount. We hope this article has clarified any questions you had regarding car seat expiration and the overall lifespan of car seats.