A Used Carseat

by FrugalBabe on January 2, 2009

Happy New Year!  Hope it’s off to a good start for all of you.  Ours is great so far.  I went for a long walk today with the baby and the dog (the Moby Wrap is amazing.  2.5 hrs walking, and I barely noticed I was carrying the baby at all).  And I made another diaper from my recycled thrift store fleece shirt and Cat In The Hat pj’s.  Feeling productive.

Yesterday I bought a used carseat for our son.  I know, I know – that’s the one thing that you’re not ever supposed to buy used.  Well, that and a crib (but we already got a used crib, so I figured I better go two for two and get the carseat too).

A few months ago, I orderd a Britax Marathon carseat online.  It was $220, which was apparently quite a bargain – every other place I’ve seen them they tend to be at least $250.  I love that carseat.  It’s solid and secure – it feels like it’s part of the car.  And it’s just buckled in with the seatbelt – our cars aren’t new enough to have the LATCH system.  But Britax makes an awesome buckle-in system, and I love how safe the seat feels.

We’ve been using an infant seat that my best friend lent us (gasp – another used carseat) in our other car.  Her baby is two now, and outgrew his carseat last year, just before our son was born.  But now she’s pregnant with number two, and we’re going to give her seat back to her.  Plus, our son weighs 19 pounds now, and the infant seats are only rated to 20 pounds.  So we needed another carseat for our other car.  It’s quite a process to get the seat secured into the car, so taking it out and switching it from one car to the other isn’t very practical (although I did actually consider that as an option).

I knew I wanted another Marathon.  They’re rated to 65 pounds, so they’re really the only carseat you ever need.  And I just like how safe they feel.  I was willing to pay full price if necessary, but I decided to just take a quick gander at craigs list first.  Sure enough, someone was selling a seat that was virtually identical to the one we have – for $75.  I got the model number and checked the Britax website to make sure that it hadn’t been recalled.  It looks like it’s never been used – the lady said it was the carseat in their second car that rarely got used.  The house was in a very fancy part of town and worth about a million dollars.  There was a brand new Audi in the garage and everything was shiney, new, and obviously well taken care of.  They assured me that the seat had never been in an accident, and I believed them.

So there you have it.  We got a super safe carseat for $75, and saved the world a bit by recycling rather than buying new.  Each to their own, and I’m sure some people wouldn’t feel comfortable buying a carseat used.  But it’s easy to check recalls online, and my mindset is to buy used whenever possible.  I know that we could get a new carseat for not much more than $75, but I prefer a gently used but top-rated carseat for the same price.  We rarely use my car anyway, but when we do, I’ll feel good knowing he’s in such a good carseat.

How about you?  Have you ever gone against the prevailing wisdom and bought a carseat or a crib used?

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  • http://www.moneyloveandchange.com moneyloveandchange

    Gasp! Just kidding :)

    We borrowed our infant seat from our cousin, who had purchased it new. It was never in an accident, and we were able to give it back to her after we were done (she lent it to another friend of hers).

    As for a crib, we got one from my mother-in-law, who had never used it for her last child. It was a really well-made crib (well beyond what we would have been able to afford), and we were able to order new hardware for it online ($20). There were no safety recalls for it either.

    We did purchase a new mattress for the crib, as well as a Britax Marathon for after the infant seat.

    I know that some people would never consider used for these items, but I think that as long as people are smart about it and use their better judgment (as you did), there really isn’t a problem with it.

  • FrugalBabe

    @moneyloveandchange: I knew there were other people out there like us ;)
    We also bought a new mattress for our crib because I wanted the mattress to be organic. My parents found the crib for us, and did all the legwork – they checked with the manufacturer to see if it was still safe, and found that while it hadn’t had any recalls, the end posts were 1/4 inch higher than the head and footboards, which isn’t allowed anymore. So my dad cut off the excess, sanded them down, and you’d never know they used to be higher (apparently clothing can get wrapped around a corner post that sticks up, and can be a strangulation hazard).

  • http://almostfrugal.com Kelly from Almost Frugal

    I’ve had secondhand for both carseats and cribs. In fact, at the moment, I can’t think of a single baby item I’ve bought new! Cups and plates are about it really.

  • http://outofthecrayonbox.blogspot.com Jane

    I plan to borrow or buy off of Craigslist for everything when we have a baby. I think a mother’s instinct is pretty strong. Had there been something shady with the carseat, I suspect you would have felt it.

  • http://www.remodelingthislife.com Emily@remodelingthislife

    For my son, we bought a used crib on Craigslist. We’ve bought all our carseats new (a Britax Roundabout, Wizard, and when my son was born, he was supposed to be really tiny so we bought the Britax infant seat new). My 4 yo is in the Wizard, my son – now almost 2 is in the Roundabout and will move into the Wizard when my daughter moves into a Britax 5 pt booster. We sold the infant seat on Craigslist when he outgrew it. I think it’s an individual basis decision. I wouldn’t buy an old Graco beat up seat from a consignment place but I’d buy one that is really new in age and comes from a place that looks dependable. I am glad you got such a great deal. Nice job!

  • Sandra

    I’ve done even worse *blush* …. several years ago… our car seats got sent on another flight and we needed to leave the airport. They were going to deliver them to us the next day. They then sent us to the ‘grave site’ of TON of left over car seats that people just never picked up … so sitting shiny and pretty was a Britax … I snagged it for my daughter and she’s now 6 and still using it! LOL :-)

  • http://www.takeawhisk.blogspot.com Lilbet

    I’m sure it will be fine. We live in such a world of catastrophizers. Used to be you just used the leftover baby crap that your parents had from your childhood (which was probably from their childhood!).

    The only thing I’ve heard about car seats that really makes sense is that if they’re more than 5 years old, the heat and cold of being in a car will break down the plastic. So, they’re not as safe at that point.

    Reusing crib mattresses has been proven to contribute to SIDS, so that isn’t something I would mess with (nurse/midwife here!).

    You’re very smart. That’s a GREAT deal on that brand of carseat. We never could afford those, but at THAT price. Dang girl, that’s a great deal!

  • stef

    My boss gave me his used Graco infant seat. He cautioned me that it was past it’s expiration date and that we should use it only for an infant carrier. I chose instead to give it to my mother who lives in Indiana. I know she won’t be driving the baby around much (if at all) but it would save her from feeling the need to buy a brand new car seat that may never be used. I know the foam isn’t at the top of its game but for rare use with a safe driver, I’m not concerned.

  • FrugalBabe

    @Sandra: I love it! That is quite a score. (who leaves a Britax at the airport and never picks it up?!)

    @Lilbet: I agree about the “world of catastrophizers” thing. Sometimes all we need is a bit of common sense. We bought a new crib mattress because of the SIDS thing, and because I wanted an organic mattress without any chemical gunk in it. And our other carseat was new. But other than that, pretty much everything we have for our son was used when we got it.
    My family didn’t have much money when I was a child, and I was the oldest of four kids. My parents got stuff for me at yardsales and then all of my siblings used the same stuff. If we ever have another child, we’ll do the same thing.

  • Wilm

    Commonsense is often lacking these days!

    We were given a secondhand cot from my brother and his wife. Used it for both of our children, then sold it and sent my brother the money.

    We hired a baby capsule for our son, then purchased his next car seat new (but on special!).

    Our daughter used a babycapsule that we were given from some friends. Then we purchased her next car seat from friends (our son was still using his). We onsold both of the children’s larger carseats online when they were done.

    Cheers, Wilma

  • http://www.thehappyrock.com The Happy Rock

    Our son is about to graduate into a front facing seat, and I will be using the same strategy.

    You found the perfect deal, little used and very reasonable.

    I’ll give you $90 for it…..hahaha

  • http://jing-wen.com Amanda

    For a lot of families, buying used or using second-hand is the only way that they can afford to get baby gear. It’s not longer a lifestyle choice, but rather a necessity.

    When my mother had my younger brother, all of his gear was passed down from family friends. The carseat was my aunt, the cot was from the Salvation Army, clothes were hand-me-downs, toys were left over from when I was a child, etc. The only new things my parents bought were feeding bottles, steam cleaner, etc, for hygienic reasons.

  • Gord

    I guess the big clue in the original post is……..the affluent owners of the car seat didn’t throw it away; they took the time and effort to get the value out of the seat. That philosophy is why there is an Audi in the garage.

  • http://www.paidtwice.com paidtwice

    I haven’t bought a used car seat but I did sell the ones my kids outgrew at yard sales, so… I contributed!

    My inlaws bought my son his infant seat as a gift, and we used that for my daughter too. My grandfather bought my son his Britax Wizard, which he is still in. My parents got my daughter her Britax Roundabout (which she is still in). So um… we haven’t paid for them. lol.

  • http://amommoneyandmore.blogspot.com SonyaAnn

    I would consider it a good choice. And a bargain is always something to be happy about. I hope that many bargains find you in the new year.

  • Kriswithmany

    We’ve done both used and old cribs (but new mattresses). No old carseats, though. We did pass along the last carrier seat – no accidents and it still had a few years before the expiration date. I won’t buy a used carseat from someone I don’t know personally, though. It’s hard for me to trust, and I won’t risk my child’s life on it. I can tell if a crib is sturdy and safe. I don’t know what the carseat would do in an accident.

    A note on carseats that have been in accidents: There can be hidden damage. So when you throw one away from that, make sure to destroy it, at least cutting all the straps. And insurance is supposed to pay for the replacement (but they will almost never ask about it!).

  • http://www.greenandcrunchy.blogspot.com Sheri

    Hi FrugalBabe! Happy New Year!

    Britax carseats are a fave in our house — i’ve got 4 of my 5 kids riding in Britax. Great seats!

    The risk with a used carseat is that if it has been in an accident, it may have sustained damage — damage that is invisible to the naked eye, but would make it usafe in another accident. A slight hairline crack in the plastic would be enough to render it unsafe (or even useless) in a car accident.

    Here in Ohio, consigment stores (like Once Upon A Child) will not sell used carseats in their stores, because they know that there is no way to tell if it has been in an accident. They can’t take a chance on selling a seat with hideen damage.

    Hopefully your seat has no accident-history and FrugalBaby will be nice and safe in it!

  • FrugalBabe

    @Sheri: That was a concern I had, but I discussed it with the lady selling the seat, and didn’t doubt her at all when she said that it had never been in an accident. They lived in a million dollar home, just traded in their 2000 Audi for a 2009 Audi because they liked the safety features… I could tell this family was all about safety, and also not hurting for money. I am confident that had the seat been in an accident, they’d have thrown it away. I wouldn’t have bought the seat if I hadn’t gotten such a good vibe from the family, but it’s definitely a judgement call. And I wouldn’t buy a used carseat from a thrift store or a place where I couldn’t meet the original owner.

  • L

    For the little one due next week I bought a crib from an friend (and ordered a new non toxic mattress) and a car seat from the charity kids shop I volunteer at. The car seat looks unused. Both had minor recalls (they sent us new parts)
    I think as long as they are in good shape and for the plastic car seat with in dates, they are no worse then regular hand me downs. We are carfree and I know the carseat will barely be used.

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