Standard car seat swap to Flame-retardant-free car seat

Why make the swap

• Why switch to flame-retardant-free car seat

  Some makers now use fabrics that meet the federal flammability test without added flame-retardant chemicals, such as Maxi-Cosi PureCosi, Britax SafeWash and Chicco ClearTex. All car seats sold in the US must meet federal safety standards, including flammability (FMVSS 302, which the car seat standard applies to every material); these makers say their seats meet it without added chemicals.

• What's the concern with standard car seat

  To pass an outdated federal flammability test, many seats are treated with flame retardants, increasingly phosphorus-based ones whose toxicity is mostly unknown.

• General information, not medical advice. Ask your pediatrician before changing what your baby or child uses.

• Good to know before you buy

  Don’t replace a seat that still fits your child; choose flame-retardant-free fabric when you move to the next stage. Flame-retardant-free fabric is a chemical choice, not a safety upgrade: choose the seat that fits your child’s age and size first. Every car seat has a plastic shell, foam and synthetic fabric, and there’s no plastic-free option yet. FR-free claims often cover only certain fabrics, so check the exact colourway and look for PureCosi, SafeWash or ClearTex in the listing.

  Maxi-Cosi Pria All-in-One convertible seat (PureCosi), Sea Shadow: From birth: rear-facing (5 to 40 lb), then forward-facing with a harness (30 to 65 lb), then booster. The maker says its PureCosi fabrics have no added fire retardant treatment.

  Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus 2-in-1 booster (booster stage, 4 yrs+): Booster stage only: for children who have outgrown a harness seat, at least 4 years old, 40 to 100 lb and 44 to 57 inches tall, says the maker.

  Britax One4Life All-in-One seat (SafeWash), Teak: From birth: rear-facing (5 to 50 lb), then forward-facing with a harness (30 to 65 lb), then booster. Ranges vary by model: follow the label. The maker says the cover has no added flame-retardant chemicals.

• Sources (8)

  1. Ecology Center 2022: 12 of 22 US seats had flame retardants; 40+ models marketed FR-free (opens in a new tab)
  2. Wu et al. 2019, ES&T Letters: high flame-retardant levels in 18 new car seats (opens in a new tab)
  3. FMVSS 213 (49 CFR 571.213), S5.7: every material in a child restraint must meet the flammability test in FMVSS 302 (opens in a new tab)
  4. NHTSA: Car Seat Finder, registration, recalls and free inspections (opens in a new tab)
  5. AAP HealthyChildren: rear-facing and harnessed as long as possible; avoid used seats of unknown history and crashed or expired seats (opens in a new tab)
  6. Maxi-Cosi Pria listing: PureCosi fabrics made without added fire retardant treatment (opens in a new tab)
  7. Britax One4Life listing: cover naturally flame-retardant with no added FR chemicals (opens in a new tab)
  8. Chicco KidFit listing: ClearTex has no flame retardant chemicals and meets federal flammability standards (opens in a new tab)

  Health and safety facts on this page come from these sources. What a pick is made of comes from its maker's listing or website, as stated on the date we checked.