Should You Buy A Second Hand Car Seat? Here’s Why I Wouldn’t

Should you buy a second hand car seat?

When I was expecting my first baby, I started to compile a list of everything I would need.

It started with the absolute essentials we needed: a cot, clothing, nappies, a car seat and more. Then the list grew and grew and grew. Buying for your new baby can really mean parting with a lot of money! Money that we just didn’t have at that time. As the list grew longer, I started to think of ways I could reduce our spending but still get everything we needed.

This post on second hand car seats is sponsored by Britax.

I’m already quite frugal and I started to think about whether I could buy some items second hand. I had already had some lovely friends send me their preloved clothing and baby products. They were in impeccable condition and would save us so much money! Plus, I knew the home they had come from and the baby who had used them previously. It gave me peace of mind.

It also spurred me on to do the same, and when friends are expecting now, I always save some things to give to them.
We saved up our money and bought many big ticket items brand new, such as the cot and car seat. We opted for a Boori cot and it’s still in fantastic condition now four years on. My two-year-old son still sleeps in it! The car seat we chose was the Britax Safe-n-Sound Meridian™ car seat, which has now been replaced on the market with the upgraded Britax Safe-n-Sound Millenia™. We wanted a convertible car seat, rather than having to buy a new one when it came to forward facing my daughter.

We knew for those things, we wanted products that would really go the distance. Our plan was to hold on to some of those bigger items for any future babies too – which we did – so they needed to be in as good a condition as possible for baby number two.

That said, a very lovely family member gave us a cot for use at my parents’ house, when we stayed over there. It was in such fantastic condition in fact, it looked barely used. Clearly her little one wasn’t a cot nibbler! We did purchase a new mattress for it.

Over the years, we’ve purchased other baby items second hand, such as our Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo. In fact, we’ve purchased two of those second hand and ended up selling both for more than we paid for them! Good quality baby products can really last, if you take good care of them.

Should you buy a second hand car seat?

I wouldn’t do it. For me, it’s all about safety. I want to know that the products I’m buying to keep my baby safe are faultless.

Buying a new car seat for my baby means that this comes with a guarantee for me. I know 100% that the car seat has been rigorously tested and has not been involved in a car accident. Baby car seats that have been involved in accidents should never be reused and should always be replaced.

This is not to say that I doubt the integrity of any online sellers, it’s just better for my peace of mind.

Buying some second hand baby products for your baby can be a great way of saving money, though. Then, when they’re no longer needed, selling them online can be a fantastic way of generating an income. Which is probably needed for even more baby things!

I often sell the baby products we no longer need on Gumtree, eBay and in local Facebook ‘Buy and Sell’ groups. It’s often quick to list the product and the buyer can come and collect them from your door. Easy! Overall, I have had so much success selling items like bouncers and toys.

Related: Tops Tips on How to Use Gumtree to Sell Things!

What are your thoughts on buying a used car seat or other second hand baby products?

Read next:

• Why we choose Britax Safe-n-Sound Car Seats!
• Britax Safe-n-Sound Maxi Guard Car Seat Review
• How to keep your Baby Safe on Holiday + FREE Traveling with Kids Medical Checklist
• How to Budget for Buying a New Car
• 4 Most Used Baby Products I was Gifted
• 5 Tips for Making Flying with a Baby Much Easier!
• Car Seat Mistakes To Avoid – Are You Doing It Wrong?
• 5 Tips for a Stress Free Holiday with a Baby + Free Packing List Printable!

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Have you considering buying a second hand car seat?