Do you agree that nothing lasts forever? The same is the case with Cosco car seats. Cosco car seats expiry dates are mentioned on each seat to keep the user aware of its service life.
Baby car seats are made to keep them safe and restrained while traveling either by road or by air. The car seat guarantee that your child will be safe and would not get injured to the most sensitive parts of their body i.e. head, neck, and spine.
On the other hand, an expired car seat doesn’t have this guarantee. It has lost its strength to overcome the crash forces with the passage of time.
Today we will discuss Cosco car seat expiration in detail. So let’s get started.
Table of Contents
What Does Cosco Car Seats Expiry Dates Mean?
Coscokids.com was founded almost 70 years ago in the USA, and since that time, it is still standing high for its modern and child-friendly car seat (other baby products), clothing, electronics, and housewares.
Cosco car seats expiry dates mean that if the car seat has 10 years of service life, it would not offer the same safety, comfort, and protection to your child after that 10 years.
Baby car seats are made of petroleum-based plastic that is biodegradable. Slowly but surely, it starts losing its strength due to continuous use, exposure to hot and cold weather, and cleaning agents.
There is variation in the petroleum-based plastic quality, and therefore the expiry dates of car seats vary. Let’s discuss Cosco car seat expiration variation by mode.
When Does A Car Seat Expire? Cosco Car Seat Expiration
When baby car seats are installed, uninstalled (on a daily basis), and kept in vehicles in the hot summer temperatures (140 degrees and above) causing the car seat loses its rigidity.
For most of the best car seat brands, the expiration dates lie between 6-10 years. Cosco car seats expiration dates for most of its well-known models are 8-10 years.
When Do Cosco Car Seats Expire?
For most of the Cosco car seats, the service life of car seats will be between 6 and 10 years. Cosco car seats expiry dates for most of the best-selling models are mentioned below:
| Sr. No. | Cosco Car seat model | Expiry date (Years) |
| 1 | The Scenera Next DLX | 6-10 |
| 2 | The Cosco Topside Booster | 6 |
| 3 | The Light ‘N Comfy DX | 6-8 |
| 4 | The Easy Elite 3-in-1 | 8-10 |
| 5 | The APT 50 | 6-10 |
| 6 | The Light ‘N Comfy LX | 6-8 |
| 7 | The Scenera Next | 6-8 |
1. How to Find Expiration Date on Car Seat?
How you will check whether your Cosco car seat has expired or not?
The Cosco car seats expiry dates are mentioned on the car seat back or on the side of the frame.
Note: Generally, for most of the well-known best car seat brands, the service life of car seats is between 6-10 years of their manufacture date. For example, Britax car seat expiry lies between 6-10 years.
2. Where to Find Cosco Car Seats Expiry Dates?
For all the models of Cosco car seats, the manufacture date along with the end of service life will be mentioned on a sticker present either on the back of the car seat or underneath the seating area.
3. How Many Years Is a Car Seat Good For?
Even before buying the most frequently asked question from the parent’s side is “how many years is a car seat good for?
The answer is
“For 6-8 years if it will be used regularly and 6-10 years if not used on daily basis”
Note: it is better to get rid of an expired car seat instead of taking a risk over your child’s safety. You can trade in your expired car seat to “Walmart car seat trade in 2022” and get a coupon off on the new purchase.
4. How to tell When a Car Seat Expires?
How you will tell when a car seat expires and how to find out Cosco car seats expiry dates?
To be honest for a while, it would not expire overnight, and the traffic inspector would not start charging from the day next to the expiry date or he/she would not stop you to check the expiry date on your baby’s car seat.
Then what happens when a car seat expires?
It becomes unsafe for your child and the only reason should be enough to either trade in it, dispose of or donate it.
Where to donate? Read our article “What to do with old car seats” to take help.
5. What Makes A Car Seat Expire?
The plastic used in the making of the framework of car seats is a petroleum-based plastic that is biodegradable. The environmental and human factors that involve in material aging may be:
- Hot and cold weather
- Sun exposure
- Cleaning agents
- Regular use
- Inefficient latch system after multiple installation and uninstallation exertions
Related: How Long Are Britax Car Seats Good for?
What to Do With an Expired Cosco Car Seat?
Exhausted of expired car seats and want to know what to do with an expired car seat? You can have the following money as well as environment-saving options for your old expired car seat.
1. Trade-in
The best and the first option after Cosco car seats expiry dates must be trading in it to the online stores which used to organize trade-in events. A few of the most famous ones are “Walmart.com, ebay.com, and Target.com”.
They have discount offers for the customers such as 20% off on new baby car seats, strollers, etc. Its famous events include:
- Target car seat trade in 2022
- Walmart car seat trade in 2022
- Target car seat recycle program
2. Donate it:
As you are concerned for your child’s safety, the same thoughts must be for others. If your car seat is in an excellent position you can donate it.
Following are the good options to donate your child’s car seat in the US:
- Church Organizations
- Women’s Shelters
- Local Charities
- Local CPSTs
3. Recycle it:
Recycling or disposing of your expired car seat is the last option if you cannot have the above two.
Note: Recycling is a healthy practice that benefits our environment too.
Before giving it for recycling,
- Remove or cut all extra padding and foam
- Mark the car seat as “expired” or “unusable”
- Separate all metal parts of car seat
Note: You can locate the nearest recycling plant. Some will agree to take the whole car seat while others will demand its frame only.
Cosco Car Seat Expiry Dates & Car Seat Laws
Car seats law for an old or expired by NHTSA states that:
“The parents are allowed to use the expired car seat until it doesn’t have any visible damage on it”
However, in many states of the US, for example, Michigan, it is illegal to use an expired car seat and in case of violation, the guilty will be charged with a fine.
Related: When Diono Car Seat Expiration?
Final Wrap Up
Wrapping up our discussion here, we hope that you have learned enough about Cosco car seats expiry dates. Keep using an expired car seat is not a smart option as it could cause more danger than traveling without a car seat would cause.
Therefore, we want to educate the parents about utilizing their old, expired, or damaged car seats in a way that not only benefits them but also our environment.
To find out more answers to your baby questions, keep visiting our website www.topbbayseats.com
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Graco car seat expiration date?
For Graco infant car seat, the service life will be almost 7 years, for Graco convertible car seats, it will serve your child for almost 10 years, and this way it may vary from model to model.
What is the average life of a car seat?
The average life of a car seat (for most of the well-reputed car seat brands, such as Chicco, Graco, Evenflo, Cosco, etc.) is 6-10 years after which it would not be guaranteed as safe for your child.
What is the infant car seat expiration date?
Infant car seats, just like all the other types of car seats by age, will have a service life of 6-10 years that may vary from 6-8 or 8-10 from company to company.
How many years until a car seat expires?
How many years until a car seat expires depends upon that car seat model and brand. For example, the Britax car seat for all of its models, the service life lies between 6-10 years, after which the seat would not be as safe for your child as it was.
When do booster seats expire?
Booster car seats will be your child’s travel partner for almost 6-10 years, depending upon the company and model of that booster car.
How do I know if my car seat is expired?
The car seats don’t make an alarm ring when they get expired. You can check whether your car seat has expired or not on the white label that will be stickered on either the back of the headrest, underneath the seating area, or on the side of the car frame.
How many years does a car seat last?
For most of the best car seat brands, the service life offered and recommended by the car seat manufacturer is “6-10” years, after which the safety of your child would not be guaranteed by the company in that car seat.
How many years can you use a car seat?
Although it depends upon the brand/company of car seat that you have, however, for most of the well-reputed car seat brands, for example, Cosco car seats expiry dates for most of its best-selling models lie between 6-10 years.
