Our advice, don’t buy a second-hand car seat. However, we know how tempting
it is to accept a seat from a friend, especially when you’re on a tight budget. So if you do accept a seat, you need to know, and trust its history - it must not have been involved in any sort of crash.

Car crashes, even slight ones can cause hidden damage to car seats; the
car seat could fail in a second crash, putting your child at risk of serious
injury. You need to ask yourself if it’s worth putting your child’s life
at risk for the cost of a new car seat?

If you do opt for a secondhand seat check that:

• It hasn’t been in any sort of accident. Don’t buy it unless
  you are sure who’s owned it and its full history
• It doesn’t show any signs of wear and tear
• It has a full set of manufacturer’s instructions

Useful accessories

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• Aprons and cosytoes – also available as extras with some makes
  of infant carrier, particularly if they are part of a travel system,
  or as individual items
• Buckle protectors – stops toddlers from undoing their belts
• Cat and insect nets – fine netting material which fits over
  an infant carrier to protect the baby out of doors
• Head cushion and neck support – many infant carriers are sold
  with them; if not they are worth buying as they not only add comfort
  but also support the baby’s head. You can also buy head cushions
  and neck supports for older babies and children who tend to fall asleep
  in the car
• Harness strap cover – extra padding around the harness strap
  may be a standard fitting with your car seat, if not a cover can be
  bought individually
• Sun screen – fits to the car window to stop the sun shining
  on your baby; there are several different designs available
• Sun and rain covers - some infant carriers have them as extras,
  particularly if they can be used as part of a travel system. They are
  also available as individual items from manufacturers who specialise
  in nursery accessories (see Autoshades
  in the babyworld shop)
• Baby view mirror – a small mirror to position alongside the
  car rear view mirror, to enable you to look at your baby or child without
  having to turn round
• Heat cover – goes over the car seat when not in use, to stop
  metal frames and buckles from getting hot when the car is parked in
  the sun
• Seat covers – a great incentive for older toddlers who don’t
  like their seats. Lots of bright and colourful designs
• Seat protector – a plastic cover that goes over the back seat
  to protect it from scuff marks, spills and dirty feet
• Snug sit – a clip that secures the top of the harness together
  to stop your child wriggling out of the shoulder straps
• Playtray - some types of car seat can be fitted with a removable
  playtray. Check that it would be quick and simple to remove in the event
  of an accident
• Car tray – a small folding tray that attaches to the back of
  the adult seat, opening out when the car is stationary to hold a bottle,
  drinking carton, tissues and rubbish bag
• Toy tidy – a specially designed bag with lots of compartments
  to hold toys and baby paraphernalia; usually attaches to the back of
  the adult seat
• Toys - there is a good selection of toys designed to be played
  with in the car that attach in various ways depending on the type of
  car seat and age of baby or child.

Where to next?

• Find out which car seats rate highly with our panel of parents in our product test
• Get the lowdown on travelling with a baby
• Talk to other parents about travelling with tots in our Travel discussion forum
• Win car seats and other baby essential by entering our competitions