Car Cushion

Car Cushion
Can the head cushion be removed from a Car Seat if an infant is getting too big for seat?

My 8 mo. little girl is getting big for her infant seat, but is not at the hight or weight requirment to graduate to the next safety seat a toddler would use. She also sweats like crazy around her neck and head because of that head support thing. I wan’t safety a priority. Is it unsafe to remove it now that she has control of her head and neck?

Unless the neck support is attached (like glued or sewn on) there is no reason why you need to leave it on.

They aren’t required, they’re just an add on for little babies who have poor neck control. Your daughter, at 8 months old, has plenty of neck control, so it’s fine to take this out.

But before you do, make sure your daughter fits her seat properly. You needs to ensure that she is within the weight limits for your specific seat, and that the top of her head is atleast an inch or more from the top of the seat.

Assuming that she fits still, just take out the silly headrest thingy. It’ll be fine.

If she doesn’t, you’ll want to start looking for a convertible seat that will allow you to keep your daughter rear-facing. The AAP recommends (and has since 2002) that children continue to rear-face to the limits of their convertible seat, typically 30-35 lbs.

My all time favorite seat is the Britax Marathon… this can be found on sale for as little as $220. My 2nd favorite is the Cosco Uptown (about $100), and 3rd favorite, the Cosco Scenera (about $40).

Whatever you decide to do, be sure to get your seat checked by a Child Passenger Safety Technician to ensure you have it installed correctly – 8 out of 10 carseats are installed wrong, and you want to make sure you’ve got it right! Try safekids.org to find a local one.