How To Keep Baby Cool in Their Car Seat
During the warmer months, with the temperatures soaring as high as 100 degrees, one of the main concerns of every parent is “how to keep baby cool in car seat”? Sweaty babies are not fun to hold, and they can not be comfortable sitting in it on long rides.
Just as you don’t want your baby feeling cold in their car seat in winter, it’s important that they are not overheating in the summer.
If you have young ones and want to ensure that they stay cool on the road this summer without compromising their safety, try out these tips.
While there is no one correct solution, as families and vehicles vary, you will probably want to combine some of the tips and solution so that all of you can ride take a family road trip in comfort this summer.
12 Ways To Keep Your Baby Cool In Their Car Seat
Here are a few things you can do to ensure your baby enjoys the car trip despite the hot weather.
1. Block the sun
Consider having your windows tinted. There are even certain types of tints that block UV radiation from direct sunlight. Furthermore, tinted windows are also safer in a crash as the glass is now laminated, so it will not break into a thousand pieces.
You can also use reflective sun shades for the front windshield to help keep the car cooler for everyone. Reflective shades are helpful when you are out and about, your car is parked in a sunny area, or your driveway is not shaded.
Some of the different types of reflective sunshades include:
Mesh sunshades:
Mesh sunshades go to the side windows, which helps block the sun while driving. But they can cause difficulty for the driver if they are backing out of a parking space or changing lanes.
Accordion-style:
Accordion-style sunshades are placed on the front windshield and open like an accordion. Their reflective surfaces help reflect the sun’s rays outwards while reducing interior temperatures.
Solar/ Reflective car covers:
Solar car covers help keep the car cool if you do not have a garage at home. The reflective car covers work like the accordion-style sunshade, but they fit your vehicle entirely.
2. Choose a light color when choosing your baby’s car seat.
Dark colors like black absorb more light which translates to more heat. You should get a seat with light-colored fabric, which will not absorb as much heat as the darker colors. Some car seats are installed with moisture-wicking (breathable) fabrics, which can help regulate sweating and body temperatures.
The color of your car’s interior can also significantly impact how hot your car can get. Vehicles with a light-colored interior will stay much cooler than the ones with a dark-colored interior.
3. Point rear air conditioning ducts toward your child
If you are a new car shopper, consider models with rear air conditioning ducts that help provide more excellent airflow to backseat passengers.
A gadget called Noggle will also help if your backseat does not cool down efficiently. You hook up the Noggle to your car’s air vent and feed it into the rear seat. The Noggle is a fabric-covered piece of a flexible duct that diverts air from one of your front vents directly to your child in the rear seat, making it a great baby car seat cooler.
4. Use a freezable child seat cooling mat.
On hot summer days, using a freezable mat helps keep your baby’s car seat cool when you run errands away from the car. You should not forget that this freezable cooling mat will not be used when your little one is in the car seat. Instead, it should be placed when you and your little one are away from the car on hot days. A cooling mat is a great infant car seat cooling tip.
5. Encourage sweating
Sweating is healthy as it cools you off as the water evaporates off your skin. It is your baby’s best defense against overheating. You can also spray cool water on your little one hair and skin to help them cool off because when the water evaporates, it will cool them. But if you are going into an air-conditioned space after your trip, you will want to avoid getting your baby’s clothes wet as they may become too cold in the air conditioning.
Your toddler and older tots can also use a spray bottle filled with water to keep cool. Older kids can use a spray fun that has fans attached.
6. Use evaporative cooling towels
If you decide on the evaporative cooling towels, you should only use them over your child’s harness straps -never underneath. Evaporative cooling towels as they help keep heat stroke at bay.
7. Use a car seat sunshade
If you are using an infant carrier, you should keep the sunshade up while in the car to block some of the sun from the side windows. But you should double-check that your little one is still getting enough air movement underneath, as some shades can make it hotter underneath.
8. Precondition the car before stepping inside
Most new SUVs and cars come with remote start and cooled rear seats, making it possible to get your interior and seat cushions nice and cold before you get into the car.
Your child’s car seat is right against the surface of the rear seats, and a cool environment will ensure that it is fully prepped for your bundle of joy.
9. Park your car in shaded areas
While this is only sometimes possible, you can always park in a shaded area, so your car does not become a sauna. Walking a little extra to keep your vehicle out of the sun is worth it. Shaded areas ensure that you have a cool baby car seat on your drive.
10. Get a seat saver
A seat saver is a waterproof car seat cover, so if your child is sweaty, you can wash that cover instead of cleaning the entire car seat. A car seat saver is also great for keeping your car seat from spills and crumbs.
11. Leave your car windows slightly open
Heat gets trapped in the car, especially when packed under direct sunlight. Leaving your windows slightly open will help the heat escape, and you will not return to an overheated vehicle.
12. Never leave your little one alone in the car
While we are still on the topic of hot cars, and while this is obvious, NEVER, EVER, leave your child alone in the car, even for a minute. A vehicle can become an oven in minutes on a hot day, leading to your baby overheating in car seat and even death.
And it is not only on hot days that you should be conscious, as even during mild temperatures, the inside of your cars temps can rise to twenty degrees in just ten minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) On Infant Car Seat Safety
Your baby might be sweating in their car seat as some babies get overheated in car seats. You may not feel the warmth, but your little one may sweat from all the material and cushion around them.
Therefore, you must ensure that your baby is getting proper air circulation. Connect a portable fan to their car seat if you are wondering how to keep car seat cool.
If your baby’s temperature is over 90 degrees F, you should be very careful, as extra caution is needed to keep your little one from overheating. And while in the car, keep in mind that every ten to twenty minutes, the internal temps of the vehicle rises 20 degrees.
Also, you should NEVER leave your baby in the car because when you leave your baby in the car, their major organs begin to shut down when their temperatures reach 104 degrees F. It can be fatal when their temps get to 107 degrees F.
More Advice Road Tripping With An Infant
Traveling by car with a tot can be a harrowing experience, especially if you are new parents and infrequent drivers.
Here to help you with planning out a road trip with a baby or toddler, we have plenty of helpful advice, and products our team of moms and dads have reviewed to make life on the road a little easier. Why not check out next:
- How to road trip with a newborn – top tips for traveling long distances with small babies; how old before you can start driving and why regular stops are essential
- The best baby toys for the car – simple entertainment items for older infants
- Feeding stops are essential on a road trip with a baby. We share how to transport breastmilk if you pump and feed, plus how to get your baby’s bottle warm, fast!
- As your infant grows, we share our top tips for keeping a toddler happy in the car, plus our favorite toddler car activities, toddler car toys and toddler comfort items.
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