Last Updated On November 22nd, 2018
The rise in the popularity of car seats for babies has lead to a multitude of new and previously unheard of accessories made to accommodate your baby. One of these is a car canopy – a covering that can attach to your baby’s car seat in order to provide shade from the sun or even from the weather when you take both your child and the car seat out of your vehicle. But as with all new innovations, there are safety concerns some have raised. This concern is increased greatly with any new product designed for newborns or young babies as no one is more worried than a overly cautious parent. Here are some helpful hints when shopping for a car seat canopy to ensure you’re informed enough to buy the safest car seat canopy on the market.
The Right Kind of Car Canopy
First and foremost, it’s important to understand that most canopies come with the car seat they’re intended to fit atop. This is why if you’re going to want one, be sure to by a car seat that comes included with a canopy. Finding a separate model that you need to verify fits securely with a car seat you already own is where the safety concerns arise. Most car canopies fit onto car seats with your baby already seating inside. This is why these manufacturers create car canopies for their car seats with an an attachment that doesn’t cover the straps or with inserts that detach while the baby is in it or just hooks to the handle. In any case, a car seat manufacturer will design a car canopy attachment that is designed for easy on-off functionality without having to take your baby out of the seat to put it on. This is the most ideal type.
The Wrong Kind of Car Canopy
If you have to buy a car canopy separately from your car seat, make sure you don’t get one that either attaches over the straps or in secured with restraints that are underneath your baby. The reason why is there is a safety concern with car canopies in the first place is the unfortunate instances where a baby was injured by such faulty models when parents try to remove said canopy too quickly.
But another safety concern is the type of material used to make a car canopy. Most parents are unaware that the material used to manufacture these products isn’t always rated for fire safety. No matter what type of setting your baby might be in, you need to ensure that the car canopy shielding them from the sun is inflammable. Flammable and combustible cloth materials include cotton, linen or silk that reaching a high flame velocity and is easy to ignite. Wool or synthetic materials with a low ignition point and a low flame velocity is much safer. When shopping for a car canopy separately from your car seat (or if you’re shopping for a car seat with a canopy attachment) always put anything clearly indicated as non-flammable at the top of your list.
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