UK Child Car Seat in USA

May 28, 2018 2:35 PM

Can I use a UK child car seat in a US car (specifically: forward-facing, seat-belt-connected)?

I will be taking a three-year-old child to the USA this summer. I have a UK car seat and plan to bring it with me and install it with a seatbelt, forward-facing. The seat won't be technically approved by the regulators, I suppose, but I can't think of a reason it wouldn't be secure; can you?

posted by EtTuHealy to Travel & Transportation (6 answers total)

Can you share what the car seat is, and do you know what car it would be going into?

I'm sure it's possible to make it secure, but as you may know - UK and US car seats are designed a little differently. US car seats generally have a chest clip and UK seats don't. My understanding is that this is because the training for accident response is different - UK first responders are focused on getting the clip undone as quickly as possible to get the kid out (hence one button), but they teach US responders to just cut the straps. Little stuff like that. Both countries have extremely high safety standards so I would be totally fine using a UK seat in the US for a visit, or vice versa.

FWIW we have taken my kid to the UK a few times and tried to take her infant seat the first time only to find we couldn't install it (we didn't have the base, and installing with just the seatbelt around the seat itself requires a seatbelt that ratchets, which our rental car didn't have).
posted by cpatterson at 4:12 PM on May 28, 2018

We took our kid to Europe using our American car seat and it hooked in no problem. Most cars these days have the child ancors. So I'm guessing it works in reverse.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 5:12 PM on May 28, 2018

Physical security is of concern, as is financial security: If you God forbid get involved in a car accident, will insurance pay out if the car seat isn't meeting US specs? (If you're renting a car, you can rent a seat with it.)
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:31 PM on May 28, 2018 [1 favorite]

Oh, I just mentioned this to my husband and he says that the technology called ISOFIX in the UK is what we have here as LATCH. Like, it is the same anchor/connectors. If your car seat has that, you should be good to go.
posted by cpatterson at 6:20 PM on May 28, 2018 [1 favorite]

To install a carseat with a seatbelt, you need lockable belts, meaning that if you pull them all the way out and then let them retract a bit, they can't be pulled back out. These belts have been required in the US since 1996, but may or may not be in cars in other countries, including brands sold in the US. Absent locking seatbelts, you can purchase a clip that will fasten the lap and shoulder portions of the seatbelt together, although I can't say I've ever used one.

The ISOFIX installation may be a surer thing, but some car seats are nearly impossible to install with anchors.
posted by deadweightloss at 7:47 PM on May 28, 2018 [1 favorite]

As a data point, I use my Canadian approved car seat in the USA every time we cross the border with no concerns whatsoever. I have literally never been asked about it at either land or air crossings. The airlines can be weird about use in flights but that is more airline specific than anything. Generally there are short term waivers about visitors using non USA approved car seats in the USA. Canadian and USA standards are similar but not the same and rarely are seats approved in the same model in both places.
posted by Northbysomewhatcrazy at 8:06 PM on May 28, 2018