Car Seat Accessories to Skip: Inserts, Strap Covers and Other Add-Ons

The car seat aisle has a whole wall of stuff designed to go on your car seat. Plush strap covers. Head-hugger pillows. Cushy inserts. Bunting bags. Most of it is the baby industry doing what it does best: selling you a solution to a problem you didn’t have.

The rule

If it goes between your baby and the seat, or between your baby and the harness, and it didn’t come in the box with your seat, skip it.

That’s not just me being cranky about clutter. The AAP calls aftermarket car seat products unapproved and says not to use them. They can interfere with how the harness fits, and they weren’t crash-tested with your seat.

My skip list

• Aftermarket infant inserts and head huggers. If your seat came with a newborn insert, use that one, the way the manual says. A third-party pillow changes how your baby sits in the harness.
• Plush strap covers and buckle pads sold separately. They add bulk right where the harness needs to sit flat and snug.
• Bunting bags with a layer behind the baby. Anything with fabric that goes under the baby or behind the straps is a no. For keeping warm, see winter coats and car seats.
• Seat protector mats you haven’t checked. Some manufacturers allow a specific mat or say none at all. Check your manual before you put anything under the seat.

What’s fine

• Everything that came in the box, used as the manual says.
• A shower-cap style cover over the top of an infant seat that doesn’t add anything under the baby or behind the straps.
• A blanket over the buckled harness.

What about toys and mirrors?

Anything hard and loose in the car can fly in a crash. That includes toys, tablets and the mirror on the headrest. If you use one, choose something light and secure it the way its instructions say. Better yet, skip it. Your baby will cope without seeing you every second.

Already bought something?

Bring it to a car seat check and ask. Techs see these every day. Find a car seat inspection station near you. More skip-its for the rest of the house are in nursery must-haves and skip-its.

Follow-up questions

Are aftermarket car seat inserts safe?

The AAP says aftermarket car seat products are unapproved and should not be used, and that you shouldn't use extra products unless they came with the seat. Use the inserts that came in the box, as the manual describes.

What about car seat strap covers and head supports?

Same rule. If they came with your seat, use them as the manual says. If you bought them separately, the AAP's guidance is not to use them.

Is a car seat cover okay?

A cover that goes over the top of an infant seat and doesn't add anything under the baby or behind the harness is a different thing from a bunting with a back layer. The AAP's winter guidance says to keep layers out from under the baby.