Is it OK to wear a Puffer Jacket in a Car Seat?

As part of our car seat safety campaign, this month we're talking about bulky clothing.

For a harness to do its job correctly it needs to fit snug against a child body.

Bulky clothing such as winter jackets, puffy onesies and big woollen knits are items that are full of air and no matter how tight we pull a harness we cannot get all the air out of the clothing to ensure the harness is as tight as it needs to be. Crash forces can easily crumple steel on the vehicle which means it can also easily push the air out of clothing. This creates excess slack under a child’s harness and increases the chance of them sliding out in a car crash.

It is therefore recommended to:

• Layer with thin warm layers (eg, cotton and thin fleece layer, 2 merino layers, cotton/merino layer)
• Accessorise with a hat, mittens and socks
• Then place a blanket OVER the top of their harness to keep them warm

If a clothing item is too bulky – remove it.

Our ultimate goal is to have them warm, comfortable AND safe.