Swedish RFcing car seat

[AJ's mommy]

Hello everyone,

I was wondering if any of you ordered a RFcing swedish car seat to use in the USA/Canada? I actually own a HI-Way by Britax that I bought 2 years ago. We are in Germany right now so that's why we did that. Plus Germans aren't so good with rear facing at all... at 9 months they turn their babies  ... Everytime we go back to the USA we bring it and use it in our truck there without any problems at all. Now we are expecting #3 and I want to get and other one. We are still in Germany but we don't know for how much longer. I was looking at the website for some shipping info for the USA and it mentions that it is not illegal to ship a Swedish car seat to the USA but it could technically be illegal to use one. So, what does that mean exactly? If you get arrest the police will give you a ticket??? Anyone knows anything about that? I love those car seats and I don't think any one in the USA match their specifications and quality. So thanks for everybody's help with this.

[chickabiddy]

Seats that are not certified by the NHTSA are illegal to use.  The penalty is the same as if you were using no car seat at all, and that varies by state.

[AJ's mommy]

So families who live in Europe for a few years and buy their car seats there (obviously) but then return to the USA have to get rid of their expensive but ultra safe car seats because they are not certified by NHTSA??? I mean what am I suppose to do? I'm guessing if I buy a US car seat and bring it here then it will be illegal here but ok when I go back home... I can't afford to have 6 car seats!!!! I want my kids to be safe when we travel (and God knows we do a lot)... I mean we could even put Canada in the mix here cause I read it's the same thing. You can't buy a US car seat to use in Canada (well visitors are ok but citizens no)!!! Our whole family is in Canada... so what happens if we use a US car seat in my parent's car and they get into an accident??? I don't know what to do anymore? But thanks for the reply.... I guess I will have to think more about this one! Well if we could be in one country for the rest of our lives it could help but right now it's not an option... 

[DahliaRW]

Usually if you're using a car seat from another country as a visitor that is fine.  In the case of your parents, your child is a visitor, not a citizen.

And to be honest, it's highly unusual (if ever) for a policeman to notice a car seat is not from said country.  Most dont' know much at all about car seats, and are happy if the child appears to be properly restrained.

[MacKinnon]

Yes, if you move here it would be illegal to use it, but I can't fathom what officer would realize that. In most states it would be a ticket for improper use or something similar, not an arrest, here in Michigan I think it's a $65 ticket.

[AJ's mommy]

Thanks ladies! I am not really worried about getting stop by the police cause like you said I don't think they would notice the car seats aren't from the USA. What I'm more concerned about is gettting involved in an accident with the kids in their European car seat when we move back in the USA! So we would not be considered visitors... although I have to say we still have a house in the USA so even if we only spend a few weeks there I wonder if we would be considered residents or visitors when we just go back to "visit"! I mean I even asked our US insurance company 2 years ago about them insuring us with the car seat and they said yes. So now I'm thinking I need to call them back and really make them dig to give me the right answer. I mean would they really refuse to insure us if the worst happen? Right now we have health  insurance from Europe when we come back to the USA, but once we move back we would get US insurance, could they refuse health care coverage to my kids because of this? What would you do in my position? The car seats I buy are 350 Euros a piece so there are not cheap... Would you just suck it up and buy brand new car seats once back in the USA? I have no idea of where the rear facing car seats specifications are at right now in the USA... but it would be soooo sad to give up our 55 pounds limit car seat!!!! Thanks again for all you inputs ladies!!! 

[chickabiddy]

No, they would not refuse to insure you.  Health insurance has nothing to do with carseats.  It's possible, but extremely unlikely, that your auto insurance would refuse to cover medical injuries if your children were not properly restrained (in a legal sense, that means in a legal carseat).

However, I would sell the seats and buy legal ones.  I cannot, as a CPST, recommend the use of illegal seats.

[AJ's mommy]

Thanks Chickabiddy! I guess I will have to do that! Can you tell me then (since I have no idea really) which car seats in the USA are the best for long term RF? Maybe I'll just get the next one this summer in the US and bring it back with us to Europe for the next couple of years we have here and hopefully DS2 will be over 4yo when we get back, so we don't need our European seat anymore. 

[chickabiddy]

The Diono R120 and RXT and the not-yet-released Clek Foonf have rear-facing limits of 45#, which are the highest on the US market.

[~Adorkable~]

 I really hear you on the frustrations of having to basically dumb down your car seat for the laws in the USA, how stupid!

I just returned my Diono RXT and ordered a set of Foonfs! i was driven nuts and could not get used to the tightening system on the Diono seats even after 2 months of use. So I'm using some good Britax loaner seats till this summer when i get  the Foonfs that seem quite frankly amazing.