Warmer months are finally here! Aren’t you all ready for exciting family road trips? To enjoy a safe and fun summer make sure to check out these easy and practical tips on how you can keep your baby cool in the car seat.
Yayy it’s almost time to hit the beach and soak in some much-needed sunshine especially after such a long winter. Summers are so much fun, and they call for a ton of family outdoor activities like cycling, exploring a new park, road trips etc. Although the temperature outside is just perfect it is important to be cautious of the rising heat levels inside the car especially for babies and kids.
Road trips during summertime is a very common family activity. If the weather is in favor, then why not pack your bags and visit your family and friends living close by. But with the rising outside temperatures, there is also rising internal temperatures in the car which is usually higher than the outside and that can be extremely hazardous for the babies.
Sometime back I had come across this news by CNN about the dangers of overheating in the car and its effect on babies. You can check this news here. Reading these facts can be worrisome for many parents but if you take proper precautions to maintain a cool temperature in the car, then you don’t have to worry about overheating your baby.
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So in this blog post you will find a few tips and tricks on how you can maintain a cool temperature in your car and also products recommendation that can help you keep your baby cool in the car seat so that you can enjoy those long summer road trips with your family without having to worry about anything.
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Dangers of Overheating
Overheating a car is very dangerous and also fatal at times. Infants as well as young babies are sensitive to extremes in temperature and cannot regulate their body temperature well. Hence, you need to take extra precautions to make sure that the temperature inside your car is cool so that your baby stays cool in the car seat.
How can I tell if my baby is feeling hot?
Overheating can still happen during cool months if you aren’t careful. Your baby’s internal temperature should be between 98 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The best way to determine if your baby is too hot is to feel the nape of their neck. If their cheeks are flushed and they’re breathing rapidly, those are good indicators of overheating as well. Just remember, if you’re too warm then your baby probably is too.
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TIPS FOR MAINTAINING A COOL ENVIRONMENT IN THE CAR SO THAT YOUR BABY STAYS COOL IN THE CAR SEAT
1. Pick light colors for your child car seat as it absorbs less heat
Black car seats absorb heat really quickly and can reach up to 192 degrees Fahrenheit very quickly whereas light-colored fabric absorbs less heat. Also, if you live in an extremely warm place like Phoenix or Texas where the summer months are unbearable then you can opt for light interior colors inside your car. Light-colors won’t absorb as much heat as darker colors.
2. Point the rear a/c ducts towards your child
Make sure that if your car has rear a/c ducts then they are pointed towards your baby. This can help keep your baby really cool during painful summer days in the car.
3. Park in shaded areas
Car gets heated very quickly. Infact another important thing to keep in mind is that leather seats get warmed up quickly and are painful to sit on during extreme weather conditions. Try and park your car in shaded areas so that your car does not absorb a lot of heat and once you are in it you can get it to cool down quickly.
4. Leave all your windows slightly open
If this is possible and you are not too worried about your car getting stolen, then leaving your car windows down a little from the top can prevent from heat accumulating in the car.
5. Open all windows as soon as you turn on your car
Have you entered your car on a hot summer day and blasted the a/c and felt like you could barely breathe? Well this is how it feels like if you are sitting in a car which has been parked outside for long and has a lot of trapped heat. Also, there has been studies but not proven yet, that these trapped heats can create harmful chemicals which can be extremely hazardous for your health. Hence, when you pull out your car on a hot summer day, make sure to roll down the windows and let the air recirculate so that you have fresh air to breathe.
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6. Opt for remote start in the car so that you can cool the car a few minutes before entering the car
This feature is so helpful especially for people who reside in extreme weather condition areas. Remote starters can help switch your car even without you being in it and this can help cool your car. But again, going back to the previous point, still make sure to roll down your car windows for a few minutes when you pull it out so that you are breathing in fresh air.
7. Avoid sock and hat
Sweating helps babies regulate their body temperature. It is normal for your baby to sweat if he is not overheated and looks flushed. Babies have limited ability to sweat and they usually sweat from their necks, hands, feet and head. Because of this they can become overheated very quickly. So, ditch the socks and hats during summertime as it can limit your baby’s ability to cool down.
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8. Keep a water bottle in the car
This goes without saying. It is very important for everyone to stay hydrated during the summer months. Keeping babies hydrated helps regulate their body temperature. Babies under 6 months are not recommended to drink water as it can hinder their growth. Formula and breastmilk mostly contain 85% or more water in them and hence can keep your baby hydrated.
9. Try taking trips early morning or later afternoon
Usually the hottest temperature on a summer day lies somewhere in the mid-day. Hence if you are planning to take a road trip, try taking one early morning or later in the day so that you can escape the scorching sun.
10. Keep ice packs in a small cooler in the car
If you are going on a long road trip, keep some ice packs in your car in a small cooler just in case it gets too hot and your baby is feeling flushed or if your a/c stops working. It’s better to be as prepared as much as possible when it comes to extreme weather conditions.
11. Tint windows to protect your little one from bright sunlight and UV rays
Mostly people prefer to use tinted windows to get more privacy in their cars, but did you know that tinting a window may even reduce the temperature inside your car by up to seventy percent. It can also block some of the harmful UV rays and to top it off, a tinted window can also prevent shattered glass from flying inside of your car in the event of an accident.
PRODUCTS TO KEEP YOUR BABY COOL IN THE CAR SEAT
Use a freezable mat to cool the car seat
I love this product. We had used a freezable mat for our daughter’s car seat last summer and found it very effective. A freezer mat is basically a big ice pack that helps keep your child’s car seat cool on a hot day. Also, they are so compact and can be easily folded and carried along but make sure to use this product without the baby in the car seat.
Use reflective sunshades
Reflective sunshades help shield your children from blazing sunlight, uncomfortable heat and UV rays. They are available in many styles and for babies and up they come in fun colorful prints that can keep your little one engrossed for long and also maybe learn something new on the go. They are usually super easy to install and remove. Below are a few of my favorite finds.
These cute sunshade reflectors are colorful, consists of pretty animal patterns and English letters and numbers.
Britax cool-flow car seats
Britax does a great job in developing cool flow car seats. Cool Flow ventilated mesh fabric improves air flow to ensure added comfort. They are available in many colors and come in 3 different design style for an infant car seat, convertible car seat and booster car seat.
This one is a convertible car seat design. Ideal for kids with rear facing weight 5 to 40 pounds and forward facing 20 to 65 pounds.
This one is another great option for babies of weight 5 to 40 pounds rear facing and 20 to 65 pounds forward facing.
This one is a booster car seat design. Ideal for kids with forward facing weight 25 to 90 pounds and in booster mode from 40 to 120 pounds.
Sunshade cover uses elastic sizing to fit most child car booster seats.
Britax cool-flow car seats
Britax does a great job in developing cool flow car seats. Cool Flow ventilated mesh fabric improves air flow to ensure added comfort. They are available in many colors and come in 3 different design style for an infant car seat, convertible car seat and booster car seat.
This one is a convertible car seat design. Ideal for kids with rear facing weight 5 to 40 pounds and forward facing 20 to 65 pounds.
This one is another great option for babies of weight 5 to 40 pounds rear facing and 20 to 65 pounds forward facing.
This one is a booster car seat design. Ideal for kids with forward facing weight 25 to 90 pounds and in booster mode from 40 to 120 pounds.
Britax Car Seat Sun Shield is another great option and great for convertible car seats.
Sunshade cover uses elastic sizing to fit most child car booster seats.
Britax cool-flow car seats
Britax does a great job in developing cool flow car seats. Cool Flow ventilated mesh fabric improves air flow to ensure added comfort. They are available in many colors and come in 3 different design style for an infant car seat, convertible car seat and booster car seat.
This one is a convertible car seat design. Ideal for kids with rear facing weight 5 to 40 pounds and forward facing 20 to 65 pounds.
This one is another great option for babies of weight 5 to 40 pounds rear facing and 20 to 65 pounds forward facing.
This one is a booster car seat design. Ideal for kids with forward facing weight 25 to 90 pounds and in booster mode from 40 to 120 pounds.
UPPAbaby Cabana Infant Car Seat Shade blocks 80% of the sun's harmful rays and fits most of the infant car seats.
Britax Car Seat Sun Shield is another great option and great for convertible car seats.
Sunshade cover uses elastic sizing to fit most child car booster seats.
Britax cool-flow car seats
Britax does a great job in developing cool flow car seats. Cool Flow ventilated mesh fabric improves air flow to ensure added comfort. They are available in many colors and come in 3 different design style for an infant car seat, convertible car seat and booster car seat.
This one is a convertible car seat design. Ideal for kids with rear facing weight 5 to 40 pounds and forward facing 20 to 65 pounds.
This one is another great option for babies of weight 5 to 40 pounds rear facing and 20 to 65 pounds forward facing.
This one is a booster car seat design. Ideal for kids with forward facing weight 25 to 90 pounds and in booster mode from 40 to 120 pounds.
These are all such great ideas! When my kids were small I’d clip a mini fan near them and that helped a lot.
Excellent tips great list of products I believe we have to be aware of the heat for babies we are all grown-ups but they feel it too tight more because they are small
These tips are vital for summer. Cars can be too hot and need to be cooled down for babies
My youngest just got out of his car seat this past fall. And we did most of these things. But the best of all was our remote start. We all appreciated it!
I have a friend that this post will be perfect for. Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us!
The freezable mat looks like a great idea! Fantastic advice for making sure baby is happy and healthy.
You’ve got some great suggestions here! We see a lot of discussion about how to keep a baby warm during the winter months, what to do and what not to do when it comes to coats and snowsuits in a baby’s car seat. However, this is the first time I’ve seen someone openly talking about the other end of the spectrum.
Great tips, I have a Grandson that is 10 months old so these tips will come in handy this summere.
These are some amazing tips. Will definitely pass it on to my friends who have kids.
Great advice! I don’t have kids as of yet, nor do we have summers anywhere near hot enough but this is great advice non-the less. Over here we’re concerned about keeping baby from being cold!
I never knew that freezable mats existed. So cool. This is all great advice for those hot summer months.
These are so important because many don’t consider how fragile a baby is in the summer heat. I never know about the freezer mats, I am guessing it is a new thing?
awesome tips! very useful and thought through. I don’t have kids yet but I plan on making a baby this year (working hard!) so this is of a great use for me to remember
These are awesome ideas to remind parents of babies that they need to take extra care during the summer when it comes to leaving the baby in the car. My preference would be to not leave the baby there in the first place.
This is a really cool post as I know that my kids always seemed to get sweaty in the back of the car even with AC on. There are some good products on the market now to help!
These are some great points and product suggestions. I’m thankful for tinted windows. They really help a lot.
These are great tips! Especially now that Summer is approaching here in our country and it’s becoming hot. Thanks!
We have the remote starter which is really helpful!
Hi Author!
Such a great post, reflecting the ability of a good content writer.Your car’s shine and brightness must be a source of your pride as it reflects your personality and status so if you need a car wash, we are waiting for you.
Keeping your baby comfortable in hot weather can be a challenge. Babies are more sensitive to heat than adults and they can get sick quickly if they get too hot. Try to avoid putting them in direct sunlight, and dress them in lightweight clothes that will allow their skin to breathe. You can also give them a cold wet cloth to chew on or splash water on their face and body.
And don’t forget to drink plenty of fluids yourself, especially if you’re breastfeeding! Taking these steps will help make sure your baby is happy and healthy during the summer months. Keep on reading to find out the best tips to keep your baby cool in warm weather.
https://www.k2babycare.com/how-to-keep-baby-cool-in-hot-weather/